We think people act the way that their true identity is. Every person has disguised their true identity at one point in time has. We display these false characters or put onour masks for some personal gain. Many times, complicated situations occur because of the changing of peoples masks between reality and illusion (Cahn 39). In a similar way, The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, does just that. He creates a soap operasituation by placing different "masks" on his characters. Katharina does not know how to properly act to gain attention, but instead she places a "mask"on herself that becomes her reality. She is known throughout Padua as the shrew of the town. In the story, you could imply that her mother is dead. Therefore, when Katharina was young, she played the role of mother to Bianca (Leonard 23). As the sisters grew older, Katharina did not need to play the maternal role to her younger sibling by being harsh. However, Katherina could not switch the gears of that character since everyone already knew her by that personality. She knows about Biancasdeceptive ways. Bianca is being courted by several men and has her choice of prospective husbands. However, due to customs in that era, Katharina, must be married before her younger sister. In the early acts, Katharinas attitude appears as if she does not care at all about getting married. Instead, she yearns for her fathers attention, but she goes about getting it in the wrong ways. Unlike her elder sister, Bianca appears to be of a more complacent nature. Katharina dislikes her because their father shows favoritism towards her. Katharina talks back to everyone with her cold but creative remarks and makes her presence known in Act 1 Scene1: Katharina: Ifaith, sir, you shall never need to fear. I wis it to not halfway to her heart - But if it were, doubt not her care should be ...
