3.Bianca in the play:

 

3. Bianca in the Taming of the Shrew.

 

Bianca always obeys her father (Baptiste) and that’s how the story begins, when he says that Bianca can’t get married before her sister Kate. Bianca’s  softness and her submissive attitude are the main features which makes her attractive for men and that’s why she has three suitors (Hortensio, Gremio and Lucentio) and her sister none. Bianca’s suitors make a plan in order to marry Kate and Petruchio is the only one who accepts this marriage, although he only accepts because of her dowry.

 

 3.1. Bianca’s function in the play

 

Bianca has two functions in the play, on the one hand her sweet behaviour emphasises the aggressive and rude attitude of her sister Kate, Bianca is the angelical sister while Kate is the shrew. On the other hand, if Bianca didn’t appear in the play the main plot wouldn’t exist , Petruchio wouldn’t meet Kate and wouldn’t tame her since Bianca is the reason for the suitors to look for a husband for the “shrew”.

 

 3.2. Bianca’s evolution

 

There are two different Biancas in the play, one at the beginning and other at the end, her behaviour suffers a change along the play.

During the first two acts the image the audience receive of Bianca is the image of a naive and tender woman who is abused by her ill-tempered sister, but as the play proceeds we can see the true sides of the two sisters and how their roles turn around. Ironically, at the end of the play, she is the shrew and her sister becomes the obedient and quiet sister.

 

Since the beginning Bianca is seen like the favourite Baptista’s daughter and her sister is placed second in her father’s affection and despised  by all others. Here we have an example of this behaviour, her obedience to her father and the contrast with her sister’s manners (Kate charges Bianca the crime of acting pitiful to gain her father’s affection).

 

BAPTISTA

Gentlemen, that I may soon make good
What I have said, Bianca, get you in:
And let it not displease thee, good Bianca,
For I will love thee ne'er the less, my girl.

KATE

A pretty peat! it is best
Put finger in the eye, an she knew why.

BIANCA

Sister, content you in my discontent.
Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe:
My books and instruments shall be my company,
On them to took and practise by myself.

 

 (Act I, Scene i, lines 81-90)

 

But at the end we can see her talking in this way to her husband, her disregard for Lucentio’s wishes shows what kind of wife she will be;

 

LUCENTIO

I would your duty were as foolish too:
The wisdom of your duty, fair Bianca,
Hath cost me an hundred crowns since supper-time.

 

BIANCA

The more fool you, for laying on my duty.

 

(Act V, Scene ii )

 

(http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/taming_shrew/)

(http://www.william-shakespeare.info/shakespeare-play-the-taming-of-the-shrew.htm)

 

What is the reason for new attitude? What has happened in her life? She has got married. Then, was she pretending to be so nice just in order to obtain a husband? After her marriage her behaviour is the one of a self-sufficient woman, she doesn’t obey nor respect her husband as she was expected to. The image she shows of herself before marriage makes the audience, and Lucentio, think that she would be a humbly and obedient wife but it was just a pose she adopted in her own benefit. Obviously she is not well disposed to accept the male control in her marriage in the same way Kate didn’t want to be a suitable wife at the beginning.

 

 

 

  3.3. Bianca & Kate

 

Bianca, apparently gentle in her behaviour, is an unkind sister and a disobedient wife. She fosters her father’s attitude of favouritism for herself and dislike for Kate by playing the part of a noble victim.

We first see impressions of Bianca when she 'humbly' takes leave from the awkward situation of her sister arguing about the preferential treatment her father gives. 

 

Bianca always takes advantage of her father favouritism and has no regard to her sister’s feelings and emotions.

Kate knows her sister’s strategy and that makes her seek for revenge,

"I will go sit and weep till I can find occasion of revenge" (35-36).

It’s an immature behaviour but the only she knows.

 

The audience begins to see her as a crafty and sly person that only cares about herself and their initial perception of her is changed. Kate shows her jealousy towards Bianca while she still portrays this piteous and innocent character she knows best to attain her father’s liking.

 

She is given this divine image when Lucentio says things like that:

 "O yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face, Such as the daughter of Agenor had". 

This give the audience the misconception that Bianca will be the more glorified of the two and maybe as an example for he taming of Kate. Bianca on the other hand, is identified as the favourite, playing the long-suffering angel, increasing Baptisa's distinction between the two.

In the first scene of Act 2 where Kate ties up Bianca, she is oblivious to the intent of Kate's anger as she thinks that Kate rage is due to Kate's liking of one of her suitors.

 

BIANCA

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.

KATE

If that be jest, then all the rest was so.

 

Strikes her

When the flaws begin to appear, the audience begins to view Bianca differently and slowly their perception of her is
changed. Shakespeare is able to play out the temperaments of the two sisters more clearly for the audience.  Kate shows her jealousy towards Bianca, as she accuses favouritism with which she confronts her father, betrays the hurt she feels.  Bianca meanwhile, still portrays this piteous and innocent character she knows best to attain her father's liking. 

                                                                                   (www.gradesaver.com)

 
 
 

 

Academic year 2006/2007
© a.r.e.a./Dr.Vicente Forés López
© Latorre Arnedo, Isabel
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Universitat de Valčncia Press