There are a lot of films that are adapted from Shakespearean plays. The movie, Kiss Me, Kate, is a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. It is a play-within-a-play. It is about Fred Graham creating his own musical version and he invites his ex-wife, Lilli Vanessi, to perform Katherine Minola. Fred has the lead role of Petruchio and he also invites his secondary romance, Lois Lane, to play Bianca Minola. Lois’ gambler boyfriend, Bill Calhoun, signs a UIO using Fred’s name so two gangsters arrive at the theater to collect the gambling debt. Petruchio persuades the gangsters to keep Lilli acting so that they could receive payment for the debt.
The relationship between Fred and Lilli is complicated. It also makes the play complicated since it affects their performance on the stage. It is a classic “battle of the sexes” but it is not merely about a bickering old couple. It explores labels and stereotypes. Gender also plays an important role. The play shows a …show more content…
No man would want to marry Katherine but Bianca is widely accepted by everyone for she conforms to the society’s gender stereotype. Katherine and Lilli have both shown strength and independence while Bianca’s identity depends on having a relationship with men. She sings Always True to You in My Fashion to Bill to protest to him that even though she trades romantic favors to receives gifts from wealthy men, she remains faithful to him in her own way. In the end, Katherine completely complies to Petruchio but she does this only to get what she wants. He may think that he tamed her but in reality, she is using this so that she could have the equality and fairness she wanted. In the song I’ve Come to Wive it Wealthily in Padua, Petruchio outwardly wants to marry for money and he asked Lilli’s father how much her dowry is. She doesn’t have a choice since she’s considered as her husband’s
The relationship between Fred and Lilli is complicated. It also makes the play complicated since it affects their performance on the stage. It is a classic “battle of the sexes” but it is not merely about a bickering old couple. It explores labels and stereotypes. Gender also plays an important role. The play shows a …show more content…
No man would want to marry Katherine but Bianca is widely accepted by everyone for she conforms to the society’s gender stereotype. Katherine and Lilli have both shown strength and independence while Bianca’s identity depends on having a relationship with men. She sings Always True to You in My Fashion to Bill to protest to him that even though she trades romantic favors to receives gifts from wealthy men, she remains faithful to him in her own way. In the end, Katherine completely complies to Petruchio but she does this only to get what she wants. He may think that he tamed her but in reality, she is using this so that she could have the equality and fairness she wanted. In the song I’ve Come to Wive it Wealthily in Padua, Petruchio outwardly wants to marry for money and he asked Lilli’s father how much her dowry is. She doesn’t have a choice since she’s considered as her husband’s