It's All About The **** Money!

“It's all about the Mother*@* Money”

“The Taming Of The Shrew” & “Revenge Of The Bridesmaids”

The Taming of the Shrew focuses more on the social aspects of marriage than on the feelings that are involved. Lucentio is only allowed to marry Bianca after he promises that his father can provide a larger dowry than Hortensio, and after his ‘father’ promises that the money will be paid. Petruccio is marrying any woman with a large dowry. In the 2010 movie “Revenge Of The Bridesmaids,”- Chaos strikes when two best friends (Abigail, Parker) try to sabotage their friend Caitlin's wedding for the sake of true love.

In The Taming of the Shrew and Revenge of the Bridesmaids, the two share a similarity of the economically beneficiary in a marriage. Characters listed as Bianca, Katherine, and Caitlyn are all daughters who character’s stand as prime examples of societies’ reconciles for marriage of the daughters based on money. However, some  of them --(Abigail, Parker) -- is trying to straight-up sabotage, while the other (Petruchio,Lucentio) is operating in order to marry women of high status. Both Taming of the Shrew and Revenge of the Bridesmaids highlight how characters of vastly different social classes envision marriage as a business proposition through which the lower class can rise to the top.

PETRUCHIO

I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;

If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

(1.2.76-77)

Although crude and offensive, Petruchio is completely up front and open about his fortune- seeking ways. Marriage brings happiness, not for love’s sake, but because marrying a wealthy wife brings in alot of cash, which according to Petruchio, is enough to satisfy him.

Central Character in the movie “Revenge of the Bridesmaid” similarly shares the same valves of Petruchio, yet it circles around a whole different situation.  

In this scene from “Revenge of the Bridesmaids,” Caitlin  reveals the scemening plot that she is only marrying Tony, her fiance, in the case of her mother’s extravagant spending. In this particular scene she says “now I don’t mind a Love-less marriage.” This compares to Petruchio's attitude towards his marriage with Katrina. They both use the wealth of money to fill the void of love in their relationship. If Caitlin is going to marry someone whos she doesn't love, the least thing she will get out of it all is being comfortable and feeling secure. This feeling of security will come from Tony’s lucrative family. In Petruchio's situation, he’s not only after Katharine for her money, but her status as an Nobel women. In all, they are using the secret vow between two people to excell up the ladder of success.

BAPTISTA

Faith, gentlemen, now I play a merchant's part

And venture madly on a desperate mart.

TRANIO, as Lucentio

'Twas a commodity lay fretting by you.

'Twill bring you gain, or perish on the seas. (2.1.345-348)

Baptista’s metaphor gives voice to his role as a “Businessman” in negotiating the marriage of Bianca. Marrying his daughters is a very personal business project for him, as he seems that he stands to lose more than his daughter does.

In Comparison, Parker’s Father explains to the girls how the role of business is involved between the two, Tony’s and Caitlyn's, coming about.

After overhearing the two (Abigail and Parker) discussing the confusion of Tony’s  and Caitlin's relationship, Lou breaks down the situation enough for them to understand it all. By saying:” It’s a business transaction,” Lou revealed that her marriage for him is merely a proposition where she seems to gain just more than his last name. By marrying Tony, Caitlin and her mom are able to continue their lavish  lifestyle. They will be able to afford everything, thanks to Tony’s money. Unlike Petruchio, who lives comfortably without any financial problems, Caitlin relays on this marriage to fulfill her and her mother’s wants and desires. She needs this wedding to go perfect because without it, they will be recognized for their money problems.

KATHERINE

He'll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage,

Make feasts, invite friends, and proclaim the banns,

Yet never means to wed where he hath wooed.

Now must the world point at poor Katharine

And say, 'Lo, there is mad Petruchio's wife,

If it would please him come and marry her.' (2.1.15-20)

We’ve seen how a wife’s reputation can influence and determine her husband’s reputation and credit, but here, it’s clear that Katherine fears marriage is yet another institute that will cause her public embarrassment and pain.

Unlike Katherine, Tony is using marriage as a scapegoat to escape talk and screntany from others.

While having dinner,  Parker askes Henry how did  his best friend, Tony, react after finding out Caitlin was pregnant.  Henry explains Tony’s side of the story about his sudden engagement to Parker. By saying “ It’s 1870, and the only opens are “get married” or “get married now,” it lets watchers  know that Tony is using this marriage as an punishment to himself. To escape from talk of the town and others, he is biting his lip and doing what he thinks is best on the situation at hand.  Unlike Petruchio, Tony is humbly accepting his fate. He is only going along with this marriage because of the bad hate he would get if he didn’t agree, and that would be bad for his and his father’s publicityhile Petruchio wants all to know of his marriage and winning the hand of an Wealthy lad.

Both written pieces show in may ways how society can easily misuse the true meaning of marriage. With Caitlin devious plot to trick a man to marry her  through a fake pregnancy, and Petruchio's plot to marry a wealthy women for the sake of his name values. Viewers are displayed human’s mistake on taking a secret vow and turning it into a business proposition all in the name to gain more success for themselves.