“Bianca get you in, and let it
not displease thee, good Bianca for I will love thee ne’er the less, my girl”.
Bianca has also much better relationships with other men as they all adore her beautiful looks and perfect ways. Most importantly however, is the relationship between Katherina and Bianca themselves. During Act 1 Sc 2, we see Katherina and Bianca enter fighting and arguing. Bianca also has her hands tied behind her back suggesting that Katherina is the more powerful of the two sisters. Also we see that Bianca is not violent at all as during their argument she does not try to throw a kick or have any violent outburst (she appears to have the “level head”):
“Or what you will command me will I do”,
meaning that Bianca will do whatever her sister will ask of her. Although she is upset by this outburst of her sister, she keeps the voice of reason, always negotiating.
When Katherina meets Petruchio, her attitude towards remains stays much the same as her attitude to all people, always arguing and fighting and she can not stand the thought of getting married to a person who treats her in the same way that she herself treats others.
“If I be waspish, beware my sting”,
this shows how much Katherina is against the idea of marrying Petruchio as she is threatening him to be cautious of her. Bianca, however, has completely the opposite attitude (yet again) towards getting married. She seems much more likely to enjoy a happy marriage and looks forward to the idea of settling down with a husband, whereas Katherina seems to despise the idea. Bianca is also much more intimate with her secret lover Lucentio. They spend a lot more time together talking whereas Katherina and Petruchio are either arguing or not together at all, as they do not share a very intimate affair.
Towards the end of the play, we see how both sisters’ attitudes begin to change. After Katherina marries Petruchio and returns to Petruchio’s house, we see almost immediately that Katherina’s attitude begins to change when Petruchio begins acting in the same way that she normally does.
“Patience I pray you, twas a fault unwilling”,
here we see her fiery temper suddenly disappear when one of Petruchio’s servants drops a tray of food and she begs Petruchio not to get angry with him for it. In contrast, we see Bianca’s attitude begin to show its other side in Act 3 Sc 1 where she has her first lessons with her new tutor Lucentio.
“But learn my lessons as I please myself”,
here we see that there is slightly more to Bianca than meets the eye. She seems slightly arrogant and stubborn, a side which she does not show people often so as not to displease them. We are used to seeing her as a very pleasant young woman who always does what she is told but now her attitude has completely changed. Bianca still does, however, remain a very pleasnt young woman until the very final scene, where she refuses to come to her husband when asked:
“I am afraid sir, do what you can, yours will not be entreated”.
This is the point at which we see both Katherina and Bianca’s personalities change to their full extent. When Katherina is summoned by Pertuchio she comes to him immediately, dragging the other too women by her side.
“What is your will sir, that you send for me?”.
This is where we see that Katherina has become a completely different person and her morals towards men and marriage have also completely turned around.
“Thy husband is they lord, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign, the one that cares for thee”,
we see her new views are that of the rightful place of a woman in the 16th century, that the husband is the master of the household.
I think if I were considering marrying one of the two woman, Katherina and Bianca, I would, at first sight, go for Bianca for the obvious reason that she appears to be more of a respectable woman who knows how to serve her husband accordingly. Katherina, at this point in the play seems is much less of a lady-like. Despite this, having read the whole play, I think I would still choose Bianca as she seems more the type of woman I would go for, not waiting on me hand and foot but a woman who is able to form her own opinions whilst Katherina appears to lose the will to do so by end of the play. In contrast, for a mother I think at the end of the play the answer would most likely be Katherina as she seems to be more caring after her vast attitude change and appears to be the type who would be very good with children. Bianca, on the other hand, may be a bossy mother.
I think that the success of the play relies on the contrast between Katherina and Bianca and Katherina’s changing relationship with Petruchio. In other versions of the play such as 10 Things I Hate About You Bianca almost overtakes Katherina as the leading story line of the play. Both characters lives are inter-twined a lot more than in the actual play however the appearance of Katherina is toned down to make her what I would expect her to be like, as well as her attitude. She is merely just a difficult child, not what I would call a Shrew. In another version of the play (the animated version) Katherina is depicted as a red head, implying her fiery temper, and her attitude is much more like the actual play. Still, 10 Things I Hate About You is an enjoyable modern day version of the play to watch, and I think it is easier to relate to as it is brought down a few levels to make it easier to understand.
All in all I think that in the end of the play, Katherina has adopted a new persona and a new outlook on life. This new outlook is much more positive and outgoing, and she has learned the ways of a proper wife during the 16th century. Bianca in contrast has not adopted a new persona but a part of her that had been kept secret has been uncovered and her real attitude towards marriage and husbands has changed, or perhaps the truth of what she originally thought of it all has been brought out. I think her original attitude was a sort of mask persona to impress her father Baptista and other men she came in contact with such as her suitors.
by Adrian F
4B
