In the Taming of the Shrew, Katharina is most unconventional; she is forward, loud, ill mannered, and shrewish. "Her only fault, and that is faults enough,

Is that she is intolerable curst and shrewd and forward." (I, ii)

"Petruchio, since we are stepp'd thus far in, I will continue that I broach'd in jest.

I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife With wealth enough and young and beauteous,

Brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman: Her only fault, and that is faults enough,

Is that she is intolerable curst And shrewd and froward, so beyond all measure That, were my state far worser than it is, I would not wed her for a mine of gold." (I, ii) This is Petruchio's first introduction to Katharina. With this introduction he makes it his objective to wed Katharina, and train her to

Conceal me what I am, and be my aid For such disguise as haply shall become The form of my intent. I'll serve this duke: Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him: It may be worth thy pains; for I can sing and speak to him in many sorts of music that will allow me very worth his service. What else may hap to time I will commit; only shape thou thy silence to my wit."(I, ii)

Helen was correct when she spoke of cupid being painted blind; perhaps justice in her blindfold is a friend of cupid, lovers often find justice for not looking deeper into the one they feel they love. A lovely exterior of hides a rotten interior, but often the opposite is true as well. Shakespeare is not the only author to use this to catch readers, many fairy tales provide the comment on love, and how we should look at it. Cinderella, the chambermaid; and The Ugly Duckling, with the ugly duckling turning out to be a beautiful swan, both stories show what you see is not what you get. Shakespeare is subtler in making this point but the point is there still. Time has not changed this idea, and as long as people love one another, this will be something that will cause us to need Shakespeare and others to keep reiterating this point. Shakespeare is truly part of our salvation in love, pointing us in a direction we may not at first see, for our cupids are truly painted blind, and with the hope that our justice may not see reason to find retribution for a crime of passion.

Biancia is more conventional, but she is wooed and wed most unconventionally for the time. Her father was asked if Bianca could marry Lucentio, but the Lucentio Baptista speaks with is really Tranio his servant. "Tranio, be so, because Lucentio loves:

Oliva is most unconventionally courted since she courts Cesario, who is in reality another woman, although Viola has a brother who looks indistinguishable to her that Olivia finally marries. "Blame not this haste of mine. If you mean well,

This pattern of a woman being courted in an unconventional way for a certain era is a popular contemporary convention. Romance novels often have a comparable plot, take for example a young woman with modest or no money is gorgeous, a wealthy older man sees her and wants only her. He then courts her by impressing her with gifts and possessions. Similar to the method Duke Orsino uses to co

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1570
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)