Through use of character development, Shakespeare sets the play Taming of the Shrew and introduces a major theme of marriage present throughout the play. When I first began to read Taming of the Shrew, I thought that the play was about Christopher Sly. Introduced as a drunken idiot with a sassy mouth, I immediately liked him. Christopher Sly is the kind of character found in all sorts of books, such as Haymitch in Hunger Games. I was disappointed when I found out he would not get a lot of dialogue in the story. However, though his part is relatively small, his influence is massive. When the Lord came into the bar, talking about his hunting dogs and which one he prefers, the smart-aleck drunk is passed out. Because of the previous character development, the reader understands why a egotistical Lord would play a prank on a regular drunk. In fact, the reader might even be on board with the plan.. Shakespeare smoothly introduces the theme of marriage throughout the dialogue of Sly and the Lord when Sly talks with his fake wife. “Sly: My men should call me ‘lord’: I am your good man. Page [Fake wife]: ...I am your wife in all obedience.” Here, the theme of marriage and obeying your husband, is presented smoothly, which becomes majorly in important with Bianca and Katherine.
Great points Ruthie! I enjoy that you liked the fact that Sly was introduced as a sassy, drunken idiot, it made me laugh! I also appreciate that you connected his persona back to another character in the Hunger Games! I completely agree with your thought on how Christopher Sly, although is a small character, plays a significant role in establishing the marriage aspect of the theme of The Taming of the Shrew!
In the induction, we see the comedic story of the Lord who decides to trick a common drunkard into thinking that he is of rich birth. This in itself would seem to be an interesting plot for a play. But as we each know (if you read the play in the summer) you know that the play itself goes on about a different plot all together. This may seem really random and out of nowhere to a reader. But if you think back to the era that this play was written, you can understand it a bit more. The induction becomes comedic mainly because of the fact that a poor, unimportant man goes from his drunkard lifestyle to waking up believing that he is of noble birth. This is something that would have been incredibly out of the ordinary to people in the Elizabethan era. It could have been even something that intrigued some of the common people. It must have sounded like a sweet dream to them. Especially those who felt that they wanted what the rich noble men had. So it makes sense that Shakespeare would write something along the lines of the induction.
Aayush Bhatt-Blog #1 The Taming of the Shrew is a comical play by William Shakespeare written in the early 1590s. What separates this play from the others is Shakespeare's choice to include an induction. By definition, an induction is generally the opening of a play, whereby the author intends it to be an explanatory scene, summary, and/or text that stands outside. Similarly, in this induction, Shakespeare introduces the characters of Christopher Sly, the Lord and all of his respective servants. The induction opens with Christopher Sly, a drunk beggar, arguing with a Hostess over some glassware that he had supposedly broken. The arguments escalates and the hostess leaves to find the local authorities. Meanwhile, Sly passes out and a lord returning from a hunt discovers him. Totally disgusted with Sly, the lord decides he is going to play an elaborate prank to teach him a lesson. The Lord gives his crew orders to treat Sly as a noble lord, in order to trick him into believing that he is actually nobleman instead of a drunken beggar. All through the induction I saw potential themes of how noble classes can dictate the lives of those of lower classes and the theme of significance of marriage. We see the presence of the 1st theme when the lord’s huntsman states “Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose,” in response in whether or not Sly will truly believe that he is a nobleman. This shows that being a drunkard beggar and overall belonging to a lower class will mean that one can be easily manipulated by the likes of those richer, i.e the lord. The theme of marriage is evident when is appears that Sly resists all of the servants’ attempts to convince him that he is a lord until they tell him that he has a wife, whereby Sly immediately believes the servants and hence stating, “Am I a lord? And have I such a lady?” Here we see that the fact that Sly, as a nobleman, having a supposed “wife” suddenly reverses his thoughts in that he accepts that he is indeed a lord. This, thereby, showing the significance of marriage in life.
This induction is Shakespeare emphasizing the lighthearted nature of this entire play. If you just read the entire thing straight and don't know that it's meant to be comical, it's possible that some people might take it seriously, but this rather cruel scene mirrors the cruel comedy of the entire play. Christopher Sly didn't deserve what this lord did to him, but the entire play gains an extra dimension when this scene is added in: the dimension of looking at it through the eyes of Sly himself, thinking that he is a lord. It creates layers of cruel comedy, rather than just the singular layer of the comedy itself. Even in his dark comedy, Shakespeare found the need to add dimensions.
The induction scenes of “Taming of the Shrew” institutes the entire theme of borderline lies and game playing. All throughout this play, there is a lot of manipulation of the truth of who someone really is, figuratively and literally. Within the induction, the Lord plays a cruel trick on a so called ‘thug’ named Sly, inflicting the impression upon him that he is a rich Lord living an extremely lavish life, when in reality he’s not at all rich and is in fact an assumed drunk. This sets the whole theme of the play, as there is constant tricks being played upon the characters, such as when Lucentio acts as Cambio and Hortensio as Licio, all to ‘woo’ Bianca. This is all a lie to persuade Bianca to marry one of the two men, a precedent that was established in the induction of the play that resonates throughout the entire plot, even when trying to convince Kate to get married to someone first to uphold the family tradition that an older sister must get married first before any other daughter in the immediate family bloodline.
While reading The Taming of the Shrew, I noticed a lot of Greek and Roman Mythology references. Gods such as Apollo, Greek god of the sun, poetry, music, medicine, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Venus, a Roman goddess was also mentioned. She is the Goddess of all thing beauty, love, and sex. This reference could very well be a foreshadowing to romance later in the play. Io is also mentioned. I had to do a little digging to find what she could represent. She was a mortal lover of Zeus, no surprise there. However, she was turned into a cow for quite a few decades so Hera wouldn't kill her. After she was turned back, she bore Zeus a son who became King of Egypt. Later on from her line Hercules was born. This didn't have much to do with the story though, so the best I could get out that was that it was foreshadowing for a baby later on. There were a few other mentions in the beginning but nothing else worth mentioning.
Aayush Bhatt - Blog #2 In Act 1 of Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare seeks to establish the basis of the play whilst introducing some of the primary characters; such as Katherine, Bianca, Trianio, etc. Personally, what I found interesting In Act 1 was how Shakespeare comedically explored societal expectations on women's roles in a marriage. For example, in act 1 scene 1, when Traino lays eyes on Bianca for the very first time he states, “But in the other's silence do I see Maid's mild behavior and sobriety. Peace, Train.” With this quote the reader can observe men find women attractive only if they possess certain qualities; in Bianca’s case it is her “mild behavior and sobriety” insinuating that if a woman is silent and obedient she is often seen as an ideal candidate for wiserhood. Another aspect that expounds on the theme of inequality gender roles is the examination of Katherines character. Within the first few paragraphs of Act 1, it is evident that Katherine is a person full of pent up anger and is hence always aggressive, vociferous and stubborn. All of these qualities point to the fact that, according social expectations, Katherine is not an ideal candidate for a wife. Subsequently, in act 1, Katherine exclaims “Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not? What, shall I be appointed hours as though, be like, I knew not what to take and what to leave? Ha!” What I got from this quote is that Katherine in fact does not want to marry as she believes that all of her liberties will be robbed from her, which explains why she acts in such an unpreferred manner.
I think what you are saying is absolutely true. We can tell that in the play, Shakespeare sort of addresses gender roles and what the ideal wife sounds like. The qualities of Bianca are continuously praised while the qualities of Katherine are seen as evil and referred to as devilish. But, in truthfulness, neither one of the girls have better qualities than the other. They simply have different qualities.
I appreciate your points about Katharina’s anger seeing that her frustration comes to something. Katharina is by far my favorite character of the play, and in my opinion, the most complex. Her tiredness and anger against the regular ideals of marriage has made her angry and bitter, causing her to lash out at men. This lashing out is one of her only ways that she can successfully have power over men, since most of them are too stupid or scared to reply intelligently. I believe that’s why Petruchio has such a profound effect on her.
In Act I of Taming of the Shrew, we see and meet the main characters of the play. We learn about each of their personalities and their general behaviors. Something that was interesting to me was how there are a lot of obvious things that make this play a comedy as opposed to any other type of play. Not only is the plot itself a hilarious thing, but the dialogue between the characters is witty and clever in how it creates humor. Simple things like a rhyme slipped into what someone is saying make the whole mood of the situation a bit more playful and light. Another thing that adds to this comedic tone is the light banter that is done between familiar characters. This can take the form as purely poking fun at a person or being a bit overzealous when using certain words. For example, in the beginning of scene 2, on lines 9-10 Grumio says, “Knock you here, sir? Why, sir, what am I, sir, that I should knock you here, sir?” The over usage of the term sir indicates a sort of mocking attitude towards the whole ordeal. Also, this is followed by a rather brash and rude remark back to Grumio who responds with, “ My master has grown quarrelsome. I should knock you first, And then I know after who comes by the worst.” Again, we can see a sarcastic and comedic tone here. We can conclude that based off of how there is the rhyming of “first” and “worst.” Minor things like this can be seen throughout even the beginning of the play which lets the reader/ spectator be aware of the fact that this isn;t a serious play and is for people to be amused by. But, at the same time, it could be said that Shakespeare made this play as a subtle way to talk about issues people faced / are facing while keeping the crowds pleased with the jests. There would have been the people who saw the play and then maybe never think about it again. But, there had to have been other types of people who may have heard Shakespeare's message and thought about it afterwards.
Aayush Bhatt I definitely agree with your comment. Comedy is omnipresent not only in Act 1 of Taming of the Shrew, but also in the whole play in general. To add to your comment I believe that, as I had mentioned before, Shakespeare employs comedy and sarcasm in act 1 to point out a flaw in social roles, specifically that of gender and women's roles in marriage. With this medium of comedy Shakespeare exposes the fact that women are meant to be docile in order to suffice her husbands “demands.” This view is indeed shared by the character Katharine, which is why she is ultimately stubborn and always act in angered yet comical way.
I love how you pointed out the humor evident in the play! Shakespeare is truly a master at humor, and even better at making fun of people without them knowing. My favorite humor lines are mostly from Katharina, where she insults the men around her viciously, such as, “I pray you,sir, is it your will/To make a stale of me amongst these mates?” and “...To comb your noodle with a three-legg’d stool/And paint your face and use you like a fool”. Her comments are so unfiltered that the men around her begin to call out to God for help and protection from the devil. This, I am sure got many laughs from the audience and added to te comedic tone of the play which assisted in the movement of the theme.
With consideration of the induction, this act actually shows a really sad representation of what Shakespeare thought of the humor of the rich. The fact that what they say could at face value be taken as funny is farcical, and the fact that there was a play after which this one was named that took the subject matter seriously is a bit horrific. However, with the obvious tongue-in-cheek attitude of the play in all its ways, Shakespeare found the perfect way to balance making everybody laugh with a biting social commentary; the best way to change a person's mind is by forcing them to agree with you, and the best way to make somebody agree with you is to make them laugh. The rich people who laugh at the play will be laughing at caricatures of themselves, and in an attempt to remove themselves from the caricature, will keep away from the actions that would make them so.
In Act One and Scene One of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare sets up the tempestuous relationship between Katharina and everyone else. Katharina is a highly complex character, painted like a shrew but really just a young girl who feels unloved Katharina, her whole life, has lived in the shadow of her younger, “better” sister. Bianca has mastered the art of being an Elizabethan woman, staying quiet and obedient to the men in the room. Katharina, the smarter sister in my opinion, has opted for a different approach, and considers all men idiots and unworthy of her time. She considers marriages archaic and thinks that the way women are treated is pathetic. This is evident in her reply to Hornestio’s comment, to which she says, “I pray you, sir, is it your will/To make a stale of me amongst these mates?” Her snappy and sassy reply is evidence of her quick wit and intelligence, but the comment, which is soaked in bitterness, stems from the hurt in her heart. Katharina, if she has been talking openly her whole life, has been called nasty things. I believe that Katharina is not only hurt inside, but considers everyone else too stupid to understand.
Aayush Bhattt- Blog #3 All through Act II I found many similarities to that of Act I. Primarily in the realm of marriage and the inequities it brings with it. For example, in scene I, whilst Baptisa attempts to negotiate the marriage of Bianca, he quotes, “Faith, gentlemen, now I play a merchant's part, and venture madly on a desperate mart.TRANIO, as Lucentio.'Twas a commodity lay fretting by you. 'Twill bring you gain, or perish on the seas.” Here we see that Baptista's metaphor distinctively spawns into existent his role as a certain merchant or businessmen in terms of negotiating the marriage of Bianca. In addition, this quote insinuates that the marriage of his daughters is not about their happinesses but rather a pleasure of business and the money it brings with it. This again exulting the recurring theme of exploitation of the absurd gender standards. Another quote brings about this same theme is when Katherine states, “He'll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage, make feasts, invite friends, and proclaim the banns,Yet never means to wed where he hath wooed. Now must the world point at poor Katharine And say, 'Lo, there is mad Petruchio's wife, If it would please him come and marry her.” In this quote, Katherine seeks to communicate that if one were to marry her then that individual would be subject to embarrassment for the rest of his life as it in society it is often observes that a wife’s behaviors and actions cam determine her husband's reputation and overall status in society.
I agree with you that there are quite a few similarities between Act One and Act Two as far as marriage goes, mainly because I think that marriage is overarching theme in the play. Act Two is my favorite part of the play, mostly because of the comedy involved with the themes of marriage. As Petruchio speaks with Baptista about the dowry and the logistics of marrying Katharina, Petruchio finally meets the woman they’re talking about. Katharina’s sharp tongue evenly matches Petruchio’s, and through their teasing, Shakespeare dives deeper into the theme of marriage and women bowing down to men. As they quarrel, and as the listeners laugh, Shakespeare pokes fun at the thought that women must bow down to men and be quiet.
Act Two of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew dives deep into the tempestuous relationship between Katharina and Bianca. The scene begins in Baptista’s House, where Katharina and Bianca enter. Bianca has been bound by her evil sister and is even hit by Katharina at one point. This makes the reader hesitant towards Katharina. At first, the reader might be enticed at Katharina’s wildness, as presented in Act One. However this scene makes the reader doubt Katharina’s good character. Tying and beating her sister? Abominable. This scene was written purposely by Shakespeare to present the complexity of Katharina’s anger and how much of an anti-heroine she is. Deep down, Katharina is just a sad, lonely teenager who has felt pushed away her whole life while her sister Bianca is welcomed with open arms. Katharina expresses her anger to her father when she says to her father, “What, will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see/She [Bianca] is your treasure, she must have a husband;”. Here, Katharina points out how her father is so worried about Bianca getting hurt and doesn’t care for her. Granted, Katharia did just slap her sister. But her meaning is not merely in the present, where he anger emerged. It’s in the name calling and the abandonment that Katharina has felt her whole life.
I completely agree with this. This act really set the tone for how we are supposed to think of Katherina. She is made to seem very angry and wild and volatile which in turn makes the reader/ audience very wary about having any sort of positive feelings toward her. But it makes a lot of sense that this is all purposeful because in a way, as you said, it makes sense that she would feel left out when her sister is the one constantly being praised while she is being pushed away.
Something that I have noticed that Shakespeare is really successful in doing is he is able to make something known and impactful even when he does something so subtly. For example, in the beginning of the first scene of Act II, we see Petruchio ask Baptista about Katherine, “Katherina, fair and virtuous?” (43). And then Baptista answers back with a simple, “I have a daughter, sir, called Katherina.” (44). Here, it seems as if Shakespeare is trying to make it sound as if Baptista is almost making a joke by only agreeing to the fact that his daughter is called Katherina instead of also agreeing to the description Petruchio provided that said that she was fair and virtuous. It is a simple and subtle way of Shakespeare saying that Baptista acknowledges that his daughter is in fact NOT either of those things. For if he believed his eldest daughter to be fair and virtuous, he would have included that in his reply to Petruchio. Another subtle yet successful element that I noticed was how when Gremio was introducing Lucentio to Baptista, he said that his name was Cambio. This was something I didn’t really read into when I first read the play but as I read it for the second time, I found out that Cambio actually means “exchange” in Italian. This makes a lot of sense in this context because we know that Lucentio is “exchanging” his true identity for a false one in order to get close to Bianca. It was a simple and almost dismissable detail that Shakespeare put into the play but it really helps the play as a whole with its comedic tone.
That is a very compelling thought, Nichola! As Ruthie pointed out, I appreciate that you went to find the deeper meaning behind the name Cambio! I too also made that connection as, in Spanish, the verb for "change" is "cambiar", so I thought that there was a similar translation in italian, and you found it! I find it completely captivating the idea of that there is a significance of people's names in literature! For example, to reference back to Siddhartha, the name Siddhartha itself means "one who has accomplished a goal", which conforms to the entire theme of the story, as Siddhartha ended up achieving enlightenment in the end of the story, of what his life goal stood as.
I like how you did the extra research to discover what Cambio meant in Italian. It makes it funnier, at least for me, that the play was set in Padua, Italy! Shakespeare is a master at subtly creating an aura around a character without explicitly saying that the character is good or bad, like you mentioned with Katharina and Bianca. Take the name Katharina. According to https://www.behindthename.com, the name Katharina can be related from Greek to torture, a very fitting description based on Katharina’s rude rebuffs. Bianca is related to “Blanche”, which means white and fair. Based of the beginning descriptions of Act II, Bianca is the fair and innocent one, where Katharina is the tortured and the torturer.
Of Act 2 Scene 1of Taming of the Shrew, I’ve noticed quite a few aspects of family bonds I hadn’t completely registered when reading this play the first time around. I recognized the sisterly battle between Kate and Bianca and how that’s where some of Kate’s wit, mentioned by Petruchio as “That hearing of her beauty and her wit, Her affability and bashful modesty, Her wondrous qualities and mild behavior, Am bold to show myself a forward guest Within your house, to make mine eye the witness Of that report which I so oft have heard.” (2.1.48-53), and anger stems from. For Kate, as I observed, has an internal battle with her sister to show to her father and to others that she has her own sentiments on being set up for marriage, and how she feels minuscule to her father compared to Bianca. Katherine had become so jealous and infuriated by Bianca that she resorted to the physical action of striking Bianca across the face! It seems like the conveyed sexism in this piece of literature is present throughout this play, however the bias never seems to be in the favor of Katherine as a woman of modesty, beauty and pleasantry (excluding Petruchio). For Katherine, there is always a lingering resentment towards Baptista for him not loving her as much as Bianca, for example in the line, “Why, how now, dame! whence grows this insolence?—/Bianca, stand aside.—/Poor girl, she weeps!/(to BIANCA) Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her./(to KATHERINE) For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit!/Why dost thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee?/When did she cross thee with a bitter word?” (25-27), illustrates the presence of favoritism of Bianca by Baptista as all he is caring about is her well being and not even having the desire to give thought to Katherine’s perspective on the situation, even if she is in the wrong. For example, in the lines, “What, will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see/She is your treasure, she must have a husband,/I must dance barefoot on her wedding day/And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell./Talk not to me. I will go sit and weep/Till I can find occasion of revenge.” (31-36), it is evident the abandonment and disregarded feeling Katherine is experiencing, by Shakespeare’s use of emotional diction such as descriptive words regarding Bianca like “She is your treasure” (32), “And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell” (34), and “Talk not to me. I will go sit and weep/Till I can find occasion of revenge.” (35-36). The lack of acknowledgement of Katherine’s sentiments and essentially her worth/significance by Baptista, her father, fuels Kate’s rage she has towards Bianca for being the favored child, and enriches the inevitable sibling rivalry between her and Bianca. Shakespeare incorporated this in order to institute the witty, rebellious personality of Katherine for the entire play, also to show where Katherine’s emotions stem from as well.
I think that one of the most ironic scenes in the context of this play is the scene where Petruchio attempts to "tame" Katherine by embarrassing them both publicly. Back in Victorian England, one of the most important concepts was that of social propriety. The fact that Petruchio was willing to debase himself to that level wouldn't be so understandably wrong in our current context, but back then, it would have been absolutely clear that what he was doing was hilariously disgusting. As commentary, this scene is genius in putting down the rich while never being obvious enough to annoy anybody. In the eyes of the rich, it's ridiculously funny. In the eyes of the poor, it's understandably funny.
Aayush Bhatt- #4 Whilst reading Act III, I thought of it to be a certain “turning point” in the play, with the marriage of Kate and Petruchio and Bianca finding a certain love interest in Lucentio. In Act I there was a quote that stood out from the rest and, in my opinion, partially reveals Bianca’s true character. Bianca was talking to Lucentio and Hortensio, or perhaps their fake personas, in terms of figuring out who she would accept tutour from first, shere consequently states “Why, gentlemen, you do me double wrong. To strive for that which resteth in my choice. I am no breeching scholar in the schools. I'll not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times, But learn my lessons as I please myself.” Here Bianca exclaims that that she is no mere rhetoric of a “breaching scholar” or schoolboy, but rather is heroin confident women. Furthermore, Bianca asserts that she herself has utter control over her own education and also more importantly over her relationship with men, contrary to how Baptista handles the situation with her sister Kate. Another quote that stood out to me was in Act II, when Petruchio exclaims; I will be master of what is mine own. She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, My household stuff, my field, my barn, My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything. And here she stands, touch her whoever dare.” Here the recurring theme of marriage or inequal societal roles/views is present. Here Petruchio's states that Katherine is set to be his property, like that of an”ox..ass...horse.” Petruchio is set to be a domineering husband, however, his expectations of Kate being completely inferior to him is very much uncommon as all Elizabethan women regardless of their husband's attitudes – once married, women had no legal rights of their own.
Very interesting points, Aayush! I completely agree with what you mentioned about Bianca asserts that she has all control of her education! I believe it could make her even more desirable to Lucentio and Hortensio in a way. I also agree with the point you made about the recurrence of the theme of unequal societal roles/views throughout this whole play, and how the concept of marriage plays into that! I really appreciate your thoughts on Act III, they are very intriguing!
I agree that there is heavy marriage and power themes going on in this play. I like how you brought up the contrast between Bianca, who claims the power rests in her hands because she is the woman in demand, and Petruchio, who so explicitly states that he owns Katherina and all of her possessions. It makes me wonder if the stark difference is because Bianca is not yet married and Katharina is. As you said, there are legal rights that interfere with Katherina’s power. Perhaps the law is one reason as to why Petruchio is so confident that he controls Katherina completely.
While reading Act III of Taming of The Shrew then reading a modern translation, I fully recognized the intended tone of the text. I noticed right away how entitled Bianca sounds when speaking to Lucentio (disguised as Cambio) and Hortensio (disguised as Litio), as the two men are beginning to quarrel in front of her. Biana knows she is desired by many and takes it to her advantage to channel some kind of authority, as shown in the line by Bianca, “Why, gentlemen, you do me double wrong/ To strive for that which resteth in my choice./ I am no breeching scholar in the schools./ I’ll not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times/ But learn my lessons as I please myself./ And, to cut off all strife, here sit we down.” (3.1.16-21). Here, Bianca makes it clear that she won’t be pushed around by either “Cambio” nor “Litio”, and that she will make decisions for herself, however she does recognize that they are arguing about who will teach her their specific craft first, as they are wanting to make the best impression on her first. In my opinion, Bianca seems to enjoy the attention but also thinks for herself as she receives this constant awe. I appreciate how Shakespeare characterizes Bianca this way in the play, as it adds more drama and provides a better understanding of Kate’s motives and her sentiments towards Bianca and her whole family.
I agree, and I certainly would not have noticed this without you pointing it out! This line in particular points out Bianca’s true nature as a very powerful young woman not afraid to take charge. It also highlights Bianca’s manipulative nature, which is also used when she convinces her father to feel sympathy towards her. Bianca clearly has mastered the art of manipulation and understands the basics of making a deal and having demand. Overall, Bianca’s characterization becomes more and more complex, which of course, makes the play seem more and more real.
I love Act III, particularly Scene II, mostly because of Katharina’s beautifully crafted insults and expert sass. During Scene II, a group of the characters are gathered for Kate and Petruchio’s marriage, and here, you can clearly see Kate kicking and resisting the marriage until the last second. “No shame but mine: I must, forsooth be forced/ To give my hand, opposed against my heart,” (45). This line is interesting to me because of the “opposed against my heart”. Her whole life, Kate has been ridiculed and hated for letting her personality be unfiltered. This has perpetually drained her confidence, even though she acts like it doesn’t bother her. Still, Kate desires for someone to respect and admire who she really is. This is not found in Petruchio, but it is a huge step forward. For someone like Kate, Petruchio’s resistance to bow down to her authority and attitude, a marriage to him is relatively nice. Through this, Kate is still hopeful for that one true love and exits the room weeping, to which her father replies that she better leave for disgracing such a saint as Petruchio. This whole encounter proves that Kate was still hopeful that someone would love her even as several others told her she would not be loved. This scene represents the last of Kate’s hope gone as she’s married off to a man that does not love her.
That is such a good point! I think that this was a really good way for Shakespeare to point out how it was for a lot of women in this time era and how unfair it was for some of them to expect to be happy with they marriage they have been provided with even if the man was a terrible husband. Bianca represents the girls who were able to get many suitors and had all the choices in the world. But Katherine represents the girls that were forced into marriage and she shows the unfairness that many girls faced throughout their lives.
Aayush Bhatt I definitely agree with your point. As I had said in my post, even upon the day of her marriage, Katherine is still seen as an inferior individual who, upun marrying petruchio, is expected to be subject to that of a literal ox or ass, in terms being branded as property of Petruchio. As you said, this is yet another instance that Shakespeare soughts to utilize humour, through the sassiness of Katherine, to point out a flaw in societal standards regarding women's status in the community. As Nichola said, Katherine is subject to this mistreatment because of her wantings to be liberated and experience life without men, whereas Bianca is surrounded by suitors because of her so perceived attitude of “subtleness and quietness.”
In Act III Scene II, something that stood out to me was the discussion between Biondello and Baptista about the whereabouts and condition of Petruchio. Firstly, I thought it was interesting when Bion. initially came in, he sort of messed with Baptista a bit when he spoke of Petruchio coming to the wedding. “Master, master! News, old news, and such news as you never / heard of!” And then this escalated the conversation into a bit of a banter back and forth between the two men. For the next 8 lines, they each said and responded with very short and quick responses. Then this is interrupted when Tranio asks of the “old news” and this ends up making Biondello go into a 16 line rant about Petruchio and how he is indeed coming but in a very poor state. This contrast between the quick and short to the long and winded dialogue almost highlights the absurdity of the play and fits right in with the overall genre of it. Also, A few lines after Biondello’s rant, Baptista and him have a shared dialogue in the space of 6 lines but in each line, each man says the word “come” (or came or comes) at least once. This also falls in line with the comedic aspect of the play. Both of these are useful in the play because the help support the idea of the play being sort of silly and that it isn’t supposed to make any sense and is meant to be funny.
Act four of Taming of the Shrew begins with servants of Petruchio, Curtis and Grumio, and their struggle to prepare everything for their master. When Petruchio arrives, he immediately begins complaining at all of the things the servants are doing wrong. Aggravated, he calls for the meal immediately then claims that the meat is burnt, pushing it off the table. Throughout this, Kate is tired and hungry. She even pleads for her new husband to be more patient with the servants, saying “I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet./The meat was well, if you were so contented.” This line, in particular, stuck out to me because Kate was so tire and famished that she encouraged someone else to be patient. As described by Curtis, she is so overwhelmed and hungry that when Petruchio was complaining again, she just sat there, astonished “Knows not which way to stand, to look, to speak,/And sits as one new-risen from a dream.” Kate has had such a day that she not only encourages her husband to be patient, but she also has lost all of her confidence. This is because she has been separated from her home. In Padua, she understood all of the variables and was able to control them. She understood the dynamics of her home and knew who to yell at to get her way. With Petruchio, she doesn’t understand any of that. The sudden change of scenery has rocked her so much that she has lost her confidence and usual sassy attitude.
I completely agree with your thought, Ruthie! I too noticed what you pointed out and I find it fascinating how Kate's actions and thought process changed so drastically after she herself has suffered a bit! Kate has never had to beg for anything before in her life, because, as you wonderfully pointed out, she could understand all the variables of a situation and control them as she saw fit, not what other thought was suitable. As I agree with that, within all her suffering, Kate has lost her sassy attitude, I don't at all think she has lost her confidence. For example, in scene iii, with no hesitation whatsoever, Kate completely stands her ground and declares that she can make her own decisions and can think entirely for herself. All your points are very insightful and well thought! I really enjoyed reading what you had to say about this act!
Of Act IV, scene iii of Taming of the Shrew, characterization of Kate and Petruchio as individuals persists. Within Act IV as a whole, Petruchio becomes increasingly bitter towards Kate, as a husband to his wife, this is extremely cruel. Petruchio starves Kate, deprives her of sleep and curses her constantly. However, as it phases Kate, it doesn’t make her any more submissive to Petruchio. Within Kate’s lines of: “The more my wrong, the more his spite appears./ What, did he marry me to famish me?/ Beggars that come unto my father’s door/ Upon entreaty have a present alms./ If not, elsewhere they meet with charity./ But I, who never knew how to entreat,/ Nor never needed that I should entreat,/ Am starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep,/ With oaths kept waking and with brawling fed./ And that which spites me more than all these wants,/ He does it under name of perfect love,/ As who should say, if I should sleep or eat,/ 'Twere deadly sickness or else present death./ I prithee, go and get me some repast,/ I care not what, so it be wholesome food.” (4.3.2-16), it describes how Kate has never had to beg for anything in all of her life, especially something as essential as food and sleep. What I noticed about this fact is since she’s never had to beg for anything in her life, she has never had to submit to anything she didn’t want to give in to (i.e. her father and his rules, and now Petruchio’s cruelty). By accepting food from Petruchio without some kind of verbal or physical battle (KATE: “Thank you, sir” (47)), Kate is slowly submitting to their--in Kate’s perspective, unsought, betrothal, by becoming more cooperative. However, Kate also refuses to indulge in Petruchio’s dominance when the hatmaker arrives and she refuses to Petruchio when he demands a bigger cap than what was brought: I’ll have no bigger. This doth fit the time,/ And gentlewomen wear such caps as these.” (70-71), “Why, sir, I trust I may have leave to speak,/ And speak I will. I am no child, no babe./ Your betters have endured me say my mind,/ And if you cannot, best you stop your ears./ My tongue will tell the anger of my heart/ Or else my heart, concealing it, will break,/ And, rather than it shall, I will be free/ Even to the uttermost, as I please, in words.(75-82). Kate first says what she desires, then takes a complete stand for herself against Hortensio and Petruchio. As Kate is persisting through this misery, Petruchio knows full well of his actions and how their affecting Kate. For example, still in reference to scene iii, Hortensio enters with Petruchio and declares to Petruchio that he is to blame for Kate’s suffering (“Signior Petruchio, fie, you are to blame./ Come, mistress Kate, I’ll bear you company.” (48-49)), and that he has gone too far, however, Petruchio talks to him in seclusion from Kate about the matter, as if he is in the midst of an elaborate scheme of some sort: “(aside to HORTENSIO)/Eat it up all, Hortensio, if thou lovest me.—/ Much good do it unto thy gentle heart.” (50-52). By reading the context that Shakespeare has incorporated in this portion of the play, I firmly believe he meant to subtly integrate the vulnerability of Petruchio, through the character’s constant use of sarcasm and mockery, Petruchio is slowly discovering and exhibiting his feelings for Kate. He’s beginning to provide her with food and not keeping her in their home! By them going to Baptista’s house, Kate is revisiting her old life, although it wasn’t the most sane or normal, it’s briefly granting her what she desires most, change from the most recent lifestyle she has been living in.
Aayush Bhatt I definitely agree with your point! Petruchio does indeed become indirectly heavily bitter towards Kate. As you exemplified, Petruchio does this so by being persistent that everything be perfect, which in turn results to Katherine being tired, hungry, and overall uncomfortable with life. I believe Petruchio does so in order to “tame” her, meaning that Katherine eventually succumbs or concedes to whatever actions Petruchio forces, not matter how ridiculous the demand. Lastly, as you had mentioned, Katherine is slowly submitting to Petruchio, and I believe that Katherine finally FULLY submits in Act IV when she agrees with Petruchio to say the sun is in actuality the moon.
Aayush, I think you brought up a fantastic point that Kate finally submitted to Petruchio whens he agrees with him. This marks a MAJOR turning point for her character. Again, I am reminded of the scene in Act III when she openly defies Petruchio in front of all of the wedding and all of the wedding guests. However, when she is starved, exhausted, and tired, she becomes more compliant. Adding on to this, I think us as a group are skipping over the fact that Petruchio is starving someone for his personal game. If someone was starving an animal, everyone would flip out. Granted, this is a satire so the starving is definitely for comedic purposes. However, it does not take away the fact that Petruchio is essentially draining Kate to make her more compliant.
Aayush Bhatt-Blog #5 Act IV plays a heavily integral part in the overarching play of Taming of the Shrew. With the continuation of disrespectfulness and “taming” from Petruchio to his newlywed wife Katherine, in addition to the final concedness of Katherine to become submissive, Act IV takes into account the elements of all past acts whilst implementing a final sort of closing in order to make it the most key act. What I found interesting in this act was how Petruchio specifically played out his so called “taming.” Specifically it is seen that Petruchio frustrates Katherine by consistently being persistent in making everything perfect for her, which in turn forces Katherine to be hungry, tired, and generally uncomfortable. With this exaggerating persistence, it can be seen later that Katherine finally succumbs to Petruchio in order to live her life with all necessities.Katherine is finally broken down in scene 5 when Petruchio forces Katherine to transform an individual into a virgin, whereby Katherine states “Young budding virgin, fair and fresh and sweet, Whither away, or where is thy abode? Happy the parents of so fair a child! Happier the man whom favorable stars Allot thee for his lovely bedfellow!” Here it is seen that Katherine pretends that the individual is a lovely young woman, when in reality Katherine thinks otherwise, in order to suffice Petruchio’s demands. Additionally, later in the scene, when Petruchio forces Katherine to say that the sun is really the moon, she states “Then God be blessed, it is the blessed sun, But sun it is not when you say it is not, And the moon changes even as your mind. What you will have it named, even that it is, And so it shall be still for Katherine.” Here it is again seen that, being tired of their meaningless fights and her dire hunger, Katherine concedes and declares that, for all she cares, the sun be the moon and overall Petruchio might as well define reality for her from then on.
Act IV is definitely one of the acts, with III, that has a major part in the play. Like you said, Act IV represents a turning point for Kate’s “shrewdness” as Petruchio keeps trying to break down her attitude. This attitude is a stark contrast from Act III when Kate defends herself in front of her new husband and father, claiming she can make her own decisions. “ Nay, then,/Do what thou canst, I will not go to-day/No, nor tomorrow, not till I please myself”. Kate breaking down from her defiance represents true frustration and exhaustion.
In Act IV scene III, we see Petruchio talking to Kate, Grumio, and Hortensio about leaving home and paying a visit to Katherina’s father, Baptista. Something that I found interesting was how Petruchio said, “Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor; / For ‘t is the mind that makes the body rich.” I really found this puzzling at first because I couldn’t decide if this was true words said on Petruchio’s part or if he was just saying it for dramatic affect. But I came to the conclusion that whether or not it is his true words, I think that this could be considered as something that reflects as what Shakespeare could have thought. Obviously, it is hard to say if this is true or not but I think it should be considered.
In Act V we see a larger change in Kate and how she acts. In the beginning, she was thought rude, violent, and shrewish to everyone. However, after Petruchio 'tamed' her (or tortured her, whatever your option) during their 'honeymoon' stay, we see a vast difference in the way Kate acts not only to her husband but to everyone else as well. Because of this, we can tell that the 'taming' has worked and Kate has changed enough to fit the views of societies woman at the time. However, the change in Kate is so drastic and sudden that it adds to the comical effect of the play and satirical effect that Shakespeare was trying to give the audience. Thus making it seem as though he is mocking the other play-writes of his time.
Aayush Bhatt I definitely agree with your point. Katherine has had a major transformation, as compared to the beginning acts, indeed largely due to Petruchio’s well refined skill of quote on quote taming. I would also like to add your point that not only has Katherine changed, but also, as mentioned in my post, so has Bianca. It is originally evident that Bianca is shy and apprehensive, which is why all the suitors would love to marry her. However, in Act 5 it is later revealed that she is not like that, when it is observed that she is shouting and insulting other individuals. I believe this is a comical standpoint, as it is thereby ironic that Kate is not the shrew, but rather Bianca is.
I agree with your assessment that Kate’s behavior definitely has the potential to be satirical. Like you mentioned, the change in behavior is so dramatic and immediate that it’s almost intended to make fun of other plays, like you mentioned. It is possible, although unlikely, that Shakespeare is making fun of himself. Petruchio and Kate fell in love after a few days, if a week, of knowing each other, much like Romeo and Juliet from Shakespeare's plays. This could be me being ignorant, but as I read your blog, it reminded me of that play in particular.
Aayush Bhatt- Blog #6 Upon reading Act 5 it is evident that, naturally being the last Act of the play, caps the inner play of Taming of the Shrew. Essentially, to summarize, Act 5 bestows the revelmant of Lucentio and his real father Vincentio, in addition to Lucentio’s wedding with Bianca. However, personally, I believe that the major part that is communicated through this act is the major transformations that take place in the actions and behaviors of Katherine and Bianca. In the beginning of the play, it is clearly evident that Katherine is an adamant woman who bashes all men and wishes not to marry to preserve her freedom, however, up to act 5 it is seen that Katherine has changed her attitude and respects every demand of her husband Petruchio. Shockingly, she delivers an astounding speech in scene II that states, “Fie fie unknit and first begin her...to wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor.....thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, the sovereign; one that cares for thee, and for thy maintenance commits his body to painful labour by both sea and land.........My hand is ready, may it do he please.” Essentially this great piece Katherine delivers goes as far to say that men are kings and women are their subjects, thereby expanding that women should obey a man's every command. Katherine also states that husbands work hard to protect their wives, so women should be obedient. Lastly, she concludes that Bianca and the Widow are bad individuals who are a shame to every wife. Her statements here are for sure in contradictory to her thinkings in Act I, proving that Petruchio’s “taming” worked. Now, when looking at Biana in Act 5 it is also evident that she has changes too. This is evident Baptisa and Grimio are conversing, Baptisa states, “How likes Gremio these quick-witted folks?” to which Gremio replies “ Believe me, sir, they butt together we'll” all to which Biana surprisingly responds, “Head and butt! an hasty-witted body Would say your head and butt were head and horn.” Basically, in this conversation, Grimio is Bianca jumps in and calls Gremio a “head and horn” animal ( a man who is cheated on by his wife). This statement comes in as surprise as Bianca was originally notes for cuteness and sweetness.
Aayush BhATT *Sorry this post didn't copy correctly, here's the full one: Upon reading Act 5 it is evident that, naturally being the last Act of the play, caps the inner play of Taming of the Shrew. Essentially, to summarize, Act 5 bestows the revaelmant of Lucentio and his real father Vincentio, in addition to Lucentio’s wedding with Bianca. However, personally, I believe that the major part that is communicated through this act is the major transformations that take place in the actions and behaviors of Katherine and Bianca. In the beginning of the play, it is clearly evident that Katherine is an adamant woman who bashes all men and wishes not to marry to preserve her freedom, however, up to act 5 it is seen that Katherine has changed her attitude and respects every demand of her husband Petruchio. Shockingly, she delivers an astounding speech in scene II that states, “Fie fie unknit and first begin her...to wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor.....thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, the sovereign; one that cares for thee, and for thy maintenance commits his body to painful labour by both sea and land.........My hand is ready, may it do he please.” Essentially in this great piece Katherine delivers goes as far to say that men are kings and women are their subjects, thereby expanding that women should obey a man's every command. Katherine also states that husbands work hard to protect their wives, so women should be obedient. Lastly, she concludes that Bianca and the Widow are bad individuals who are a shame to every wife. Her statements here are for sure in contradictory to her thinkings in Act I, proving that Petruchio’s “taming” worked. Now, when looking at Biana in Act 5 it is also evident that she has changed too. This is evident Baptisa and Grimio are conversing, Baptisa states, “How likes Gremio these quick-witted folks?” to which Gremio replies “ Believe me, sir, they butt together we'll” all to which Biana surprisingly responds, “Head and butt! an hasty-witted body Would say your head and butt were head and horn.” Basically, in this conversation, Grimio is stating that everyone in the wedding is butting heads and insulting each other, when all of a sudden Bianca jumps in and calls Gremio a “head and horn” animal ( a man who is cheated on by his wife). This statement comes in as surprise as Bianca was originally noted for her timidness and sweetness, while now she is shouting and insulting.
Kate’s behavior in Act V is certainly a character flip, which depending on your opinion is satirical or Kate actually becoming tamed. I like how you pointed that Bianca seemed to switch places with Kate. Originally, where Bianca is the safe and kind one who silently manipulates others, Kate is very upfront with her intentions and does not shy away from conflict. Now, Bianca is openly making fun of Gremio in front of others. This reminds me of Kate’s wedding when Bianca makes sly comments about Kate as she rides away with Petruchio. This, I believe is not satirical in the character change, and it shows a major revelation in Bianca’s behavior.
Act V is the conclusion and end to the comedic play, wrapping up nearly all of the loose ends and ending with a few chuckles. Vicentico, the real father, shows up in time to see the Pendant pretending to be him, which makes Lucentio have to explain himself to Baptista and his father about marrying Bianca. In the street, when Lucentio is talking and explaining himself. When it’s just Kate and Petruchio in the street, Petruchio tries to get Kate to kiss him. “Kath: Husband, let’s follow to see the end of this ado./ Pet: First kiss me, Kate, and we will./ Kath: What, in the midst of the street?/ Pet: What, art thou ashamed of me?’ (80). Here, there are several things that I noticed. Firstly, Kate asks permission to leave, rather than just leaving. Even though Kate is Padua, which is essentially her territory, she asks for permission. She has control here where everyone fears her, yet she asks for Petruchio’s blessing to leave. Second, after he asks Kate to kiss him and she replies, Petruchio begins by replying “What”. This reminds me immediately of when Petruchio was first wooing her by repeating and reversing everything he says. I interpret him flirting here as well as “taming” her. This inspires several emotions in me, the reader. One emotion the reader might feel is happiness where I am extremely happy that Petruchio is actually flirting with her instead of manipulating her. The other emotion that the reader might feel is disgust. Petruchio is only flirting with the tame Kate, not the real one.
I agree with you here. The way that Petruchio talks to her is sort of in a flirty way but also in a way that could be seen as him taming her. I think that this is a sort of mean and twisted way to make Kate "submit" to him because she doesn't realize it is happening and therefore cannot defend herself
In Act V, we see all the characters come together and learn the real identity of Lucentio and Tranio. But we also see Katherine at the end of the play basically submit to her new husband, Petruchio. He was able to “tame” her as he set out to do. I think that this was a really interesting how he chose to make her submit instead of holding her ground. Because to me, I think that it is pretty out of her character to submit to someone else. But it could be said that he chose to do this in order to shed light on how women often had to submit in their marriages and their everyday lives. They were forced to be the perfect wife and be presentable at all moments. So even though this action of Kate’s may seem a bit out of her character, it makes more sense when you think about what she had to do in order to be seen as a “good” wife in the Elizabethan era.
Ruthie Jaramillo
ReplyDeleteBlog 1
Through use of character development, Shakespeare sets the play Taming of the Shrew and introduces a major theme of marriage present throughout the play. When I first began to read Taming of the Shrew, I thought that the play was about Christopher Sly. Introduced as a drunken idiot with a sassy mouth, I immediately liked him. Christopher Sly is the kind of character found in all sorts of books, such as Haymitch in Hunger Games. I was disappointed when I found out he would not get a lot of dialogue in the story. However, though his part is relatively small, his influence is massive. When the Lord came into the bar, talking about his hunting dogs and which one he prefers, the smart-aleck drunk is passed out. Because of the previous character development, the reader understands why a egotistical Lord would play a prank on a regular drunk. In fact, the reader might even be on board with the plan.. Shakespeare smoothly introduces the theme of marriage throughout the dialogue of Sly and the Lord when Sly talks with his fake wife. “Sly: My men should call me ‘lord’: I am your good man. Page [Fake wife]: ...I am your wife in all obedience.” Here, the theme of marriage and obeying your husband, is presented smoothly, which becomes majorly in important with Bianca and Katherine.
Great points Ruthie! I enjoy that you liked the fact that Sly was introduced as a sassy, drunken idiot, it made me laugh! I also appreciate that you connected his persona back to another character in the Hunger Games! I completely agree with your thought on how Christopher Sly, although is a small character, plays a significant role in establishing the marriage aspect of the theme of The Taming of the Shrew!
DeleteIn the induction, we see the comedic story of the Lord who decides to trick a common drunkard into thinking that he is of rich birth. This in itself would seem to be an interesting plot for a play. But as we each know (if you read the play in the summer) you know that the play itself goes on about a different plot all together. This may seem really random and out of nowhere to a reader. But if you think back to the era that this play was written, you can understand it a bit more. The induction becomes comedic mainly because of the fact that a poor, unimportant man goes from his drunkard lifestyle to waking up believing that he is of noble birth. This is something that would have been incredibly out of the ordinary to people in the Elizabethan era. It could have been even something that intrigued some of the common people. It must have sounded like a sweet dream to them. Especially those who felt that they wanted what the rich noble men had. So it makes sense that Shakespeare would write something along the lines of the induction.
ReplyDeleteAayush Bhatt-Blog #1
ReplyDeleteThe Taming of the Shrew is a comical play by William Shakespeare written in the early 1590s. What separates this play from the others is Shakespeare's choice to include an induction. By definition, an induction is generally the opening of a play, whereby the author intends it to be an explanatory scene, summary, and/or text that stands outside. Similarly, in this induction, Shakespeare introduces the characters of Christopher Sly, the Lord and all of his respective servants. The induction opens with Christopher Sly, a drunk beggar, arguing with a Hostess over some glassware that he had supposedly broken. The arguments escalates and the hostess leaves to find the local authorities. Meanwhile, Sly passes out and a lord returning from a hunt discovers him. Totally disgusted with Sly, the lord decides he is going to play an elaborate prank to teach him a lesson. The Lord gives his crew orders to treat Sly as a noble lord, in order to trick him into believing that he is actually nobleman instead of a drunken beggar. All through the induction I saw potential themes of how noble classes can dictate the lives of those of lower classes and the theme of significance of marriage. We see the presence of the 1st theme when the lord’s huntsman states “Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose,” in response in whether or not Sly will truly believe that he is a nobleman. This shows that being a drunkard beggar and overall belonging to a lower class will mean that one can be easily manipulated by the likes of those richer, i.e the lord. The theme of marriage is evident when is appears that Sly resists all of the servants’ attempts to convince him that he is a lord until they tell him that he has a wife, whereby Sly immediately believes the servants and hence stating, “Am I a lord? And have I such a lady?” Here we see that the fact that Sly, as a nobleman, having a supposed “wife” suddenly reverses his thoughts in that he accepts that he is indeed a lord. This, thereby, showing the significance of marriage in life.
Arian Ghorbani - Blog #1
ReplyDeleteThis induction is Shakespeare emphasizing the lighthearted nature of this entire play. If you just read the entire thing straight and don't know that it's meant to be comical, it's possible that some people might take it seriously, but this rather cruel scene mirrors the cruel comedy of the entire play. Christopher Sly didn't deserve what this lord did to him, but the entire play gains an extra dimension when this scene is added in: the dimension of looking at it through the eyes of Sly himself, thinking that he is a lord. It creates layers of cruel comedy, rather than just the singular layer of the comedy itself. Even in his dark comedy, Shakespeare found the need to add dimensions.
Blog #1: Induction
ReplyDeleteThe induction scenes of “Taming of the Shrew” institutes the entire theme of borderline lies and game playing. All throughout this play, there is a lot of manipulation of the truth of who someone really is, figuratively and literally. Within the induction, the Lord plays a cruel trick on a so called ‘thug’ named Sly, inflicting the impression upon him that he is a rich Lord living an extremely lavish life, when in reality he’s not at all rich and is in fact an assumed drunk. This sets the whole theme of the play, as there is constant tricks being played upon the characters, such as when Lucentio acts as Cambio and Hortensio as Licio, all to ‘woo’ Bianca. This is all a lie to persuade Bianca to marry one of the two men, a precedent that was established in the induction of the play that resonates throughout the entire plot, even when trying to convince Kate to get married to someone first to uphold the family tradition that an older sister must get married first before any other daughter in the immediate family bloodline.
Sidney Brown
ReplyDeleteTaming of the Shrew Blog #1
While reading The Taming of the Shrew, I noticed a lot of Greek and Roman Mythology references. Gods such as Apollo, Greek god of the sun, poetry, music, medicine, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Venus, a Roman goddess was also mentioned. She is the Goddess of all thing beauty, love, and sex. This reference could very well be a foreshadowing to romance later in the play. Io is also mentioned. I had to do a little digging to find what she could represent. She was a mortal lover of Zeus, no surprise there. However, she was turned into a cow for quite a few decades so Hera wouldn't kill her. After she was turned back, she bore Zeus a son who became King of Egypt. Later on from her line Hercules was born. This didn't have much to do with the story though, so the best I could get out that was that it was foreshadowing for a baby later on. There were a few other mentions in the beginning but nothing else worth mentioning.
Aayush Bhatt - Blog #2
ReplyDeleteIn Act 1 of Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare seeks to establish the basis of the play whilst introducing some of the primary characters; such as Katherine, Bianca, Trianio, etc. Personally, what I found interesting In Act 1 was how Shakespeare comedically explored societal expectations on women's roles in a marriage. For example, in act 1 scene 1, when Traino lays eyes on Bianca for the very first time he states, “But in the other's silence do I see Maid's mild behavior and sobriety. Peace, Train.” With this quote the reader can observe men find women attractive only if they possess certain qualities; in Bianca’s case it is her “mild behavior and sobriety” insinuating that if a woman is silent and obedient she is often seen as an ideal candidate for wiserhood. Another aspect that expounds on the theme of inequality gender roles is the examination of Katherines character. Within the first few paragraphs of Act 1, it is evident that Katherine is a person full of pent up anger and is hence always aggressive, vociferous and stubborn. All of these qualities point to the fact that, according social expectations, Katherine is not an ideal candidate for a wife. Subsequently, in act 1, Katherine exclaims “Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not? What, shall I be appointed hours as though, be like, I knew not what to take and what to leave? Ha!” What I got from this quote is that Katherine in fact does not want to marry as she believes that all of her liberties will be robbed from her, which explains why she acts in such an unpreferred manner.
I think what you are saying is absolutely true. We can tell that in the play, Shakespeare sort of addresses gender roles and what the ideal wife sounds like. The qualities of Bianca are continuously praised while the qualities of Katherine are seen as evil and referred to as devilish. But, in truthfulness, neither one of the girls have better qualities than the other. They simply have different qualities.
DeleteRuthie Jaramillo
DeleteI appreciate your points about Katharina’s anger seeing that her frustration comes to something. Katharina is by far my favorite character of the play, and in my opinion, the most complex. Her tiredness and anger against the regular ideals of marriage has made her angry and bitter, causing her to lash out at men. This lashing out is one of her only ways that she can successfully have power over men, since most of them are too stupid or scared to reply intelligently. I believe that’s why Petruchio has such a profound effect on her.
In Act I of Taming of the Shrew, we see and meet the main characters of the play. We learn about each of their personalities and their general behaviors. Something that was interesting to me was how there are a lot of obvious things that make this play a comedy as opposed to any other type of play. Not only is the plot itself a hilarious thing, but the dialogue between the characters is witty and clever in how it creates humor. Simple things like a rhyme slipped into what someone is saying make the whole mood of the situation a bit more playful and light. Another thing that adds to this comedic tone is the light banter that is done between familiar characters. This can take the form as purely poking fun at a person or being a bit overzealous when using certain words. For example, in the beginning of scene 2, on lines 9-10 Grumio says, “Knock you here, sir? Why, sir, what am I, sir, that I should knock you here, sir?” The over usage of the term sir indicates a sort of mocking attitude towards the whole ordeal. Also, this is followed by a rather brash and rude remark back to Grumio who responds with, “ My master has grown quarrelsome. I should knock you first, And then I know after who comes by the worst.” Again, we can see a sarcastic and comedic tone here. We can conclude that based off of how there is the rhyming of “first” and “worst.” Minor things like this can be seen throughout even the beginning of the play which lets the reader/ spectator be aware of the fact that this isn;t a serious play and is for people to be amused by. But, at the same time, it could be said that Shakespeare made this play as a subtle way to talk about issues people faced / are facing while keeping the crowds pleased with the jests. There would have been the people who saw the play and then maybe never think about it again. But, there had to have been other types of people who may have heard Shakespeare's message and thought about it afterwards.
ReplyDeleteAayush Bhatt
DeleteI definitely agree with your comment. Comedy is omnipresent not only in Act 1 of Taming of the Shrew, but also in the whole play in general. To add to your comment I believe that, as I had mentioned before, Shakespeare employs comedy and sarcasm in act 1 to point out a flaw in social roles, specifically that of gender and women's roles in marriage. With this medium of comedy Shakespeare exposes the fact that women are meant to be docile in order to suffice her husbands “demands.” This view is indeed shared by the character Katharine, which is why she is ultimately stubborn and always act in angered yet comical way.
Ruthie Jaramillo
DeleteI love how you pointed out the humor evident in the play! Shakespeare is truly a master at humor, and even better at making fun of people without them knowing. My favorite humor lines are mostly from Katharina, where she insults the men around her viciously, such as, “I pray you,sir, is it your will/To make a stale of me amongst these mates?” and “...To comb your noodle with a three-legg’d stool/And paint your face and use you like a fool”. Her comments are so unfiltered that the men around her begin to call out to God for help and protection from the devil. This, I am sure got many laughs from the audience and added to te comedic tone of the play which assisted in the movement of the theme.
Arian Ghorbani -Blog #2
ReplyDeleteWith consideration of the induction, this act actually shows a really sad representation of what Shakespeare thought of the humor of the rich. The fact that what they say could at face value be taken as funny is farcical, and the fact that there was a play after which this one was named that took the subject matter seriously is a bit horrific. However, with the obvious tongue-in-cheek attitude of the play in all its ways, Shakespeare found the perfect way to balance making everybody laugh with a biting social commentary; the best way to change a person's mind is by forcing them to agree with you, and the best way to make somebody agree with you is to make them laugh. The rich people who laugh at the play will be laughing at caricatures of themselves, and in an attempt to remove themselves from the caricature, will keep away from the actions that would make them so.
Ruthie Jaramillo
ReplyDeleteBlog 2
In Act One and Scene One of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare sets up the tempestuous relationship between Katharina and everyone else. Katharina is a highly complex character, painted like a shrew but really just a young girl who feels unloved Katharina, her whole life, has lived in the shadow of her younger, “better” sister. Bianca has mastered the art of being an Elizabethan woman, staying quiet and obedient to the men in the room. Katharina, the smarter sister in my opinion, has opted for a different approach, and considers all men idiots and unworthy of her time. She considers marriages archaic and thinks that the way women are treated is pathetic. This is evident in her reply to Hornestio’s comment, to which she says, “I pray you, sir, is it your will/To make a stale of me amongst these mates?” Her snappy and sassy reply is evidence of her quick wit and intelligence, but the comment, which is soaked in bitterness, stems from the hurt in her heart. Katharina, if she has been talking openly her whole life, has been called nasty things. I believe that Katharina is not only hurt inside, but considers everyone else too stupid to understand.
Aayush Bhattt- Blog #3
ReplyDeleteAll through Act II I found many similarities to that of Act I. Primarily in the realm of marriage and the inequities it brings with it. For example, in scene I, whilst Baptisa attempts to negotiate the marriage of Bianca, he quotes, “Faith, gentlemen, now I play a merchant's part, and venture madly on a desperate mart.TRANIO, as Lucentio.'Twas a commodity lay fretting by you. 'Twill bring you gain, or perish on the seas.” Here we see that Baptista's metaphor distinctively spawns into existent his role as a certain merchant or businessmen in terms of negotiating the marriage of Bianca. In addition, this quote insinuates that the marriage of his daughters is not about their happinesses but rather a pleasure of business and the money it brings with it. This again exulting the recurring theme of exploitation of the absurd gender standards. Another quote brings about this same theme is when Katherine states, “He'll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage, make feasts, invite friends, and proclaim the banns,Yet never means to wed where he hath wooed. Now must the world point at poor Katharine And say, 'Lo, there is mad Petruchio's wife, If it would please him come and marry her.” In this quote, Katherine seeks to communicate that if one were to marry her then that individual would be subject to embarrassment for the rest of his life as it in society it is often observes that a wife’s behaviors and actions cam determine her husband's reputation and overall status in society.
Ruthie Jaramillo
DeleteI agree with you that there are quite a few similarities between Act One and Act Two as far as marriage goes, mainly because I think that marriage is overarching theme in the play. Act Two is my favorite part of the play, mostly because of the comedy involved with the themes of marriage. As Petruchio speaks with Baptista about the dowry and the logistics of marrying Katharina, Petruchio finally meets the woman they’re talking about. Katharina’s sharp tongue evenly matches Petruchio’s, and through their teasing, Shakespeare dives deeper into the theme of marriage and women bowing down to men. As they quarrel, and as the listeners laugh, Shakespeare pokes fun at the thought that women must bow down to men and be quiet.
Ruthie Jaramillo
ReplyDeleteBlog 3
Act Two of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew dives deep into the tempestuous relationship between Katharina and Bianca. The scene begins in Baptista’s House, where Katharina and Bianca enter. Bianca has been bound by her evil sister and is even hit by Katharina at one point. This makes the reader hesitant towards Katharina. At first, the reader might be enticed at Katharina’s wildness, as presented in Act One. However this scene makes the reader doubt Katharina’s good character. Tying and beating her sister? Abominable. This scene was written purposely by Shakespeare to present the complexity of Katharina’s anger and how much of an anti-heroine she is. Deep down, Katharina is just a sad, lonely teenager who has felt pushed away her whole life while her sister Bianca is welcomed with open arms. Katharina expresses her anger to her father when she says to her father, “What, will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see/She [Bianca] is your treasure, she must have a husband;”. Here, Katharina points out how her father is so worried about Bianca getting hurt and doesn’t care for her. Granted, Katharia did just slap her sister. But her meaning is not merely in the present, where he anger emerged. It’s in the name calling and the abandonment that Katharina has felt her whole life.
I completely agree with this. This act really set the tone for how we are supposed to think of Katherina. She is made to seem very angry and wild and volatile which in turn makes the reader/ audience very wary about having any sort of positive feelings toward her. But it makes a lot of sense that this is all purposeful because in a way, as you said, it makes sense that she would feel left out when her sister is the one constantly being praised while she is being pushed away.
DeleteSomething that I have noticed that Shakespeare is really successful in doing is he is able to make something known and impactful even when he does something so subtly. For example, in the beginning of the first scene of Act II, we see Petruchio ask Baptista about Katherine, “Katherina, fair and virtuous?” (43). And then Baptista answers back with a simple, “I have a daughter, sir, called Katherina.” (44). Here, it seems as if Shakespeare is trying to make it sound as if Baptista is almost making a joke by only agreeing to the fact that his daughter is called Katherina instead of also agreeing to the description Petruchio provided that said that she was fair and virtuous. It is a simple and subtle way of Shakespeare saying that Baptista acknowledges that his daughter is in fact NOT either of those things. For if he believed his eldest daughter to be fair and virtuous, he would have included that in his reply to Petruchio. Another subtle yet successful element that I noticed was how when Gremio was introducing Lucentio to Baptista, he said that his name was Cambio. This was something I didn’t really read into when I first read the play but as I read it for the second time, I found out that Cambio actually means “exchange” in Italian. This makes a lot of sense in this context because we know that Lucentio is “exchanging” his true identity for a false one in order to get close to Bianca. It was a simple and almost dismissable detail that Shakespeare put into the play but it really helps the play as a whole with its comedic tone.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very compelling thought, Nichola! As Ruthie pointed out, I appreciate that you went to find the deeper meaning behind the name Cambio! I too also made that connection as, in Spanish, the verb for "change" is "cambiar", so I thought that there was a similar translation in italian, and you found it! I find it completely captivating the idea of that there is a significance of people's names in literature! For example, to reference back to Siddhartha, the name Siddhartha itself means "one who has accomplished a goal", which conforms to the entire theme of the story, as Siddhartha ended up achieving enlightenment in the end of the story, of what his life goal stood as.
DeleteRuthie Jaramillo
ReplyDeleteI like how you did the extra research to discover what Cambio meant in Italian. It makes it funnier, at least for me, that the play was set in Padua, Italy! Shakespeare is a master at subtly creating an aura around a character without explicitly saying that the character is good or bad, like you mentioned with Katharina and Bianca. Take the name Katharina. According to https://www.behindthename.com, the name Katharina can be related from Greek to torture, a very fitting description based on Katharina’s rude rebuffs. Bianca is related to “Blanche”, which means white and fair. Based of the beginning descriptions of Act II, Bianca is the fair and innocent one, where Katharina is the tortured and the torturer.
Sorry this is a reply to Nichola's post :) ^^
DeleteAct 2 Blog
ReplyDeleteOf Act 2 Scene 1of Taming of the Shrew, I’ve noticed quite a few aspects of family bonds I hadn’t completely registered when reading this play the first time around. I recognized the sisterly battle between Kate and Bianca and how that’s where some of Kate’s wit, mentioned by Petruchio as “That hearing of her beauty and her wit, Her affability and bashful modesty, Her wondrous qualities and mild behavior, Am bold to show myself a forward guest Within your house, to make mine eye the witness Of that report which I so oft have heard.” (2.1.48-53), and anger stems from. For Kate, as I observed, has an internal battle with her sister to show to her father and to others that she has her own sentiments on being set up for marriage, and how she feels minuscule to her father compared to Bianca. Katherine had become so jealous and infuriated by Bianca that she resorted to the physical action of striking Bianca across the face! It seems like the conveyed sexism in this piece of literature is present throughout this play, however the bias never seems to be in the favor of Katherine as a woman of modesty, beauty and pleasantry (excluding Petruchio). For Katherine, there is always a lingering resentment towards Baptista for him not loving her as much as Bianca, for example in the line, “Why, how now, dame! whence grows this insolence?—/Bianca, stand aside.—/Poor girl, she weeps!/(to BIANCA) Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her./(to KATHERINE) For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit!/Why dost thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee?/When did she cross thee with a bitter word?” (25-27), illustrates the presence of favoritism of Bianca by Baptista as all he is caring about is her well being and not even having the desire to give thought to Katherine’s perspective on the situation, even if she is in the wrong. For example, in the lines, “What, will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see/She is your treasure, she must have a husband,/I must dance barefoot on her wedding day/And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell./Talk not to me. I will go sit and weep/Till I can find occasion of revenge.” (31-36), it is evident the abandonment and disregarded feeling Katherine is experiencing, by Shakespeare’s use of emotional diction such as descriptive words regarding Bianca like “She is your treasure” (32), “And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell” (34), and “Talk not to me. I will go sit and weep/Till I can find occasion of revenge.” (35-36). The lack of acknowledgement of Katherine’s sentiments and essentially her worth/significance by Baptista, her father, fuels Kate’s rage she has towards Bianca for being the favored child, and enriches the inevitable sibling rivalry between her and Bianca. Shakespeare incorporated this in order to institute the witty, rebellious personality of Katherine for the entire play, also to show where Katherine’s emotions stem from as well.
Arian Ghorbani - Blog #3
ReplyDeleteI think that one of the most ironic scenes in the context of this play is the scene where Petruchio attempts to "tame" Katherine by embarrassing them both publicly. Back in Victorian England, one of the most important concepts was that of social propriety. The fact that Petruchio was willing to debase himself to that level wouldn't be so understandably wrong in our current context, but back then, it would have been absolutely clear that what he was doing was hilariously disgusting. As commentary, this scene is genius in putting down the rich while never being obvious enough to annoy anybody. In the eyes of the rich, it's ridiculously funny. In the eyes of the poor, it's understandably funny.
Aayush Bhatt- #4
ReplyDeleteWhilst reading Act III, I thought of it to be a certain “turning point” in the play, with the marriage of Kate and Petruchio and Bianca finding a certain love interest in Lucentio. In Act I there was a quote that stood out from the rest and, in my opinion, partially reveals Bianca’s true character. Bianca was talking to Lucentio and Hortensio, or perhaps their fake personas, in terms of figuring out who she would accept tutour from first, shere consequently states “Why, gentlemen, you do me double wrong. To strive for that which resteth in my choice. I am no breeching scholar in the schools. I'll not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times, But learn my lessons as I please myself.” Here Bianca exclaims that that she is no mere rhetoric of a “breaching scholar” or schoolboy, but rather is heroin confident women. Furthermore, Bianca asserts that she herself has utter control over her own education and also more importantly over her relationship with men, contrary to how Baptista handles the situation with her sister Kate. Another quote that stood out to me was in Act II, when Petruchio exclaims; I will be master of what is mine own. She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, My household stuff, my field, my barn, My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything. And here she stands, touch her whoever dare.” Here the recurring theme of marriage or inequal societal roles/views is present. Here Petruchio's states that Katherine is set to be his property, like that of an”ox..ass...horse.” Petruchio is set to be a domineering husband, however, his expectations of Kate being completely inferior to him is very much uncommon as all Elizabethan women regardless of their husband's attitudes – once married, women had no legal rights of their own.
Very interesting points, Aayush! I completely agree with what you mentioned about Bianca asserts that she has all control of her education! I believe it could make her even more desirable to Lucentio and Hortensio in a way. I also agree with the point you made about the recurrence of the theme of unequal societal roles/views throughout this whole play, and how the concept of marriage plays into that! I really appreciate your thoughts on Act III, they are very intriguing!
DeleteRuthie Jaramillo
DeleteI agree that there is heavy marriage and power themes going on in this play. I like how you brought up the contrast between Bianca, who claims the power rests in her hands because she is the woman in demand, and Petruchio, who so explicitly states that he owns Katherina and all of her possessions. It makes me wonder if the stark difference is because Bianca is not yet married and Katharina is. As you said, there are legal rights that interfere with Katherina’s power. Perhaps the law is one reason as to why Petruchio is so confident that he controls Katherina completely.
Act III Blog
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Act III of Taming of The Shrew then reading a modern translation, I fully recognized the intended tone of the text. I noticed right away how entitled Bianca sounds when speaking to Lucentio (disguised as Cambio) and Hortensio (disguised as Litio), as the two men are beginning to quarrel in front of her. Biana knows she is desired by many and takes it to her advantage to channel some kind of authority, as shown in the line by Bianca, “Why, gentlemen, you do me double wrong/ To strive for that which resteth in my choice./ I am no breeching scholar in the schools./ I’ll not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times/ But learn my lessons as I please myself./ And, to cut off all strife, here sit we down.” (3.1.16-21). Here, Bianca makes it clear that she won’t be pushed around by either “Cambio” nor “Litio”, and that she will make decisions for herself, however she does recognize that they are arguing about who will teach her their specific craft first, as they are wanting to make the best impression on her first. In my opinion, Bianca seems to enjoy the attention but also thinks for herself as she receives this constant awe. I appreciate how Shakespeare characterizes Bianca this way in the play, as it adds more drama and provides a better understanding of Kate’s motives and her sentiments towards Bianca and her whole family.
Ruthie Jaramillo
DeleteI agree, and I certainly would not have noticed this without you pointing it out! This line in particular points out Bianca’s true nature as a very powerful young woman not afraid to take charge. It also highlights Bianca’s manipulative nature, which is also used when she convinces her father to feel sympathy towards her. Bianca clearly has mastered the art of manipulation and understands the basics of making a deal and having demand. Overall, Bianca’s characterization becomes more and more complex, which of course, makes the play seem more and more real.
Ruthie Jaramillo
ReplyDeleteI love Act III, particularly Scene II, mostly because of Katharina’s beautifully crafted insults and expert sass. During Scene II, a group of the characters are gathered for Kate and Petruchio’s marriage, and here, you can clearly see Kate kicking and resisting the marriage until the last second. “No shame but mine: I must, forsooth be forced/ To give my hand, opposed against my heart,” (45). This line is interesting to me because of the “opposed against my heart”. Her whole life, Kate has been ridiculed and hated for letting her personality be unfiltered. This has perpetually drained her confidence, even though she acts like it doesn’t bother her. Still, Kate desires for someone to respect and admire who she really is. This is not found in Petruchio, but it is a huge step forward. For someone like Kate, Petruchio’s resistance to bow down to her authority and attitude, a marriage to him is relatively nice. Through this, Kate is still hopeful for that one true love and exits the room weeping, to which her father replies that she better leave for disgracing such a saint as Petruchio. This whole encounter proves that Kate was still hopeful that someone would love her even as several others told her she would not be loved. This scene represents the last of Kate’s hope gone as she’s married off to a man that does not love her.
That is such a good point! I think that this was a really good way for Shakespeare to point out how it was for a lot of women in this time era and how unfair it was for some of them to expect to be happy with they marriage they have been provided with even if the man was a terrible husband. Bianca represents the girls who were able to get many suitors and had all the choices in the world. But Katherine represents the girls that were forced into marriage and she shows the unfairness that many girls faced throughout their lives.
DeleteAayush Bhatt
DeleteI definitely agree with your point. As I had said in my post, even upon the day of her marriage, Katherine is still seen as an inferior individual who, upun marrying petruchio, is expected to be subject to that of a literal ox or ass, in terms being branded as property of Petruchio. As you said, this is yet another instance that Shakespeare soughts to utilize humour, through the sassiness of Katherine, to point out a flaw in societal standards regarding women's status in the community. As Nichola said, Katherine is subject to this mistreatment because of her wantings to be liberated and experience life without men, whereas Bianca is surrounded by suitors because of her so perceived attitude of “subtleness and quietness.”
In Act III Scene II, something that stood out to me was the discussion between Biondello and Baptista about the whereabouts and condition of Petruchio. Firstly, I thought it was interesting when Bion. initially came in, he sort of messed with Baptista a bit when he spoke of Petruchio coming to the wedding. “Master, master! News, old news, and such news as you never / heard of!” And then this escalated the conversation into a bit of a banter back and forth between the two men. For the next 8 lines, they each said and responded with very short and quick responses. Then this is interrupted when Tranio asks of the “old news” and this ends up making Biondello go into a 16 line rant about Petruchio and how he is indeed coming but in a very poor state. This contrast between the quick and short to the long and winded dialogue almost highlights the absurdity of the play and fits right in with the overall genre of it. Also, A few lines after Biondello’s rant, Baptista and him have a shared dialogue in the space of 6 lines but in each line, each man says the word “come” (or came or comes) at least once. This also falls in line with the comedic aspect of the play. Both of these are useful in the play because the help support the idea of the play being sort of silly and that it isn’t supposed to make any sense and is meant to be funny.
ReplyDeleteRuthie Jaramillo
ReplyDeleteAct Four Blog
Act four of Taming of the Shrew begins with servants of Petruchio, Curtis and Grumio, and their struggle to prepare everything for their master. When Petruchio arrives, he immediately begins complaining at all of the things the servants are doing wrong. Aggravated, he calls for the meal immediately then claims that the meat is burnt, pushing it off the table. Throughout this, Kate is tired and hungry. She even pleads for her new husband to be more patient with the servants, saying “I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet./The meat was well, if you were so contented.” This line, in particular, stuck out to me because Kate was so tire and famished that she encouraged someone else to be patient. As described by Curtis, she is so overwhelmed and hungry that when Petruchio was complaining again, she just sat there, astonished “Knows not which way to stand, to look, to speak,/And sits as one new-risen from a dream.” Kate has had such a day that she not only encourages her husband to be patient, but she also has lost all of her confidence. This is because she has been separated from her home. In Padua, she understood all of the variables and was able to control them. She understood the dynamics of her home and knew who to yell at to get her way. With Petruchio, she doesn’t understand any of that. The sudden change of scenery has rocked her so much that she has lost her confidence and usual sassy attitude.
I completely agree with your thought, Ruthie! I too noticed what you pointed out and I find it fascinating how Kate's actions and thought process changed so drastically after she herself has suffered a bit! Kate has never had to beg for anything before in her life, because, as you wonderfully pointed out, she could understand all the variables of a situation and control them as she saw fit, not what other thought was suitable. As I agree with that, within all her suffering, Kate has lost her sassy attitude, I don't at all think she has lost her confidence. For example, in scene iii, with no hesitation whatsoever, Kate completely stands her ground and declares that she can make her own decisions and can think entirely for herself. All your points are very insightful and well thought! I really enjoyed reading what you had to say about this act!
DeleteAct IV Blog
ReplyDeleteOf Act IV, scene iii of Taming of the Shrew, characterization of Kate and Petruchio as individuals persists. Within Act IV as a whole, Petruchio becomes increasingly bitter towards Kate, as a husband to his wife, this is extremely cruel. Petruchio starves Kate, deprives her of sleep and curses her constantly. However, as it phases Kate, it doesn’t make her any more submissive to Petruchio. Within Kate’s lines of: “The more my wrong, the more his spite appears./ What, did he marry me to famish me?/ Beggars that come unto my father’s door/ Upon entreaty have a present alms./ If not, elsewhere they meet with charity./ But I, who never knew how to entreat,/ Nor never needed that I should entreat,/ Am starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep,/ With oaths kept waking and with brawling fed./ And that which spites me more than all these wants,/ He does it under name of perfect love,/ As who should say, if I should sleep or eat,/ 'Twere deadly sickness or else present death./ I prithee, go and get me some repast,/ I care not what, so it be wholesome food.” (4.3.2-16), it describes how Kate has never had to beg for anything in all of her life, especially something as essential as food and sleep. What I noticed about this fact is since she’s never had to beg for anything in her life, she has never had to submit to anything she didn’t want to give in to (i.e. her father and his rules, and now Petruchio’s cruelty). By accepting food from Petruchio without some kind of verbal or physical battle (KATE: “Thank you, sir” (47)), Kate is slowly submitting to their--in Kate’s perspective, unsought, betrothal, by becoming more cooperative. However, Kate also refuses to indulge in Petruchio’s dominance when the hatmaker arrives and she refuses to Petruchio when he demands a bigger cap than what was brought: I’ll have no bigger. This doth fit the time,/ And gentlewomen wear such caps as these.” (70-71), “Why, sir, I trust I may have leave to speak,/ And speak I will. I am no child, no babe./ Your betters have endured me say my mind,/ And if you cannot, best you stop your ears./ My tongue will tell the anger of my heart/ Or else my heart, concealing it, will break,/ And, rather than it shall, I will be free/ Even to the uttermost, as I please, in words.(75-82). Kate first says what she desires, then takes a complete stand for herself against Hortensio and Petruchio. As Kate is persisting through this misery, Petruchio knows full well of his actions and how their affecting Kate. For example, still in reference to scene iii, Hortensio enters with Petruchio and declares to Petruchio that he is to blame for Kate’s suffering (“Signior Petruchio, fie, you are to blame./ Come, mistress Kate, I’ll bear you company.” (48-49)), and that he has gone too far, however, Petruchio talks to him in seclusion from Kate about the matter, as if he is in the midst of an elaborate scheme of some sort: “(aside to HORTENSIO)/Eat it up all, Hortensio, if thou lovest me.—/ Much good do it unto thy gentle heart.” (50-52). By reading the context that Shakespeare has incorporated in this portion of the play, I firmly believe he meant to subtly integrate the vulnerability of Petruchio, through the character’s constant use of sarcasm and mockery, Petruchio is slowly discovering and exhibiting his feelings for Kate. He’s beginning to provide her with food and not keeping her in their home! By them going to Baptista’s house, Kate is revisiting her old life, although it wasn’t the most sane or normal, it’s briefly granting her what she desires most, change from the most recent lifestyle she has been living in.
Aayush Bhatt
DeleteI definitely agree with your point! Petruchio does indeed become indirectly heavily bitter towards Kate. As you exemplified, Petruchio does this so by being persistent that everything be perfect, which in turn results to Katherine being tired, hungry, and overall uncomfortable with life. I believe Petruchio does so in order to “tame” her, meaning that Katherine eventually succumbs or concedes to whatever actions Petruchio forces, not matter how ridiculous the demand. Lastly, as you had mentioned, Katherine is slowly submitting to Petruchio, and I believe that Katherine finally FULLY submits in Act IV when she agrees with Petruchio to say the sun is in actuality the moon.
Ruthie Jaramillo
DeleteAayush, I think you brought up a fantastic point that Kate finally submitted to Petruchio whens he agrees with him. This marks a MAJOR turning point for her character. Again, I am reminded of the scene in Act III when she openly defies Petruchio in front of all of the wedding and all of the wedding guests. However, when she is starved, exhausted, and tired, she becomes more compliant. Adding on to this, I think us as a group are skipping over the fact that Petruchio is starving someone for his personal game. If someone was starving an animal, everyone would flip out. Granted, this is a satire so the starving is definitely for comedic purposes. However, it does not take away the fact that Petruchio is essentially draining Kate to make her more compliant.
Aayush Bhatt-Blog #5
ReplyDeleteAct IV plays a heavily integral part in the overarching play of Taming of the Shrew. With the continuation of disrespectfulness and “taming” from Petruchio to his newlywed wife Katherine, in addition to the final concedness of Katherine to become submissive, Act IV takes into account the elements of all past acts whilst implementing a final sort of closing in order to make it the most key act. What I found interesting in this act was how Petruchio specifically played out his so called “taming.” Specifically it is seen that Petruchio frustrates Katherine by consistently being persistent in making everything perfect for her, which in turn forces Katherine to be hungry, tired, and generally uncomfortable. With this exaggerating persistence, it can be seen later that Katherine finally succumbs to Petruchio in order to live her life with all necessities.Katherine is finally broken down in scene 5 when Petruchio forces Katherine to transform an individual into a virgin, whereby Katherine states “Young budding virgin, fair and fresh and sweet, Whither away, or where is thy abode? Happy the parents of so fair a child! Happier the man whom favorable stars Allot thee for his lovely bedfellow!” Here it is seen that Katherine pretends that the individual is a lovely young woman, when in reality Katherine thinks otherwise, in order to suffice Petruchio’s demands. Additionally, later in the scene, when Petruchio forces Katherine to say that the sun is really the moon, she states “Then God be blessed, it is the blessed sun, But sun it is not when you say it is not, And the moon changes even as your mind. What you will have it named, even that it is, And so it shall be still for Katherine.” Here it is again seen that, being tired of their meaningless fights and her dire hunger, Katherine concedes and declares that, for all she cares, the sun be the moon and overall Petruchio might as well define reality for her from then on.
Ruthie Jaramillo
DeleteAct IV is definitely one of the acts, with III, that has a major part in the play. Like you said, Act IV represents a turning point for Kate’s “shrewdness” as Petruchio keeps trying to break down her attitude. This attitude is a stark contrast from Act III when Kate defends herself in front of her new husband and father, claiming she can make her own decisions. “ Nay, then,/Do what thou canst, I will not go to-day/No, nor tomorrow, not till I please myself”. Kate breaking down from her defiance represents true frustration and exhaustion.
In Act IV scene III, we see Petruchio talking to Kate, Grumio, and Hortensio about leaving home and paying a visit to Katherina’s father, Baptista. Something that I found interesting was how Petruchio said, “Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor; / For ‘t is the mind that makes the body rich.” I really found this puzzling at first because I couldn’t decide if this was true words said on Petruchio’s part or if he was just saying it for dramatic affect. But I came to the conclusion that whether or not it is his true words, I think that this could be considered as something that reflects as what Shakespeare could have thought. Obviously, it is hard to say if this is true or not but I think it should be considered.
ReplyDeleteBy Sidney Brown
ReplyDeleteBlog for Act V
In Act V we see a larger change in Kate and how she acts. In the beginning, she was thought rude, violent, and shrewish to everyone. However, after Petruchio 'tamed' her (or tortured her, whatever your option) during their 'honeymoon' stay, we see a vast difference in the way Kate acts not only to her husband but to everyone else as well. Because of this, we can tell that the 'taming' has worked and Kate has changed enough to fit the views of societies woman at the time. However, the change in Kate is so drastic and sudden that it adds to the comical effect of the play and satirical effect that Shakespeare was trying to give the audience. Thus making it seem as though he is mocking the other play-writes of his time.
Aayush Bhatt
DeleteI definitely agree with your point. Katherine has had a major transformation, as compared to the beginning acts, indeed largely due to Petruchio’s well refined skill of quote on quote taming. I would also like to add your point that not only has Katherine changed, but also, as mentioned in my post, so has Bianca. It is originally evident that Bianca is shy and apprehensive, which is why all the suitors would love to marry her. However, in Act 5 it is later revealed that she is not like that, when it is observed that she is shouting and insulting other individuals. I believe this is a comical standpoint, as it is thereby ironic that Kate is not the shrew, but rather Bianca is.
Ruthie Jaramillo
DeleteI agree with your assessment that Kate’s behavior definitely has the potential to be satirical. Like you mentioned, the change in behavior is so dramatic and immediate that it’s almost intended to make fun of other plays, like you mentioned. It is possible, although unlikely, that Shakespeare is making fun of himself. Petruchio and Kate fell in love after a few days, if a week, of knowing each other, much like Romeo and Juliet from Shakespeare's plays. This could be me being ignorant, but as I read your blog, it reminded me of that play in particular.
Aayush Bhatt- Blog #6
ReplyDeleteUpon reading Act 5 it is evident that, naturally being the last Act of the play, caps the inner play of Taming of the Shrew. Essentially, to summarize, Act 5 bestows the revelmant of Lucentio and his real father Vincentio, in addition to Lucentio’s wedding with Bianca. However, personally, I believe that the major part that is communicated through this act is the major transformations that take place in the actions and behaviors of Katherine and Bianca. In the beginning of the play, it is clearly evident that Katherine is an adamant woman who bashes all men and wishes not to marry to preserve her freedom, however, up to act 5 it is seen that Katherine has changed her attitude and respects every demand of her husband Petruchio. Shockingly, she delivers an astounding speech in scene II that states, “Fie fie unknit and first begin her...to wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor.....thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, the sovereign; one that cares for thee, and for thy maintenance commits his body to painful labour by both sea and land.........My hand is ready, may it do he please.” Essentially this great piece Katherine delivers goes as far to say that men are kings and women are their subjects, thereby expanding that women should obey a man's every command. Katherine also states that husbands work hard to protect their wives, so women should be obedient. Lastly, she concludes that Bianca and the Widow are bad individuals who are a shame to every wife. Her statements here are for sure in contradictory to her thinkings in Act I, proving that Petruchio’s “taming” worked. Now, when looking at Biana in Act 5 it is also evident that she has changes too. This is evident Baptisa and Grimio are conversing, Baptisa states, “How likes Gremio these quick-witted folks?” to which Gremio replies “ Believe me, sir, they butt together we'll” all to which Biana surprisingly responds, “Head and butt! an hasty-witted body Would say your head and butt were head and horn.” Basically, in this conversation, Grimio is Bianca jumps in and calls Gremio a “head and horn” animal ( a man who is cheated on by his wife). This statement comes in as surprise as Bianca was originally notes for cuteness and sweetness.
Aayush BhATT
Delete*Sorry this post didn't copy correctly, here's the full one:
Upon reading Act 5 it is evident that, naturally being the last Act of the play, caps the inner play of Taming of the Shrew. Essentially, to summarize, Act 5 bestows the revaelmant of Lucentio and his real father Vincentio, in addition to Lucentio’s wedding with Bianca. However, personally, I believe that the major part that is communicated through this act is the major transformations that take place in the actions and behaviors of Katherine and Bianca. In the beginning of the play, it is clearly evident that Katherine is an adamant woman who bashes all men and wishes not to marry to preserve her freedom, however, up to act 5 it is seen that Katherine has changed her attitude and respects every demand of her husband Petruchio. Shockingly, she delivers an astounding speech in scene II that states, “Fie fie unknit and first begin her...to wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor.....thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, the sovereign; one that cares for thee, and for thy maintenance commits his body to painful labour by both sea and land.........My hand is ready, may it do he please.” Essentially in this great piece Katherine delivers goes as far to say that men are kings and women are their subjects, thereby expanding that women should obey a man's every command. Katherine also states that husbands work hard to protect their wives, so women should be obedient. Lastly, she concludes that Bianca and the Widow are bad individuals who are a shame to every wife. Her statements here are for sure in contradictory to her thinkings in Act I, proving that Petruchio’s “taming” worked. Now, when looking at Biana in Act 5 it is also evident that she has changed too. This is evident Baptisa and Grimio are conversing, Baptisa states, “How likes Gremio these quick-witted folks?” to which Gremio replies “ Believe me, sir, they butt together we'll” all to which Biana surprisingly responds, “Head and butt! an hasty-witted body Would say your head and butt were head and horn.” Basically, in this conversation, Grimio is stating that everyone in the wedding is butting heads and insulting each other, when all of a sudden Bianca jumps in and calls Gremio a “head and horn” animal ( a man who is cheated on by his wife). This statement comes in as surprise as Bianca was originally noted for her timidness and sweetness, while now she is shouting and insulting.
Ruthie Jaramillo
DeleteKate’s behavior in Act V is certainly a character flip, which depending on your opinion is satirical or Kate actually becoming tamed. I like how you pointed that Bianca seemed to switch places with Kate. Originally, where Bianca is the safe and kind one who silently manipulates others, Kate is very upfront with her intentions and does not shy away from conflict. Now, Bianca is openly making fun of Gremio in front of others. This reminds me of Kate’s wedding when Bianca makes sly comments about Kate as she rides away with Petruchio. This, I believe is not satirical in the character change, and it shows a major revelation in Bianca’s behavior.
Ruthie Jaramillo
ReplyDeleteBlog 6
Act V is the conclusion and end to the comedic play, wrapping up nearly all of the loose ends and ending with a few chuckles. Vicentico, the real father, shows up in time to see the Pendant pretending to be him, which makes Lucentio have to explain himself to Baptista and his father about marrying Bianca. In the street, when Lucentio is talking and explaining himself. When it’s just Kate and Petruchio in the street, Petruchio tries to get Kate to kiss him. “Kath: Husband, let’s follow to see the end of this ado./ Pet: First kiss me, Kate, and we will./ Kath: What, in the midst of the street?/ Pet: What, art thou ashamed of me?’ (80). Here, there are several things that I noticed. Firstly, Kate asks permission to leave, rather than just leaving. Even though Kate is Padua, which is essentially her territory, she asks for permission. She has control here where everyone fears her, yet she asks for Petruchio’s blessing to leave. Second, after he asks Kate to kiss him and she replies, Petruchio begins by replying “What”. This reminds me immediately of when Petruchio was first wooing her by repeating and reversing everything he says. I interpret him flirting here as well as “taming” her. This inspires several emotions in me, the reader. One emotion the reader might feel is happiness where I am extremely happy that Petruchio is actually flirting with her instead of manipulating her. The other emotion that the reader might feel is disgust. Petruchio is only flirting with the tame Kate, not the real one.
I agree with you here. The way that Petruchio talks to her is sort of in a flirty way but also in a way that could be seen as him taming her. I think that this is a sort of mean and twisted way to make Kate "submit" to him because she doesn't realize it is happening and therefore cannot defend herself
DeleteIn Act V, we see all the characters come together and learn the real identity of Lucentio and Tranio. But we also see Katherine at the end of the play basically submit to her new husband, Petruchio. He was able to “tame” her as he set out to do. I think that this was a really interesting how he chose to make her submit instead of holding her ground. Because to me, I think that it is pretty out of her character to submit to someone else. But it could be said that he chose to do this in order to shed light on how women often had to submit in their marriages and their everyday lives. They were forced to be the perfect wife and be presentable at all moments. So even though this action of Kate’s may seem a bit out of her character, it makes more sense when you think about what she had to do in order to be seen as a “good” wife in the Elizabethan era.
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