In 150 - 200 words, please answer the following, proofreading your answer very carefully.
In the reading this week, between Franklin and the role in the play we see acting employed to achieve a desired result. Franklin wishes to win over a hater; he asks him for a favor: he plays a role to get what he wants. Petruchio plays the role of a domineering, boorish jerk to tame his absurdly shrewish wife, to the benefit of them both: in the end, she plays the role of a subservient wife to please everyone.
The writer Kurt Vonnegut said: "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."
Consider the times you have pretended to be something/someone to get something you wanted. Do you think it is necessary to play these roles to get ahead in work, school, and life? Explain your answer. Conversely, what are the drawbacks of playing these roles? Please explain.
Word Count: 200 - 250 words (however many lines you want), adhering to play formatting guidelines (see example from Taming of the Shrew in the reading this week for how lines in plays look), and proofread very carefully, please create a small one act play involving the following:
- Contains only two characters
- One-character dislikes the second character, and is standing in the way of something the second character wants
- The second character has to win the first character over using an act of kindness by the end of the act, but the second character must, like in Benjamin Franklin's example (use the Benjamin Franklin Effect), maintain his dignity and not appear as a servant or suck up to the first character to win he/she over
- A plot that's not just two characters talking: there should be a conflict that is resolved by the end of the act
Type of work: Dramatic comedy
Context: Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, has married the shrewish Katharine and brought her home. Determined to tame her, he acts abusively, cuffs his servants, and complains about everything. Katharine protests that things are not as bad as he makes them out to be. But he continues his abuse. In a soliloquy, he explains how his wife must "come, and know her keeper's call."