Abe+Musselman

** // Deception: A Christopher Nolan Essay // **
Comparing // Taming of the Shrew // to //Waking Ned Devine//

There are two sides to every story of deception. The deceiver holds a certain power of the deceived in that they determine the outcome of the situation, and therefore have the ability to steer it in their favor. In the play //Taming of the Shrew//, the characters often deceive others through disguise or spoken lies to gain what they want from a relationship. These characters include two women, Katherine and Bianca, and their suitors, Petruchio and Lucentio. In the Irish movie //Waking Ned Devine,// a character named Maggie struggles to decide if she should marry her romantic interest, Finn. In each case, the deceiver believes that their actions will bring about the best resolution to a problem. These texts reflect a society in which romantic relationships have evolved so that deception among modern romantic partners is a device used to bring balance to the relationship.

**"Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper."**

(Act V, Scene II, 162)

The central plot line of the play details Petruchio's attempts to "tame" his wife, who has a reputation for being vulgar and sharp-tongued. In this scene, Katherine delivers a speech in which she explains a revelation she has had. She decides that she will do whatever Petruchio requires her to, and urges her fellow brides to do the same. The position of power that Katherine holds over Petruchio is an interesting aberration from the male-dominated relationships that populate the rest of the play. Ironically, by feigning capitulation to Petruchio's efforts, it is this very idea that Katherine uses to her advantage in her final attempt to bring balance to her relationship.

In //Waking Ned Devine//, Maggie finds that she has a similar advantage over her partner.

"We can do without the millions, but I can't lose Finn."

In this scene, Maggie confides in Jackie how she kept the identity of her son Maurice's father a secret from Finn, and plans to keep it that way. As the deceiver, Maggie essentially controls the future of the relationship. It is her choice whether or not Finn can even be a part of it. Like Katherine, Maggie plays to a quintessential masculine ideal: fathering a child. However, Maggie believes that her actions are for the greater good of her son and her partner, rather than having malicious and selfish intent. Her idea of a balanced relationship is one in which her partner genuinely cares for her son.

**"His lecture will be done ere you have tuned."** (Act III, Scene I, 24)

While studying Latin, Bianca discusses with Lucentio the possibility of their marriage. They are interrupted several times by Hortensio, another suitor who has begun to suspect that they have already decided to marry. He tries to pull Bianca away from her lesson with Lucentio by insisting that it is time for his music lesson. Bianca repeatedly assures him that she will join him when he is finishing tuning his instrument. Bianca never openly rejects Hortensio's displays of affection, but keeps him at work on his instrument until she is finished talking to Lucentio. At this point, Bianca is seriously interested in Lucentio, but she decides not to. By never fully committing to either of them, she deceives both Hortensio and Lucentio. It is her way of stabilizing her relationships and securing her chances of having a husband.

In the film//,// Maggie finds that she has several options as well.

"I have a date with Maurice's mother this afternoon."

In this scene, Finn confronts Pat Mulligan, another man who is interested in marrying Maggie, and who announces that he is taking her out later that day. They argue over which of them Maggie loves more. Finn is convinced that he is Maurice's father, while Pat believes that Maggie prefers him for his money. Maggie has given each of these men a reason to believe that they will marry her someday. She is concerned for her son's future and wants to choose the best father she can to raise him. She is able to keep her options open by deceiving her suitors.

Deception, and the way it shows itself in romantic relationships, is representative of how courtship has evolved over time. Courtship and romantic love is a relatively new idea, one that some argue began during Shakespearean times. Before then, relationships were based on religious or cultural tradition and often involved arranged marriage or other practices that have become so foreign to modern Western romance//.// While deception and lies are often seen negatively as a breech of trust between two people, society has grown to accept that keeping the truth from someone can help to bring stability to a troubled relationship. Katherine's speech delivered at the end of the fifth act convinces Petruchio that he has succeeded, just as Maggie's lie to Finn does. They are doing what they believe is best.