Introduction to Shakespeare
1. Introduction
This essay intends to examine the attitude towards women which becomes evident in William Shakespeare´s play The Taming Of The Shrew, which has been written between the years 1590 - 1594. It also tries to find an answer to the question of feminist considerations playing a role in this early work of Shakespeare. Besides that, I would like to rate the play myself.
2. The role of women in The Taming Of The Shrew
During the reading of secondary literature about The Taming Of The Shrew I found two remarkable quotations which express how different readers and critics see the attitude towards women in the play. Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch of the New Shakespeare judged it "primitive, somewhat brutal stuff and tiresome, if not positively offensive to any modern civilised man or modern woman. […] We do not and cannot, whether for better or worse, easily think of a woman and her wedlock vow to obey quite in terms of a spaniel, a wife and a walnut tree - the more you whip ´em the better they be." In contrast to him, Anne Burton wrote in the year 1974 about Petruchio´s behaviour towards Katherina: "He (Petruchio) is a man who genuinely prizes Katherina, and, by exploiting an age-old and basic antagonism between the sexes, manouevres her into an understanding of his nature and also of her own." Thinking of these two totally contrary opinions, I could not really decide on which one I agreed with more, because both of them seem to be right in a certain way. On the one hand side Petruchio´s way of how to "tame" his wife Katherina and especially the methods he uses seem to be very rude and almost sadistic, not only from our point of view today. Restraining her from basic needs like sleep or food and ridiculing her in presence of her family on their wedding day, it appears like he wants to hurt her physically as well as mentally. On the other hand it is Katherine herself who invalidates this opinion by her devoted final speech on wifely obedience (V.ii.137:"Fie, fie! Unknit that threatening unkind brow"). She points out how a woman should understand her part in married life: "Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee, […] whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe" (V.ii.146-151) This speech not only symbolises how much Katherine has changed during the play, how she has been "tamed", it also shows a woman who is in love and who ultimately seems happy with her married life. Ruth Nevo believes that this is "what the play invites us to perceive" (Nevo, 1980, 50). Katherina finally found somebody who suits her. Petruchio not only succeeds in silencing her tongue and her temper, he wins her love by doing this. I think Ruth Nevo´s point of view is quite right. Kate gradually reveals throughout the play that she even prefers the advantages of being married; when Petruchio is late in arriving to the wedding, she fears the loneliness of being an old maid far more than the constricts of a marriage. It would hardly have done her any good to have married a "weak" man who would always consent to her strong will and endure her tongue-lashings, for that marriage could never have meant anything but a boring life. Another critic, Ralph Berry, sees the two main characters as a "husband-wife team, that has settled to its own satisfaction, the rules of its games, and now preaches them unctuously to friends" (Berry,1972,7) whereby Katherine is the one who adopts to the rules of these games with "hyperbolically and ironic amusement" (Nevo, 1980, 38). An interesting feminist comment on the plot is given by Germaine Greer, comparing the relationship between Katherine and Petruchio with the one of her sister Bianca: "The submission of a woman like Kate is genuine and exciting because she has something to lay down, her virgin pride and individuality: Bianca is the soul of duplicity…" (Greer, 1971, 220-1). Although I understand what Ms Greer wants to express by judging both relationships, I cannot draw a line to Shakespeare´s actual intention. I am sure he did not write The Taming Of The Shrew in order to comment on the role women played in the Elizabethan society, or going further, to give a political statement, his only wish was to entertain his audience. This whole fighting, "the battle" between the sexes, verbal teasing, provoking by words as well as by behaviour and the seducing served as enjoyment for his contemporaries, for the actors as well as the spectators. Shakespeare tried to evoke a special excitement, he knew that the audience would respond to sexual hints and double-meanings. Ruth Nevo underlines this saying "nothing is more stimulating to the imagination than the tension of sexual conflict and sexual anticipation" (Nevo, 1980, 38). Another method to bring about this "special excitement" is the inclusion of disguises, a very popular literary means in comedies, no matter when they were written. In The Taming of the Shrew the first character to take a disguise is the page Bartholomew, a young boy who has to play the wife of Christopher Sly, the drunken tinker of the Induction. I think Shakespeare chose this role and gender change to start of the play in order to excite the audience right from the beginning. Sly even wants sex with his "wife": "Madam, undress you and come now to bed" (IND.ii.117). The clear and commanding words he uses give a good example of how the man dominated every part in married life during Shakespeare´s time. After all, the disguised page has to answer quickly: "[I] should yet absent me from your bed", he responds, lest "incur your former malady" and hopes "that this reason stands for my excuse" (IND.ii.124). Ruth Nevo calls this "former malady" an "imposed delusion" and draws a line to the plot: "Katherina´s (illness) is self-imposed and requires the therapies of comedy" (Nevo, 1980, 39). As the title suggests, the play is about a shrew, presented by Katherina, and her transformation into a loving, good wife. This transformation is the play´s major dramatic element and it all ends up in the question if Petruchio is the right man to change Katherina, to "tame" her. The only answer I found is "Yes". Only a careless, self-assured and intelligent man like Petruchio is able to break through the walls of words Katherina has put up in order to avoid getting married to the wrong man, her first words are: "I pray you, sir, is it your will to make a stale of me amongst these mates?" (I.i. 57-8) When we analyse the role women played in The Taming Of The Shrew we must remember to be mindful of the society in which Shakespeare wrote the comedy. In this period, marriages were made for the convenience of the fathers (in this case Baptista) far more often than for a love already existing between the bride and groom. Sometimes the couple have not even met before their marriage. A relationship in which both find love had to develop, the best option was to learn to love one´s partner. Petruchio and Kate go this way, in contrast to Lucentio and Bianca; they seem to act upon "love at first sight". Lucentio and Bianca seem to be made for each other from the beginning of the play, in the end it is Petruchio and Katherina who represent the "perfect match".
3.Conclusion
I can understand that The Taming of The Shrew is abhorrent to a kind of modern feminist critic. The play ends with a devote speech about total subservience to the husband, and says at different points that the man is the woman´s lord, king, governor, life, keeper, head and sovereign. Katherine also stereotypes women as physically weak and she suggests that they should make their personality mild to match: "Why are our bodies soft, and weak, and smooth […] But that our soft conditions and our hearts/ Should well agree with our external parts?" (V.ii.169-172) It makes it all even "worse" that even Katherina, who has been so self- confident and rebellious, has lost all her spirit of contradiction. Another point is the way she has been tamed, she was not allowed to eat and she was not allowed to sleep. It goes without saying that this view of a women´s role in marriage would be unacceptable to the modern world. I think this feminist approach to Shakespeare´s Taming Of The Shrew is wrong and cannot lead to success. I believe that when Shakespeare finished the writing for his comedy he was really happy with it, for him, it had everything a good comedy should have: disguise, sexual associations, and, last but not least, a happy ending. He didn´t even consider how women could find it offensive a couple of centuries after him. His contemporaries would not criticise him for his anti-feminism. The Taming had always been a stage success, so Shakespeare succeeded in entertaining his audience. I watched the 1967 movie version of The Taming Of The Shrew by Franco Zeffirelli starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. It was definitely more fun than reading the play and it was good entertainment. Even today.
4. Bibliography:
1. Berry, Ralph, 1972. Shakespeare´s Comedies, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, p. 7
2. Greer, Germaine, 1971. The Female Eunuch. New York: Mc Graw Hill
3. Nevo, Ruth, 1980. Comic Transformations In Shakespeare. Cambridge: University Press Cambridge
4. Quiller-Couch, Sir Arthur, 1928. The New Shakespeare Edn. Introduction. Cambridge: University Press Cambridge, p. 15
5. Shakespeare, William, app.1590-94 (1962). The Taming Of The Shrew. Cambridge: University Press Cambridge
Frequently asked questions about Introduction to Shakespeare
What is the main theme of the essay "Introduction to Shakespeare" regarding "The Taming of the Shrew"?
The essay examines the attitude towards women in William Shakespeare's play "The Taming of the Shrew," exploring whether feminist considerations play a role in this early work. It also includes a personal rating of the play.
What are the contrasting views presented about the play's portrayal of women?
Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch found the play "primitive" and "offensive," while Anne Burton viewed Petruchio's behavior as a way of helping Katherina understand herself.
How does Katherina's final speech impact the interpretation of her character?
Her devoted final speech on wifely obedience (V.ii.137:"Fie, fie! Unknit that threatening unkind brow") suggests a transformation and happiness in her married life, challenging the view that she is merely oppressed.
What does Ruth Nevo believe about Katherina's character?
Ruth Nevo believes that Katherina ultimately finds someone who suits her and that the play invites us to perceive her happiness.
How does Ralph Berry describe the relationship between Katherina and Petruchio?
Ralph Berry sees them as a "husband-wife team" who have established their own rules and preach them to others, with Katherina adopting the rules with ironic amusement.
What is Germaine Greer's feminist comment on the relationship between Katherina and Petruchio compared to Bianca's relationship?
Germaine Greer suggests that Katherina's submission is genuine and exciting because she has something to lay down, while Bianca's character embodies duplicity.
What is the essay's perspective on Shakespeare's intention in writing "The Taming of the Shrew"?
The essay argues that Shakespeare's primary intention was to entertain his audience, rather than to make a political statement about the role of women in Elizabethan society.
How does the inclusion of disguises contribute to the play's excitement?
The use of disguises, such as the page Bartholomew playing Christopher Sly's wife, adds excitement and highlights the male dominance of the time.
What is the essay's conclusion about Petruchio's role in "taming" Katherina?
The essay concludes that only a careless, self-assured, and intelligent man like Petruchio could break through Katherina's defensive walls and that his character is not necessarily seen as negative given the social context and the intended humor.
How does the essay contextualize the play within the society in which it was written?
The essay emphasizes that marriages were often arranged for convenience in that era, and relationships developed over time. Katherina and Petruchio are portrayed as finding love, in contrast to Lucentio and Bianca, who seem to act upon "love at first sight" and end with Petruchio and Katherina as the "perfect match".
What is the essay's overall conclusion regarding the play's modern reception, especially from a feminist perspective?
The essay recognizes that "The Taming of the Shrew" can be abhorrent to modern feminists due to its themes of female subservience. However, it argues that judging the play through a contemporary lens is wrong, and that Shakespeare's goal was entertainment, rather than promotion of anti-feminist ideals.
What media is included in the essay?
The essay references the 1967 movie version of The Taming Of The Shrew by Franco Zeffirelli starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor and finds it good entertainment.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Michael Wilmes (Autor:in), 2000, Introduction to Shakespeare, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/97830
