Society can make us Pigs.

From The Taming Of The Shrew and The Craft.


The concept of romance is defined with many perspectives by many humans. From the “Taming Of The Shrew”, a character Petruchio weds a rotten spirited female, Katherine. In the 1996 movie “The Craft”, a character Chris dates a self-possessed spirited female, Sarah. From both of these stories, both male's perspective of romance are terrible. That is because they’ve sought love for their own purposes. In the end of these stories, there is a deep message implied, and it is that some males view females as possessions, of theirs, that they may use and control for their own benefit. However, one of the story’s ending turns out that males could also punished for being horrible.  


Petruchio and Chris are similar for being known as horrible humans, in their relationships, they used someone they were falsely in love with. These males also differ. At the end of “The Taming Of The Shrew”, Petruchio receives a loyal wife that subjects and worships him. At the end of “The Craft”, Chris receives not a loyal girlfriend but a death, of his own, from a loyal friend of Sarah’s. Also Petruchio wants nothing but to use Katharine simply for her abundant wealth. Chris wants nothing but to use Sarah for her body. These texts reflect that males can use females, due to their very own nature of possession, because of their mentality from society that brainwashes them to believe and carry out that they are the “controlling ones”.



“Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know One rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife— As wealth is burden of my wooing dance— Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love, As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd As Socrates’ Xanthippe or a worse, She moves me not—or not removes at least Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough As are the swelling Adriatic seas. I come to wive it wealthily in Padua; If wealthily, then happily in Padua.”

(Act I, Scene ii, 63-73)


Of this quote, Petruchio speaks of finding a wife to marry from Padua. He says that he’ll marry whomever, because he cares not for the kind of wife he were to have, because his true desire of marriage is to marry for money and not for true love. Later on, Petruchio goes onto Katharine’s father asking for his hand in marriage, and he grants their wedding to happen. This shows how males use females due to their own nature of possession.  Katharine’s possession was her wealth. Petruchio wanted her wealth. Wealth is known as a form of economic survival in society. Petruchio’s mentality is obtain this economic survival in the most fullest way from one of the wealthiest female’s in Padua.  


Similar unto Petruchio, Chris from “The Craft” wanted to use Sarah.

 

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“Sarah:

You don't even know me.

Chris:

Here. I'll give you a back rub.

Sarah:

I don't want a back rub.

I don't want you to. Just let go.

Chris:

Just relax for a second.

Turn around.

Sarah:

I think you should take me home.

Chris:

No! Sarah, come on.

Sarah:

Take me home, okay?

Chris:

Just hold me, okay?

Sarah:

Let go.

Chris:

Hold me first.

Sarah:

Fine. I'll walk.

Chris:

Goddamn it!

Sarah, get back--

Come back here.

- Goddamn it!

Sarah:

Please, Chris! Let go of my arm!

Chris:

Stay still!”


Of this scene, Chris convinces Sarah to have dinner with him. Sarah is known to be the ‘new girl’ at his school, and there’s already rumors about her and Chris dating. This night was their third night spending time alone together, and Sarah already felt Chris not truly loving her for whom she was, but hoped he would. After Chris stopped the car, Sarah and him were talking about how they’ve been feeling lately and Sarah finds Chris to not have the same as hers, their mentalities were different. Sarah then asks, “aren’t supposed to go to a restaurant?” and Chris replys “no”, and they then began discussing about Chris and his feelings for Sarah and she also finds out he doesn’t care for whom she was, he only cared for he nature of possession. She possessed a female body. Chris wanted her female body. Society has had many standards of the female body, and during that time, Sarah’s body fulfilled those standards. Chris’s mentality was to not know Sarah personally but to use her for her body, that was his true desire of their relationship.


“Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee, And for thy maintenance commits his body… My hand is ready, may it do him ease.”

(Act V, Scene ii, 140-183)


Of this quote, Katharine finally submits to her husband she had to marry. She refers to him as a “Lord” saying she will do whatever he commands and commits her life to his.  She commits to a loud, boisterous, eccentric, quick-witted, and frequently drunk fool for a husband. Petruchio’s wish of being wealthy has come true and with it he has a loyal wife. Petruchio’s mentality is currently fulfilling society's way of living economically with a  loyal female Katharine.  


However, Chris from “The Craft” can't fulfill and comprehend society's standards of having a girlfriend with a perfect body.giphy.gif

“You are nothing. You are shit. You don’t exist. The only way you know how to treat women, is by treating them like whores! When you're the whore! And that's gonna stop ! Do you understand?...”


Of this scene, Chris is tongue-lashed by Sarah’s friend because in the scene before Chris tried to use Sarah for her body but in the wrong way, failing. Sarah’s friend, Nancy, has a past with Chris knowing he comes onto any female with a ‘perfect body’. In this scene he also refers to Nancy being jealous of his wanting for Sarah but Nancy replies him as being “nothing” to her. She then lists why he’s nothing and how a horrible human he is, and as this happens her anger for his stupidity kills him. That is because she’s a witch with powers, Sarah and two other friends of hers are too. Due to Chris’s mentality from society, he is killed by a witch.




In concluison, Society’s attitudes of courtship/dating from these portrayals show that to receive one’s true desire they must seek and find it by deceiving though courtship/dating, being aware of whomever is near or the deception will be found out and there will be punishment. The reason of why is because Chris is dead for pretending to be interesting with ‘new girl’ but Petrichor is alive still for marrying wealthiest female. Society has turned these two males into desperate standard fulfilling self-absorpting humans. Therefore, these texts reflect that males can use females, due to their very own nature of possession, because of their mentality from society that brainwashes them to believe and carry out that they are the “controlling ones”.


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