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The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

Moonstruck by Norman Jewison

A Comparison Between Mr. Right and The Taming of the Shrew

In "The Taming of the Shrew," there is a strong straightforward male character named Petruchio. In "Mr. Right," there is a strong straightforward character named Francis. In the beginning, it may seem like they are very similar. They both have a clever sense of humor and they know how to entrance a woman. However, Petruchio began his relationship with lies and deceit. He courted Katherine with her under the impression that she had no choice but to be with him. In "Mr. Right," Francis took Martha out on a date and allowed her to enjoy herself and he always told her the truth. He's an inverted assassin. The difference in their tactics shows how the audience’s expectations about how a man should court a woman have changed.

“You lie, in faith, for you are called plain Kate

And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst.

But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom,

Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate,

(For dainties are all Kates)- and therefore, Kate,

Take this of me, Kate of my consolation:

Hearing thy mildness praised in every town,

Thy virtues spoke of, and thy beauty sounded

(Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs),

Myself am moved to woo thee for my wife.”

(Act II, Scene I, Lines 193-202)

Towards the beginning of the play, when Petruchio first meets Katherine, the first thing he tells her is that he’s heard all the lovely tales about her. Almost everything he is saying is lies. The tales of Katherine are that she is a shrew and rude and unlovable. The beginning of their relationship is based off of lies which can be seen as an unsturdy foundation.

In Mr. Right, right after Martha and Francis meet, they go on their first date to get tacos and the go on a walk. As they walk through the park, Martha and Francis talk about Martha’s life. She realizes that she doesn’t know anything much about him. He names some of his hobbies such as buying vintage cars and traveling and then says, “And I kill people but not so much anymore.” Then, Francis spots a bullet flying towards Martha and himself. As the bullet is hurdling towards them, Francis wraps Martha in his arms and expertly dips her out of harm's way. She asks, “What was that?” to which he responds, “Oh, just some poopyhead trying to kill me.” In this scene he’s basically, straight up telling Martha that he actually kills people, however, she does not believe him. She doesn’t believe him because he inserts it into the conversation so comically.

“Be patient, gentlemen. I choose her for myself.

If she and I be pleased, what’s that to you?

‘Tis bargained ‘twixt us twain, being alone,

That she shall still be curst in company.

I tell you, ‘tis incredible to believe

How much she loves me. O, the kindest Kate!

She hung around my neck, and kiss on kiss

She vied so fast, protesting oath on oath,

That in a twink she won me to her love.

O, you are novices! ‘Tis a world to see

How tame, when men and women are alone,

A meacock wretch can make the curstest shrew.-

Give me thy hand, Kate. I will unto Venice

To buy apparel ‘gainst the wedding day.-

Provide the feast, father, and bid the guests.

I will be sure my Katherine will be fine.”

(Act II, Scene I, Lines 321-336)

Petruchio also lies to Baptista, Katherine’s father, later on in the play. He tells him that Katherine is in love with him  even though this isn’t true. He tells Baptista that even though Katherine seems like she doesn’t like him, she is just being modest with her love. He says that when they are in private, she is all over him and she proclaims her love for him. Baptista believed this and allowed Petruchio to take Katherine’s hand in marriage. This is because back in these times, a father’s job was to make sure his daughters were married. Also, his main request was that Katherine was happy, which, according to Petruchio, she was.

On their second date, Martha and Francis go to a nice restaurant. As they are escorted to their table, Francis sees a man sitting at the bar who flashes his gun at him. Martha and Francis sit at their table and then he excuses himself to take care of the man with the gun in the parking lot. They fight and Francis kills the man. He then comes back inside and Martha comments on the time he’s been gone and he responds, “NO, SORRY. HAD TO KILL SOMEBODY IN THE PARKING LOT. SOME ASSHOLE.” Francis admitted to Martha that he just committed a murder less than 50 feet away from her.

It can be seen that Petruchio approached his situation with very different tactics than that of Francis. Petruchio, who was in a seemingly simpler situation where he had no real need to lie to Katherine, decided that dishonesty was the way to go. This is in comparison to Francis who was jokingly blunt with Martha, so much so that she didn’t believe him. At the end of “The Taming of the Shrew,” Petruchio and Katherine are the perfect couple of the times. They both tend to each others needs and despite the lies and disagreements when they first met, they now love each other and care about each other. Francis, who had been truthful from the start, had a more healthy relationship with Martha. This is in today’s times where lying is less socially acceptable however, Francis still chose the noble way and told the truth the whole time. In comparison to Petruchio who lied at the first chance he got because back then, lying was more socially acceptable, especially to women because their opinions didn't matter because they were seen as property. All in all by looking at “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Mr. Right,” it can be seen how courting has changed between now and then.

Works Cited

The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

Mr. Right by Max Landis

Woo Her to Wed Her!

Comparing Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew to the modern film starring Jennifer Lopez, The Wedding Planner.

When comparing Shakespearean literature and modern film, although there are many differences in the ‘roles’ females and males share in a relationship, there is one thing in particular that may not have changed as much as one would think it would over the past hundreds of years-- the tactics that men use to gain the attention and affection of women. In Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the audience is introduced to many suitors who are determined to earn the love of the beautiful and desired Bianca, and even a suitor who intends to gain the love from the not as beautiful and desired Kate, Bianca’s sister. These men show that they will go far lengths to prove their masculinity and power to their desired wives, believing that this will coincide with gaining female affection.

Similarly, in the movie The Wedding Planner, Eddie - although engaged to somebody else - falls in love with Mary, his wedding planner. Eddie uses similar tactics as the suitors do in attempts to gain the attention and affection of Mary. In both Taming of the Shrew and the modern film The Wedding Planner the male perspective of courtship and dating heavily revolves around 'wooing' and impressing a female to gain her affection, oftentimes attempting to prove worthiness through power and masculinity.

"Happily to wive and thrive, as best I may. Crowns in my purse I have and goods at home..."

(Act I, Scene II, 57-59)

In the quote above, Petruchio is talking to a friend, Hortensio. He is convincing Hortensio that he has what it takes to gain the affection of, and eventually marry, high maintanence Kate. He speaks as if his plan to do so is to impress her with the crowns in his purse and the goods he has to his name. Here, Petruchio clearly represents the idea that in order to impress his love interest, he must first wow her with his wealth and material possessions.

In The Wedding Planner, Eddie behaves similar to Petruchio in this regard when he is left hanging out with another man named Massimo, who is interested in Mary as well, while Mary and Eddie’s fiancé are touring a venue.

In this scene, while wandering the venue, the two men find the exercise room. They first get on the treadmills and Eddie soon notices that Massimo is going faster than him. He quickly turns up his treadmill to the highest setting. Next, they begin doing pull-ups. Eddie asks Massimo multiple times: “How many is that for you?” being sure to continuously one up Massimo’s pull-up count. It is comical because Massimo does not even seem to be competing with Eddie and instead, Eddie has this entire competition going on in his head. Slightly different from Shrew, yet still holding the same principal, it seems that in this scenario Eddie would like to prove that he is more ‘worthy’ than Massimo by showing his strength and masculinity, as if the more that he he appears to have, the more he will impress Mary.

"Madam, before you touch my instrument, I must begin with rudiments of art, To teach you gamut in a briefer sort, More pleasant, pithy, and effectual than hath been taught by any of my trade..."

(Act III, Scene I, 67-72)

In this quote another suitor, Hortensio, is speaking to his love interest, Bianca, while he is dressed up as a music teacher. In the play, Hortensio claims he does this so that he can get closer to her and possibly win her love sooner than one who does not think up such a great idea. As a reader, one may wonder: what is the point in dressing up as someone else to get closer to Bianca?

In the quote we can see that Hortensio would like to impress Bianca and tells her that he is one of the best music teachers, teaching the most “pleasant, pithy, and effectual” lessons than those that have been taught by any of his trade. Hortensio feels that he needs to act like someone smarter and of more power than who he really is to impress Bianca through his wisdom and mastery of his trade. This is why he chooses to dress up as a highly respected and esteemed music teacher.

In The Wedding Planner, Eddie takes a similar approach as Hortensio does when he ‘happens’ to save Mary from vulnerable and potentially harmful situations multiple times throughout the movie. Similar to Hortensio, Eddie believes that appearing as masculine and strong as he can will attract Mary. In a sense, Eddie is also attempting to impress his love interest by showing a mastery of his trade, which, in his case, is being a rugged 21st century man.

Although these pieces were created hundreds of years apart, the male opinions on courtship and dating, as well as the methods they use to attract and gain the attention of the women they are interested in have not changed very much over the course of time. In fact, the only differences arise when the time periods that they each are from come into play. In conclusion, these stories show that in our society, in order for a male to successfully court a female, he must impress her with his power and masculinity. Hence, it is expected that females must be attracted to these traits and will instantly fall in love with a man as long as he is strong, powerful, and manly.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2014. Print.

The Wedding Planner. Dir. Adam Shankman. By Pamela Falk and Michael Ellis. Perf. Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. 2001. DVD.

In the play “Taming of the Shrew” by Shakespeare, he created a character (Petruchio) who became a suitor to his wife (Katherine), to show his audience how others will do anything but be themselves to get what they want out of their relationship. This play is similar to the romantic comedy “Vampires Suck”. It happened to be that the main characters (Jacob and Edward) find their way into doing some of the same things that the suitors did in “Taming of the Shrew” but only in this movie they pretended to be human in order to win Becca.

Although many can see that Petruchio and Edward have the same portion of affection and ambitions in their relationship and situation, their approach to the people that they love is a bit different. Petruchio’s goal is to force Katherine to love and respect him. On the other hand, Edward finds his way to manipulate Becca by showing his compassion and controlling her emotions. Now these two positions may present two different kinds of amusement, but it also represents how other belief system towards romance have innovated over time. Therefore, this reflects the enduring thought that no matter how many centuries ago that  men found their way of having so much power over their women, till this day they must have a ‘higher position’ in their relationship. Overtime this has caused a lot of conflict and disagreements in their relationships.

Katherine:

"Gentlemen, forward to the bridal dinner.

 I see a woman may be made a fool

If she had not a spirit to resist.

Petruchio:

They shall go forward, Kate, at thy command.

Obey the bride, you that attend her.

Go to the feast, revel and domineer,

Becca finds herself in a similar situation in the movie however, Edward warned her more about her safety than her behavior.

In the movie, Edward has been so controlling in their relationship that he even appears in her head after he left and broke up with her. In this scene of the movie, Becca was hallucinating about Edward whenever she may do something “ricky” and Edward is warning her to not go and even talk to the creepy men on the motorcycles. She ignore him for a good minute by trying to talk to the motormen  and one of them hits her with a can, causing her to realize that the Edward in her head was right about the men. Connecting to the play the situation with Becca and Edward is more ‘severe’ than Petruchio and Katherine because they face more issues about their circle and relationship than people outside of their circle trying to harm them.

Shrew Along  2

Ride Along 2/Taming of the Shrew

The movie “Ride Along 2” is about a man named Ben, and his friend James. He is trying to marry James’ sister, Angela, but James won't let him marry until he proves himself as a cop. He agrees to do it, mainly to impress Angela so she would be more willing to marry him.  James is a very experienced cop and Ben is a new recruit. It's not realistic, because in real life, couples would never be expected to prove themselves in the way that Ben had to for marriage. However, it does highlight some male and female expectations in a relationship. TIn the movie shows how different the expectations can be for males and females in a relationship. Ben and James fly to Miami on a mission to stop a dangerous drug lord.“The Taming of The Shrew” also shows a lot of the male and female expectations in a relationship in  Shakespearian Europe. It is interesting to see how they have evolved since 17th century texts. From the book to the movie, men and women in relationships expect the same things, but in different ways. "Say as he says, or we shall never go" (Act 4, Scene 5) At this moment in the play, Petruchio is testing Katherine by saying false things and seeing if she agrees. She pushes back until Hortensio says the quote above. Katherine finally agrees with Petruchio. This shows that what Petruchio wants in a relationship is compliance and submission. On the flip side, In Ride along 2, we can see that there are very different expectations at play. In this scene, Ben is talking to Angela about how him and James are going away for a little to do some police business.  However, Angela actually wants him to go, so she can plan their wedding, but she doesn't tell Ben this and acts surprised when he brings it up. He makes it sound very important, but what he is really trying to do is win James’ approval for their marriage. He also wants Angela to see him as a better man after this. This shows that Ben thinks his girlfriend expects him to be an amazing man, when in reality, she just expects him to be himself. "First, kiss me Kate, and we will" (Act 5, Scene 1) At this time in the play, Kate and Petruchio do not have any problems with each other. They also have lost all of their attention. Kate wants to go to the wedding banquet, and Petruchio says the quote so that he could draw attention to himself and Kate again. This shows that Petruchio expects attention when in a relationship. This theme also exists in Ride along 2, but it's a little different. At this point in the movie, Ben is talking to Tasha, as she is dating the drug lord that they are trying to catch. When she refuses, Ben shows her his phone, which reveals that not only is he cheating on her, but he gave all of the other girls cool ringtones, but he gave her a stock apple ringtone. This is enough to make her talk. It shows that women expect to be the only girl that their man talks to and that they must be a priority in his life. “The Taming of The Shrew” shows that men expect control over their spouse and attention from the outside world. “Ride Along 2” shows us that women expect their spouse to make them their one and only, and they want attention from their spouse. However, one unifying theme that exists for both men and women in both the book and the movie is that everyone expects trust in a relationship, and trust is priceless.

Chasing Love

Comparing “Taming of the Shrew” to “West Side Story”

"Taming of the Shrew" proves, the idea of falling in love with someone soon after they meet is possible. In "Shrew," Petruchio were driven to make Katherine his wife when he first set his eyes on her. He went out of his way to ask her father for the consent to marry her and achieve the love he was looking for. In the 1961 movie "West Side Story," the character Tony has been led to the same situation of being caught up in love at first sight. He met a girl named Maria, who is also deeply in love with him. Tony goes out his way to hope he can get her without the interference of his boys and her brother Bernardo. In both of these scenarios, love at first sight shows the audience that people will do whatever it takes to chase after love.

Quote from play:

Petruchio: Signior Hortensio, ‘twixt such friends as we

Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know

One rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife—

As wealth is burden of my wooing dance—

Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love,

As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd

As Socrates’ Xanthippe or a worse,

She moves me not—or not removes at least

Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough

As are the swelling Adriatic seas.

I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;

If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

(Act 1 Scene 2 Line 62-73)

This quote from Petruchio is directed to Hortensio to let him know that he seeks a wife in Padua. He is mostly seeking a wife with a lot of wealth, and he does not care about any other features. Such as her being foul, old, and/or unpleasant. This shows that Petruchio is following a path that will lead him to finding love. The context of the quote shows that he is in Padua and is desperately looking for someone no matter who.

In West Side Story, Tony and Maria came to the dance separately. No one from the different gangs intermingled but them. They danced together until Bernardo separated them.

In this part of the scene from West Side Story, Tony and Maria locked eyes on each other at the dance. They walked towards each other and danced the night together until the point where they kissed. Bernardo, Maria’s older brother, broke them up and told Tony to stay away from his sister. Tony took to surprise that she was apart of the sharks. This truly shows the love at first sight that Tony and Maria had for each other during this scene of the first moment they met, but now Tony knows that he has a difficult task to fight and chase for Maria’s love knowing that she is apart of the other gang. Taming of the Shrew and West Side Story compares because Petruchio is in dire need of finding anyone while Tony already found someone, but is chasing after being with her.

Quote 2:

Thus in plain terms: your father hath consented

That you shall be my wife, your dowry ‘greed on,

And will you, nill you, I will marry you.

Now Kate, I am a husband for your turn,

For by this light, whereby I see thy beauty—

Thy beauty that doth make me like thee well—

Thou must be married to no man but me,

For I am he am born to tame you, Kate,

And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate

Conformable as other household Kates.

Here comes your father. Never make denial.

I must and will have Katherine to my wife.

Act 1 Scene 2 Line 261-272

Petruchio lets Katherine know that he has the consent of her father Baptista to marry her. He lets her know that he will marry her whether she likes it or not. He further notifies her that he will tame her, calling her a wild Kate and placing her under the language of animal domestication. This sets the tone for their relationship through the rest of the book. The way that Petruchio is chasing his love, he looks to tame his wife since she does not truly love him. This is his way of finding love.

In this part of the scene, after the dance, Tony visits Maria at the fire escape secretly. They talk about their night and reaffirm their love for each other.

Tony and Maria let’s each other know the way they feel for each other. During this moment, the jets and sharks had met up and is talking about an upcoming ruble between the two gangs. Not by dance, but by one on one first fights. Maria is then informed by Anita about the rumble and asks Tony to stop them from fighting. Tony says he will. This shows that Tony would do anything for Maria and by stopping this rumble, it would allow both gangs to be safe and benefit Tony and Maria so that no more conflicts between both of their gangs will continue to happen. Tony is chasing after her by doing what she asks of him.

West Side Story’s ending was tragic, as Tony failed chasing after Maria’s love. He ended up dying of the one favor he was asked from Maria. However in Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio was able to get the love he wanted by taming his wife, Katherine. Throughout the movie, Bernardo with his gang, and Tony’s boys, interfered with what Tony and Maria had for each other. It showed the audience that not everyone gets what they want in the end.

Works Cited

“The Taming of the Shrew”

There’s Something About Men

“Taming of the Shrew” vs. “There’s Something About Mary”

In “There’s Something about Mary” and “Taming of the Shrew” they show some similar behavior from the men towards the women, Bianca and Katherine. For “There’s Something about Mary” the focus will be on the main male characters trying to get closer to Mary by “courting” her without her realizing. All of the men besides one lies to her about who they are so that she will like them more. In “Taming of the Shrew” Petruchio does this to Katherine. Petruchio courts Katherine by constantly complimenting her and saying things to get her to marry him. However, some of the things that Petruchio says isn't exactly true to his heart he is just trying to get what he wants which is money. Also in “Taming of the  Shrew” Tranio, who, pretending to be Lucentio, presents his own gift of books and a lute, in exchange for the permission to see and woo Bianca.  It's been 400 approximately years since taming of the shrew til now and men still think that showing a women that they are the man they want by courting and fighting is the way to go because of not so original ideas are drilled into our society.

Mary is the girl that almost every male character wants o be with. She is a kind hearted perky blonde with big blue eyes. Ted has known Mary since high school and has had a crush on Mary since then. Ted couldn't stop thinking about Mary so he hired a detective to find her and tell him what her life is like after college. Pat is the detective. When Pat first saw Mary it was clear that his intentions were not to tell Ted about what she looked like or what she did for a living. Pat told Ted that Mary was grossly overweight with many children, to discourage him from having any contact with her. Pat stalked Mary and then approached her and pretended to be the man the Mary described to her friends. Tucker was an architect, crippled, and just about everything else that he knew Mary was looking for. Later on in the movie Pat discovered Tucker was just a pizza delivery boy pretending to be crippled because he knew Mary had a sweet spot for the disabled because of her brother and he pretended to be an architect because after pretending to be learning that while going to the place Mary volunteers.

“Signor Hortensio, ‘twixt such friends as we Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know one rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife— As wealth is burden of my wooing dance— Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love as old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd as Socrates’ Xanthippe or a worse, she moves me not—or not removes at least. Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough. As are the swelling Adriatic seas. I come to wive it wealthily in Padua; If wealthily, then happily in Padua.” (Act 1:Scene 2 Lines 62-73)

In this quote, Petruchio is talking to Hortensio about how his sole purpose of coming to Padua was to find a wife to wed. A wife that comes from money to be specific. He is saying that he does not care about personality, he doesn’t care if she is foul nor if she's old and unattractive he just cares about the wealth that his new wife would bring. Petruchio explaining that he would do anything to wed a women for their money is scary.

In this scene there is Ted trying to get the detective Pat to go spy on Mary for a little while to see what she has been up to. In this screenshot this is Pat agreeing to do what Ted has of him after a while of convincing.

In this scene Pat is spying on Mary like he was hired to do. Before Pat did not really care who Mary was but now seeing that she is attractive he seems to have his mind set on one thing the, physical features of her body not caring about who she is as a person. This relates to Petruchio wanting to wed a woman in Padua for their money not really caring about who they are as a person. Both Pat and Petruchio has materialistic ulterior motives.

Hortensio: “Now shall my friend Petruchio do me grace and offer me disguised in sober robes to old Baptista as a schoolmaster well seen in music, to instruct Bianca, that so may, by this device at least, have leave and leisure to make love to her and unsuspected court her by herself.” (Act 1:Scene 2 Lines 131-138)

In this quote Hortensio is conjuring up a plan where he gets Petruchio to recommend Hortensio as a music instructor to Baptista for Bianca. Hortensio wants to use this tactic to get closer to Bianca. Hortensio is using the connection of other people and the knowing of Bianca’s needs for his own personal gain. The thing that he is trying to gain is Bianca’s hand in marriage.

In these two screenshots the audience is first introduced to Tucker. It is clear that by Mary saying “Pat is an architect as well.” that Pat is being introduced as an architect as well and when tucker hears this he responds with an “ Oh really?” meaning that he sees Pat as competition because he isn’t the only man that Mary knows who is an architect.

In a later scene Pat finds out that Tucker is a pizza delivery boy that is NOT crippled. So as you can see men will do just about anything to get the attention and affection that they want from the women that they desire not matter what it takes even if it means pretending to be the complete opposite of who they are. In Taming of the Shrew Baptista accepts the gift of offering a music instructor and then hears from Tranio, who, pretending to be Lucentio, presents his own gift of books and a lute, in exchange for the permission to see and woo Bianca.

Since 1599 people have been sitting in watching Shakespeare plays. Some of these play are about to hetero sexual people who fall in love and do crazy things that take them out of their character. When people are exposed to images of love they then believe that that's what love is supposed to be like. However, that is not the case, but when someone like Shakespeare produces a play such as “Taming of the Shrew” then word gets around and the thoughts of what love should be like and what a relationship should be like spreads around and accumulates as the world goes on. Which means even carrying on to the year of 1998 which is when “There’s Something About Mary” came out. It eve carries out to today's current year, 2017. There are no original concepts of love because the entertainment industry and social media has corrupted it.

Comparing  The Taming of the Shrew to Mean Girls

While reading the “Taming of the Shrew”, readers will notice that the book shows the use of a significant other as a status symbol. The same can also be said for a movie that aired more recently; “Mean Girls”. In both pieces the reader/viewer becomes introduced to the notion of a character needing another character romantically to be a status symbol, these characters go to great lengths to obtain the person that will boost their social status. This shows how relationships are more about increasing one's standing on the social pyramid then anything.

In the “Taming of the Shrew” the character attempting to boost their social standings is Petruchio. Petruchio wishes to become wealthy and successful and to do this he looks at the institution of marriage as his gateway into the land of prosperity and riches. To be more specific his gateway is the “shrew”, Katherine. This is best shown by Petruchio’s words in Act 1 Scene 2, when his servant Grumio explains to him the situation of Baptista and the marriage of his children.

“I come to wive it wealthy in Padua, If wealthily then happily in Padua”

(Act 1 Scene 2, 76-77)

This same mentality is also exhibited in the movie mean girls. Regina George the lead antagonist finds her social status threatened by another character Cady and her interest in Regina’s love interest, Aaron. The struggle for who will be higher on the pyramid is at it’s peak in the halloween scene. In this scene Regina shows her alpha status by kissing Aaron right in front of Cady.

The comparison between Petruchio and Regina is extremely interesting. While Petruchio is attempting to obtain a better social status with marriage/relationship, Regina is attempting to maintain her social status. These forces that fuel the actions of these characters are enjoyable yet tie to a much bigger picture. Regina and Petruchio both feel a need to be high on the pyramid. However their positions differ therefore what the viewer learns also differs. Shakespeare has crafted a character who represents a mentality found in some countries. The mentality that a relationship is a mean to better one's own life. While in “Mean Girls” a case of a relationship being in need to, still possess ownership of your spot on the pyramid is crafted. Both pieces open the mind to the bigger question of why one must always be at the top, why is the bottom not good enough.

Another example of Shakespeare depicting the true nature of relationships is found in Act 3 Scene 2 when he describes what Kate is to him.

“I will be master of what is mine own.She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,My household stuff, my field, my barn, My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything. And here she stands, touch her whoever dare.”

(Act 3 Scene 2, 235-239)

In this scene Petruchio starts to list all the things that Katherine is to him. However looking at it in depth will show another level. Petruchio is also listing the things that he will own or acquire by obtaining Katherine. All these things add to his wealth  and can only be obtained through his relationship with Katherine. Looking at Mean girls the viewer will also scene that deals with possessions.

“ You know Aaron really does like you. He's always talking about how unusual you are and it really pissed me off. Like this one time, I got this really expensive doll house from Germany, but I never played with it. So my mom wanted to give it to my cousin. But even though I didn't want it...

Cady: You begged your mom to let you keep it?

Regina: No. I threw it down the stairs.”

In both of these sections the characters are speaking metaphorically. Petruchio going through a list of things Katherine is to him is a nod to what Katherine is bringing him through their relationship. Regina reminiscing on the destruction of a childhood toy is a nod towards how even if she is not using Aaron she needs him to be there, and would rather destroy him then let someone take him. Both quotes may seem very different but they are focusing on the materialization of others for one's betterment. Petruchio has, figuratively and literally, added Katherine to the list of material items he is going to possess and Regina is showing how she would bring about the destruction of Aaron, her toy, so that no one else could have him and be a threat to her.

“The Taming of the Shrew’ and  “Mean Girls” are two pieces that upon first glance seem to be only for entertainment, however upon deep analysis the viewer will learn more about society. The viewer is able to see what a relationship means and in this case it is power. In both pieces two characters cling onto the person they are in a relationship with, in an attempt to maintain their social standings. This urge to remain at the top causes the characters to even materialize the person they are in a relationship with so that they’re higher social standings will be safe. Essentially “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Mean Girls” are two amazing pieces that give perfect examples of how relationships are not about love, but instead getting higher on the pyramid.

The Taming of the Groundhog:

Shakespearean and Modern Views of Relationships

By:Jamie Polson

4/24/17

The Shakespeare play “The Taming of the Shrew” deals with male and societal expectations in relationships.  Petruchio (one of the main characters) hears about Katherine, that she does not want to get married, and that she is a strong independent woman and is kind of like a “shrew” hence the name of the play.  Petruchio is up for the challenge of making Katherine more lady like.  He talks to Katherine's dad (Baptista) and hears that there will be a pretty large dowry involved if he marries Katherine since Katherine is already kind of old and Baptista really wants Bianca, his youngest daughter, to get married.  Lucentio who is another main male lead character goes to Padua originally to study Philosophy, but sees Bianca and wants to pursue her and stop studying philosophy.  

A more modern view of male and societal expectations in relationships is in the movie “Groundhog Day”.  Groundhog Day is a movie about a meteorologist (Phil) who works for Channel Nine News in Pittsburgh and one day he goes to Punxsutawney Pennsylvania for Groundhog Day with two colleagues of his from Channel Nine: Larry (the cameraman) and Rita (the producer).  Phil and the gang plan on leaving Punxsutawney the same night, but a blizzard hits, and they have to go back.  They stay in a nice Bed and Breakfast.  The next morning, when Phil wakes up, for some unexplained reason it is still Groundhog Day, and he is the only one who seems to notice.  This phenomenon keeps on happening hundreds of times and Phil gets the day memorized down pat and ends up changing the outcome of the day over time, using it to pursue a relationship with Rita, who is initially not at all interested.  Both texts present male and societal expectations to be mainly about power, sex, and money even though they are in very different situations.

(pg 111 act 3 scene 1 line: 33-38)

Hic ibat, as I told you before, Simois, I am Lucentio, hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa, Sigeia tellus, disguised thus to get your love, Hic steterat, and that 'Lucentio' that comes a-wooing,  Priami, is my man Tranio, regia, bearing my port, celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon

In this scene in the Taming of the Shrew Lucentio is telling Bianca about who he actually is, trying to win Bianca over by using mind tricks to try to get her to love him even more.  He is mainly trying to increase his chances of having sex with Bianca.

In The above Groundhog Day scene, Phil and Rita are throwing snowballs at some kids and Phil says “I wish we could do this with our own kids”.  What he is really doing there is, like Lucentio, trying to use mind tricks to fool Rita into having sex with him by being something that he isn’t.  He said that he wished he could do that with his own kids, he said this but had no intention of ever having kids or even of a real relationship with Rita.  He was trying to play into Rita’s motherly instincts as a woman so that she could try to imagine him as a dad and the only way to throw snowballs with your own kids is to have sex first.

Page #87 act ii scene 1 line 177-189 petruchio:

“And woo her with some spirit with then she comes! Say that she rail; why then I'll tell her plain She sings as sweetly as a nightingale:Say that she frown, I'll say she looks as clear As morning roses newly wash'd with dew: Say she be mute and will not speak a word; Then I'll commend her volubility, And say she uttereth piercing eloquence: If she do bid me pack, I'll give her thanks, As though she bid me stay by her a week: If she deny to wed, I'll crave the day When I shall ask the banns and when be married. But here she comes; and now, Petruchio, speak.

In this scene in “Taming of the Shrew” Petruchio is about to meet Katherine and is saying what he will say to her when he meets her.  His plan is to contradict whatever it is she says or thinks; for example, he says that if she wants him to leave, he will stay for a week, and if she does not wish to get married, he will say he does.  

This connects very closely to Groundhog Day in the above two scenes.  One of the scenes is when Phil is trying to get to know Rita, he doesn’t contradict her per se but he does play mind tricks.  What he did was he would ask her things that would give him information like when he was buying her drinks and she said that her favorite drink was a sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist.  Phil used that information to his advantage and said the next day that his favorite drink was a sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist, to which Rita responded, “Really? Mine too!”  This connects with the Taming of the Shrew, because both Petruchio and Phil were taking advantage of the women in the situation by exercising power and control in the relationship by using the words that the women speak against them.

(pg#83 act 2 scene 1 line: 121-127 Petruchio)

Signior Baptista, my business asketh haste, And every day I cannot come to woo. You knew my father well, and in him me, Left solely heir to all his lands and goods, Which I have better'd rather than decreased: Then tell me, if I get your daughter's love, What dowry shall I have with her to wife?

In this scene in The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio has heard of Katherine and how she can be like a “Shrew” and that she is a strong independent woman.  He does not actually want to marry Katherine.  He is just marrying for the dowry that he will receive from Baptista, and as a challenge for himself to see if it is possible to change someone from being shrew like to be ladylike or a good wife.  It is basically an economic transaction, and a social experiment, for Petruchio.

In The above scene in Groundhog Day, Phil is super popular after having just saved the lives of a couple people and helped out countless others.  He is playing the piano for a big party in Punxsutawney.  There is then an auction event where the prizes are the bachelors in the room.  The rules are that you can do whatever you want with them, as long as it is legal.  Phil walks onto the stage, and people start yelling out numbers immediately, going up by five dollars each time, and eventually realize that they are going to run out of money, when suddenly Rita calls out from the back of the room “$339.88”.  This is obviously the highest number in the room, so Rita dances with Phil like she had been before the auction.  This scene shows how modern American society places monetary value on relationships.

In both the Taming of the Shrew and in the movie Groundhog Day the themes are very similar.  They both deal with power, control, and sex in relationships.  Both talk about how women in society have typically been used primarily for their bodies and have been seen as objects and not as people.  Both texts talk about how men try to exercise power, and control women, in relationships.  Both show how society monetizes relationships.  Both texts show male and societal expectations in relationships in very much the same way, even though they are very different situations

The Proposal to the Shrew

“The Taming of the Shrew” and “The Proposal”

As “The Taming of the Shrew” provides an example of deceptions within relationships within the 16th century. In the play, Petruchio sets to marry Katherine and doing so tames her to become something she isn’t. In “The Proposal”, the main character, Andrew, gets forced into a marriage that was for the benefit of his boss. This caused him to take control of the fake engagement. In both stories, the participants in both relationships fall in love.

Although Petruchio and Andrew chose to tame their finances, their reason of cause are quite different. Petruchio wanted Katherine to be a good wife. When he first met her, he knew of her inappropriate demeanor. Since then, he wanted her to mature into a wife to suit his needs as a husband and also to be in control of her. Andrew’s case is different from Petruchio. Andrew was forced into a marriage by Margaret due to her being deported. Once he found out, he knew he needed to set some ground rules in the “relationship” so he can get the things he want in return. These pieces reflect on how relationships accept deception throughout centuries, and because of this, relationships are only for control of the other party.

Earlier in this scene, Margaret, the editor of a big publishing company, was notified that she was being deported for going to an event in Frankford but having limited access with her visa. She had to think of a way of getting out of it. Her assistant, Andrew, approaches her about a client and that is when she comes up with an idea. She is going to marry Andrew so she can get a green card and be able to retain her job as editor. Her bosses were concerned that the marriage wasn’t real. That’s when she said, “We are two people who were not meant to fall in love, but we did.” Unlike Lucentio who sets out to marry Bianca by misleading her and everyone with disguises, Margaret puts herself and Andrew into a legal situation.

PETRUCHIO-

Be patient, gentlemen. I choose her for myself. If she and I be pleased, what's that to you? 'Tis bargained 'twixt us twain, being alone, That she shall still be curst in company. I tell you, 'tis incredible to believe How much she loves me. O, the kindest Kate! (2,1,321-326)

Petruchio is telling everyone that he and Katherine are getting married. Katherine in this time does not know it. She never agreed to marrying Petruchio. What actually happened is that Petruchio went to Baptista, Katherine’s father to arrange the marriage. He is the one who agreed upon the two to get married. This relates to “The Proposal” by Margaret arranging their marriage purely based upon the reason of her visa being revoked and having to go back to Canada. She later tells Andrew, but it is still deception within the relationship. Relating to each other, Petruchio is taking control in the relationship by starting the relationship with Katherine and Margaret is starts to control the relationship when she notifies her boss about it. The only difference is that Andrew finds out about the relationship and he takes control of it due to being unhappy about the incident.

HORTENSIO-

I promised we would be contributors And bear his charging of wooing whatsoe'er.

GREMIO-

And so we will, provided that he win her. (1,2,218-220)

Gremio and Hortensio are suitors trying to win over Katherine for her hand in marriage. While discussing being their potential husband, the two talk among themselves about how this marriage is just a business transaction. They realized that it is a whole scheme for her father the whole time. Back in that century, the father and son-in-law made the deals about the marriage without the daughter being involved. However, knowing this information, both Gremio and Hortensio want to pursue Katherine for themselves. In today’s world, the marriage isn’t determined by the parents in most places. However, in the proposal, Margaret was getting control over Andrew by making him marry her.

She was never intending to marry Andrew but things changed once she heard about her deportation. Since her deportation was severe, she is only doing this because she gets to retain her position as an editor at a big publisher company in New York. For Margaret to get Andrew to officially marry her, she would have to give him things he always wanted. Well threaten him with those things at least. In the screenshot above, this was Margaret asking Andrew to officially marry her because it was to his request as was other many things. Margaret was the one in control of the whole relationship, until Andrew backfired at her. He did not want to partake at all in this but ended up being the one in control. Throughout the film, Andrew deceives Margaret and treats her like she is worthless in his home to teach her to become a better human since she is a terrible person.

KATHERINE

Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee tell

Whom thou lov'st best. See thou dissemble not. (2,1,8-9)

When Bianca noticed that Katherine wanted her suitors but didn’t give much of a reaction to when she told Katherine no, it is clear that Katherine did not want to partake in a marriage at all. When Katherine does end up marrying Petruchio, it is clear to the audience that the whole marriage was a scheme and that Petruchio had all the control in the relationship. Katherine became mistreated by him, but he claims it was going to be good for her in the end. This is his way of taming her. Katherine is obviously stuck in the relationship, but when she does speak her mind throughout the book while being already married, Petruchio tells everyone that she is just going a little crazy and should ignore her. Somehow, everyone believes in Petruchio and ignores what happens. Petruchio is all in control and there is nothing to hide from it. It is seen to be clear to everyone. This relates back to the film. While arriving in Andrew’s hometown, he is greeted with a welcoming party. Little does everyone know, that are “engaged”.

During the party, everyone is asking their relationship. Both Margaret and Andrew get nervous because they are not actually getting married. Andrew takes dominance in the situation and tells everyone how it all happened. When Margaret tries to tell her point of view, Andrew cuts in and changes it. Andrew is trying to control Margaret and preventing her from being herself. Andrew doesn’t like the way she acts, so to fix her up, he needs to start the process at his welcoming party. He is showing dominance in the relationship and making her do what he says. Of course there is backlash, but he tames her to not give any more. Andrew relates to Petruchio in this way and likes to show dominance. Dominance is a big factor for these characters to be in control of their relationships.

Deception in relationships have been around for centuries upon centuries. In “The Taming of the Shrew” Petruchio compares to Andrew from “The Proposal” because of their alike attributes on wanting to be in control of relationships. They both support evidence for the only reason in being a relationship is for being in control of it. Having power in relationship shows dominance and that is what they both strive for in their own ways.

The Proposal. Dir. Anne Fletcher. Perf. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Touchstone, 2009.

Shakespeare, William, G. R. Hibbard, and Margaret Jane Kidnie. The taming of the shrew. UK: Penguin , 2015. Print.

Whats all the buzz about romance?

Comparing The Bee Movie to Taming of the Shrew

In William Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”, a clear theme is the men taking the leading role of romantic relationships. They act as protectors and ones who take care of the women, as well as initiators of the relationship, which is shown through Petruchio to Katherine, and various suitors to Bianca. In the film “The Bee Movie”, this idea managed to sneak its way in as well, with Ken acting as a protector of Vanessa from various things he deems as threats. However, unlike in “Shrew”, Ken is not the full leader of the relationship, as their relationship was eventually broken off by Vanessa, something that would have been nearly impossible in the 1400s. These texts reflect that although the role of men being the leaders of a romantic relationship has shifted more towards equality for both parties, role of men as a protector has remained present through time

"Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper...one that cares for thee, and for thy maintenance commits his body to painful labor...whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe "

(Act 5, Scene 2, 155-160)

No characters show this relationship of men being the protectors as clearly as Petruchio and Katherine, who says the above to her sister, Bianca, and to a widow married to Hortensio during a long speech on why women ought to be obedient to their husbands. With this, she is making a point using this as evidence. It is a given at this time that the husbands are the protectors of their wives, who stay at home safely. There is no protest of this by any of the other men or women at this point in hearing her speech, showing that this was in fact the expectation of the men in relationships at the time.

In this scene, Barry is violently confronted by Ken in an attempt to protect Vanessa, his girlfriend, from a bee, who he notices as a threat. However, there was no real threat, nor was there any indication from Vanessa that the bee was any threat--in fact, Vanessa immediately attempted to stop Ken from attacking Barry as soon as she could. However, he immediately attacked it off of an instinct that his girlfriend was in danger and she needed to be protected.

"And, for that dowry, I’ll assure her of her widowhood, be it that she survive me, in all my lands and leases whatsoever. Let specialties be therefore drawn between us, that covenants may be kept on either hand."

(Act 2, Scene 1, 116-120)

This quote, spoken by Petruchio to Baptista, is in regards to negotiations being done between them so that Petruchio has Baptista’s blessing in him marrying Katherine. In order for that to be the case, Petruchio has to offer something to Baptista, and he offers that if he were to die before Katherine, all of his possessions would go to her.

The success of this offer shows that when negotiating a marriage, what the father is looking for is for there to be a promise of safety for his daughter. What Petruchio is basically saying is that Baptista has nothing to worry about, for Katherine will be “assured of her widowhood.” Baptista then agrees to the marriage because the expectation of Katherine being protected has been met.

In this scene, Ken again confronts Barry in the bathroom, but under different circumstances. Ken now understands that Barry is not a physical threat to Vanessa, as this is later in the movie and they have become acquainted, but he instead perceives him as an emotional threat, trying to manipulate Vanessa. This is clearly shown through the line he uses to instigate this fight, “I’ve just about had it with your little mind games.”

It’s clear that the relationship between Vanessa and Ken is not as male-dominated as the one between Katherine and Petruchio. Vanessa had the jurisdiction to terminate the relationship later in the story, something that would have been difficult for Katherine to do. However, that doesn’t mean that the expected role of each person in a romance has changed completely, which is clear from the protective role that Ken feels he has to play, even when there is no imminent danger.



Works Cited

Shakespeare, William, G. R. Hibbard, and Margaret Jane Kidnie. The Taming of the Shrew. UK: Penguin, 2015. Print.

DreamWorks Animation ; Columbus 81 Productions ; Pacific Data Images ; produced by Jerry Seinfeld, Christina Steinberg ; written by Jerry Seinfeld and Spike Feresten & Barry Marder & Andy Robin ; directed by Steve Hickner, Simon J. Smith ; head of character animation, Fabio Lignini. Bee Movie. Hollywood, Calif. :Paramount Home Entertainment, 2008. Print.

In “Taming of the Shrew”, it's a perfect portrayal of the fact that control itself has been a part of relationships for centuries However, men are always the controller in shown relationships, making women inferior. If the roles were reversed that would portray a different type of control.

50 Shades of Grey is about a sexually controlling man named Christian Grey, who is also a wealthy and successful billionaire who has never had a “committed” relationship, only several ‘friends with benefits’. He then falls into a relationship with Anastasia Steele, where he manipulates and controls her into being in a relationship with him.

Katherine and Anastasia actually have a lot in common. Their friend, or in the case of Katherine; their sister, is looked upon as the favorable woman, and guys are lured more to their sister/friend rather than themselves. Anastasia’s Friend, Kate is straightforward similar to Christian, and they would be a good match, but Christian wants to be in a relationship where he can control his significant other, exactly in the type of relationship Petruchio wants to be in; where he has complete control over Katherine.

Throughout the movie, Anastasia makes several references to her mother’s relationships, love life, and past husbands, and se would fall into the “Love at first sight” category, but is never in true love with any of her past four husbands. Ana’s mother could be similar to Katherine; in the fact that she’s had many past suitors but none of them could “tame the shrew” that is Anastasia’s mother.

In the scene above, Christian is being interviewed by Ana, who is filling in for Kate because she had something else to do. Ana asks a question about whether Christian Grey is gay, because it’s never been public that he’s been in a steady relationship that didn’t end after a one night stand. He responds with a short answer; and in a quick reply she asks “So you’re a control freak?”; and he respond with “Oh, I exercise control in all things, Miss Steele.” Christian shows an amount of control in both his life and the relationship; and throughout the movie demonstrates this control onto Ana. He manipulates and controls Ana into being his “perfect girlfriend”, both sexually and emotionally.

Act 4, Scene 5, Lines 18-20

Katherine is naturally snarky and repulsive to many men; but Petruchio has undergone the task to “tame” her. After starving her of food and sleep; he almost makes her comply to a false fact; that during the daytime it’s the moon and not the sun showing. Petruchio states that it was the moon, when it was really the sun shining. He used the fact that she was food deprived and sleep deprived; and he had the two things she really wanted, to control her. He uses his own advantages; not only because he is the male in the relationship but also because he has the two things she desperately needs, so she is forced to comply to his demand; so she is being controlled by him because of the things she needs.

Just like Anastasia in Fifty Shades of Grey, she’s being manipulated and controlled by the man in her life. Anastasia is being deprived of her own sexual needs, while Katherine is being deprived of her food and sleep. They are forced to comply to decisions they don’t want to be a part of; with Katherine it being whether it’s the sun or the moon; but with Anastasia it’s the fact that she was almost forced to experiment different forms of sex, such as BDSM.

In the scene above, Anastasia leaves Seattle, and Christian is being a clingy boyfriend, where he wants to be updated in what she’s doing and where she is 24/7, no matter the time. He’s also constantly updating himself about her life; and keeping her in check with her decisions with a constant presence in her life. A little later in the scene she tries to push away; but as to be expected Christain comes to her and reassures his dominance in the relationship, and forces his presence onto her; making him in control yet again through the movie.

Act 5, Scene 2, Lines

In the scene above, Petruchio, Hortensio, and Lucentio are having a competition as to whom goes to their husband after being called upon. Both Bianca and the widow refused to come out to the husbands, but when Petruchio had called in Katherine; she came in. She had tried to disobey Petruchio’s orders earlier in the book, even in the example I had above where she had said he was wrong; but eventually she gave in.

Just like Katherine above, Anastasia had refused Christian's orders at first. However, after being constantly pressured just like Katherine was by Petruchio; Anastasia falls into Christian's orders and does what he pleases. Both Katherine and Anastasia were controlled, manipulated, and belittled by their husband figures in their life. They were abused by being deprived of the things they needed the most; in the case of Katherine it was food and sleep, and for Anastasia it was sex.

Bernardo and Baptista's Great Agenda Debacle.

Comparing themes of male ideals in courtship/dating from The Taming of The Shrew and West Side Story, by Luis-Manuel Morales

Oftentimes, parents or parental figures will use their authority to prioritize their agendas and overlook the wishes of their children. In Taming of the Shrew and West Side Story, Baptista and Bernardo are the parent figures of each play respectively. Baptista, the actual father of Katherine, and Bernardo, the older brother of Maria, have their priorities. Baptista remains loyal to his finances, and Bernardo remains loyal to the Sharks,his gang fellow Puerto Ricans. When Petruchio comes along, Baptista sees him as a financial gain, and arranges the marriage between him and his daughter, Katherine. Maria, on the other hand, falls in love with Tony, a white teen who is a member of the rival clique, the Jets, and Bernardo wants nothing of it. Bernardo tries to hook her up with a fellow Shark  Puerto Rican Chino. In both of these stories, the judgements of the male parental figures are blurred by bias and personal agendas, upholding reputations or the importance of gain, and they use their authority  to secure those desires.

““I know not what to say, but give me your hands. God send you joy, Petruchio. ‘Tis a match.” Baptista, Pg. 97, Act 2 Scene 1, Lines 337-339

In the Taming of the Shrew, Baptista offers his Daughter, Katherine, to Petrucio, due to the offer he strikes with him. They agree to terms on property shares if either men or Kate herself passes away. Petruchio then goes to woo Kate, however fails with her, but makes it appear as such and Baptista apoves. Throughout all of this, Baptista looks over his daughter's desires and hooks her up with a wealthy individual. Considering the deal, his previous wishes to have her mary first, and an opportunity to wed her given her reputation, he gladly ignores any obvious signs given by his daughter that she does not wish to marry him.

“Get your hands off American! Stay away from my sister!” Bernardo

In West Side Story, 2 gangs in New York during the late 1950’s are constantly at a battle for their turf. The white Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks go to a dance in a neutral part of town. There, Maria, brother of the leader of the Sharks, locks eyes with Tony, an on and off member of the Jets. As the two fall for each other, Bernardo swoops in and snatches his sister away from Tony. He yells at her “Couldn't you see he’s one of them!” Still staring at the boy she just fell in love with, she replies, “No, I saw only him.” After a small altercation between both gangs, Bernardo instructs Chino to take Maria home, even though she wants to stay at the dance. In this case, Bernardo ignored his sister's wishes and desires and keeping loyal to his agenda, he sends her home with his original date, Chino, and arranges to meet with Riff, leader of the Jets, later on in the evening.

“Go, girl. I cannot blame you thee now to weep, For such an injury would vex a very saint, Much more than a shrew of [thy] impatient humor” Baptista, Pg, 117, Act 3 Scene 2, Lines 29-32

As Katherine and Baptista await Petruchio on wedding day, Kate flips out and storms off stage. Although it is an important day for both characters, Baptista dismisses her outburst as is if where nothing, almost saying ‘excuse my daughter and her shrew behavior’. Not really caring for his daughter but putting her feelings down to elevate his importance and show that this wedding is of bigger priority to him and not the bride.  

“Forget that boy, and find another! One of your own kind! Stick to your own kind!” Anita

After Bernardo and Riff are killed in the rumble, Maria asks a beat up Chino if Tony is ok. Chino, in shock of the question, frustratingly informs her that Tony killed her brother. Her brothers actions earlier in the story at the dance not only made her and Tony closer, but erased her worry for Bernardo and Tony became her main priority. Bernardo’s agenda and his power trip messed up the family dynamic. However, even in death, his message lives on through his widowed girlfriend, Anita. After explaining to Maria what had happened and it was a big mistake, Anita arrives home and Tony leaves. Knowing that her brother's killer was just there, She screams at Maria to date her own kind and forget about him. Still not taking Maria's feelings and true desires into consideration, the Parental unit of Bernardo and Anita neglect Maria's feeling all the way through, and don't stop to take in exactly what happened at the rumble and Marias love for the boy.

In both The Taming of the Shrew and West Side Story, the judgements of the male parental figures are blurred by bias and personal agendas, upholding reputations or the importance of gain, and they use their authority  to secure those desires.  In each story, the parental units make choices which ultimately benefitted them but used their children or loved ones and left them with the negative side effects, not them. As a parent there is a certain level of trust and acceptance you must give up that allows to to make clear, wise choices that take in the beliefs and desires of all involved to do what's best for the family, yet often times, and in the cases of Bernardo and Baptista, they’re biased, selfish choices left a trail of disaster in their wake, and unfortunately didn’t impact them the most, but the children they are supposed to care for.

Works Cited:

• Wise, R., & Robbins, J. (Directors), & Lehman, E. (Writer). (1961). West Side Story [Motion picture on Blu Ray Remastered]. United States: United Artist.

Taming of Love at First Sight

A Comparison Between “Taming of the Shrew” and “Love, Actually”

As the play “Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare proves, the idea of romantic love at first sight has been around for centuries. Petruchio decides to pursue Katherine Minola, a woman who is undesirable to other men in the play. Petruchio wants Katherine despite the fact that they do not know each other. The 2003 movie, “Love, Actually”, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David, instantly develops feelings after meeting his new assistant, Natalie. She is seen as unattractive to most people, but David is smitten by Natalie.

Although Petruchio and David share the same tactics in winning over their women, they differ in the their motives. The plot in “Taming of the Shrew”, is that Baptista Minola decides his youngest daughter, Bianca, cannot marry until his eldest daughter, Katherine, is married first. Petruchio decides to take this as a challenge to tame Katherine even though he does not know her. He also mentions he prefers wealthy women, which applies to Katherine. His reveals his tactic is to give Katherine endless affection despite her displeasure with him.  In “Love, Actually”, David meets his assistant, Natalie, on his first day and instantly develops feelings for her. His instinct is to treat Natalie with respect and kindness but with intent to know her better. These texts show audiences that romantic love at first sight is only decided by physical attraction or intent for another desire.

Petruchio:

Signor Hortensio, ‘twixt such friends as we

Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know

One rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife—

As wealth is burden of my wooing dance—

Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love,

As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd

As Socrates’ Xanthippe or a worse,

She moves me not—or not removes at least

Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough

As are the swelling Adriatic seas.

I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;

If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

(Act 1. Scene 2. Lines 62–73.)

In this scene, Petruchio is describing to his friend, Hortensio, and servant, Grumio, his carelessness for the substance of the girl he will marry. Petruchio says “As curst and shrewd, As Socrates’ Xanthippe” and “Be she as foul as Florentius’ love”. Socrates had a wife, Xanthippe, that was abusive. Florent was a knight that was forced to marry an old woman. Petruchio uses two undesirable women to prove that he is negligent in finding a suitable wife that would fit most men's desires. Petruchio is only worried about finding a wealthy women, no other factors matter. Katherine, Petruchio’s soon to be love interest, belongs to a prosperous family. Petruchio does not need to know Katherine to know that he will pursue her. Her wealthy background draws him in already. Love is not the desire for money. This helps confirm that the idea of “love at first sight” is not actually love, just a desire for one’s attributes.

This scene in “Love, Actually” is a conversation between David and his other assistant, Annie. He asks if she knows Natalie, and she replies as remembering her as the “chubby girl”. Struck by this observation, David asks if she really is chubby. She replies with a rude comment and he simply shrugs it off, but the audience can see from David’s facial reaction and response, that he disagrees with Annie’s statement. Like Petruchio, David wants the “undesirable” woman. Annie voices an offensive comment which can give the audience the feeling that in this movie’s world, Natalie would be the woman most men wouldn’t want because of her physical appearance. David doesn’t care about anyone else’s opinion; he believes Natalie is attractive. This infers that David immediately fell for Natalie’s appearances because he does not know much about her life. Attraction should not be mistaken for love.The audience can see here that love at first sight is can be based on one person’s longing for another’s physical appearance.

Petruchio:

And woo her with some spirit when she comes.

Say that she rail; why then I’ll tell her plain

She sings as sweetly as a nightingale.

Say that she frown; I’ll say she looks as clear

As morning roses newly wash'd with dew.

Say she be mute and will not speak a word;

Then I’ll commend her volubility,

And say she uttereth piercing eloquence.

If she do bid me pack, I’ll give her thanks,

As though she bid me stay by her a week.

(Act 2. Scene 1. Lines 177-186.)

This scene in “The Taming of the Shrew” Petruchio reveals his tactic to win over Katherine. He says that he will give her endless affection no matter what her response. Katherine is known to be a woman with a “scolding tongue”, so Petruchio is declaring that he will counteract this in hopes to hopefully tame Katherine. He will “woo her with some spirit”, something Katherine lacks. Petruchio’s tactic to win Katherine is simply a front. He has never met Katherine before this moment, so he decides on marrying her for the intent of money. Only a wealthy woman will bring Petruchio joy, so he will do everything in his power to do so. Petruchio’s act will give Katherine the impression that Petruchio is truly interested in her despite the fact that they are strangers. Petruchio’s love at first sight isn’t love, only the desire for her money. The reader is able to observe here that love at first sight is the initial need for one’s attributes.

This “Love, Actually” scene depicts David’s instincts in caring for Natalie. He leaves the President of the United States in his office for a moment as Natalie walks in. He returns to find the President on Natalie, who is uncomfortable. The next scene is a press conference with the President and David. David uses the press conference as a subliminal warning to President and a message to Natalie to show her he cares for her. Natalie and the audience are given the impression that David has strong feelings for Natalie, even though they have only recently met and David is Natalie’s boss. Like Petruchio, David is showing he cares. Before this scene, David and Natalie were still only associates in the workplace. This public warning and unknown display of affection caused controversy over a girl he barely knows. The audience can conclude that David’s feelings for Natalie have only been decided on because of her looks, which is not love at first sight.

“Love at first sight” has been branded in Hollywood to romanticize relationships that are brought on by physical attraction. In the real world, most relationships thrive on a deep knowledge of each other. Audiences are given “love at first sight” moments to draw them deeper into the plot. In the end, David reveals his love for Natalie and finds that her feelings are mutual. Petruchio’s tactic works, and Katherine no longer possesses a “scolding tongue”. She has been tamed, which means Petruchio will wed her. Each of the men in these texts decide to pursue women they barely know. Romantic love is affection shared between people. Sexual attraction is attraction towards someone who is visually appealing. Love and attraction should not be confused as it happens in these two texts.

Works Cited

“Love, Actually” (2003)

The “Power” Of Love