Bethany+Carter

Comparing and contrasting "Taming of the Shrew" and "The Family Man"
 * //I am Doing this for You, Because I am Right// **

In "The Taming of the Shrew" Petruchio wants to tame his wife so he does different things say that he is doing them for her. In "The Family Man" Jack lived in New York until he wakes up in the life he would have had if he had married his college girlfriend. Missing his life before he was married so so tries to convince his wife to change the way they live saying that it would be good for the family. These texts shows how fictional men's tactics to control their wife have not changed over time but the way the wife reacts has.

**"She ate no meat today, nor none shall eat.** **Last night she slept not, nor tonight shall not.**  **As the meat, some undeserved fault**  **I'll find about the making of the bed...**  **That all is done in reverend care of her."**

(Act 4, Scene 1, 197-200, 204)

Petruchio is explaining that he is going to starve Kathrine and deprive her of sleep to tame her. He plans to find things wrong with both the meat and the bed. He will not permit Kathrine to eat the meat or sleep on the bed because it is not good enough for her. This way by saying that he only wants the best for her he can control her from eating and sleeping.

In the movie Jake is not trying to how his wife acts but where they live.



In this scene Jake is trying to convince his wife, Kate, that he should get a new job and live in this apartment. He wants this because it will help him become what he was before he was married which he thinks is better. He tells his wife "I'm talking about a perfect life, a great life. Everything we pictured when we were young. The whole package." He reminds her that this is what she wanted years ago making it seem that he is doing it for her the same way that Petuchio wanted Kathrine to think that he was doing what was best for her.

**"** ** And craves no other tribute at thy hands **
 * But love, fair looks and true obedience; **
 * Too little payment for so great a debt **. **"**

(Act 5, Scene 2, 161-163)

This is said by Kathrine when talking about what a wife should be. She talks about all that they do for their wives and how they should be obedient in return. This shows that Petuchio has been able to control her by making it seem like he is doing thing for her.

Jake has a lot less luck then Petuchio at controlling his wife.



As Jack tries to convince Kate that this is the best thing for them as a family he mentions things that they won't have to deal with anymore. One of the things he mentions is shoveling snow. She replies with, "Then get a goddamn snowblower, Jack! Don't get a new career without even telling me about it! And don't take Annie out of a school she loves. Don't move us out of a house we've become a family in." Here she is showing his how he did not look at how this would affect the family as a whole and is proving him wrong about this being for her contrasting to Kathrine who changed the way Petuchio wanted her to change.

In both the play and the movie the way the men tried to control their wife was the same even though they got different results. In the play, which is based in the past, Petuchio is able to control his wife. When Jack tries the same method of control in the movie, which is based in present day, his wife does not change to what he thinks is best. Today's media shows women having more control in their relationships then in the past.