Strive for your True Desires
Sometimes it is better to aim for the simplest, most basic goals than for the greater ones. Hortensio is a man who wants to get married. Hortensio wants to marry fast so he sacrifices quality. He settles to be a widower, which is a problem later.
Hortensio, who is pursuing Bianca as his ultimate goal and prize, declares that he will not marry her. However, Lucentio seems to have won the race to Bianca’s heart. Hortensio admits defeat and vows to stop pursuing Bianca. (4.2.28.29). Hortensio has given up on Bianca’s pursuit and will now pursue a woman who is less desirable but more appealing. Instead of trying to win Bianca’s favor, he hides behind a thin layer of defeat. This retreat causes Hortensio problems later on and forces him into a thin veil of defeat. Hortensio is now content with settling for a less desirable dream. Although it is easier to win over the widow then winning over Bianca’s affections, Hortensio ignores the potential problems of being a widower’s future husband. Hortensio views the widow as his second option for marriage, not his true love. Hortensio is making a mistake when he settles for a more easily married woman to fulfill his goal. Hortensio settles for a woman he doesn’t really want, which undermines the quality of his marriage. Hortensio believes he can handle the widow, but he is actually having more problems with his second choice wife. Hortensio enrols in a wife taming program where “Petruchio” is the master (4.2.58). This helps him to have a better chance of a happy marriage. Hortensio doesn’t focus his efforts on Bianca. This is a worthwhile cause, but he gives up when Bianca fails to win. Hortensio must give up Bianca in order to marry the widow, which causes him trouble later, which forces him into learning how to manage her. Hortensio’s wife, who disobeys his request when “she will never come”, (5.2.103), is further proving that he has made a mistake by choosing to settle for a widow. This shows that Hortensio has created a marriage where the wife doesn’t obey her husband by choosing a woman he does NOT want. This is because Hortensio has no desire to be a widower. He lacks the willpower and skills to control his older, more experienced wife, whom he doesn’t love. Hortensio’s second choice wife is a problem, so settling for the widow is a logical decision.
Hortensio sacrifices his true feelings in an effort to get married faster. He seeks easy results over quality when he wants to be married. Hortensio abandoned Bianca in favour of becoming a widower, ignoring his true desire to fulfill his dream of marriage by choosing a simpler path. It is not possible to achieve your goals by taking shortcuts.
