Taming Of The Shrew: All People Create A False Cha Essay, Research Paper

Do you think people act the way that their true identity is? Within every person, disguising their true identity at one point in time has occurred. We display these false characters or act differently for some reason. People usually wear these “masks” to achieve their own goals. Many times, soap opera situations occur because of changing of the people s masks between reality and illusion. In the same way, “The Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare, does just that. He creates a soap opera situation by placing numerous “masks” on his characters. In real life today, all of us including I have done this at some point. People create a false character or act differently to gain what they want. Katherine does not know how to properly act to gain attention, but instead she causes a “mask” to be placed on herself that becomes reality. She is known throughout Padua as the shrew of the town. In the story, you could imply that her mother and wife of Baptista is dead. Therefore, when Katherina was a young girl, she played a mother figure to Bianca. As the girls grew older, Katherina did not need to play that parental role to her younger sibling by being harsh. However, Katherina could not get rid of that character since everyone knew her by that personality since a young age. Katherina knows of Bianca s deceptive ways. Her younger sister is being courted by several men and could easily be married. However, due to customs in that era, Katherina must be married before her sister. In the early acts, Katherina s attitude appears as if she does not care at all about marriage. Instead, she yearns for her father s attention, but does the wrong things to gain it. Unlike her sister, Bianca appears to be of a milder, meeker nature. As seen in the play, Katherina dislikes her younger sister because actions have shown that Baptista shows favoritism towards her. She talks back to everyone with her cunning, creative remarks and makes her presence known in Act 1 Scene1: Katherina: I faith, sir, you shall never need to fear. I wis it to not halfway to her heart – But if it were, doubt not her care should be To comb your noodle with a three-legged stool And paint your face and use you like a fool.A main characteristic of Katherina is that she becomes upset easily and goes so far as to hit her newly appointed music teacher, Hortensio. Not long after, she hits the only suitor that would woo her, Petruchio. Katherina believes that her father does not care for her, especially after him wanting Petruchio to marry her. Perhaps Katherina s belief is true. Baptista would rather talk to Bianca because of her personality rather then fighting with every point with Katherina. All that she wants is the attention that Baptista receives, but Katherina tries to get the attention in the wrong ways by hitting others and with her shrewd remarks. Petruchio has to break Katherina s “mask” by putting on his own “mask” so he would end up with a perfect wife. Petruchio came into Padua not knowing what would soon happen. When he found out about Katherina, he was eager to meet her. For two reasons did Petruchio want to meet her: gain wealth and have the challenge of taming her. Petruchio s character is of like a gentleman. He opens doors for gentlewomen and is kind and courteous to everyone that earns the respect. As the play goes on, Petruchio marries Katherina. He plans to tame her and unveil her beautiful inner self so he would receive that lovely wife. He begins to show her who is in command starting on their wedding day. Petruchio shows up late to the wedding and caused Katherina to become angry and scared of being stood up. After being married, Petruchio starts to tame her like a hawk. He causes her not to be able to sleep and restricts food from her. Soon Katherina breaks down and starts to act obedient to Petruchio with her “mask” still being within the her reach. Then he furthermore shows Katherina who is in command of the relationship by not allowing Katherina to get elegant clothing that she wants. Instead, Petruchio yells at the haberdasher and tailor that brought them and yelling how they are not made correctly. Petruchio is trying to show Katherina what she does and why no one likes that “mask.” Overtime, Katherina breaks away chunks of her “mask” until her old personality has disappeared. I believe that Katherina is truly tamed when she agrees with Petruchio on a disagreement on if the sun or moon is out, even thought what he said was false, she agrees with him. She says:Katherina: Then God be blessed, it is the blessed sun. But sun it is not, when you say it is not, And the moon changes even as your mind. What you will have it named, even that it is, And so it shall be so for Katherine.With these words, I feel that Katherina is just like how Bianca acts towards others. Most people change their personality but the tutors want to act like themselves so their students could love them as who they are. The first and most prominent role change is the one between Lucentio and Tranio. Lucentio, in order to marry Bianca, exchanges outfits with his servant Tranio in order to become a tutor for Bianca. Although Tranio appears to be a nobleman, he is really just a simple servant. His identity did not change despite the fact that his outfit did. In the same fashion, Lucentio becomes Cambio, the tutor. His true self is as a nobleman, but due to his love of Bianca he tries to change himself. Just like Tranio, despite the change of outfit, Lucentio s real personality remains the same. Henceforth come Hortensio, the lease successful pretender who tries to woo Bianca. He too becomes a tutor for Bianca, but is rejected by her. Before the changing of clothes, Hortnesio is in competition with Lucentio for Bianca, and still is despite the change in clothing.

Lucentio had to create a couple of “masks” in order to accomplish his goal. The first mask that he created was him being Cambio. As described before, Lucentio dressed up as Cambio to get closer to Bianca. Him being Cambio paid off by him eventually being able to marry Bianca. However, for him to be able to marry her he would have to produce his father. What he needed was a person to take the place of his real father, Vincentio. The person that Lucentio s servant found was a merchant from Mantua. Tranio talks him into becoming Lucentio s father by saying how if anyone from Mantua is in Padua, he will be put to death. So the trade-off for him not being turned in is that he becomes Lucentio s father. So the seconds mask that Lucentio creates is the one that he shows to Baptista. Baptista does not know of his scheme and gives his blessings to Lucentio of marrying his youngest daughter.Bianca had the greatest “mask” of them all, she caused other men to do anything just so they can be close to her which she loved. People view Bianca as a sweet and gentle person, a false precept, devoting herself to her studies and never wanting anything else out of life. She knows how people want her to be and does act that way. Bianca also wants her father s love and favoritism. Yet once she achieves her goal, to be married, her true self appears. She becomes quarrelsome and apathetic, not coming at the call of Lucentio or accusing him of simply hunting her, not at all caring for her. She becomes almost what her sister was. Lucentio is after Bianca, and to fall head over heels in love with her. To fall in love with someone can also be to find out about them and see who they really are in their heart. All people have worn a “mask” at some point in their lives to gain what they want. In today s society, I see “masks” every day. I have heard many stories of people changing their clothes, just like what the tutors did, to gain something. They change their clothes when going to a car dealer so they appear less wealthy than what they really are. This is to help them achieve their goal of receiving a lower price on that car. People also change their clothes when they go to court. Defendants of a crime often wear nice, fancy clothing to appear professional. They are hoping that the verdict will be “not guilty” or have a lighter sentence as compared to if they wore their everyday street clothes into the courtroom. People also act differently to gain what they want. I have done this before when I heard that a person had concert tickets that he could not use because of a schedule conflict. I did not like this person very much, but I acted nice and politely towards him to get his concert tickets. He gave me the tickets and I went with my friend. In today s society, wearing a “mask” is necessary. I believe that most of us are Biancas that act nicely so we do not show our true personality of being mean and unfriendly. Whether it is in “The Taming of the Shrew” or in today s society, we act differently to gain what they want. You can see that with Katherina that wanted attention, Petruchio that wanted a perfect wife, Bianca that wanted to be married, Lucentio that wanted to marry Bianca, and whatever that drives each one of us to create a “mask.” A “mask” is a necessity in today s society where you must always fool people in order for you to gain what you need. Thesis: People create a false character or act differently to gain what they want.I. Why does Katherina act the way she does?A. She has taken on the role as Bianca s motherB. She is jealous that everyone is after BiancaC. She is trying to gain her father s attentionD. She dislikes her sister and shows her angerII. How does Petruchio use a “mask” to take of Katherina s “mask”?A. He has the attitude as if he is taming a hawkB. He restricting food and sleep to show who is in commandC. He does not receive fine clothing because he wants to show she is not worthy of them yetIII. Why must the wooers dress up as tutors?A. They want to be closer to BiancaB. They need to be themselvesIV. Why did Lucentio create a few “masks”?A. He had to be closer to Bianca to have an upper hand against the other suitorsB. He had to find a person to act like his father so he could receive Baptista s blessingsV. Why does Bianca wear a mask?A. She knows how to react to peopleB. She wants the love of her fatherC. She wants to be marriedVI. Why do we wear masks?A. To gain things that we wouldn t have with our true selves1. By wearing different clothes2. By changing personalitiesB. We don t want to come across as our true selves of being mean and unfriendly

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