There are many themes introduced during the induction that set the stage for the rest of The Taming of the Shrew. First of all, the theme of disguises and changing identities is introduced. An impractical joke in played on Sly by a wealthy lord where he awakes to find himself surrounded by opulence in a large mansion. There is also another case of disguise when the page is disguised as Sly’s wife, to further the joke. The induction sets the scene for the major theme of disguises, and thus a lot of confusion over what characters are which. The confusion due to disguises is experienced as drunk Sly watches the play and is just as confused as the reader. Another theme that is introduced is wealth and its negative effects on the individual and others. The only reason Sly “remembers” his life is because he is surrounded by jewels and is in a large mansion. The lord who places Sly in this situation believes he can take advantage of Sly because he is poor and views him as inferior. The act of Sly being forced into the character of being a wealthy lord is similar to the the taming of Katherine as she is groomed into being the perfect wife. Throughout the play, money is used to compare people and seen as a reflection of character. Whoever has the most money gets the best wife and is able to live the most comfortably in an otherwise dingy 1500s world. The theme of wealth and its effects on character is demonstrated in an ironic way because Sly had nothing and was seen as inferior, then suddenly was forced into a situation where he had money and saw himself as more confident and worthy when he perceived that he had money.
In Act I the plot is introduced to the audience in which there are a multitude of suitors vying for Bianca or Kate’s hand in marriage. The plot is very emblematic of the Elizabethan era because arrangements about their marriages were being made without their knowledge or before they have even met the girls. Bianca and Kate are drawn into a the subplots of Tranio, Lucentio, Hortensio, Petruchio, and Gremio. Because women had little freedom during this time period, it is only fitting that they have no knowledge of the their suitors plots to win their hands. For example, Kate thinks that Petruchio is only trying to tame her and make her love him, but his real plan is to acquire her dowry and the money her father has. Despite this plotting, it is more likely to upset Kate due to her shrewish nature. Bianca being the quiet and obedient sister would be content with a suitors plans to marry Kate because that means she could get married as well. The introduction of the plots formed by the suitors in similar to a scene in Aladdin in which Aladdin, Jasmine’s father, and Jafar are all discussing her plans to be married before a shrewish Jasmine expresses her anger in them discussing her marriage. Alas, The Taming of the Shrew is not a Disney movie and ultimately Baptista has all the say in who his daughters have to marry. Shakespeare in Act I introduces the pining and desires of the suitors and the real world example of how marriage occurred in Elizabethan England. The play is not introduced as a fairytale or a story of love, but instead a comedy about the ironic taming of a shrewish woman.
In Act 2, one of the most important part of the act is the banter between Kate and Petruchio as they are first introduced to each other. The banter is exemplary of the comedy that Shakespeare uses throughout the play and is also full of many double entendres that Shakespeare is known for. The conversation begins with, “ ‘Good morrow, Kate, for that’s your name, I hear.’ ‘Well have you heard, but something hard of hearing. They call me Katherine that do talk of me.’”(2.1.181-4) Kate’s shrewish wit is displayed in this line as she puts Petruchio in his place by saying that people call her Kate, but since he is a stranger he will refer to her by Katherine. Double entendres are also embedded throughout the passage, usually introduced by Petruchio as he attempts to entice Kate. An example of double entendre is used by Petruchio, “ ‘Thou hast hit it; come sit on me.’ ‘Asses are meant to bear and so are you.’ ‘Women are made to bear and so are you.’”(2.1.198-200) Petruchio tries to seduce Kate into marrying him and uses double entendre when Kate described a stool. Kate is not affected by Petruchio’s language and uses his double entendre to call him an ass. Throughout their banter Kate continues to deflect Petruchio’s attempt to win her hand. Petruchio went in the conversation with complete confidence that he would be able to tame Kate and that it would be an easy task. By the end of the witty conversation he realizes that the task of making Kate the perfect wife would be more complicated than he previously thought.
glad you pointed out Shakespeare's use of double entendres as it is a trademark of his which is included in so many of his works. I believe this further exemplifies the theme of sexism within the play. (also reminds me of the loml but whats new)
I agree with you that the banter between Kate and Petruchio in Act 2 is very important to the story. I also agree that this is one of the funniest scenes so far because of the puns and play on words in this conversation. I agree with Tia, good job noticing the use of double entendre in this scene. It alludes to the theme of gender roles and the objectification of women. Petruchio does go into the conversation with confidence that he can tame Katherine but is slightly put off by her wit and comebacks. Despite his lack of success in taming Katherine in this conversation, why do you think he tells Baptista and the other men that they get along marvelously?
Themes and motifs are initially introduced within the induction; this is demonstrated when Sly, as well as other minor characters, is disguised in a way to portray him as being somebody different entirely. Clothing can be interpreted as a motif which feeds into the overarching theme of disguise. However, clothing is not the only motif related to the comprehensive theme. Under the umbrella that is disguise lies a number of different motifs which represent a society based in any point in time; gender inequality and female superiority, societal expectations such as marriage, and even an ubiquitous psychological interpretation and explanation of the theme. Sly is disrespectful of the hostess within the induction and addresses her impolitely and without care. He does not take her seriously and shoos her away like a fly. This disrespect continues even when Sly is convinced to be married. He orders around the page and expects his sexual desires to be immediately fulfilled regardless of his lack of remembrances. He expects such because he believes it is the duty of his wife to listen to and please him without question. This condescending behaviour may be explained through Sly’s own interpretation of himself as well as that of the people around him, even though to them it is nothing more than a joke. The Rosenthal Effect is a psychological phenomenon which states that higher expectations lead to increased performance. This explains why characters, especially Sly, behave differently dependent on their appearance and surroundings as well as social expectations.
We had very similar ideas about the themes relating to gender inequality and societal expectations. I had forgotten about the hostess in the beginning of the induction, but I now see that the only two women (the only two who were perceived to be women) were treated with disrespect and even malice. The Rosenthal Effect which you mentioned is an interesting take on the themes in the Induction. I do agree that once Sly believes he is wealthy, he begins to act with a sense of superiority or even dominance which often accompanies abundant wealth. This motif of surroundings affecting one’s actions is also prevalent in the rest of the story.
The Induction of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” serves as a framing device for the rest of the play. There are also multiple themes revealed in this section, including socioeconomic status and gender roles. The premise of the Induction is that Sly, a beggar, has fallen asleep in an “alehouse” and a wealthy lord decides to play a trick on him. The lord brings Sly back to his home and tricks him into believing he lives in this glamorous lifestyle. The lord feels a sense of superiority over Sly because of his economic status. Because the lord is wealthy, he feels he can use those with less riches than him as puppets to trick and tantalize. In his mind, with wealth comes a higher status and more power. Sly is reluctant to believe the lord and the servants when they say that the large house and alluring possessions belong to him, yet gives in to their constant reassurance and storytelling. The theme of gender roles appears when the lord tricks Sly into believing his wife is a page dressed up as a woman. Upon meeting his “wife” for the first time, Sly remarks “Servants, leave me and her alone. Madam, undress you and come now to bed”(Induction.II.116-117). The way Sly phrases this seems as if he expects his wife to go to bed with him, even though he is in fact asking a man (who he has just met and been led to believe is his wife) to sleep with him. This expectation of sexual favors demonstrates the small amount of respect women were given in the 1500s.
With the introduction of the main storyline in Act I, the themes of gender roles and societal expectations continued to emerge. In scene 1, the many suitors of Bianca try to scheme up ways to find a suitor for Kate while Lucentio (who quickly falls in love with Bianca) devises a plan to become her teacher in order to become closer to her. All the attention from men seems to fall on Bianca, and Kate seems to brush it all off. She is witty and offers a sassy remark to most efforts of conversation. Both of these qualities were considered “shrewish” and not ladylike. The traditional bride would be well mannered, quiet, conforming and obedient. Kate, however, is independent and confident. The shrewish personality Kate endows causes Bianca’s suitors to make rude remarks about what a man must go through if he were to marry Kate. Gremio says “I say, a devil. Think’st thou, Hortensio, though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?” (I.I.123-125). Gremio and Hortensio imply that Kate’s dowry is considerable, but they are unsure of whether the payoff is worth getting married “to hell”. Much to the chagrin of Bianca’s suitors, Kate must be wed first before Bianca can be, according to their father Baptista. A motif from Act I was disguising oneself to trick others. This was seen in the Induction when the lord was disguised as a servant and the page was disguised as Sly’s bride. In Act I, Lucentio and Tranio switch outfits in order for Lucentio to be closer to Bianca; he is doing so by being her teacher. The disguises and similar names (the majority of the characters names’ end in the suffix -io) offer a comedic aspect. After all, this isn’t a fairytale love story, it’s a comedy.
Shakespeare was prompt in introducing Katherine as being the shrew. He not only defines her negatively in terms of that time period- as she is outspoken and opinionated. Kate is also compared to Bianca as being subordinate due to her being more gentle and reserved. This is another example and portrayal of societal expectations and the pressure placed on women. In order to represent a “suitable” wife, a woman must be willing to bite her tongue and refrain from any sort of individualism or power in general. A woman with a voice is something to refrain from and is unwanted and unwelcome- in this play, at least. Katherine is highly uninterested in a prearranged marriage with buffoons who don’t respect her independence and opinion, and therefore does not mind being observed as the shrew. Katherine is the epitome of independence in this play and is far ahead of her time, thus how she manages to stun every man she meets throughout the show. Breaking expectations is another prominent theme throughout the play which is communicated through the ironic taming of the shrew as well as through a comedic tone. This is because in other works by Shakespeare, such as Much Ado About Nothing, the female leads were not expected to sacrifice their voice and individualism, in fact, the male characters were expected to respect their dominance and independence. That is one example of Shakespeare’s irony within The Taming of the Shrew. Within the opening acts, Shakespeare exposes the audience to the central themes and motifs which the rest of the play will adhere to.
I agree with your analysis of the themes in Act I pertaining to gender roles and societal expectations of women. Not only does Shakespeare characterize Katherine as different from other women of her time, I think he gives her characteristics of what men are “admired for”. Katherine is characterized as independent, courageous and one to stand up for herself. In the time period of the play, typically these traits would have been admirable had they belonged to men. Since Katherine is a woman who speaks her mind and isn’t afraid of anyone who disagrees with how she behaves, the remainder of the characters in the story are baffled at her outspoken nature and see it as “unladylike”. Some form of these societal expectations of women are still evident to this day. I have heard many men say that it is unattractive if a woman swears but completely okay if a man does. This is a direct result of the objectification of women and how women are seen just as existing just for the attention of men.
The outfit that Petruchio wears to his wedding is a large symbol and theme in The Taming of the Shrew. Petruchio attends his wedding dressed in a ridiculous and ugly outfit and is promptly asked to change by Baptista and Kate, though he refuses. The act of Petruchio dressing up in odd clothes is reflective of the theme in the play that clothes are used to disguise, but do not change personality. Petruchio dresses this way in order to tame Kate through public humiliation, and ultimately it works. Petruchio’s outfit is described by Biondello who goes into an extremely long monologue that is in total only one run-on sentence. Biondello also uses absurd words and language to describe Petruchio’s outfit, “‘Why Petruchio is coming in a new hat and old jerkin; a pair of old breeches thrice turned; a pair of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, another laced; an old rusty sword ta’en out of the town armory, with a broken hilt and chapeless; with two broken points.”(3.2. 43-8) The sentence continues to describe Petruchio’s horse that is dirty and has various infections. There is a lot of contrast in this quote, a literary element that is present throughout the play. A new hat and an old jerkin, or short outer coat, contrast between old and new. Also one of his shoes is laced, while the other is buckled, another use of contrast in his outfit. Shakespeare’s use of a run-on sentence to describe Petruchio’s outfit is reflective of the absurd way he showed up to his own wedding. Shakespeare uses contrast, run-on sentences, and the theme of disguise to describe Petruchio’s absurd wedding outfit.
I agree with your explanation of Petruchio's absurd outfit in Act 3. At first, when he refused to change into something more fitting, I thought he may have wore it to show that when two people are joined in marriage, they aren't marrying eachother's possessions or material wealth, they are marrying the person they love. However, this is clearly not the case since in the setting of the play, marriage is an economic institution most commonly used for accumulating wealth from a bride’s dowry or inheritance. I agree with you that Petruchio wore his outfit to publicly humiliate Katherine at their wedding, so as to attempt to tame her. I did get a sense of the theme disguise but since he wasn’t actually disguised as someone, I didn’t make as clear of a connection with that theme as you did.
In Act 2 of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”, the reader is made more aware of Bianca and Katherine’s relationship. The beginning of the first scene shows Katherine tying Bianca up and hitting her. She claims she is “getting revenge”, but she really was just trying to find out who (if anybody) Bianca was in love with. Bianca’s innocently replies, “Believe me, sister, of all the men alive I never yet beheld that special face which I could fancy more than any other” (II.I.10-12). Bianca later replies that she suspects Katherine loves the men she is mentioning. This scene does cast Katherine as a controlling and dominant personality, but above all, I think this scene shows Katherine’s jealousy of her sister Bianca. Bianca is admired by many suitors for her mild behavior and beauty, and while Katherine is jealous of the attention her sister gets, she is not willing to give up her independence and witty remarks to get that attention. In other words, she is not one to bite her tongue or “be tamed” for the sake of finding a husband. This is also seen in the witty banter later in the scene between Katherine and Petruchio. Petruchio was predisposed to believe he could tame Katherine in one conversation, but realizes it is a harder task than he has anticipated. Katherine is stuck in her ways of talking back and being independent. This is shown when she calls Petruchio an ass in the line, “Asses are made to bear and so are you” (II.I.199). Petruchio’s reply steers the conversation back towards marriage with the line “Women are made to bear and so are you” (II.I.200). Shakespeare utilizes the multiple meanings of the homonym “bear” in these two lines of banter between Katherine and Petruchio. In Katherine’s insult, bear means to bear weight, as an ass does. In Petruchio’s comment, bear means to bear a child, or give birth to a child. Petruchio’s attempt to redirect the conversation towards marriage and how Katherine is “made to bear children” shows his early determination (without success) to tame Katherine.
In Act 3 of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”, after Katherine and Petruchio’s wedding, Petruchio announces he must leave at once for an unnamed yet important reason. Katherine throws a fit and gives him an ultimatum by saying “Now, if you love me, stay” (III.II.176). Petruchio then proceeds to say that the guests of the wedding must listen to his wife’s commands to go to the bridal dinner, but that ultimately, he has the final say over her word. Petruchio rants about how Kate is now his property, equal to that of his house, his field, his barn or his horses. This exemplifies the theme of marriage as an economic institution and the dehumanization of women in Elizabethan times. Petruchio dehumanizes Kate by calling her “[his] goods, [his] chattel, she is [his] house” (III.II.203). This dehumanization of Katherine also plays into the theme that marriage is an economic institution. This was very apparent when Petruchio was negotiating Katherine’s dowry with her father, Baptista. It baffled me how Baptista practically gave Petruchio permission to marry Kate before the two had ever met. I think the end of the scene has a lighter tone and even a comedic effect. The seats for the bride and groom at the feast are empty since Kate and Petruchio have left, so Baptista permits Bianca and her fiance Lucentio (Tranio in disguise).
In this act the audience begins to feel sympathy for Kate, as Petruchio continues his plan to tame her. Petruchio uses various methods such as starvation, public humiliation, and depriving Kate of sleep. Previously the audience saw Kate as a mean and rather heartless shrew, now, the tables have turned and instead Petruchio is viewed as the shrew. Despite the fact Petruchio is trying his hardest to tame Kate, she continues her normal behavior and rhetoric. An example of this is when she is begging Grumio for meat, “‘Then both or one, or anything thou wilt.’ ‘Why then, the mustard without the beef.’ ‘Go, get thee gone, thou false deluding slave.’Beats Him.” The stage direction shows that Kate continues with her shrewish ways as she becomes antsy and angered by the conditions Petruchio has put her in. Before Kate can receive food again, she is whisked into a long-winded process where Petruchio shows her a lot of dresses that she fancies, but refuses for her to have every single one. The audience is completely fed up with Petruchio at this point, and continues to feel sorry for Kate. There is also an important development at the end of Scene 5, where Kate and Petruchio meet Lucentio’s father, Vincentio. In the previous scene, Lucentio enlists a pedant that resembles his father to play the part of Vincentio in order to negotiate Bianca’s dowry with Baptista. The real Vincentio reveals to Kate and Petruchio that he is going to visit his son. Petruchio, who can’t help but anger the audience, and tells Vincentio that Lucentio has been married. This exchange is a tipping point of the whole play, and is ironic because only the audience knows something is to go wrong, as the real Vincentio coming to town was not a part of Lucentio’s plan. This act is also a tipping point in Kate and Petruchio’s relationship, as Petruchio’s plan is beginning to wear Kate down, until her breaking point.
I too noticed Petruchio's continuation of his tactic of humiliation in an attempt to tame Kate. I didn’t view starvation as its own tactic of taming her, but I saw it as another form of humiliation. Petruchio completely overreacted about the overcooked meat and Kate was embarrassed by his outburst; “I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet. The meat was well, if you were so contented” (IV.i.168-169). Petruchio’s motives are also revealed in his monologue; “She ate no meat today, nor none shall eat. Last night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not...I’ll find about the making of the bed, And here I’ll fling the pillow, there the bolster, this way the coverlet, another way the sheets...He that knows better how to tame a shrew, now let him speak; ‘tis charity to shew” (IV.i.197-211). These quotes are examples of Petruchio’s scheming to tame Kate and Kate’s first sign of becoming tamed.
In Act 4 of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”, I noticed lots of hot and cold diction, especially in the first part of the first scene. Grumio opens the scene by explaining how he has to light a fire in the cold, but won’t be froze because he is small and warms up quickly. He proceeds to talk to Curtis about the fire, and later, Curtis asks if “she so hot a shrew as she’s reported” (IV.i.19). By “hot”, Curtis likely means fiery as Kate is often described that way. Grumio replies with more hot/cold diction, saying that “winter tames man, woman and beast for it hath tamed my old master and my new mistress” (IV.i.21-23). The interaction between Curtis and Grumio is very interesting to me. Grumio briefly mentions that Petruchio and Kate have fallen from their horses, and Curtis wishes to hear the story. When Grumio tells Curtis to come closer to listen to the story, he strikes Curtis and says that he won’t tell Curtis the story. Curtis begins to pester Grumio, and then, ever so ironically, Grumio says “hadst thou not crossed me, thou shouldst have heart how her horse fell, and she under her horse” (IV.i.67-69). He proceeds to tell the entire story. This is an example of how Shakespeare uses ironic humor in many of his plays. This part of the first scene also characterizes Grumio as one who cannot hold a grudge and Curtis as one who is persistent. Even after Curtis has been slapped for asking to be told about the horse incident, he presses on and pesters Grumio even more. Grumio also seems to enjoy tantalizing Curtis and dancing around the subject of the mistress falling off her horse, yet eventually tells him anyway.
Act V, the final act of the play, wraps up the play and all the separate plots. The most important part of Act V is that Kate makes her final transition from being a shrew to an obedient wife. In the first scene Kate shows her first, true sense of affection for Petruchio, “Nay, I will give thee a kiss. Now pray thee, love/stay.”(5.1.148-9) This was the first instance of Kate showing affection in her words. It can be predicted that Kate kissed Petruchio previously, but this line shows that she wants to kiss him, rather than the other way around. In the next scene, Kate has completely become an obedient as shown in the bet between Petruchio, Lucentio, and Hortensio. They bet that whoevers wife responds when called for is the best and most obedient wife. Kate is the first wife to come when called for, thus Petruchio wins the bet. After Kate comes she recites a long monologue about how to be the perfect wife. Her transformation from shrew to wife is complete and Petruchio’s degrading techniques worked. Bianca, on the other hand, is more outspoken than ever, “Am I your bird? I mean to shift my bush,/And then to pursue as you draw your bow.”(5.2.46-7) The character foil between Kate and Bianca progresses throughout the play as Kate becomes more obedient Bianca turns into more of a shrew. In a hilarious and ironic turn of events Petruchio gets the last laugh by winning the bet, Hortensio and Lucentio’s wives are not as fair and quiet as they thought, and Kate is no longer a shrew.
Act 5 of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” begins with a scene of frenzy as Vincentio meets someone who claims to be him. The disguises and lies are revealed to Vincentio as the other characters claim that the merchant is actually Vincentio. However, Lucentio reveals the truth to his father about his plan to court his love, Bianca, in disguise. At the end of scene 1, Kate shows her first sign of true affection towards Petruchio when she kisses him. He comments, “Better once than never, for never too late” (V.i.156). The second scene of act 5 further exemplifies how Kate and Bianca are foil characters. As Kate has now become susceptible to Petruchio’s taming, Bianca has become rebellious as seen through her eloping with Lucentio despite her father’s orders. The portion of the second scene where the husbands have a contest to see which of their wives is the most obedient continued the theme of gender roles. The expectation that the wife who is at the beckon-call of her husband is also the most “obedient” is degrading to women. This contest assumes that a wife who submits to her husband’s word is a good wife. Since Kate “wins” this contest and responds to her husband first, she is seen as the “most obedient” and therefore the “best” wife. The fact that the men were betting on this contest is even more degrading. Baptista remarks, “The wager thou hast won, and I will add unto their losses twenty thousand crowns, another dowry to another daughter, for she is changed as she had never been” (V.ii.125-128). He practically pays Petruchio for taming his previously shrewish wife, almost as if it were a service which Petruchio provided. At Petruchio’s command, Kate goes on a multiple page rant to the widow and Bianca about how they must obey their husbands no matter the circumstances. She states that they must “dart not scornful glances from those eyes to wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor” (V.ii.153-154). The monologue is the major telling of Kate’s drastic transformation over the course of the play, as she compares the relationship between a husband and wife to that of a king and his subjects.
There are many themes introduced during the induction that set the stage for the rest of The Taming of the Shrew. First of all, the theme of disguises and changing identities is introduced. An impractical joke in played on Sly by a wealthy lord where he awakes to find himself surrounded by opulence in a large mansion. There is also another case of disguise when the page is disguised as Sly’s wife, to further the joke. The induction sets the scene for the major theme of disguises, and thus a lot of confusion over what characters are which. The confusion due to disguises is experienced as drunk Sly watches the play and is just as confused as the reader. Another theme that is introduced is wealth and its negative effects on the individual and others. The only reason Sly “remembers” his life is because he is surrounded by jewels and is in a large mansion. The lord who places Sly in this situation believes he can take advantage of Sly because he is poor and views him as inferior. The act of Sly being forced into the character of being a wealthy lord is similar to the the taming of Katherine as she is groomed into being the perfect wife. Throughout the play, money is used to compare people and seen as a reflection of character. Whoever has the most money gets the best wife and is able to live the most comfortably in an otherwise dingy 1500s world. The theme of wealth and its effects on character is demonstrated in an ironic way because Sly had nothing and was seen as inferior, then suddenly was forced into a situation where he had money and saw himself as more confident and worthy when he perceived that he had money.
ReplyDeleteIn Act I the plot is introduced to the audience in which there are a multitude of suitors vying for Bianca or Kate’s hand in marriage. The plot is very emblematic of the Elizabethan era because arrangements about their marriages were being made without their knowledge or before they have even met the girls. Bianca and Kate are drawn into a the subplots of Tranio, Lucentio, Hortensio, Petruchio, and Gremio. Because women had little freedom during this time period, it is only fitting that they have no knowledge of the their suitors plots to win their hands. For example, Kate thinks that Petruchio is only trying to tame her and make her love him, but his real plan is to acquire her dowry and the money her father has. Despite this plotting, it is more likely to upset Kate due to her shrewish nature. Bianca being the quiet and obedient sister would be content with a suitors plans to marry Kate because that means she could get married as well. The introduction of the plots formed by the suitors in similar to a scene in Aladdin in which Aladdin, Jasmine’s father, and Jafar are all discussing her plans to be married before a shrewish Jasmine expresses her anger in them discussing her marriage. Alas, The Taming of the Shrew is not a Disney movie and ultimately Baptista has all the say in who his daughters have to marry. Shakespeare in Act I introduces the pining and desires of the suitors and the real world example of how marriage occurred in Elizabethan England. The play is not introduced as a fairytale or a story of love, but instead a comedy about the ironic taming of a shrewish woman.
ReplyDeleteIn Act 2, one of the most important part of the act is the banter between Kate and Petruchio as they are first introduced to each other. The banter is exemplary of the comedy that Shakespeare uses throughout the play and is also full of many double entendres that Shakespeare is known for. The conversation begins with, “ ‘Good morrow, Kate, for that’s your name, I hear.’ ‘Well have you heard, but something hard of hearing. They call me Katherine that do talk of me.’”(2.1.181-4) Kate’s shrewish wit is displayed in this line as she puts Petruchio in his place by saying that people call her Kate, but since he is a stranger he will refer to her by Katherine. Double entendres are also embedded throughout the passage, usually introduced by Petruchio as he attempts to entice Kate. An example of double entendre is used by Petruchio, “ ‘Thou hast hit it; come sit on me.’ ‘Asses are meant to bear and so are you.’ ‘Women are made to bear and so are you.’”(2.1.198-200) Petruchio tries to seduce Kate into marrying him and uses double entendre when Kate described a stool. Kate is not affected by Petruchio’s language and uses his double entendre to call him an ass. Throughout their banter Kate continues to deflect Petruchio’s attempt to win her hand. Petruchio went in the conversation with complete confidence that he would be able to tame Kate and that it would be an easy task. By the end of the witty conversation he realizes that the task of making Kate the perfect wife would be more complicated than he previously thought.
ReplyDeleteglad you pointed out Shakespeare's use of double entendres as it is a trademark of his which is included in so many of his works. I believe this further exemplifies the theme of sexism within the play. (also reminds me of the loml but whats new)
DeleteI agree with you that the banter between Kate and Petruchio in Act 2 is very important to the story. I also agree that this is one of the funniest scenes so far because of the puns and play on words in this conversation. I agree with Tia, good job noticing the use of double entendre in this scene. It alludes to the theme of gender roles and the objectification of women. Petruchio does go into the conversation with confidence that he can tame Katherine but is slightly put off by her wit and comebacks. Despite his lack of success in taming Katherine in this conversation, why do you think he tells Baptista and the other men that they get along marvelously?
DeleteThemes and motifs are initially introduced within the induction; this is demonstrated when Sly, as well as other minor characters, is disguised in a way to portray him as being somebody different entirely. Clothing can be interpreted as a motif which feeds into the overarching theme of disguise. However, clothing is not the only motif related to the comprehensive theme. Under the umbrella that is disguise lies a number of different motifs which represent a society based in any point in time; gender inequality and female superiority, societal expectations such as marriage, and even an ubiquitous psychological interpretation and explanation of the theme. Sly is disrespectful of the hostess within the induction and addresses her impolitely and without care. He does not take her seriously and shoos her away like a fly. This disrespect continues even when Sly is convinced to be married. He orders around the page and expects his sexual desires to be immediately fulfilled regardless of his lack of remembrances. He expects such because he believes it is the duty of his wife to listen to and please him without question. This condescending behaviour may be explained through Sly’s own interpretation of himself as well as that of the people around him, even though to them it is nothing more than a joke. The Rosenthal Effect is a psychological phenomenon which states that higher expectations lead to increased performance. This explains why characters, especially Sly, behave differently dependent on their appearance and surroundings as well as social expectations.
ReplyDeleteWe had very similar ideas about the themes relating to gender inequality and societal expectations. I had forgotten about the hostess in the beginning of the induction, but I now see that the only two women (the only two who were perceived to be women) were treated with disrespect and even malice. The Rosenthal Effect which you mentioned is an interesting take on the themes in the Induction. I do agree that once Sly believes he is wealthy, he begins to act with a sense of superiority or even dominance which often accompanies abundant wealth. This motif of surroundings affecting one’s actions is also prevalent in the rest of the story.
DeleteThe Induction of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” serves as a framing device for the rest of the play. There are also multiple themes revealed in this section, including socioeconomic status and gender roles. The premise of the Induction is that Sly, a beggar, has fallen asleep in an “alehouse” and a wealthy lord decides to play a trick on him. The lord brings Sly back to his home and tricks him into believing he lives in this glamorous lifestyle. The lord feels a sense of superiority over Sly because of his economic status. Because the lord is wealthy, he feels he can use those with less riches than him as puppets to trick and tantalize. In his mind, with wealth comes a higher status and more power. Sly is reluctant to believe the lord and the servants when they say that the large house and alluring possessions belong to him, yet gives in to their constant reassurance and storytelling. The theme of gender roles appears when the lord tricks Sly into believing his wife is a page dressed up as a woman. Upon meeting his “wife” for the first time, Sly remarks “Servants, leave me and her alone. Madam, undress you and come now to bed”(Induction.II.116-117). The way Sly phrases this seems as if he expects his wife to go to bed with him, even though he is in fact asking a man (who he has just met and been led to believe is his wife) to sleep with him. This expectation of sexual favors demonstrates the small amount of respect women were given in the 1500s.
ReplyDeleteWith the introduction of the main storyline in Act I, the themes of gender roles and societal expectations continued to emerge. In scene 1, the many suitors of Bianca try to scheme up ways to find a suitor for Kate while Lucentio (who quickly falls in love with Bianca) devises a plan to become her teacher in order to become closer to her. All the attention from men seems to fall on Bianca, and Kate seems to brush it all off. She is witty and offers a sassy remark to most efforts of conversation. Both of these qualities were considered “shrewish” and not ladylike. The traditional bride would be well mannered, quiet, conforming and obedient. Kate, however, is independent and confident. The shrewish personality Kate endows causes Bianca’s suitors to make rude remarks about what a man must go through if he were to marry Kate. Gremio says “I say, a devil. Think’st thou, Hortensio, though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?” (I.I.123-125). Gremio and Hortensio imply that Kate’s dowry is considerable, but they are unsure of whether the payoff is worth getting married “to hell”. Much to the chagrin of Bianca’s suitors, Kate must be wed first before Bianca can be, according to their father Baptista. A motif from Act I was disguising oneself to trick others. This was seen in the Induction when the lord was disguised as a servant and the page was disguised as Sly’s bride. In Act I, Lucentio and Tranio switch outfits in order for Lucentio to be closer to Bianca; he is doing so by being her teacher. The disguises and similar names (the majority of the characters names’ end in the suffix -io) offer a comedic aspect. After all, this isn’t a fairytale love story, it’s a comedy.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare was prompt in introducing Katherine as being the shrew. He not only defines her negatively in terms of that time period- as she is outspoken and opinionated. Kate is also compared to Bianca as being subordinate due to her being more gentle and reserved. This is another example and portrayal of societal expectations and the pressure placed on women. In order to represent a “suitable” wife, a woman must be willing to bite her tongue and refrain from any sort of individualism or power in general. A woman with a voice is something to refrain from and is unwanted and unwelcome- in this play, at least. Katherine is highly uninterested in a prearranged marriage with buffoons who don’t respect her independence and opinion, and therefore does not mind being observed as the shrew. Katherine is the epitome of independence in this play and is far ahead of her time, thus how she manages to stun every man she meets throughout the show. Breaking expectations is another prominent theme throughout the play which is communicated through the ironic taming of the shrew as well as through a comedic tone. This is because in other works by Shakespeare, such as Much Ado About Nothing, the female leads were not expected to sacrifice their voice and individualism, in fact, the male characters were expected to respect their dominance and independence. That is one example of Shakespeare’s irony within The Taming of the Shrew. Within the opening acts, Shakespeare exposes the audience to the central themes and motifs which the rest of the play will adhere to.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis of the themes in Act I pertaining to gender roles and societal expectations of women. Not only does Shakespeare characterize Katherine as different from other women of her time, I think he gives her characteristics of what men are “admired for”. Katherine is characterized as independent, courageous and one to stand up for herself. In the time period of the play, typically these traits would have been admirable had they belonged to men. Since Katherine is a woman who speaks her mind and isn’t afraid of anyone who disagrees with how she behaves, the remainder of the characters in the story are baffled at her outspoken nature and see it as “unladylike”. Some form of these societal expectations of women are still evident to this day. I have heard many men say that it is unattractive if a woman swears but completely okay if a man does. This is a direct result of the objectification of women and how women are seen just as existing just for the attention of men.
DeleteThe outfit that Petruchio wears to his wedding is a large symbol and theme in The Taming of the Shrew. Petruchio attends his wedding dressed in a ridiculous and ugly outfit and is promptly asked to change by Baptista and Kate, though he refuses. The act of Petruchio dressing up in odd clothes is reflective of the theme in the play that clothes are used to disguise, but do not change personality. Petruchio dresses this way in order to tame Kate through public humiliation, and ultimately it works. Petruchio’s outfit is described by Biondello who goes into an extremely long monologue that is in total only one run-on sentence. Biondello also uses absurd words and language to describe Petruchio’s outfit, “‘Why Petruchio is coming in a new hat and old jerkin; a pair of old breeches thrice turned; a pair of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, another laced; an old rusty sword ta’en out of the town armory, with a broken hilt and chapeless; with two broken points.”(3.2. 43-8) The sentence continues to describe Petruchio’s horse that is dirty and has various infections. There is a lot of contrast in this quote, a literary element that is present throughout the play. A new hat and an old jerkin, or short outer coat, contrast between old and new. Also one of his shoes is laced, while the other is buckled, another use of contrast in his outfit. Shakespeare’s use of a run-on sentence to describe Petruchio’s outfit is reflective of the absurd way he showed up to his own wedding. Shakespeare uses contrast, run-on sentences, and the theme of disguise to describe Petruchio’s absurd wedding outfit.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your explanation of Petruchio's absurd outfit in Act 3. At first, when he refused to change into something more fitting, I thought he may have wore it to show that when two people are joined in marriage, they aren't marrying eachother's possessions or material wealth, they are marrying the person they love. However, this is clearly not the case since in the setting of the play, marriage is an economic institution most commonly used for accumulating wealth from a bride’s dowry or inheritance. I agree with you that Petruchio wore his outfit to publicly humiliate Katherine at their wedding, so as to attempt to tame her. I did get a sense of the theme disguise but since he wasn’t actually disguised as someone, I didn’t make as clear of a connection with that theme as you did.
DeleteIn Act 2 of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”, the reader is made more aware of Bianca and Katherine’s relationship. The beginning of the first scene shows Katherine tying Bianca up and hitting her. She claims she is “getting revenge”, but she really was just trying to find out who (if anybody) Bianca was in love with. Bianca’s innocently replies, “Believe me, sister, of all the men alive I never yet beheld that special face which I could fancy more than any other” (II.I.10-12). Bianca later replies that she suspects Katherine loves the men she is mentioning. This scene does cast Katherine as a controlling and dominant personality, but above all, I think this scene shows Katherine’s jealousy of her sister Bianca. Bianca is admired by many suitors for her mild behavior and beauty, and while Katherine is jealous of the attention her sister gets, she is not willing to give up her independence and witty remarks to get that attention. In other words, she is not one to bite her tongue or “be tamed” for the sake of finding a husband. This is also seen in the witty banter later in the scene between Katherine and Petruchio. Petruchio was predisposed to believe he could tame Katherine in one conversation, but realizes it is a harder task than he has anticipated. Katherine is stuck in her ways of talking back and being independent. This is shown when she calls Petruchio an ass in the line, “Asses are made to bear and so are you” (II.I.199). Petruchio’s reply steers the conversation back towards marriage with the line “Women are made to bear and so are you” (II.I.200). Shakespeare utilizes the multiple meanings of the homonym “bear” in these two lines of banter between Katherine and Petruchio. In Katherine’s insult, bear means to bear weight, as an ass does. In Petruchio’s comment, bear means to bear a child, or give birth to a child. Petruchio’s attempt to redirect the conversation towards marriage and how Katherine is “made to bear children” shows his early determination (without success) to tame Katherine.
ReplyDeleteIn Act 3 of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”, after Katherine and Petruchio’s wedding, Petruchio announces he must leave at once for an unnamed yet important reason. Katherine throws a fit and gives him an ultimatum by saying “Now, if you love me, stay” (III.II.176). Petruchio then proceeds to say that the guests of the wedding must listen to his wife’s commands to go to the bridal dinner, but that ultimately, he has the final say over her word. Petruchio rants about how Kate is now his property, equal to that of his house, his field, his barn or his horses. This exemplifies the theme of marriage as an economic institution and the dehumanization of women in Elizabethan times. Petruchio dehumanizes Kate by calling her “[his] goods, [his] chattel, she is [his] house” (III.II.203). This dehumanization of Katherine also plays into the theme that marriage is an economic institution. This was very apparent when Petruchio was negotiating Katherine’s dowry with her father, Baptista. It baffled me how Baptista practically gave Petruchio permission to marry Kate before the two had ever met. I think the end of the scene has a lighter tone and even a comedic effect. The seats for the bride and groom at the feast are empty since Kate and Petruchio have left, so Baptista permits Bianca and her fiance Lucentio (Tranio in disguise).
ReplyDeleteIn this act the audience begins to feel sympathy for Kate, as Petruchio continues his plan to tame her. Petruchio uses various methods such as starvation, public humiliation, and depriving Kate of sleep. Previously the audience saw Kate as a mean and rather heartless shrew, now, the tables have turned and instead Petruchio is viewed as the shrew. Despite the fact Petruchio is trying his hardest to tame Kate, she continues her normal behavior and rhetoric. An example of this is when she is begging Grumio for meat, “‘Then both or one, or anything thou wilt.’ ‘Why then, the mustard without the beef.’ ‘Go, get thee gone, thou false deluding slave.’Beats Him.” The stage direction shows that Kate continues with her shrewish ways as she becomes antsy and angered by the conditions Petruchio has put her in. Before Kate can receive food again, she is whisked into a long-winded process where Petruchio shows her a lot of dresses that she fancies, but refuses for her to have every single one. The audience is completely fed up with Petruchio at this point, and continues to feel sorry for Kate. There is also an important development at the end of Scene 5, where Kate and Petruchio meet Lucentio’s father, Vincentio. In the previous scene, Lucentio enlists a pedant that resembles his father to play the part of Vincentio in order to negotiate Bianca’s dowry with Baptista. The real Vincentio reveals to Kate and Petruchio that he is going to visit his son. Petruchio, who can’t help but anger the audience, and tells Vincentio that Lucentio has been married. This exchange is a tipping point of the whole play, and is ironic because only the audience knows something is to go wrong, as the real Vincentio coming to town was not a part of Lucentio’s plan. This act is also a tipping point in Kate and Petruchio’s relationship, as Petruchio’s plan is beginning to wear Kate down, until her breaking point.
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DeleteI too noticed Petruchio's continuation of his tactic of humiliation in an attempt to tame Kate. I didn’t view starvation as its own tactic of taming her, but I saw it as another form of humiliation. Petruchio completely overreacted about the overcooked meat and Kate was embarrassed by his outburst; “I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet. The meat was well, if you were so contented” (IV.i.168-169). Petruchio’s motives are also revealed in his monologue; “She ate no meat today, nor none shall eat. Last night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not...I’ll find about the making of the bed, And here I’ll fling the pillow, there the bolster, this way the coverlet, another way the sheets...He that knows better how to tame a shrew, now let him speak; ‘tis charity to shew” (IV.i.197-211). These quotes are examples of Petruchio’s scheming to tame Kate and Kate’s first sign of becoming tamed.
DeleteIn Act 4 of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”, I noticed lots of hot and cold diction, especially in the first part of the first scene. Grumio opens the scene by explaining how he has to light a fire in the cold, but won’t be froze because he is small and warms up quickly. He proceeds to talk to Curtis about the fire, and later, Curtis asks if “she so hot a shrew as she’s reported” (IV.i.19). By “hot”, Curtis likely means fiery as Kate is often described that way. Grumio replies with more hot/cold diction, saying that “winter tames man, woman and beast for it hath tamed my old master and my new mistress” (IV.i.21-23). The interaction between Curtis and Grumio is very interesting to me. Grumio briefly mentions that Petruchio and Kate have fallen from their horses, and Curtis wishes to hear the story. When Grumio tells Curtis to come closer to listen to the story, he strikes Curtis and says that he won’t tell Curtis the story. Curtis begins to pester Grumio, and then, ever so ironically, Grumio says “hadst thou not crossed me, thou shouldst have heart how her horse fell, and she under her horse” (IV.i.67-69). He proceeds to tell the entire story. This is an example of how Shakespeare uses ironic humor in many of his plays. This part of the first scene also characterizes Grumio as one who cannot hold a grudge and Curtis as one who is persistent. Even after Curtis has been slapped for asking to be told about the horse incident, he presses on and pesters Grumio even more. Grumio also seems to enjoy tantalizing Curtis and dancing around the subject of the mistress falling off her horse, yet eventually tells him anyway.
ReplyDeleteAct V, the final act of the play, wraps up the play and all the separate plots. The most important part of Act V is that Kate makes her final transition from being a shrew to an obedient wife. In the first scene Kate shows her first, true sense of affection for Petruchio, “Nay, I will give thee a kiss. Now pray thee, love/stay.”(5.1.148-9) This was the first instance of Kate showing affection in her words. It can be predicted that Kate kissed Petruchio previously, but this line shows that she wants to kiss him, rather than the other way around. In the next scene, Kate has completely become an obedient as shown in the bet between Petruchio, Lucentio, and Hortensio. They bet that whoevers wife responds when called for is the best and most obedient wife. Kate is the first wife to come when called for, thus Petruchio wins the bet. After Kate comes she recites a long monologue about how to be the perfect wife. Her transformation from shrew to wife is complete and Petruchio’s degrading techniques worked. Bianca, on the other hand, is more outspoken than ever, “Am I your bird? I mean to shift my bush,/And then to pursue as you draw your bow.”(5.2.46-7) The character foil between Kate and Bianca progresses throughout the play as Kate becomes more obedient Bianca turns into more of a shrew. In a hilarious and ironic turn of events Petruchio gets the last laugh by winning the bet, Hortensio and Lucentio’s wives are not as fair and quiet as they thought, and Kate is no longer a shrew.
ReplyDeleteAct 5 of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” begins with a scene of frenzy as Vincentio meets someone who claims to be him. The disguises and lies are revealed to Vincentio as the other characters claim that the merchant is actually Vincentio. However, Lucentio reveals the truth to his father about his plan to court his love, Bianca, in disguise. At the end of scene 1, Kate shows her first sign of true affection towards Petruchio when she kisses him. He comments, “Better once than never, for never too late” (V.i.156). The second scene of act 5 further exemplifies how Kate and Bianca are foil characters. As Kate has now become susceptible to Petruchio’s taming, Bianca has become rebellious as seen through her eloping with Lucentio despite her father’s orders. The portion of the second scene where the husbands have a contest to see which of their wives is the most obedient continued the theme of gender roles. The expectation that the wife who is at the beckon-call of her husband is also the most “obedient” is degrading to women. This contest assumes that a wife who submits to her husband’s word is a good wife. Since Kate “wins” this contest and responds to her husband first, she is seen as the “most obedient” and therefore the “best” wife. The fact that the men were betting on this contest is even more degrading. Baptista remarks, “The wager thou hast won, and I will add unto their losses twenty thousand crowns, another dowry to another daughter, for she is changed as she had never been” (V.ii.125-128). He practically pays Petruchio for taming his previously shrewish wife, almost as if it were a service which Petruchio provided. At Petruchio’s command, Kate goes on a multiple page rant to the widow and Bianca about how they must obey their husbands no matter the circumstances. She states that they must “dart not scornful glances from those eyes to wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor” (V.ii.153-154). The monologue is the major telling of Kate’s drastic transformation over the course of the play, as she compares the relationship between a husband and wife to that of a king and his subjects.
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