Nia+Berry

Marrying a Women is like Marrying Her father
Comparing "Taming of the Shrew" to "Meet the Parents"

In "Taming of the Shrew," father, Baptista disallows any suitors to persue his youngest daughter, Bianca untill his oldest,Katherine, is courted and he choses the suitor who is allowed to court his daughter by their dowry but Bianca's suitors scheme to obtain her love. In the 2000 movie "Meet the Parents," the main character Greg Focker, is persuing Pam Byrnes, the oldest daughter of an ex-secret service worker and is scheming to make make her father, Jack Byrnes like him and allow him to ask for his daughter hand in marriage.

The suitors of Bianca, from "Taming of the Shrew," devise plans to get closer to Bianca without her father Baptista knowing so they can make her like them in hopes of being courted. While in "Meet the Parents," father of the intended bride, Jack Byrnes schemes and devises plans to get to know boyfriend, Greg Focker more without his daughter or Greg realizing.

In the past, it was simple for a man to wed a women by just asking for her hand from her father and having a suitable dowry. Back then women were considered more as property that can be bought with money rather then emotions and caring actions. In modern times, fathers take the giving away of their daughter more in depth and like to know more about the man personally rather then financially.

="That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter= =Before I have a husband for the elder.= =If either of you both love Katherine,= =Because I know you well and love you well,= =Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure."= (Act I, Scene i, 50-54)

In this quote, Baptista lays down the rule for marrying his youngest daughter, Bianca, to her suitors,Gremio, Hortensio and Vincentio. The rule is: He will not give his youngest daughter [Bianca] in marriage until the eldest [Katherine] has a husband and if any if Bianca's suitors love Katherine too, they have permission to marry her if they want.



In this scene of "Meet the Parents," Greg Focker is introduced to the father of his girlfriend, Jack. Their initial encounter is very peaceful prior to Greg asking Jack for his daughter's hand in marriage. Like Baptista, when introduced with a suitor for his daughter, Jack lays down some conditions for marrying his daughter. Jack conditions are that Greg gets to know everyone in the family first while they prepare for his youngest daughter's wedding before he asks Pam to marry him. When really, Jack is using this time to use his ex-secret service skills to find out who Greg is.

="Content you, gentlemen. I will compound this strife.= ='Tis deeds must win the prize, and he of both= =That can assure my daughter greatest dower= =Shall have my Bianca's love."=

After finally being able to pursue Bianca, suitors Gremio and Lucentio ask Baptista who will be able to marry his daughter. Baptista replies with the above quote basically saying that the man with the most wealth will be able to have his daughter's hand in marriage.

Jack takes the matter of his daughter being married to someone he does not know very serious.



After his attempts to find something that will keep Greg and Pam from being together by doing extensive background searches on Greg. Jack finds out various facts about Greg that he tries to use to prove that Greg is not meant for Pam but none of the things he finds out proves that Greg doesn't honestly love her.

In the end of "Meet the Parents," Greg and Pam get Jack's blessings to get married because Jack finally realizes that Greg is actually someone who actually loves his daughter and not for any hidden agendas. In the end of "Shrew," Baptista gives Bianca away to Lucentio because he had proven to be the wealthiest of all Bianca's suitors.Both stories confirm that the father of the intended bride plays a major key role in who their daughter marries but different fathers have differnet requirements for what is needed to have their daughter's hand in marriage; some prefer love while other prefer wealth.