Marley+Utzig

"The Taming of the Shrew" and "Howl's Moving Castle" analyzed.
 * Spelled at First Sight**

"Howls' Moving Castle" is a movie that follows the story of Sophie, Howl, and the Witch of the West giving things close to them up for love be it there own love or others love. The age old classic of "The Taming of the Shrew" shows a similar idea of giving up something for love. These are based off of the idea that love involves sacrifice.

Throughout both the movie and book characters are faced with decisions where they give up something important to them for love. Be it Sophie giving up her life to run away and live with Howl even though she had no idea what that would lead to or Katharine breaking down and doing what her husband wished for her to no longer have to fight with him. Tranio risks his life for Lucentio because he loves Lucentio. The Witch of the West who originally hated Sophie and only wanted Howl's heart changes her ultimate wishes and gives Sophie the thing she needs most even though it is the thing the Witch wanted most. Society believes certain things to be true, giving up something for love is one of those things, be it risking life a limb for a friend or the soul mate finally found. Giving up something important for love is normal.

**"I am content to be Lucentio, because so well I love Lucentio" -Tranio** (Act 1, Scene 1, 222 ) Lucentio is Tranio's master when he asks Tranio to dress up as him the "The Taming of the Shrew" both boys are taking a huge risk for Lucentio's love life. Luchentio is trusting this man with his secret and his social life, while Tranio is risking his life if he is found out. Tranio loves Lucentio though, the boys grew up together and even though Tranio is Lucentio's servent they are close. So even though it is a huge risk, Tranio takes the place of Lucentio so that he and Bianca may wed each other. Tranio makes this sacrifice for his love of Lucentio and Luciento's love of Bianca. He is not in love with Bianca his love for Luciento is so strong he is doing it for his best friend. This is just an example of socities belief that something must be risked or given up for love, but this story is based years ago.

For a newer and even magical take on this idea "Howl's Moving Castle" tells it well. In this scene the women on the right is holding a fire spirit who has stolen the heart of Howl, as a younger women The Wich of the West was in love with Howl but he scorned her when she became ugly. She finally figures out where Howl's heart is at a moment of his weakness. When she discoveres his heart though sophie has fallen in love with Howl and The Witch who had been living with Sophie had begun to love her in a strange way. All that Sophie wanted was Howl and the Fire Demon to live, while all The Witch wanted was Howl's heart no matter what. She changed though, her love for Sophie and her seeing how deeply Sophie cared for Howl she gave up the thing that she had wanted most because it was the thing that would make Sophie ultimately happy. The Witch and Sophie were not friends. In fact she had cast a spell on Sophie out of jealousy, but when Sophie opened up her heart and her home to The Witch. The Witch began to care and see love in a new light. She felt Sophie's love and kindness, so The Witch herself began to love and feel kind. She gave up the thing that she had been working for and trying to get for a long time for the love of someone else.

**"Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, they sovereign, one that cares for thee." -Katherine** (Act 5, Scene 2. Page 219, Line 162)

Katherine is the shrew in the beginning of the book. She is loud, rude and hateful. When Petruchio is offed a sum of money to wed her he has a plan. He marries Katherine then whisks her away to his home where he puts his plan to action. He makes it so that she can't sleep, can't eat, and he himself acts like a shrew. Whether he was this way before or not the reader does not know. His plan wears Katherine down so that she has no resistance to him and will do what he says and agree with his absurdities such as him telling her the sun was the moon and that an old man was a beautiful young women. She agreed with him so that she could just get what she wanted no matter how crazy he was. The quote is her big speech at the end speaking to two women about caring for your man. As the audiance though it is not clear as to why she does this. It could be that she has finally fallen in love with Petruchio and is showing this to him by changing herself so that he can be happy.She could just as well love the luxuries in life, even the simple ones like being able to sleep and eat, so she breaks down her own power for those things that she loves.Either way she changes her whole self for love be it the love she has found for her husband or love of a cozy living she changes herself.

"Howl's Moving Castle" does much of the same thing though the gender is switched. Howl is vain, rude, and heartless; literally he has no heart. He uses Sophie to hide from demons but ends up causing her more trouble. She finds his castle but is in the shape of an old women, he lets her live there if she agrees to cleans. At one moment he accidentally dyes his hair black from his platinum blond. He thinks himself ugly and declares there is no point to life if he is ugly. Sophie yells at him saying she had been ugly her whole life, as the curse begins to wear off Howls falls in love with her, he sees her spirit, kindness, and love. He falls in love with her, he makes his castle into a magic house with flowers everywhere just for her. When she gives him his heart he truly shows his love for her and they ride off into the sunset. He was happy to give up his life of cruel magic and romancing other women around the world for her because he loves her, he stopped pulling away from her, he gives himself to her, he changed his ways he was no longer so vain and does things with her in mind.

Both of these works of fiction show this idea that society has of giving something up for love. Even something a simple as dating can cause a person to change or do something they would normally not do. Even though "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Howl's Moving Castle", were made years and years apart they both reflect this idea of relationships and love that society has drilled into the minds of the people. Different types of love are found in each but even loving food causes the need for a sacrifice. So in conclusion societies belief still stand throughout all time that, giving up something for love is normal.