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Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew. Shakespeare Quarterly 42.2 (Summer 1991): 179-213. Royale,” Katharine Cox argues that, in the Ed. H.J. Oliver. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1994.Print. conventions. Cox, however, notes that Print. 2006 film, “Fleming’s problematic responses both the Bond of Fleming’s first novel to women are ... tempered” for a modern Sokol, B.J., and Mary Sokol. Shakespeare, Law, and the Bond presented by Craig are Detmer, Emily. “Civilizing Subordination: Domestic and Marriage. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, audience, and the “gender ambiguities” of Violence and The Taming of the Shrew.” far more human than a first impression 2003. Print. Fleming’s original Bond are “made overt, Shakespeare Quarterly 48.3 (Autumn 1997): 273-294. suggests. She writes that Craig’s Bond is Print. causing Bond to resemble a hybrid of “hesitant, flawed” and “unquestionably Sommerville, Margaret R. Sex and Subjection. gendered roles” (2). These ideas are further New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995. Print. [...] ‘human’,” which she specifically Schneider, Gary. “The Public, the Private, and examined by Lisa Funnell in her essay, “I recognizes as representative of Bond’s the Shaming of the Shrew.” Studies in English Know Where You Keep Your Gun,” as she Literature 42.2 (Spring 2002): 235-258. Print. permeability. “This Bond is barely in proposes the “Bond-Bond Girl hybrid” that control,” Cox further notes, and examples The Bond-Bond Girl Hybrid: A she feels Craig embodies. In transitioning Look at the Evolution of Casino of this can be found specifically in the the original Bond to the silver screen of the scene where Bond is tortured by Le Royale 21st century, the character undergoes an Chiffre, as he is continually beaten, and ideological shift and there is a decrease in eventually his physical boundaries are Alyssa Ottema overt misogyny. Directorial choices place permeated as Le Chiffre carves a Cyrillic Craig’s Bond as the object of the gaze, ‘Ш’ into Bond’s palm (4-7). Most notably, James Bond is an iconic allowing Bond to play the role of both the Bond does not always prevail at all times, character who appeals to multiple heroic, masculine spy and the attractive, as he is captured, physically harmed, audiences: women want him and somewhat feminized object. Daniel and eventually rescued by others. By men want to be him. Since Ian Craig’s portrayal of Bond exemplifies the representing Bond as fallible, Fleming – Fleming’s original conception of the ambiguities present in Fleming’s model more covertly – and Craig – quite overtly character, Bond has undergone various of the character. The tones of misogyny – portray a more ambiguous portrait transformations in both written and and sexism are quieted, revealing a Bond of what it means to be masculine, and visual form. One particular area of who is both a direct replica and a direct Cox suggests that Bond’s permeability growth is Bond’s attitude toward, and contradiction of the original character is a distinctly feminine quality. In this treatment of, women. Comparing conception. way, the Bond of both the novel and the the 1953 novel Casino Royale to the It is significant to note that in movie strays from traditional masculine 2006 film of the same name affords the mid-twentieth century, when Casino qualities of the spy trope. Bond is an interesting chance to examine the Royale was written, the spy genre was wounded, maimed, and tortured, and Bond’s character’s change in attitude. dominated by male authors and characters. through this he shows that he is human While the 2006 film is arguably the best The characters tended to embody what are – he makes mistakes, he bleeds, and he is in the franchise at honouring Fleming’s considered traditionally masculine traits, afraid. original written work, there are some such as calmness under pressure, bravery It is also important to consider definite variances between the novel’s against threats of danger, and stoicism in the position of women in both the novel original Bond and Daniel Craig’s the face of physical pain. On the surface and film versions of Casino Royale. portrayal. In her essay, “Becoming James Bond, who never seems to break The re-positioning of the prominent James Bond: Daniel Craig, rebirth, and a sweat while facing the most perilous females in Casino Royale, as well as the refashioning masculinity in Casino of dangers, appears to conform to these tempering of the novel’s overtly sexist 8 9 the film certainly amplifies the powerful and to further open a space for the more tones, is perhaps what clears the way for is submerged in the ocean and enters the more masculine traits of the Vesper from vulnerable “Bond-Bond Girl hybrid”. Arnett Craig’s less misogynistic Bond. To this end, shot by dramatically lifting his head out of the novel, these actions and characteristics writes that, “like Fleming’s Bond, this Bond Vesper is perhaps the most integral character the water in slow motion.” This, according were also present in the original text. This bears emotional scars that turn to hate, but in both the novel and film adaptation. While to Funnell, presents “the exposed muscular amplification opens up the space for Craig’s then the film turns the moment in a new the novel certainly presents Vesper in a body of Bond as spectacular, passive, and “Bond-Bond Girl hybrid”. direction. M, [played by] a woman, explains degrading manner – culminating with the feminized, positioning him in the role In his essay, “Casino Royale and how Vesper, a woman, saved Bond [...] this infamous Bond line, “the bitch is dead now” – of the Bond Girl as the visual spectacle” Franchise Remix: James Bond as Superhero,” narrative turn represents the ideological one must consider why such anger is directed (467). Moving the visual objectification off Robert P. Arnett notes another strategic change of the remixed Bond, with his hate towards Vesper in the first place. It is likely of the female Bond counterpart and onto augmentation that aids in opening up turning away from women” (11). Bond’s that Bond was not happy that Vesper was able Bond himself creates a version of Bond that the space for Craig’s new Bond: that of biggest ideological shift, accompanied by to dupe him by making him believe that they intensifies the already-present ambiguities the positioning of authority throughout the shift of his hate object from Vesper to were falling in love, as well as her persuasion of Fleming’s original character. the novel. This is especially present in those who tried to kill the both of them, is of his trust on their missions. However, when Furthermore, this is important repositioning M as a female, which is catalysed by M, who is both his superior it is revealed that Vesper was a double agent, when considering the act of spying in terms important to the film’s neutralization of and a woman. This significantly allows Bond’s anger culminates, possibly due to his of the gaze. Spying gives a certain sense of Bond’s traditional misogyny. In part, the for the change in Bond’s character, and perturbation that the gender roles have been power to the observer who is himself not shift of a significant amount of power to a once again, the film only magnifies what reversed and he has been used as a pawn in observed; and the act of spying is certainly female in the film may be due to a certain is already present in the novel, opening up a larger game. While Vesper did ultimately similar to the gaze in providing this power amount of gender neutrality in M, even in space for growth in Bond’s character and fall in love with Bond and, in the novel, kills to whoever objectifies, while taking it the original novel. While M is certainly cold, tempering the sexist qualities of the text. herself to keep him safe, this is lost on Bond away from whoever is objectified. With hard, and exceptionally authoritative, these With this, Craig is able to portray in his anger over being fooled. These actions, the spying profession and the genre of spy are not qualities that need be exclusively an evolved Bond, which Funnell terms usually considered more masculine in nature, fiction both dominated by males, spying associated with males. John Pearson, who the “Bond-Bond Girl hybrid”. Cox notes are amplified in the film version. Cox notes serves to privilege the male gaze. However, wrote a biography of Fleming, speculates in her essay that throughout Fleming’s that in the 2006 movie, “Vesper is routinely Craig’s portrayal of Bond complicates this that “there is reason for thinking that a novel, the reader is frequently offered seen as being in control,” examining this as concept, as the film Bond both gazes and more telling lead to the real identity of M “an objectification of women through important in paralleling her character with is himself object of the gaze. This Bond lies in the fact that as a boy Fleming often fragmented and sexualised body images Bond’s. As Vesper adopts masculine attributes, fragments others into observable pieces, called his mother M.” Pearson notes that [...] which indicate female exoticism it is made possible for Bond to slip into the distancing himself from those he must spy Fleming’s mother “was certainly one of the and construct the idea of woman as a traditionally feminine role as the object of on, and keeping himself far from intimacy. few people he was frightened of,” and she possession or site of Bond’s quest, but not as the gaze: he is used for his body and good Simultaneously, he is broken down into is remembered as quite stern, with many his ultimate goal” (7).

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