118 lines
7.2 KiB
Plaintext
118 lines
7.2 KiB
Plaintext
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßÛßßßßßÛÛÜ ÜÜßßßßÜÜÜÜ ÜÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÛßß ßÛÛ
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ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛ ÜÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜ ßÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÝ Ûß
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ßßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÞÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßßÛÜÞÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÞß
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Mo.iMP ÜÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ßÛß
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ß ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÜÜ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛ ßÛÛÛÛÛ Ü ÛÝÛÛÛÛÛ Ü
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ÜÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ßÛÜ ßÛÛÛÜÜ ÜÜÛÛÛß ÞÛ ÞÛÛÛÝ ÜÜÛÛ
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ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÜÜÜß ÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÛÛÛß
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ßÛÜ ÜÛÛÛß ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÜÜ ßßÜÛÛßß ßÛÛÜ ßßßÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ßßßßß ßßÛÛß ßßßßß ßßßßßßßßßßßßß
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ARRoGANT CoURiERS WiTH ESSaYS
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Grade Level: Type of Work Subject/Topic is on:
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[ ]6-8 [ ]Class Notes [Essay on William Shake- ]
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[x]9-10 [ ]Cliff Notes [speare's The Taming ]
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[ ]11-12 [x]Essay/Report [of the Shrew ]
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[ ]College [ ]Misc [ ]
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Dizzed: o4/95 # of Words:1035 School: ? State: ?
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>Chop Here>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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Analytic Play Review
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The Taming Of The Shrew
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Michael Christoff 12H
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The Taming Of The Shrew by William Shakespeare is probably one of
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Shakespeare's earliest comedies. Its plot is derived from the popular 'war
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of the sexes' theme in which males and females are pitted against one
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another for dominance in marriage. The play begins with an induction in
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which a drunkard, Christopher Sly, is fooled into believing he is a king
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and has a play performed for him. The play he watches is what constitutes
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the main body of The Taming Of The Shrew. In it, a wealthy land owner,
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Baptista Minola, attempts to have his two daughters married. One is very
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shrewish, Katherine, while the other is the beautiful and gentle Bianca.
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In order to ensure Katherine is married, Baptista disallows Bianca to be
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espoused until Katherine is wed, forcing the many suitors to Bianca to find
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a mate for Katherine in order for them to vie for Bianca's love. Many
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critics of the play condemn it for the blatant sexist attitude it has
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toward women but closer examination of the play and t intricacies of its
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structure reveal that it is not merely a story of how men should 'put women
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in their place'. The play is a comedy about an assertive woman coping with
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how she is expected to act in the society of the late sixteenth century and
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of how one must obey the unwritten rules of a society to be accepted in it.
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Although the play ends with her conforming to the society, this is in
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action only, not in mind, as she assumes the role of the obedient wife.
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Most of the play's humour comes from the way in which characters create
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false realities by disguising themselves as other people, a device first
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introduced in the induction. Initially this is accomplished by having
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Christopher Sly believe he is someone he is not and then by having the main
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play performed for him. By putting The Taming Of The Shrew in a 'play
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within a play' structure, Shakespeare immediately lets the audience know
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that the play is not real thus making all events in the play false
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realities. Almost all characters in the play take on identities other than
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their own at some point of time during the play. Sly as a king, Tranio as
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Lucentio, Lucentio as Cambio, Hortensio as Litio and the pedant as Vicentio
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are all examples of this. Another example of this is Katherine as an
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obedient wife.
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In The Taming Of The Shrew, courtship and marriage are not so much the
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result of love but rather an institution of society that people are
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expected to take part in. As a result of the removal of romance from
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marriage, suitors are judged, not by their love for a woman, but by how
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well they can provide for her. All suitors compare the dowry each can
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bring to the marriage and the one with the most to offer 'wins' the woman's
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hand in marriage. This competition for marriage is like a game to the
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characters of the play. While discussing the courtship of Bianca with
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Gremio, Hortensio says "He that runs fastest gets\ The ring" (Act I, scene
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i, l. 140-141) likening receiving permission to wed Bianca to winning a
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race. In the game, however, women are treated like objects that can be
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bought and sold rather than as human beings. This is expected since the
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society is a patriarchal one. For example, Lucentio, Tranio and Petruchio
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are all defined with reference to their fathers and all the derly authority
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figures, like Baptista and Vicentio, are men. The taming of Katherine is
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not a women's shrewishness being cured as much as it is a woman being
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taught the rules of the 'patriarchal game'. Katherine has learned how to
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be assertive and with this knowledge is able to control men, and a woman
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controlling a man is considered 'against the rules' of the game.
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The play ends with Katherine proving that she is truly cured of her
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'shrewishness' and is the most obedient of the three newlywed wives at the
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end of the play. This is demonstrated in her soliloquy when she lectures
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the other wives on the proper way in which a woman should behave:
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I am ashamed that women are so simple
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To offer war where they should kneel for peace,
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Or seek rule, supremacy, and sway,
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When they are bound to serve, love, and obey.
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(Act V, scene ii, l. 161 - 164)
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Although most critics interpret the play as being that of a woman
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finally acting the way in which she is supposed to act, it is difficult to
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believe that a character as vibrant and strong willed as Katherine is
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changed so easily. Following with the device of false realities that
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Shakespeare set in place so early in the play, it would seem more logical
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that Katherine would simply be acting the part of 'the obedient wife' in
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order to be accepted in the society in which she lives. Katherine can 'play
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a part' very well and can even enjoy doing it. This is shown on the road to
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Padua from Petruchio's house when Kate is forced to address Vincentio as a
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woman and says, "Young budding virgin, fair and fresh and sweet" (Act IV,
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scene v, l. 37).
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The Taming Of The Shrew is a light-hearted comedy that is better seen
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than read. This is especially true since a lot of the humour in it is
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physical or 'slapstick' humour which is possible only on stage. The
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complexity of the play is refreshing, as many of the modern plays of today
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are quite linear and do little to keep a reader's attention. Another
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favourable aspect of it is the subplot involving Lucentio and Bianca which
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lends itself as the basis for many humourous moments, most notably between
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Lucentio, Hortensio and Bianca. The obvious sexist attitude of the play
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does not hinder it because of the reasons stated above. One must also take
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into account the attitudes of sixteenth century England and the fact that
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the play is a comedy and is not meant to be taken seriously. , in
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fact,outwardly norms of.
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