Allusion in The Taming of The Shrew Essay

Illusions, Selfish Creations to Please Ones Self

Bending the truth happens so frequently that often times others do not even realize it has happened. A little lie never hurts any one, right? Life without honesty can be seen every day though identity theft and unchecked white lies. In the play, The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare, reforming of the truth happened almost routinely. Furthermore a few of the characters lies became so excessive that illusions were born. These illusions were the characters way of trying to get what they wanted at all costs. Illusions are human attempts to alter reality.

Illusions can be used to mask feelings, keeping ones true self hidden from the world. In the beginning Katherina is known throughout Pauda as the towns biggest shrew. She gained this reputation through her bitter behavior to others. To the people of Pauda it seemed she would never be submissive to a man. In fact, if she was not taken in by a man who loved her, Her care should be to comb your noodle with a three legged stool and point your face and use you like a fool. (I.I. 64-65) Every man in Pauda knew what a shrew she seemed to be and assumed she could never be loved,You may go to the devils dam! Your gifts are so good heres none will hold you. There! Love is not so great (I.I. 105-106)any man is so very a fool to be married to hell.(I.I. 121) The men of Pauda believed that the shrew they saw was the person Katherina wanted to be. As the story goes on it becomes evident that her shrewish behavior is a mask to cover her feelings that she does want to be married. Katherina wanted to be married for love, not for dowery. Proof of her desire to be married can be assumed in her silence when Petruchios talk to her father, Baptista, about taking Katherinas hand in marriage. Katherinas lack of opposing words, which has rarely happened in the past, suggests submission to the idea. Along with her quietness she goes on to show up at the wedding. Had Katherina desired not to be married and had she been the shrew she appeared to be, she would have blown off the wedding completely. This desire to be married shows signs that shrew longs to be tamed, but also causes uncertainty of why the shrewish behavior lives in her. A plausible cause of her shrewishness is to mask some of emotional hurt from her evil sister Bianca. Bianca is seen as every man's dream girl but Katherina knows different. A pretty peat! It is best put finger in the eye, and she knew why.( Katherina can see through Biancas illusion of how to be a submissive woman, but does not know how to handle it. Thus her shrewishness comes to life out of bitter envy. In the end there is no uncertainty that all Katherina needed was to find true love to break the illusion of her shrewishness. Katherina's final speech shows she knows what it means to be a submissive wife. She realizes that selflessness from both the husband and wife are needed to make a loving marriage.

What is she but a foul contending rebel and graceless traitor to her loving lord? I am ashamed that women are so simple to offer war where they should kneel for peace, or seek for rule, supremacy and sway, when they are bound to serve, love and obey.(V,II. 159-164)

With real love to tame her, Katherina lives apart from her illusion and sees how a woman should act.

People today still use illusions to hide their true feelings from others just as Katherina used illusion to mask her feelings from the world. Remember the class clown? Every school has one. This is the person who everyone thinks is funny, giving them a reputation of constantly acting obnoxious. Often times people use the class clown illusion to defend against painful feelings through humor. Their clowning around just becomes their way of hiding from the world the feelings that lie beneath the humor. When they do finally want to change the process of doing so has become near impossible. The individuals reputation of being the funny guy is engraved on the minds of his peers that his attempts to change will just be taken as a joke. Not until the person can move on to a new environment can his illusion finally be killed off allowing a new personality to arise. Another place people use illusions to hide their feelings and occurs in the business world. This can be seen in board room meetings, where lower rank people are in contact with upper management. In these situation what has been dubbed the inferiority complex takes form. For example at Harley-Davidson a certain employe constantly takes on the illusion of being at one with her co-workers. She really could care less about her fellow workers all she wants is complete success even if it means crushing a few friends on the way. One way she does this is by acting friendly and caring about other peoples feelings just to gain information about certain projects that do not even involve her. She puts on a illusion of being a caring and kind person while no upper management is present to mask her feelings of superiority. But when high level people come by she embraces the opportunity to make herself look, even if it means destroying anothers reputation. She tries to make herself look better this by viciously ripping apart others decisions on how they chose to handle issues with the company that are not even part of her job. She does this just to cover her own short comings of being a evil person and attempts to bring attention to other peoples problems, not her own. All this hiding of her true feeling about others is performed in attempts to climb the corporate ladder. Illusions are used to hid ones true feelings and give rise to artificial personalities.

In audition to using illusion to hide oneself, illusions can also be used to manipulate people. In the town of Pauda one girl had mastered the art of manipulation. This girl was Bianca, she saw how men liked a quiet submissive woman and worked it to her advantage. An indescribable quality about her captivates men into wanting her upon first sight, Tranio, I burn! I pine, I perish, Tranio If I achieve not this young modest girl.(I,I.146-147) Bianca knows she has this talent, and uses it to her advantage, even if it means disrespect her sister. Bianca places so much confidence in her own illusion of being the perfect woman, that she tells her sister mockingly she will woo any man her sister wants for her. Is it for him you do envy me so? Nay then, you jest, and now I well perceive you have but jested with me all this while. I prithee, sister Kate untie my hands.(II,I.18-21) This nasty attitude gets hid behind the face of perfection and tempts lustful men to come and taste it. Biancas ability to manipulate people is reveled in the end when she is married and her true self shines through. Just as a kid who got what they want reverts on behavior so does Bianca. After Bianca is married her illusion of this submissive spouse is shot to pieces. In a bet of which spouse would respond to their husbands request first everyone placed full confidence in Bianca laughing in the face of Petruchio, Katherinas Husband, that he could possibly think that the shrew he married would be submit. Lucentio, Biancas husband is in for a surprise when he hears from his servant, Sir, my mistress sends you word that she is busy and she cannot come.(V,II. 80-81) and Petruchio wins the bet. The ideal wife has shown herself to have become a shrew that men despise.

Manipulation still occurs in the same way today no matter the age, race, or gender. From early on in life evidence of manipulation in the human race can clearly be seen. Children learn from little on if they behave a certain way they can attain a positive stimulus. This idea that good behavior brings good results can be seen in the futile attempts children take at manipulating their parents. For example Luke and Lance, seven year old twin boys, both wanted Star Wars light sabers and knew that Christmas was approaching. Being the naive seven year olds they are they figure if they behave like angels how could mom and dad refuse to get them what their little hearts desired. Finally Christmas day arrives and sure enough they get the light sabers they were wishing for, soon after their behavior goes back to the normal sinfulness exhibited by any seven year old. Luke and Lance put on an illusion just like Bianca did. In order to gain what they wanted they they put on the illusion of being a submissive children and after they got what they wanted they revealed their true selves again, the rebellious child. This manipulation works both ways, often times parents create an illusion to get kids to work harder. This may be by putting out a reward that would have been given even if the requirements were not met. The reward just becomes a reinforcer to increase the positive behavior. Manipulation doesnt just occur with parents and children, but can also be seen in adults too. The media has a way of supporting the popular opinions even if they are wrong. For example right now in our country a recession is going on and to prevent a all out depression the government is looking at spending billions of dollars to save the economy. History has shown that increased government spending does not help the economy, yet the media creates an illusion that this money will restore the American way of life. This illusion the media puts out is taken as truth by people who do not do their research thus a majority of the country being lead away in an illusion of false hope. The media creates a false hope just as Bianca created a false personality to draw in any man she wanted at the time. Using illusion for manipulation has been around during the time of Shakespeare and continues on today in the media and relationships with others in this world.

Further more illusions can be used to fulfill selfish desires. As the play goes on Lucentio begins to realize that he will never be the suitor of choice to Bianca with out a personal connection to her. To get as close as possible to the lovely Bianca, he takes on the illusion of being a private Latin tutor for hire. Lucentio must take on this disguise because at the time it was proper to have the eldest daughter married before the younger could be courted. As was said earlier everyman in Pauda refused to marry Katherina the older sister for she was a shrew. Yet the illusions did not stop there, in order for him to become the tutor he needed someone to stand in as himself while he was tutoring. Thus he turned to his great friend and servant Tranio. Tranio understands his masters actions are not out of love, I pray sir, tell me, is it possible that love should of a sudden take such hold?...master, you looked so longly on the maid, perhaps you marked not whats the pith of all. (I,I. 138-139.154-155) he sees that Lucentio acts out of lust for his own selfish desire of wooing Bianca. Yet, not having much choice in the matter he agrees to help in the forming the illusion and carries on as Lucentio, while Lucentio remains occupied as a tutor, getting ever closer to Bianca. Katherina is finally married, thus opening the path to wooing Bianca. When Tranio, who at this time is playing Lucentio, hears of this he talks to Baptista, Biancas father, about Lucentio getting Biancas hand in marriage. When Tranio, as Lucentio, arranges for the marriage he has a competitor, Germio. Being fair Baptista says, He of both that can assure my daughter the greatest dower shall have my Biancas love. (II,I. 331-333) This puts a road block in Lucentios way because his dowery is greatest, but as of right now has no possessed wealth of his own. His only possessions for the dowery are stored up as a future inheritance which he will get upon his fathers death. This is an issue to Baptista as the question of what will happen to his daughter if this man, Lucentio, dies slips into his brain. So Baptista decides, if you make this assurance (II,I. 385) referring to having Lucentios father confirm the promised dowery will be given to Bianca if Lucentio dies, he will be the groom. But, if nothing surfaces from Lucentios father, then Germio, the other contender, will be the groom. The need for a father to confirm the dowery results in yet another person getting entangled in the illusion to win Bianca. A few days later Tranio and another servant, Biondello, find a passing merchant to use as the pretend father of Lucentio. They get this merchant to play Lucentios father after they trick him into believing that if he does not they will turn him into the authorities to be executed. All goes to plan and Lucentio and Bianca are married and finally the illusion is reveled. When the deception gets fully explained to Baptista, Lucentio claims, Love wrought these miracles. Biancas love made me exchange my state with Tranio.(V,I. 98-99) Despite Lucentios words, one can see that selfish desires caused this great illusion to be born.

As a human race one of the hardest things for any one to do is accept reality, like lucentio, selfish motives constantly pull people to create illusions to get what they want. One way this happens is in school. There are times when students are sick because they know that if they go to school that day they will not be as successful as they hope to be. They convince themselves they are sick and create an illusion of illness in attempts to have their parents approve of their absence. This is much like Lucentio and how he put on the illusion of being a tutor for the purpose of getting close to Bianca and later told the truth and suffered no consequences. Another way illusion can be used for selfish-motives can be seen in the Madoff scandal. Bernard Madoff is charged with what might be the biggest investor fraud ever committed in our worlds history. Incidentally the entire asset management arm of his firm was a giant Ponzi scheme or one big lie. which like an illusion appeared to give true investment returns but in reality was a pyramid scheme pulling funds and cycling returns. Being a member of many non profit organizations gave Madoff the appearance of moral man selfless man, but he was far from it costing investors a combined loss of fifty plus billion dollars. Illusion for selfish motives can also bee seen in friendships. Some people act as friends to others to gain their trust and then use that trust for their own selfish ways. Pastor Hughes once told a story of how back in the early twenty first century when portable CD players were all the rage a individual who did not have one, suddenly decided to be friends with another person that did. This individual did all the right things talked with the other person and made them feel comfortable. This person hung around the other persons locker so much that he was able to figure out the others locker combination. After the locker combination and been discovered this so called friend stole from his friend the prized portable CD player. Having his selfish desire full filled the perpetrator cut contact with the victim who was very disappointed when he found out what the other had done. Humans today still use illusion to satisfy their own selfish desires just as Lucentio.

Illusion is used to alter reality everywhere. Wether a person was living in Shakespeare's time or in the twenty-first century illusion to satisfy the self, manipulate others, or hide ones feelings will always be present. Lies are timeless and as long as there is life on this earth people will never quit using the art of illusion to try and control their destiny. While a little white lie may go unchecked living in honesty is always the best policy.