Sara Rudokas
Mr. Treherne
English 101
17 November 2010
Disguises Are Your Demise
In The Taming of a Shrew by William Shakespeare, there are many characters that disguise themselves to be someone they are not. These characters take advantage of the people around them by making them think that they are someone other than themselves. These disguises cause difficult conflicts throughout the play. There are many disguises in this play that do not turn out how they are expected to.
Lucentio is one character in the play that disguises himself to be someone else for his advantage. He disguises himself to be Cambio, Bianca’s school tutor. “You will be schoolmaster, and undertake the teaching of the maid: that’s your device.” (I. i. 193-195). Lucentio is fooling everyone around him including Bianca’s father. When Lucentio reveals to Bianca that he is actually Lucentio and not Cambio, she falls in love with him and Lucentio gets exactly what he wanted. However, when Bianca’s father finds out that Cambio is actually Lucentio he does not forgive him right away, he was upset that he has been fooled the whole time. Lucentio eventually got what he wanted, but he also hurt some people on the way there, by disguising himself.
Tranio is another character that disguises himself. Unlike Lucentio who does it for himself, Tranio does it to help out a friend which happens to be Lucentio. “Then it follows thus: Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead, keep house, and port, and servants, as I should.” (I. i. 202-204). Tranio makes everyone in the town think he is Lucentio. This is so the real Lucentio can woe Bianca as the school tutor, Cambio. Tranio has no benefit from this situation he is just being a good friend to Lucentio. In the end Tranio only get Vincentio mad at him for impersonating Lucentio his son.
Hortensio also disguises himself to be Litio, Bianca’s music tutor. Hortensio’s reason for disguising himself as Litio is also to woe Bianca, like Lucentio. “And offer me disguised in sober robes to old Baptista as a schoolmaster well seen in music, to instruct Bianca.” (I. ii. 130-132) Hortensio wants to be able to get close to Bianca and make her fall in love with him. When Hortensio reveals to Bianca that he is actually Hortensio and not Litio, Bianca does not fall in love with him. Hortensio’s did not get Bianca to fall in love with