The Enchanted Island: The Taming of The Shrew - A Wild Cat for a Wife
This is an interesting story written by William Shakespeare.
In an Italian city known as Padua, a wealthy man, Baptista, had two daughters. Katharine, the older one, and Bianca, the younger of the two. The two daughters' personalities were nothing alike, even though they were sisters. Bianca was 'gentle, modest and beautiful and had more than one offer of marriage.'Katharine was 'known throughout the city for her scolding tongue and was so fiery tempered that no one would marry her.'
But things changed for Katharine when a easy-going young man named Petruchio arrived. He knew all about Katharine's bad temper, but he wasn't scared nor worried. So he went to Baptista's house, told of who he was, and was welcomed to enter to speak with Katharine about his offer of marriage to her. She refused to marry him, but they got married nevertheless, and the more time she spent with Petruchio, the more gentle she became.
One day, after their wedding (Bianca got married shortly after Katharine's marriage) they went back to Baptista's house where plenty guests had been. They began joking and wondering how Petruchio could have made such a mistake to marry someone like Katharine, and he had made a bet with them.
The bet was that (since there were three men, and they had wives) the men should call for their wives, and they would see which one would be the quickest to go to them. After all, Katharine was the only one to come to her husband, and so Petruchio won the bet.
As a conclusion, Katharine had learned the error of her scolding ways while she was with her husband. She learnt how foolish and ungracious her former behavior was and she was enjoying being a humble and obedient wife. She learnt that frowns and scowls and ugly looks can spoil a lady's beauty, and were hurtful, and that peevish or aggressive behavior cannot be justified.
In an Italian city known as Padua, a wealthy man, Baptista, had two daughters. Katharine, the older one, and Bianca, the younger of the two. The two daughters' personalities were nothing alike, even though they were sisters. Bianca was 'gentle, modest and beautiful and had more than one offer of marriage.'Katharine was 'known throughout the city for her scolding tongue and was so fiery tempered that no one would marry her.'
But things changed for Katharine when a easy-going young man named Petruchio arrived. He knew all about Katharine's bad temper, but he wasn't scared nor worried. So he went to Baptista's house, told of who he was, and was welcomed to enter to speak with Katharine about his offer of marriage to her. She refused to marry him, but they got married nevertheless, and the more time she spent with Petruchio, the more gentle she became.
One day, after their wedding (Bianca got married shortly after Katharine's marriage) they went back to Baptista's house where plenty guests had been. They began joking and wondering how Petruchio could have made such a mistake to marry someone like Katharine, and he had made a bet with them.
The bet was that (since there were three men, and they had wives) the men should call for their wives, and they would see which one would be the quickest to go to them. After all, Katharine was the only one to come to her husband, and so Petruchio won the bet.
As a conclusion, Katharine had learned the error of her scolding ways while she was with her husband. She learnt how foolish and ungracious her former behavior was and she was enjoying being a humble and obedient wife. She learnt that frowns and scowls and ugly looks can spoil a lady's beauty, and were hurtful, and that peevish or aggressive behavior cannot be justified.
The Enchanted Island: The Merchant of Venice - A Pound of Flesh
There was a beautiful woman by the name of Portia living in Belmont, near Venice. She had many suitors, but she was interested in none, except one named Bassanio. Unfortunately, he had no money for he spent it all and had none left. Not even any money to come to Belmont for he was from Venice. He asked a friend to lend him some money, but he couldn't. His friend suggested that he asked a man named Shylock. He was a money lender.
Bassanio and his friend met Shylock near the Grand Canal. Shylock hated Bassanio because of how Bassanio always treated him. Shylock's race was an outcast, and the people were despised on and ill-treated. At first, Shylock refused to lend him, but then he did after Antonio, the friend, offered to pay off the money when his ships arrived. He and Bassanio made a deal, that if Bassanio failed to pay him back, he was allowed to take a pound of flesh from any part of Antonio's body that he chose.
With the money, Bassanio bought new clothes and things. He set off with his friend to Belmont where Portia accepted his offer of marriage. They spoke and she gave him a ring and told him not to give it away to anyone.
A while later, Bassanio got a letter saying that Antonio's ships had been wrecked and his fortunes lost. He told the story to Portia, and she said she would pay Shylock twice the amount, and Bassanio and Portia got married the same day.
When Bassanio got back to Venice, he found Antonio in jail because the pay date had passed already.
Back in Belmont, Portia decided that she would dress up as a lawyer, and her maid as her clerk.
After much debate, everything proceeded smoothly, and Shylock, left the court as a broken and defeated man.
Bassanio and his friend met Shylock near the Grand Canal. Shylock hated Bassanio because of how Bassanio always treated him. Shylock's race was an outcast, and the people were despised on and ill-treated. At first, Shylock refused to lend him, but then he did after Antonio, the friend, offered to pay off the money when his ships arrived. He and Bassanio made a deal, that if Bassanio failed to pay him back, he was allowed to take a pound of flesh from any part of Antonio's body that he chose.
With the money, Bassanio bought new clothes and things. He set off with his friend to Belmont where Portia accepted his offer of marriage. They spoke and she gave him a ring and told him not to give it away to anyone.
A while later, Bassanio got a letter saying that Antonio's ships had been wrecked and his fortunes lost. He told the story to Portia, and she said she would pay Shylock twice the amount, and Bassanio and Portia got married the same day.
When Bassanio got back to Venice, he found Antonio in jail because the pay date had passed already.
Back in Belmont, Portia decided that she would dress up as a lawyer, and her maid as her clerk.
After much debate, everything proceeded smoothly, and Shylock, left the court as a broken and defeated man.
The Enchanted Island: Twelfth-Night - The Love Letter
There was a Countess living on the Adriatic Coast named Olivia.
She was in mourning after her brother died seven years earlier. She had some suitors, and one of them included was Orinso, who was the Duke of Illyria. He had sent his page to woo Olivia for him, and Olivia had fallen in love with the Duke's page.
Meanwhile, three men in the house, Sir Toby, Sir and Andrew and Olivia's court jester, Feste sat up, drinking and singing in the very late night. As they sang, Olivia's maid, Maria told them to quiet down unless they wanted to wake the Countess, Olivia. They laughed and carried on.
In the middle of the antics, Olivia's steward of the house, Malvolio, appeared arguing with them about the noise level, as they ridiculed him. He argued even more as he left, and they started to hate him.
Maria then came up with an idea to embarrass him immensely. She was going to write a letter to him in Olivia's handwriting, as she could do it very well, and let him read it, as if it was really Olivia. She was confident that he would fall for it as he was very conceited and he thought that he could get any lady to fall in love with him by taking one glance.
The plan proceeded as and Malvolio read the letter, it told him to do ridiculous things and wear ridiculous clothes, He also had to act very jolly around everyone to please 'Olivia'.
Countess Olivia liked none of the things the letter told him to do, but since he believed that it was her, he did everything nonetheless.
One day the Countess was feeling nonchalant, not because of her brother, because the Duke's page hadn't returned her love. She thought that Malvolio's company would be soothing, and so, she sent her maid to fetch him.
The maid informed her that she thought he had gone mad because of his actions, and after further conversation, he was locked up in a dark room to cool off. He had two conversations with Feste, the second one in which he asked him to get his writing things, so he could write Olivia a letter from the dark room.
Meanwhile, Olivia got married to someone else, and soon later, she received the letter from Malvolio, and sent someone to fetch him.
They explained everything, and Maria confessed that it was she that wrote the letter, and Malvolio got angry and left, and Olivia sent someone to calm him down.
Meanwhile, three men in the house, Sir Toby, Sir and Andrew and Olivia's court jester, Feste sat up, drinking and singing in the very late night. As they sang, Olivia's maid, Maria told them to quiet down unless they wanted to wake the Countess, Olivia. They laughed and carried on.
In the middle of the antics, Olivia's steward of the house, Malvolio, appeared arguing with them about the noise level, as they ridiculed him. He argued even more as he left, and they started to hate him.
Maria then came up with an idea to embarrass him immensely. She was going to write a letter to him in Olivia's handwriting, as she could do it very well, and let him read it, as if it was really Olivia. She was confident that he would fall for it as he was very conceited and he thought that he could get any lady to fall in love with him by taking one glance.
The plan proceeded as and Malvolio read the letter, it told him to do ridiculous things and wear ridiculous clothes, He also had to act very jolly around everyone to please 'Olivia'.
Countess Olivia liked none of the things the letter told him to do, but since he believed that it was her, he did everything nonetheless.
One day the Countess was feeling nonchalant, not because of her brother, because the Duke's page hadn't returned her love. She thought that Malvolio's company would be soothing, and so, she sent her maid to fetch him.
The maid informed her that she thought he had gone mad because of his actions, and after further conversation, he was locked up in a dark room to cool off. He had two conversations with Feste, the second one in which he asked him to get his writing things, so he could write Olivia a letter from the dark room.
Meanwhile, Olivia got married to someone else, and soon later, she received the letter from Malvolio, and sent someone to fetch him.
They explained everything, and Maria confessed that it was she that wrote the letter, and Malvolio got angry and left, and Olivia sent someone to calm him down.