Christopher Sly, "What, would you make me mad? Am not I Christopher Sly, old // Sly's son of Burton-heath, by birth a pedlar, by education card- // maker, by transmutation a bear-herd, and now by present profes- // sion a tinker? Ask Marian Hacket, a fat ale-wife of Wincot, if // she know me not: Of she say I am not fourteen pence on the score // for sheer ale, score me up for the lyingest knave in Christendom" (Ind. Scene II. Lines 15-20). In lines fifteen to twenty in scene two of the introduction of Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare used slang and visual imagery to characterize Christopher Sly. Christopher said he was born from a "Pedlar", a Shakespeare slang for a peddler, and from this the readers can interpret/imagine that Christopher came from the poor class because his parents had jobs that were not considered as high paying. Another evidence that described Christopher was from the nineteen line, where he said to the Lord that he is not a nobleman and the Lord should ask Marian Hacket, a "fat ale-wife" as Christopher called her that. "Fat ale-wife" meant in this line was of a female bartender, and the readers can interpret that Chris tend to get drunk because a bartender knew him. What the readers can now realize was that Christopher was a low class citizen who get drunk on a regular basis. -Nam Nguyen
I thought your take on Shakespeare's characterization of social classes was really interesting, especially the part about how people act as others expect them to. When I first read the Induction, I had wondered how Sly went along with the prank- surely he knows he isn't- and now you have answered my question. (Also, if I woke up as a duchess or something, I'm not sure I would complain.) Additionally, you pointed out that another notation of Sly's status was his father being a peddler, and that he is now himself a tinker. He also seemed to know Marian Hacket, the ale-wife, which I thought was a good point. A question for you (which you probably won't answer because no one reads these comments anyway): why does someone being drunk = low social status? In Shakespeare's time, people were always drinking wine or beer because the water was crappy, so why was being drunk so out of the norm?
Well I assumed Sly was a low class citizen because of the bartender. I related my idea of Romeo and Juliet l because even though the people in those days drink alcohol and get drunk, the rich tends to have their own party and get drunk with their own alcohol rather than from a bar and the low class went to the bar often because the drinks were cheap. -Nam Nguyen P.S I do answer comments if there are question don't assume I'm the norm 😃.
Christopher Sly, “Am I a lord, and have I such a lady? // Or do I dream? Or have I dreamed till now? // I do not sleep: I see, I hear, I speak. // I smell sweet savors and I feel soft things. // Upon my life, I am a lord indeed // And not a tinker, nor Christopher Sly. // Well, bring our lady hither to our sight, // And once again, a pot o' the smallest ale," Taming of the Shrew (Ind.2.53-60). An induction is traditionally an introduction, but can also be "a bringing forward of separate facts or instances, so as to prove a general statement." The passage referenced does just that. Shakespeare uses the identity change in the Induction to alert the audience of a theme that will occur throughout the rest of the play. The entirety of Taming contains characters pretending to be something they are not in order to change how people behave towards them, as well as people behaving in certain ways because of being treated a certain way. The same occurs with the character Sly, he changes his entire behavior by based solely off of how others treat him. He goes from being a drunkard living in the streets to believing that he is a lord with servants and a beautiful wife. However, there is still a remnant of his true self in the line, “...once again a pot o’ the smallest ale,” Taming of the Shrew (Ind.2.60). This suggests that Shakespeare is letting the audience know that the disguises of the characters aren’t perfect and will eventually be uncovered. Even further, Shakespeare could be implying that there is always a remnant of the truth in a lie, no matter the nature of it.
I agreed with your analysis, however I also had another idea on the same quote. When Sly based off his whole life on how others treated him, I thought of the theme of society influence how a person act, but also it is the person choice of choosing if they want to follow the crowd or retain their individualism and goes against it. Even though Taming of the Shrew was a comedy play, it held a lot of serious topic within itself. It is like Shakespeare repeated his quote of "To be or not to be?". -Nam Nguyen
Your interpretation of the purpose of the induction made me think of how Petruchio is trying to tame Katharina and basically forcing her to acknowledge that the sun is the moon or how Vincentio, an old man, is a woman in the fourth act. He then corrects and blames her for being incorrect. Sly's acceptance to his new and improved environments is similar to Kate's quick adaptation to Petruchio's strange behavior. The lord's tactics and Petruchio's treatment to his wife is similar in this way.
Lord. O monstrous beast! how like a swine he lies! Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image! Sirs, I will practise upon this drunken man. What think you, if he were convey’d to bed, Wrapp’d in sweet clothes, rings put upon his fingers, A most delicious banquet by his bed, And brave attendants near he when he wakes, Would not the beggar then forget himself? First Huntsman. Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose. (Ind.1.34-43)
This passage occurs when the lord first sees Sly passed out, drunk, asleep on the table. He describes what he sees in very dramatic visual imagery, and then tells his friends what his plan is. On a very literal level, this passage foreshadows how quickly minds can change and plans can be hatched during the rest of the play. The lord’s contrasting language, used within only a couple of lines shows how fast he changed his mind and decided to play a massive prank on a drunkard, Sly. He starts out describing Sly as a “monstrous beast” and says that he is “grim”, “foul”, and “loathsome”, and then switches to describe what it will be like when Sly awakes- “a most delicious banquet by his bed”- which is very different from the imagery used before. In the beginning of the actual story of Shrew, Lucentio arrives in Padua talking about all he will learn while he is there. Once he sees Bianca, he totally changes his mind as to what he wants to do while in the city. A little later, after he and Gremio hear that Baptista will allow tutors to help Bianca in literature and music, they quickly hatch a plan based on disguise- much the same as the lord in the induction. I included the Huntsman’s response to the lord’s idea: “Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose” (Ind.1.43) because this foreshadows how later, those who get roped into the elaborate, deceptive plans employed to get Bianca often have no say, or are tricked into believing that Lucentio really is just a tutor and that Gremio really is Lucentio.
At first I didn't really understand the purpose of the induction, but I agree with your connection between the induction and this excerpt as well as the rest of the play. I also think the induction served as a comical introduction to the play in the sense that it began right away with a comedic situation in order to set the comedy up. I think your analysis of the last part of the excerpt is also very interesting. I agree that the characters who introduce the idea of changing identities are very manipulative and easily rope their servants into following their plan even when there's not much in it for them.
LORD. Even as a flattering dream or worthless fancy. Then take him up and manage well the jest: Carry him gently to my fairest chamber And hang it round with all my wanton pictures: Balm his foul head in warm distilled waters And burn sweet wood to make the lodging sweet: Procure me music ready when he wakes, To make a dulcet and a heavenly sound; And if he chance to speak, be ready straight And with a low submissive reverence Say “What is it your honour will command?” Let one attend him with a silver basin Full of rose-water and bestrew’d with flowers; (Ind. 1. 44-56)
At this point of the passage, the Lord is preparing his huntsmen to play a joke on a drunkard sleeping in the streets. He plans on creating a fake environment for the drunkard and tricking him into thinking he is a lord or an important figure as soon as he wakes. I noticed this passage uses many examples of juxtaposition to emphasize the differences in the drunkard’s and the lord’s lives. For example the words “flattery dream” and “worthless fancy” creates a tone of hopelessness. Even though the drunkard will get to experience the life of luxury, he will never truly earn this kind of power. In the 48th line, the Lord says “Balm his foul head in warm distilled waters”. The Lord illustrates the filth of the drunkard to showcase his status in society. Sly is considered filthy since he is seen as inferior to the Lord. The warm distilled waters also symbolizes wealth in this case since the Lord is able to have access towards this type of luxury. At the end of the passage it says, “Let one attend with a silver basin / Full of rose-water and bestrew’d with flowers;” (Ind. 1. 55-56). These couple of lines uses visual imagery to establish the luxurious conditions the Lord already experiences himself. It creates an opulent mood demonstrating how big of a difference their lives truly are: the Lord gets to come home to warm bath water while Sly is dead passed out on the streets. He also says these lines nonchalantly to emphasize the fact he is already living the life he is producing for this prank. This passage also characterizes the Lord since it shows his apathy towards the drunkard and how he is willing to go so far in this prank just to get a few laughs.
KATHERINA I'faith, sir, you shall never need to fear.// Iwis it is not halfway to her heart. // But if it were, doubt not her care should be// To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool,// And paint your face, and use you like a fool. (Act I Scene I lines 61-65) In the conversation between Katherina and Hortensio in Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare used symbol to create a theme of relationship. The quote was of Katherina warning Hortensio that he must be a fool to fall for her sister, Bianca, because of their age difference. Shakespeare used metaphor in lines sixty-three to sixty-five to represent Bianca as a child playing with her doll and painting its face. The doll represented Hortensio and the actions of painting and combing of the hair represented a puppeteer controlling their puppet and using it for their personal gain. In this case for Bianca, her personal gain was of money and becoming rich because she has a chance to have her own possession if she gets marry to Hortension, who was rich. Shakespeare was also giving his opinion on relationship between the man, who is extremely older than the woman, and the woman to be seen as a "gold digger". -Nam Nguyen
In the Induction of Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, malapropism, allusion, and pun are present to show the deviation in social stature of Christopher Sly as compared to the other characters. Malapropism is seen when Sly says, “Therefore paucas pallabris // let the world slide: sessa!” (Ind. 1.4-5). Malapropism is the confusion or mix up of words with similar sounds. In this case, Christopher Sly is too drunk to realize that he said “paucas pallabris” instead of “pocas palabras” which is Spanish for “few words”, as if he is trying to say that he’s had it with his conversation with Hostess and he wants it to end. In the same line, Sly also says “sessa” instead of the Spanish command “cessa” meaning cease or be quiet. Sly is attempting to tell the Host to shut up and get off his case but he’s too intoxicated to be taken seriously. Allusion is seen in line five when Sly says, “Go by, Jeronimy”. Here, Sly is mockingly referring to Hostess as an impatient person that needs to lighten up a little bit by referencing a character in another play. Shakespeare uses pun in line ten when Sly replies to the Hostess’s attempted threat of calling the police. Archaically, a police officer is called a “thirdborough”. Playing off of this, Sly says, “Third, fourth, or fifth borough, I’ll answer him by law” (line 10). This play on words is a well-played, witty comeback for someone so inebriated. The contraction of “I’ll” is present in this quote, which is rather modern considering the context of the play. Both the pun and contraction lead the reader and/or audience to believe that Sly is of a lower class because his language is simply more casual than that of the Hostess.
In the induction, Shakespeare uses language, diction and syntax to differentiate the classes of characters which he is introducing. The Lord whom has entered says, “O monstrous beast! how like a swine he lies! Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image!”(Ind. 1) This is the image Shakespeare uses to depict Christopher Sly, a common man. He does not have any status, and the use of dirty diction such as, “swine”, “foul”, and “beast” all add to this image. In addition, the Lord’s servants are not degraded to this extent, just valued at a lower status. For example, the Lord says, “Bid them come near” (Ind. 1). This shows how there is no respect and use of word like please. They are commanded to do their master’s bidding, while servants are polite and respect their master. When Shakespeare writes, “For yet his honour never heard a play” (Ind. 1), this shows how Christopher Sly was previously a poor peasant who would never be able to afford going to events like plays. Later, when Christopher Sly has been tricked and transformed into a noble lord the servants say, “ Will’t please your mightiness to wash your hands?” (Ind. 2). This is very different from how the lord originally spoke to Sly in the tavern. The word mightiness elevates Sly and puts him with the elite class. They constantly are being called by names which compliment them, and elevate them above the citizens. Although the induction has nothing directly to do with the play “The Taming of the Shrew”, it foreshadows all the switching of characters which will later occur. The audience understands that Shakespeare will try to trick and change the characters throughout the play.
PETRUCHIO: Signior Hortensio, ’twixt such friends as we Few words suffice. And therefore, if thou know One rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife (As wealth is burden of my wooing dance), Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love, As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd As Socrates’ Xanthippe, or a worse, She moves me not, or not removes at least Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough As are the swelling Adriatic seas. I come to wive it wealthily in Padua; If wealthily, then happily in Padua. (I.ii.66-77)
In this quote, Petruchio is responding to Hortensio’s offer and warning of marriage to Katherine. Even though he has been warned of her sharp tongue, he still decides he wants to marry her because she’s rich, and money is his goal. This passage is a strong example of indirect characterization- Petruchio says “‘twixt such friends as we” (I.ii.66), denoting that he and Hortensio are close friends. In his description of Katherine, who he has not met yet, he declares that even if she is as bad as Hortensio says, the money will make it worth it. Through this, the reader finds that Petruchio is after riches and gold. He says, “If wealthily, then happily in Padua” (I.ii.77), which expresses this idea further. Also, all of Petruchio’s allusions to classic literature prove him to be a well-educated man. Florentius was a knight in a story who swore to marry a hideous hag, in return for the answer to a riddle, Sibyl was an ancient prophetess, and Xanthippe was Socrates’ argumentative wife, so when Petruchio says he will put likenesses to these things aside to marry rich, he proves himself to be incredibly ambitious. The last two lines of this passage, “I come to wive it wealthily in Padua; / If wealthily, then happily in Padua” (I.ii.76-77) cement his goal in Padua: to marry wealthily. Knowing this motivation is hugely important in the reader’s understanding of the character.
I agree that knowing Petruchio's motivation is important in the understanding of his character, but I feel that you haven't gone deep enough with it. The norm of the time period was to marry into a wealthy family in order to secure one's status, whether male or female. That doesn't really say much about Petruchio as logically, if he were really only in it for the wealth, he would choose to court a much more typical women. The fact that he accepts the challenge of courting Kate suggests that Petruchio is much more interested in finding a women that compliments his personality. Petruchio is very wise, but also not afraid to let his anger out like Kate, this is supported by when he smacks his own servant for taking the joke a step too far.
You make a very good point about Petruchio’s desire to wed Katherina despite her horrible reputation and take the money which she would come with . However, I wish you went into more depth as to why Petruchio would think that he could handle Katherina and her hot temper along with the reputation of her being undesirable as a wife. He definitely believes he can conquer her approval for money, but why would he go to such lengths to obtain this money? He seems quite desperate to acquire a large sum of money quickly. It would have been nice to write a deeper explanation of his motivation.
Katherine I pray you, sir, is it your will To make a stale of me amongst these mates? // I’ faith, sir, you shall never need to fear. I wis it is not halfway to her heart. But if it were, doubt not her care should be To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool And paint your face and use you like a fool. Katherine, or Kate as many call her, takes the lead female role in Taming of the Shrew. Much like the rest of Shakespeare’s plays, Kate is not a typical Elizabethan woman. She is strong, brash, speaks her mind, and is highly intelligent, evident by her use of language, “make a stale of me amongst these mates?” (I.I.12). Kate is accusing her father of trying to sell her off as a whore, someone he has to get rid of so that his favorite daughter can marry, in a way that also insults the men he is talking to. Although her outright disgust of the men fawning over Bianca is bold, it is not unwarranted. Men of the day intended to marry for money, not for love, just as Petruchio says he will in Act II. Katherine is trying to weed out the men that aren’t suited for her or her sister. That is what makes her seem undesirable to everyone around her. Looking deeper into her language, Kate is actually looking for love, but she knows that her behavior drives others away, she does it on purpose because of how stubborn she is. She wants a man who is perfect for her. The way she behaves, and her relationship with Petruchio is what gives the play the title of Taming of the Shrew. The central conflict will be whether or not Petruchio can convince Kate that he is worthy of her, which in the eyes of the other men comes across as taming her wild spirit.
I also analyzed the same quote as you did, but had a completely different view. My view was that Shakespeare was developing Bianca through Katherina, and showing of how Bianca was using Hortensio to become rich. I also agree with your analysis of Katherina of being an intelligent, strong, and an individualist woman. She seem to be very dependent on her own, and through this Shakespeare was doing a role reversal; instead of the men picking up women, he had the women portraying the men role. This role reversal made his play in a more unique because the norm was "a maiden in distress hoping to find a guy who would swoon her off her feet and recue her". -Nam Nguyen
We both think that Katherina is a strong minded and ill-tempered woman who is resentful towards the men who swoon over her younger sister, Bianca. I also agree with your main conflict of Petruchio winning over Katherina and taming her sheer like behavior. However, I also think that she doesn’t want anyone to control her or tell her what to do. Evidence from the text to support this is seen when she says, “I' faith, sir, you shall never need to fear. I wis it is not halfway to her heart. But if it were, doubt not her care should be To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool And paint your face and use you like a fool” (I. i. 62-66). This shows how she has apathy for the suitors who visit her sisters and the thought of marriage to a person of similar qualities disgusts her.
KATH: I pray you, sir, is it your will To make a stale of me amongst these mates? HOR: Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for you, Unless you were of gentler, milder mould. KATH: I' faith, sir, you shall never need to fear. I wis it is not halfway to her heart. But if it were, doubt not her care should be To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool And paint your face and use you like a fool. HOR: From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us! GRE: And me too, good Lord! Throughout this excerpt, Shakespeare portrays Katharina as an ill-tempered and aggressively assertive woman (a shrew). Shakespeare utilizes indirect characterization from other characters and how they interact with Katharina. This can be shown when Hortensio says, “Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for you” (I. i. 60). Hortensio acts as if being her suitor is an insult and no one will be until she calms her temper. Later, Hortensio exclaims, “From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us” (I. i. 67). This depicts Katharina as a devilish woman, who he would need protection from by God. Both Hortensio and Gremio seem to exaggerate how undesirable Katharina is to wed or be around, but it creates an image of an unpleasant women in the reader’s mind. In addition, the allusions to Katharina being the Devil set the tone for her presence as hot tempered and cruel. Katharina is also portrayed as independent from needing a man or anyone to tell her what to do. This is shown when she says, “I' faith, sir, you shall never need to fear. I wis it is not halfway to her heart. But if it were, doubt not her care should be To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool And paint your face and use you like a fool” (I. i. 62-66). She scolds them with harsh words, but also makes her point of apathy towards the men and the prospect of marriage. The repetition of “good Lord” (I. i. 67-68) brings focus to how much help the men seem to think Katharina needs in order to obtain a suitor or husband, as well as how much she reminds them of the Devil.
I like this analysis of how the suitors of Bianca see Katharina as a devilish spirit. It is a humorous how Gremio and Hortensio asks God to save their souls from Kate's mad self. I also like your acknowledgement of her independence being shown in this passage because she is not afraid to say what she thinks and is not passive towards men. You can really see how she contradicts society's expectations towards women with her aggressive behavior and apathetical responses.
HOR. Faith, as you say, there’s a small choice in rotten apples. But come; since this bar in law makes us friends, it shall be so far forth friendly maintained till by helping Baptista’s eldest daughter to a husband we set his youngest free for husband, and then have to ‘t afresh. Sweet Bianca! Happy man be his dole! He that runs fastest gets the ring. How say you, Signior Gremio? GRE. I am agreed and would I had given him the best horse in Padua to begin his wooing that would thoroughly woo her, wed her and bed her and rid the house of her! Come on. (I. i. 15)
This passage is taken place after Hortensio’s and Gremio’s conversation with Baptista about marrying his youngest daughter, Bianca. They are both unhappy to find Baptista settled with his decision to have his eldest daughter,, Katharina, who is compared to the devil many times, before having Bianca married off. Before this encounter, Hortensio and Gremio were rivals in terms of wooing Bianca. Now, they have decided to join together in hopes of finding a suitor for Katharina. Shakespeare indirectly characterizes these two roles as lustful and greedy. Their unity shows their eagerness towards achieving their goal to marry Bianca. It is evident that they are pursuing Bianca for her beauty and humility but they have not taken the time to get to know her. Gremio is a little hesitant about their success in this mission for a husband but is willing to do all it takes to get the devil sister out of the house. Shakespeare uses metaphor when Hortensio says, “He that runs the fastest gets the ring.” (I. i. 15). This is referring to their chase after Bianca’s hand with the ring symbolizing marriage. He does not see Bianca as a woman but as property to take. Hortensio and Gremio are not mindful towards other people’s feelings and only follow their desire to gain power and fortune.
I love your analysis about their partnership being symbolic of eagerness and I also think it shows their perseverance, and the importance of Bianca to them, as they are both very willing to set aside their differences for their equal benefit. I agree with what you said about Bianca being considered an object rather than a woman. I also think that, at this point in the play, Hortensio and Gremio do seem to be greedy and selfish, but as we continue to read, these qualities are far more prevalent in Petruchio.
PET: “Signior Hortensio, ’twixt such friends as we Few words suffice. And therefore, if thou know One rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife (As wealth is burden of my wooing dance), Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love, As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd As Socrates’ Xanthippe, or a worse, She moves me not, or not removes at least Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough As are the swelling Adriatic seas. I come to wive it wealthily in Padua; If wealthily, then happily in Padua” (I.ii.66-77). In this excerpt, Hortensio has just introduced the idea of Katharina to Petruchio. Shakespeare’s use of allusion characterizes Petruchio as a well-educated man, which, in those days, was equivalent to a wealthy man because his family could afford an education for him. “Florentius’ love” refers to Florent, a knight who agreed to marry an extremely ugly woman in order to solve a riddle in order to live. “Sibyl” alludes to a prophetess who was given as many years of life as grains of sand she could hold in her hand, so she was really really REALLY old as you can probably infer. “Socrates’ Xanthippe” is an allusion to the wife of Socrates who, it is said, he only chose because of how argumentative she was. All of these allusions lead to the conclusion that Petruchio doesn’t care how ugly, how old, nor how scolding Katharina is, as long as she has money to match his. This conclusion about Petruchio leads to another, that he is all together a very shallow man because he doesn’t care about anything but the amount of money that she can bring to the relationship, or lack thereof. I feel like Shakespeare characterized Petruchio like this so early in the play because he wants to allow the audience to have a basic understanding of Petruchio’s personality in order to be able to compare his personality at the end of the play after he experiences Katharina.
Lord: What’s here? One dead, or drunk? See doth he breathe. Second Huntsman:He breathes, my lord. Were he not warmed with ale, This were a bed but cold to sleep so soundly. Lord: O monstrous beast, how like a swine he lies! Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image! Sirs, I will practice on this drunken man. What think you, if he were conveyed to bed, Wrapped in sweet clothes, rings put upon his fingers, A most delicious banquet by his bed, And brave attendants near him when he wakes, Would not the beggar then forget himself? Third Huntsman:Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose. Second Huntsman: It would seem strange unto him when he waked.
In this excerpt the Lord has seen Sly for the first time. Sly is passed out from being drunk and lays tossed outside from the alehouse. The Lord decides to pick him up and take him back to the castle, dress him in lavish clothing and convince him that he is the Lord of the estate. The lord plans on telling the Sly that he lost his memory, therefore he will believe the doup. The induction of the play is also known as the prequel or the introduction of the play. Shakespeare chose to start this play with the creation of an illusion to warn readers that things may not always be what they seem. It also introduces the idea that there will be various disguises, tricks, and illusions through the play, and it is important to look out for them. This opening scene also address the effect to which social hierarchy can be manipulated. If the Lord plans to take a beggar in and convince him that he is of wealth, and the beggar believes and acts as if he were, the system of personal standards in royalty could be tested.
Gremio: To cart her, rather. She’s too rough for me.— There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife? Katherine: I pray you, sir, is it your will To make a stale of me amongst these mates? Hortensio: “Mates,” maid? How mean you that? No mates for you, Unless you were of gentler, milder mold. Kathrine: I’ faith, sir, you shall never need to fear. Iwis it is not halfway to her heart. But if it were, doubt not her care should be To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool And paint your face and use you like a fool. Hortensio: From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us! Gremio: And me too, good Lord. Tranio: Husht, master, here’s some good pastime toward; That wench is stark mad or wonderful froward.
In this excerpt, Shakespeare characterizes Katherine as the opposite of a stereotypical ‘good’ woman of this time. She is headstrong and witty rather than passive and controlled. Although she is first viewed as innocent and harmless, her rebellious reply to her father, “to make a stale of me amongst these mates?” (58), suggests that she is less proper and lady-like than most women of that time. The aggressive tone mimics a male-dominant trait. Shakespeare created a character like Kate to contrast the stereotypical women of that time. She is the complete opposite of her sister, Bianca. Their demeanor, speech, and even name juxtapose each other. Bianca is associated with pure connotations, and she is viewed as the perfect wife. She could have her pick of men if it weren’t for Katherine and her stubborn nature, which opposes all men.
Petruchio: Nay, come, Kate, come; you must not look so sour. Kate: It is my fashion, when I see a crab. Petruchio: Why, here’s no crab, and therefore look not sour. Kate: There is, there is. Petruchio: Then show it me. Kate: Had I a glass, I would. Petruchio: What, you mean my face? Kate: Well aim’d of such a young one. Petruchio: Now, by Saint George, I am too young for you. Kate: Yet you are wither’d. Petruchio: ‘T is with cares. Kate: I care not. (II.i.242-253) (Page 35 in packet)
Okay, first of all, I just think this is one of the best parts of the entire show- Petruchio is trying desperately to woo Kate, and she is having none of it. (Spoiler alert: she ends up married to him anyway.) Shakespeare uses short lines, repetition, and a contrast in colloquial and intelligent diction to depict part of the “battle of wits” between Kate and Petruchio. The short lines emanate how a real argument would go, and makes it seem more like natural, comedic banter. The repetition of words and phrases, such as “look not sour” and “crab” and “‘T is with cares...I care not”, also work to this effect, and help the audience follow the exchange- otherwise it might be hard to follow if the two jumped from one insult to the next within a line or two. Throughout the whole scene, Kate does insult every part of Petruchio: she says that he’s a piece of furniture, a fool, a potential rapist (the whole part with the tail and the tongue), ungentlemanly, ugly, too young, witless, and he talks too much. However, she takes her time with each facet of his personality, making sure she injures and confuses him completely. The contrasting diction helps show both characters as multilayered people. They are going at each other’s throats in a somewhat childlike fashion, yet they reference things outside themselves- Saint George, in this case. Throughout the scene, they also reference common symbols, like the turtledove and the buzzard, and mythology, through mention of the goddess Dian. These allusions give the reader the impression of intelligence and a reminder that Kate and Petruchio are, in fact, adults. The contrast against the childlike bickering makes it seem even more so.
I also agree with this part being entertaining. I also think that Kate is very defensive in the possibilities for who may be her husband, or who she even talks to. She tries to deflect every compliment which Petruchio says to her. It is surprising how even though Katherina does not desire to marry Petruchio, he overrules her and they end up being married anyway. The allusions to other aspects of worldly knowledge created a large juxtaposition of intelligent adults with bickering children. I enjoyed this part of your analyzing. Overall, I agreed with all of your analysis for this excerpt.
It's interesting hearing your interpretation of their persiflage and how their child-like behavior contrasts with their actual age as their banter continues on throughout the scene. It also emphasizes their stubbornness and willingness to go as far as insulting one another to get what they want. As Kate mocks his physical appearance and lack of intelligence, Petruchio continues to degrade her position in society by acknowledging her role as a woman. He says, "Women are made for bearing, and so are you." (II. I. 32) referring to the one of the only uses for women during the Shakespearean times.
KATHERINE:I chafe you, if I tarry. Let me go. PETRUCHIO: No, not a whit. I find you passing gentle. 'Twas told me you were rough and coy and sullen, And now I find report a very liar. For thou are pleasant, gamesome, passing courteous, But slow in speech, yet sweet as springtime flowers. Thou canst not frown, thou canst not look askance, Nor bite the lip as angry wenches will, Nor hast thou pleasure to be cross in talk. But thou with mildness entertain’st thy wooers, With gentle conference, soft and affable. Why does the world report that Kate doth limp? KATHERINE: Go, fool, and whom thou keep’st command. (II.i.232-248) (Page 35-36 in packet)
This passage occurs right after Katherina and Petruchio continue to banter back and forth. Petruchio is complimenting Katherina while she is scolding him with insults after everything he says. In the first line of this excerpt Katherina says , “I chafe you, if I tarry. Let me go” (I. i. 232). This shows how she believes she will make him mad and that she had better leave him. It also portrays how Katherina believes no man would ever think she is good enough to marry her because of what everyone else says. Petruchio then proceeds to go on a rant about how everyone has the wrong image of Katherina and she is the most lovely woman. This shows how desperate Petruchio seems to wed a woman with a good dowry. He seems very determined to win her over, as he willingly withstands her insults as she tries to make him leave. However, even at the end of this long speech, Katherina decides Petruchio is still not worthy of her. This can be seen when she says, “Go, fool, and whom thou keep’st command” (II. i. 248). Katherina demands that Petruchio leaves and she says to tell his servants what to do, not her. She overcompensates as she tries to project an image of independence and strength. Petruchio was not commanding her to do anything besides considering him as a husband, and telling her how wonderful of a woman she is. Overall, the conversation between Petruchio and Katherina is quite comical as they are pursuing the opposite things while neither one is willing to give up.
I agree with you analysis, but also I see Petruchio is a obsessed man who is falling for Katherina. They are both not willing to give up, but what if Katherina is not giving up because all she sees in Petruchio is obsession rather than love? I asked this because in my mind I put myself as Katherina and I would not marry to anyone who I don't know and seem like a crazy, love-struck person. -Nam Nguyen
TS II.i.168.1 I pray you do. TS II.i.168 Exeunt all but Petruchioattend (v.) 1 await, wait for, expect See Topics: Frequency count TS II.i.168.2 I'll attend her here, TS II.i.169 And woo her with some spirit when she comes. TS II.i.170 Say that she rail, why then I'll tell her plainrail (v.) rant, rave, be abusive [about] See Topics: Frequency count TS II.i.171 She sings as sweetly as a nightingale. TS II.i.172 Say that she frown, I'll say she looks as clearclear (adj.) 3 serene, cheerful, unclouded TS II.i.173 As morning roses newly washed with dew. TS II.i.174 Say she be mute and will not speak a word, TS II.i.175 Then I'll commend her volubility,commend (v.) 4 praise, admire, extol TS II.i.176 And say she uttereth piercing eloquence.piercing (adj.) 1 moving, touching, poignant TS II.i.177 If she do bid me pack, I'll give her thanks,pack (v.) 1 take [oneself] off, be off, depart TS II.i.178 As though she bid me stay by her a week. TS II.i.179 If she deny to wed, I'll crave the daycrave (v.) 2 need, demand, require crave (v.) 1 beg, entreat, request See Topics: Frequency count deny (v.) 2 refuse, decline, scorn TS II.i.180 When I shall ask the banns, and when be married. TS II.i.181 But here she comes, and now, Petruchio, speak. (II.i.168-181) (pg. 33 in packet) In act two of Taming of the Shrew, men were coming to Baptista to ask for his daughters hand in marriage. Petruchio was one of the man, but unlike the others he asked for Katherina instead of Bianca. In this soliloquy, Shakespeare used couplets to portray the theme of love and also obssession. On line 170 and 171, Petruchio said if Katherina's voice was not beautiful then he would tell her she sang like a nightingale. Readers can interpret Petruchio as a romantic person because he never seen Katherina, but he was saying he will ignore any of Katherina's unfavorable features and love the real her rather than what others saw her from the outside. Shakespeare wanted the reader to know what love was, loving a person for who they were rather than loving them because of their physical appearance. There was another theme, which was obsession. Readers can also see Petruchio as an obsession freak. He never knew Katherina (never heard or saw Katherina), but then in this soliloquy he was saying how much he "loved" her no matter what her physical appearance maybe. In modern age, people got to know each other first, through dates, then they get married but in Petruchio case he was clearly obsessed over Katherina and wanted to marry her right away. He was clearly a Romeo in this play. -Nam Nguyen
I agree with your comparison of Petruchio to Romeo in this act. Petruchio does seem obsessed with Kate, even before meeting her. This supports that common idea that Petruchio is only in it for the money. It sounds like everything he is saying is intended to "butter her up." However, it is revealed in the section of the scene where Petruchio and Kate meet that there is an underlying attraction between the two. The two disguised their flirting as banter for the most part. Even before-hand, when Hortensio had a lute broken over his head by Kate, Petruchio says, "it is a lusty wench! / I love her ten time more than e'er I did. / O, how I long to have some chat with her!" (160-162). It is entirely possible that Petruchio is eager to finally meet a women with such high spirits, as opposed to the typical "trophy wife" of the era.
PET. Why, that is nothing; for I tell you, father, I am as peremptory as she proud-minded; And where two raging fires meet together They do consume the thing that feeds their fury: Though little fire grows great with little wind, Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all: So I to her and so she yields to me; For I am rough and woo not like a babe. BAP. Well mayst thou woo, and happy be thy speed! But be thou arm’d for some unhappy words. PET. Ay, to the proof; as mountains are for winds, That shake not, though they blow perpetually. (II. i. 32)
At this point of the play, Petruchio is convincing Baptista that he is able to handle Katharina’s unpleasantness and proving his love to her. This passage shows his determination to woo Katharina when Shakespeare uses allusion. Petruchio’s comparison of his and Katharina’s personality as “two raging fires” (II. i. 32) refers to their big personalities and doing whatever it takes to reach their goal. In my opinion, this allusion may also symbolize how fire is uncontrollable. It also results in destruction, similar to Katharina’s abusive words and her distasteful attitude. At the second half of the quote he shifts his point and compares himself to the wind. He boasts, “Though little fire grows great with little wind, Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all: So I to her and so she yields to me; For I am rough and woo not like a babe.” (II. i. 32). This allusion also brings up another fact that he will be the one to keep her sane as she continues to rage like a fire. Petruchio starts to show arrogance when he says he does not pursue women like a girl, characterizing him as masculine.
I loved your analysis, especially the part about the "two raging fires". This was one of my favorite lines in the entire play, because it really explains the whole "fight fire with fire" concept. I agree with your analysis as well, where you said that this is about Petruchio proving his love to Katherine, even though throughout the rest of the play it seems he is trying to marry her for the money. I do believe he likes to argue and enjoys a healthy amount of banter, and enjoys Kate's company for this reason. At the end, where you said that he is characterized as masculine (actually, I think he means "babe" as in "baby", but it still works) and powerful- do you think maybe he's planning on wooing her and taming her to impress the other men? Just another thought. Overall, though, loved your analysis!
"GREMIO Two thousand ducats by the year of land? Aside. My land amounts not to so much in all.— That she shall have, besides an argosy That now is lying in Marcellus’ road. To Tranio. What, have I choked you with an argosy? Tranio, as Lucentio Gremio, ’tis known my father hath no less Than three great argosies, besides two galliasses And twelve tight galleys. These I will assure her, And twice as much whate’er thou off’rest next. Gremio Nay, I have offered all. I have no more, And she can have no more than all I have. To Baptista. If you like me, she shall have me and mine. Tranio, as Lucentio Why, then, the maid is mine from all the world, By your firm promise. Gremio is outvied. Baptista I must confess your offer is the best, And, let your father make her the assurance, She is your own; else, you must pardon me. If you should die before him, where’s her dower? Tranio, as Lucentio That’s but a cavil. He is old, I young. Gremio And may not young men die as well as old?" (ii.i.393-413) (pg 40 in packet).
In this section, Gremio and Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) wage a bidding war for the opportunity to marry Bianca now that Kate is engaged. The entire section is intended to be comedic as Tranio actually contains no money to his name, it all belongs to the father of his master, and even then, he is probably lying about just how much he has available to him. This adds to the comedic value of the scene, as now Tranio has to figure out a way to convince Baptista that he really is wealthy. He later hints that he is going to find someone else and have them lie, pretending to be Vincentio (Lucentio’s father), adding yet another impersonator to the cast of characters. Shakespeare creates a comedic atmosphere with lines like “And twice as much whate’er thou off’rest next.” (ii.i.401). Tranio says in advance that whatever Gramio offers, he can double, essentially preventing him from winning. However, even after Gremio loses the bidding war, he keeps trying to poke at Lucentio (Tranio), which shows that he really is lusting after Bianca. Shakespeare also uses the comedy to criticize the social norm of “purchasing” quality women. In Eastern cultures, women are traded for livestock like goats, in Shakespearean England, and the fictional Europe incorporated Shakespeare’s plays, women are bought with gold, jewels, and other symbols of wealth. By presenting the social norm in a comedic tone, Shakespeare is saying that the typical model of marriage is laughable.
I agree with your analysis that Shakespeare intended for this scene to be comical. While reading it, I also thought that he intended for it to mimic an old bidding auction to emphasize how women are viewed as property and can be bought. It is also clear that the Baptista, although has good intentions for Bianca, wishes to wed her to for the highest profit. He thinks himself above giving his daughter away only for economical advancement, but then treats Bianca's marriage proposal as a business transaction.
Bianca: If you affect him, sister, here I swear I’ll plead for you myself but you shall have him. Katherine: O, then belike you fancy riches more. You will have Gremio to keep you fair. Bianca: Is it for him you do envy me so? Nay, then, you jest, and now I will perceive You have but jested with me all this while. I prithee, sister Kate, untie my hands. Katherine: If that be jest, then all the rest was so. (14-22)
Petruchio: Now, by the world, it is a lusty wench I love her ten times more than e’er I did. O, how I long to have some chat with her! (168-170)
In this scene, more insight is brought on to the character of Katherine, and the reasoning behind her rebellious behavior. In the opening conversation with her sister, Bianca, it is clear that there is some resentment from Katherine to her sister. She scolds her sister for only finding a husband for the riches, although it seems that Katherine is subtly jealous of all the suitors her sister has. Katherine does want a husband, however she disregards finding one only for wealth and power. this further shows how Katherine goes against the gender stereotyped roles of that time. She would rather find a husband for love than money and economic security. This could also be the reason for her rude behavior. Katherine goes against her father’s wishes of finding a husband because he does not share the same beliefs in marrying for love. Her actions are more justified, however, when it is made clear that her father favors Bianca more. Katherine acts out in rebellion against her father because she is constantly bewiddled and her wants are overlooked. Now that Petruchio is in the picture, Katherine’s mindset may change. He hopes in courting her mainly for her upcoming inheritance, but he also is fond of her stubborn and strong willed nature. On line 168-170, before he meets Katherine, he says, “Now, by the world, it is a lusty wench I love her ten times more than e’er I did. O, how I long to have some chat with her!”. Although this could be a stunt only to prove to the other men that he is dauntless when attempting to wed Katherine, there is promise that his words are genuine and he is fond of her witty ways. He is the only character so far in the story to compete with her wit and this is startling for Katherine. Both characters are in a way perfect for each other because both are sarcastic, witty, and have the desire to ‘beat’ the other in their own game. Petruchio wants to win Katherine over, and Katherine wants to fend him off, as she has done many times before.
I agree with your analysis of Katherine's reasoning for going against her father's wishes for her marriage. Even though she is seen as a shrew on the outside by everyone in the community, deep down she has a tender heart and has no desire to be married off to a man who doesn't love her. I also agree with what you said about Petruchio possibly meaning what he said when he talked about liking Katharine's whittiness. I think this is most likely because he has the same quality and has, in a way, finally met his match.
“PET: Come, come, you wasp; i’ faith, you are too hungry. KATH: If I be waspish, best beware my sting. PET: My remedy is then, to pluck it out. KATH: Ay, if the fool could find it where it lies. PET: Who knows not where a wasp does wear his sting? In his tail. KATH: In his tongue. PET: Whose tongue? KATH: Yours, if you talk of tails: and so farewell. PET: What, with my tongue in your tail? nay, come again, Good Kate; I am a gentleman. KATH: That’ll try” (II.i.203-212).
In this excerpt from Act II Scene I of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio is characterized through his persiflage with Katharina. A metaphor is presented at the beginning of the excerpt where Petruchio refers to Kate as an angry wasp. This metaphor is extended throughout this section because, ironically, Kate begins to act harsh as a wasp the more Petruchio presses into her. Petruchio asks two rhetorical questions in this section. The first being ‘who doesn't know where a wasp’s stinger is?’ after which he says, “In his tail”. In this line, Petruchio is actually referring to the bottom end of a wasp, as that is truly where their stinger is located. This rhetorical question was proposed in order for Petruchio to show off, more or less, his knowledge and smoothness when it comes to women. The second rhetorical question he asked was, “Whose tongue?”. Obviously Petruchio is trying to elicit some inappropriate sexual innuendos with this question, but he isn't affective. In the next line when Kate says, “if you talk of tails”, tails is actually a malapropism, as she is actually referencing ‘telling tales’, fibbing, or lying. By saying this, Katharina is basically saying that the stinging wasp tongue actually belongs to Petruchio because of his dishonesty. The line after that, Petruchio asks, “What, with my tongue in your tail?”. In this instance, the interpretation can go either way. On one hand, Petruchio is referring literally to his tongue on her hypothetical wasp stinger. Another way to look at it is to assume “tail” means “tale” as it did above. In this case, Petruchio is asking if she really desires to go now that she has opened up and let him into her story.
PET. They shall go forward, Kate, at thy command. Obey the bride, you that attend on her; Go to the feast, revel and domineer, Carouse full measure to her maidenhead, Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves: But for my bonny Kate, she must with me. Nay, look not big, nor stamp, nor stare, nor fret; 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 any thing; And here she stand, touch her whoever dare; I’ll bring mine action on the proudest he That stops my way in Padua. Grumio, Draw forth thy weapon, we are the beset with thieves; Rescue thy mistress, if thou be a man. Fear not, sweet wench, they shall not touch thee, Kate: I’ll buckler thee against a million. (III. ii. 52)
At this point of the play, Petruchio announces that he will not be attending the big feast to celebrate the marriage of him and his new wife, Kate. Before hurrying out the door to take care of some unknown business, he compares Kate as his property by the use of hyperbole and commanding diction, emphasizing the amount of power and wealth he has. He gloats, “She is my goods” (III. ii. 52) and starts to compare her to his other belongings such as his animals and house, dehumanizing her to make her seem less superior to him. He also commands his servants to obey everything he demands. If they refuse to follow his orders, Petruchio uses threat and says, “Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves” (III. ii. 52). This is to create a fear factor towards the audience and a subtle way to emphasize his abilities. It can also be seen how possessive he is when it comes to Katharina and his eagerness to do whatever it takes to protect his love. This can be shows in the last couple of sentences of the passage. Petruchio may be trying to prove his masculinity to the other wealthy suitors in the room and to showcase how much power he really has.
I agree with your analysis, especially on what you said about his treatment of his servants and how he wants to prove himself to the other men in the room. However, I would argue that Petruchio, as we know, is a very materialistic character. He loves money and fine clothes and a nice house- by comparing Kate to these things could it be possible he is saying he loves her too? Especially when he says "she is... my any thing". And, at the end: "Fear not, sweet wench, they shall not touch thee, Kate: / I'll buckler thee against a million." I do believe he loves her at this point. I also liked how you said that Petruchio's words might have a frightening effect on the audience- they now know what he's capable of.
I agree with your analysis of Petruchio viewing Katherina as a piece of property, not as an individual human being with her own thoughts and wishes. I found his comparison to all the other belongings he had disrespectful. Additionally, I agree with the masculinity and power he may be trying to prove. It is a little confusing to me however, as to why he would need to storm off in such a hurry. I would think that he would want to show off his power over his love for a longer period of time. Throughout this entire act (act III), I found Petruchio’s actions very odd and I was not sure of his intentions behind them.
Tranio. See not your bride in these unreverent robes; Go to my chamber, put on clothes of mine.
Petruchio. Not I, believe me; thus I'll visit her.
Baptista Minola. But thus, I trust, you will not marry her.
Petruchio. Good sooth, even thus; therefore ha' done with words; To me she's married, not unto my clothes. Could I repair what she will wear in me As I can change these poor accoutrements, 'Twere well for Kate and better for myself. But what a fool am I to chat with you, When I should bid good-morrow to my bride And seal the title with a lovely kiss!
Exeunt PETRUCHIO
Tranio. He hath some meaning in his mad attire. We will persuade him, be it possible, To put on better ere he go to church.
(Page 48-49, III.ii.113-128)
The theme of disguise strikes again! Petruchio has just shown up late to his own wedding, and he’s wearing mismatched, weird, Goodwill-status clothing. Everyone is like “dude you can’t get married like that”, to which he responds “nah it’s cool bro she loves me for my heart anyway, not my clothes.” He’s also saying that the ability to repair the parts of his personality that she will wear out in him is much more important to their relationship than what he’s wearing. This in itself shows that Petruchio does really love Kate (#Katruchio for the win) and that he’s excited to be married. His words have an effect on Tranio, who agrees that there is some method to his madness. Still no explanation for the weird clothes, but this passage describes that what’s on the outside doesn’t always match what’s on the inside. Shakespeare uses anaphora and first person diction to emphasize the difference between the disguise and the real person. Petruchio and Baptista repeat the word “thus”, and this anaphora sort of connects the two and continues the theme of the disguise. The abundance of first-person diction shows more of the personal motivations of each character, and what their plans and thoughts are.
TS III.ii.156 Tut, she's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him. TS III.ii.157 I'll tell you, Sir Lucentio – when the priest TS III.ii.158 Should ask if Katherine should be his wife, TS III.ii.159 ‘ Ay, by gogs-wouns,’ quoth he, and swore so loud TS III.ii.160 That all-amazed the priest let fall the book,all-amazed TS III.ii.161 And, as he stooped again to take it up, TS III.ii.162 The mad-brained bridegroom took him such a cuff TS III.ii.163 That down fell priest and book, and book and priest. TS III.ii.164 ‘ Now take them up,’ quoth he, ‘ if any list.’ (III. ii. Lines156-164) (pg. 50 packet) In this scene, Shakespeare used symbolism to portray Gremio dis likeness toward the marriage between Petruchio and Katherina. Gremio called Petruchio a devil because Petruchio was going to marry Katherina who Gremio thought of as an evil being. Gremio thought that only the devil would marry Katherina. Then, Shakespeare used the metaphor, "That down fell priest and book, and book and priest:" (line 163) to say that the act of two benevolent being marry each other would cause the earth to shake, symbolized by the book and priest falling. By having Gremio saying this line, the readers can feel his hatred toward this wedding and how he went against it. But then again if a person hate something this much then he would not talk about it, and this led to the question if Gremio wanted to marry Kate because he seem jealous by Petruchio marrying Kate and thinking if he was only in it for the fortune. -Nam Nguyen
GREMIO: A bridegroom, say you? 'Tis a groom indeed, A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find. TRANIO: Curster than she? Why, ’tis impossible. GREMIO: Why, he’s a devil, a devil, a very fiend. TRANIO: Why, she’s a devil, a devil, the devil’s dam. GREMIO: Tut, she’s a lamb, a dove, a fool to him! I’ll tell you, Sir Lucentio: when the priest Should ask if Katherine should be his wife, “Ay, by gogs wouns!” quoth he, and swore so loud That, all amazed, the priest let fall the book, And as he stooped again to take it up, The mad-brained bridegroom took him such a cuff That down fell priest and book, and book and priest. “Now take them up,” quoth he, “if any list.” (III. ii. 125-139)
In this excerpt of the play, Gremio (a suitor to Bianca) has just come back to Baptista’s House from the church where Katherina and Petruchio’s wedding is being held. Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) has asked if the bride and bridegroom are coming home soon, but Gremio is taken aback in his response by explaining the actions of Petruchio. Gremio describes Petruchio as a groom to clean an animal’s stall, not one to marry. This is shown when he says, “A bridegroom, say you? 'Tis a groom indeed, A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find” (III. ii. 125-126). Gremio questions how Petruchio is acceptable for Katherina to wed. He goes on to elaborate on how he is the devil, as Katherina was previously described. Tranio then says that if both Katherina and Petruchio are devils, they are a good match. However, Gremio replies to Tranio with, “Tut, she’s a lamb, a dove, a fool to him!” (III. ii. 131). This diction of kind and small animals in talking about Katherina portrays her in a new light. Additionally. it makes the reader understand how horrible Petruchio seems from Gremio’s point of view (especially when compared to how horrible they use to think Katherina was). The visual imagery from lines 132-139 depicts a scene where Petruchio is being disrespectful to the priest who was marrying the two of them. At the end of this passage, there is a clear and new understanding of who Petruchio seems to be. However, the audience must be careful in assuming characteristics due to the theme of disguise.
I like how you pointed out that there is a constant theme of disguise. I found Petruchio's behavior very off putting the first time I read the play, but after watching it performed, and reading it again, I feel that Petruchio is "pranking" everyone else. He is making himself look like the devil to get them to cut Kate some slack. His behavior is so eccentric and abnormal from what we have seen from him previously, that it is highly unlikely that this is the true Petruchio.
Lucentio Hic ibat, as I told you before, Simois, I am Lucentio, hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa, Sigeia tellus, disguised thus to get your love, Hic steterat, and that “Lucentio” that comes a-wooing, Priami, is my man Tranio, regia, bearing my port, celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon. Hortensio (as Litio) Madam, my instrument’s in tune. Bianca Let’s hear. [He plays.] Oh fie, the treble jars! Lucentio (as Cambio) Spit in the hole, man, and tune again. Bianca Now let me see if I can conster it. Hic ibat Simois, I know you not; hic est Sigeia tellus, I trust you not; Hic steterat Priami, take heed he hear us not; regia, presume not; celsa senis, despair not. (iii.i.33-47) (page 43 in the packet)
In the first scene of Act 3, we get our first taste of Bianca’s real personality as well as a more traditional form of wooing compare to Kate and Petruchio. Just like the two sister are supposed to have different personalities, Shakespeare further emphasizes their differences by juxtaposing their wooing scenes. While Hortensio and Lucentio are fighting for her Bianca’s attention, she apparently takes the reigns. She chooses to first push away Hortensio and hear Lucentio’s offer, which is appropriate, as the common occurrence during such situations was to reject suitor’s advancements. However, after hearing Lucentio’s confession as himself, not as Cambio, she tells him, “presume not… despair not” (iii.i.47). She essentially told him that she likes him more, thus adding more comedy to every time Hortensio attempts to court her, something Shakespeare does to keep the audience entertained as well as focused. With this, it is now known that Bianca is capable of forming judgments and appealing to her own personality. These are two traits that, although common nowadays, would have been considered highly unattractive for a women of the time. It seems that Bianca is more like her sister than originally suggested. This is not surprising though, Shakespeare is known for having strong, progressive female characters.
I like how you recognized the similarities between Katherine and Bianca. I agree that because she made her own judgments about the man she was going to marry, that she may be more like Katherine than we all originally thought. It is interesting to see how Shakespeare continues to further the juxtaposition between the two characters, though. Their blatant oppositions go beyond their social demeanor and continue to their way their marriage is proposed. Bianca also seems to have found attraction in Lucentio, which may result in their marriage to be more than just for social hierarchy, and will be an ironic outcome considering that Bianca was originally only wanting to be married to a man that provides for her.
Act 3, Scene 2 begins with a very angry Baptista and Katharina because Petruchio is nowhere to be found the morning of their scheduled wedding day. In this excerpt, Katharina’s use of negative diction characterizes her as the shrew so many people in her community view her as. Words like “shame”, “forced”, and “opposed” create a tone of oppression. I interpreted this as not only her commentary on her current situation, but also on her entire life. She has always been shamed by everyone for her personality, has always been forced into the shadows by Bianca’s vibrant presence, and has always been faced with opposition. Granted, I’m sure she takes this opposition far more personally than ever intended, but it is opposition none the less. The now archaic, once common, language she uses to insult Petruchio also contributes to her characterization. “Mad-brain”, “rudesby”, and “full of spleen” are all rude remarks that weren’t commonly used toward people like Petruchio. Shakespeare has Katharina use these phrases in order for the audience to understand how short tempered she is. It seems to me like this excerpt was quite an exaggeration though. I’m wondering if Katharina is putting on an act of some sort, as if she’s trying to keep up her image of a shrew because that is what she finds security and identity in. Maybe she’s almost proud of the way people talk about her so even though it’s a bad public image, it’s a public image none the less.
I liked your analysis on how Katharina almost getting ditched on her wedding day and the humiliation she faced is similar to what she has been through her whole life. Having the reputation of a shrew and being compared to the devil as she lives in the shadow of her sister has caused her to worry if her soon-to-be husband is even going to show up. I would disagree with your interpretation of Kate's overexaggeration caused by public image, even if it's a bad one. It emphasizes her short tempered behavior but this rant also shows her true emotions and how "happy" she really is to feel wanted. Before, she never received attention from any suitor and her father has not shown her love nor sympathy. She is worried about Petruchio's lack of presence because she wants to be loved and cared for.
Bion: “Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, a pair of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, another laced; an old rusty sword ta’en out of the town armory, with a broken hilt, and chapeless; with two broken points; his horse hipped, with an old mothy saddle and stirrups of no kindred, besides possessed with the glanders and like to mose in the chine, troubled with the lampass, infected with the fashions, full of windgalls, sped with spavins, rayed with the yellows, past cure of the fives, stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the bots, swayed in the back and shoulder-shotten, near-legged before, and with a half-checked bit and a headstall of sheep’s leather, which, being restrained to keep him from stumbling, hath been often burst, and now repaired with knots; one girth six times pieced, and a woman’s crupper of velour, which hath two letters for her name fairly set down in studs, and here and there pieced with packthread.” (III. ii. 42-63) pg. 46
Act II was the first time Petruchio showed an understanding of the difference between what is acceptable in social versus private events when he justifies Kate’s “curst” behavior. Here, however, he is almost mocking his own wedding. Shakespeare writes, “Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, a pair of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, another laced” (42-43). Petruchio is aware of what the proper attire for a wedding is, but as he shows up in old ratty clothes, and broken shoes, he is portraying a physical comparison to how Kate treats others, both rude and improper. This is the first of acts which Petruchio will go to in order to “tame” Kate. Attending his own wedding in such an inappropriate manner mimics Kate’s very public and open disgrace for the common social norms for women. In a way, Petruchio is mocking Kate’s bad behavior in order for her to see how it is viewed as wrong. Petruchio’s blatant disrespect to the customs of his own wedding also show his dominant and controlling nature. He plans on ruling over Kate and not the other way around. He stubbornly destroys his own reputation in hopes that Kate will catch on to his obvious horrific behavior and realize that she must change her own public demeanor.
I had never previously considered your take on Petruchio's wedding attire as a physical representation of Katherine's shrewd personality, but I agree that it was somewhat of a mockery of his own wedding. I think Petruchio realized at this point just how shallow he had been the whole time, only marrying Kate for her money. I recall after this quote that Petruchio states something along the lines of "she's not marrying my clothes, she's marrying me" which seems very ironic considering up until that point Petruchio was only marrying her for her material possessions. This could lead the reader to believe that Petruchio is actually starting to become fond of Kate, aside from her financial assets.
PET: Come on, i' God’s name, once more toward our father’s. Good Lord, how bright and goodly shines the moon! KATH: The moon? The sun! It is not moonlight now. PET: I say it is the moon that shines so bright. KATH: I know it is the sun that shines so bright. ... HOR: Say as he says, or we shall never go. ... Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me. PET: I say it is the moon. KATH: I know it is the moon. PET: Nay, then you lie. It is the blessed sun. KATH: 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 so for Katherine. (IV. v. 1-23)
This excerpt occurs as Petruchio, Katherina, Hortensio, and the other servants are traveling down a road towards Baptista’s house. They have just left Petruchio’s house and he has declared the sun to be the moon, as an act to show Katherina how impossible he is. At first, Katherina strongly states her opinion by saying, “I know it is the sun that shines so bright” (IV. v. 5), which is correct. Then, Petruchio demands her to say that it is the moon, but once she says it is, he then tells her she is a liar because it is actually the sun. Finally, Katherina gives up and is “tamed” because she says that she will agree with whatever Petruchio says. Shakespeare utilizes parallel structure and repetition to create a tone of confusion and portray Petruchio’s newfound dominance over Katherina. When Katherina and Petruchio disagree with each other, they speak using parallel structure. This makes it easier to compare their beliefs and how originally, Katherina spoke her mind against Petruchio’s. The phrases which are repeated throughout the parallel structure bring emphasis to how trivial the topic of their argument is. However, even though the topic of the conversation is not crucial, it symbolizes how Petruchio plans to tame Katherina. Some may also argue that Katherina is not being tamed, she is just being astute and realizes that the fastest way to get anywhere or anything she wants is to agree with Petruchio. Hortensio also sees this very same aspect, and even mentions it to Katherina when he says, “Say as he says, or we shall never go” (IV. v. 13).
I love your analysis of this scene, especially because it is part of the scene that my group performed for the project. Anyway, I loved what you said about the parallel structure, because I didn't really analyze it as I read it, but I agree. It does highlight the differences between Kate's view and Petruchio's view. Also, I didn't take note of what was important about the topic. The triviality does show Petruchio's dominance over Kate. I do believe she's being "astute", as you say, and she realizes that the only way they will get anywhere is by just agreeing. How do you think this will play out over the rest of their undocumented marriage? (Dunno about you but I want a sequel- does Petruchio eventually drop the act or does Kate file for divorce or what?)
Your analysis really helped me understand the cause of Petruchio's treatment and behavior towards Katharina. I thought his inner psychotic personality was just coming out but this was all just a part of his plan to tame his shrew of a wife. Before being treated as a lower-class, Katharina has been getting used to using tantrums and physical abuse to get what she wants or get her points across. Now she feels as if the only way to survive as she continues as Petruchio's wife is to agree to his madly responses such as the moon being the sun or Vincentio posing as a woman. Sadly, her personality has shifted from contradicting society's expectations for women during those times to being compelled to follow what she's told to do by her husband.
Petruchio: Thus have I politicly begun my reign, And 'tis my hope to end successfully. My falcon now is sharp and passing empty; And till she stoop she must not be full-gorged, For then she never looks upon her lure. Another way I have to man my haggard, To make her come and know her keeper's call, That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites That bate and beat and will not be obedient. She eat no meat to-day, nor none shall eat; Last night she slept not, nor to-night she shall not; As with the meat, some undeserved fault I'll find about the making of the bed; And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster, This way the coverlet, another way the sheets: Ay, and amid this hurly I intend That all is done in reverend care of her; And in conclusion she shall watch all night: And if she chance to nod I'll rail and brawl And with the clamour keep her still awake. This is a way to kill a wife with kindness; And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour. He that knows better how to tame a shrew, Now let him speak: 'tis charity to show.
Exit
(IV.ii.188-211) (Page 58-59)
In this soliloquy, Petruchio outlines his plan for taming Kate, likening her to a falcon. In falconry, to tame a bird you must deprive it of food, sleep, and light, so it becomes obedient and stops bating (attempting to fly off the perch or wrist while still attached). In this passage, Shakespeare uses falconry-related jargon, deprived diction, and long sentences/listing to show how developed Petruchio’s plan is. The abundance of words like “lure”, “keeper’s call”, “kites”, and “bate” show the reader that Petruchio is objectifying Kate- she is a project, something to tame, something to be shown off when he is done. He is thinking of the final product of his plan. Additionally, during Shakespeare’s time, falcons were a symbol of status- Kings would fly bigger falcons, and earls, priests, and yeomans could fly smaller ones, and peasants could fly still smaller ones. Petruchio is taming Kate the way one would tame a falcon, and as such is using her as a metaphor for his status. Later, in act V, he “shows off” Kate when he orders her to tell everyone the wife’s rightful place in the household and she performs her speech. In order to do this, however, he must first rob her of sleep and food, which is evident in his plan by his use of deprived diction. The words “not” “none” and “nor” are used repeatedly for this effect. Also, later on, he divests her of fashionable dresses and hats, first showing her the beautiful things and then rudely taking them away. His long sentences in this passage show how complex and well-thought-out his plan is. He knows what he’s doing and how to execute it.
Your analysis which compared Katherina to a falcon was very intriguing, and the way you presented it was very clear. When I originally read this passage, I did not catch the falcon's purpose as being a symbol of Shakespeare's status and power. The entire excerpt was slightly offensive as to how dehumanizing Petruchio was towards Katherina. Additionally, the depriving diction created a deeper image of Petruchio and his character. This portrayed him as almost desperate to "tame" Katherina and his actions were very cruel and rude in a sense. The elaborate and long syntax are something I didn't pay much attention to in the beginning, but they are crucial to laying out Petruchio's plan and how detailed his thoughts are.
PET: O no, good Kate. Neither art thou the worse For this poor furniture and mean array. If thou account’st it shame, lay it on me, And therefore frolic! We will hence forthwith To feast and sport us at thy father’s house. Go, call my men, and let us straight to him, And bring our horses unto Long-lane end. There will we mount, and thither walk on foot. Let’s see, I think ’tis now some seven o’clock, And well we may come there by dinner time. KATH: I dare assure you, sir, ’tis almost two, And ’twill be supper time ere you come there. PET: It shall be seven ere I go to horse. Look what I speak, or do, or think to do, You are still crossing it. Sirs, let ’t alone. I will not go today, and, ere I do, It shall be what o’clock I say it is. HOR: Why, so, this gallant will command the sun! (IV.iii.176-193)
Here, Petruchio is giving a long speech to Katherine after excessively scolding the tailor for his apparently unsatisfactory work. Prior to this section of the speech, he makes comparisons between animals based on their outer appearance. In this excerpt specifically, Petruchio is disregarding those comparisons as to say that he loves Kate for more than her just her expensive dress. I think this is an example of dramatic irony because the audience is aware that Petruchio made the decision to marry Katherine based solely on her financial stature. Petruchio then goes on to command Grumio to fetch their horses, claiming the time to be 7 o’clock. Katherine, knowing the true time, innocently goes against Petruchio’s claim which sends him into an unjustified frenzy. Petruchio is characterized here by his short temper and self-justified entitlement as he accuses Kate of constantly contradicting him because he thinks he is always right. It’s obvious that this is one of his “taming” tactics because he’s trying to instill in Kate the idea that he is above all and can make his own rules, therefore, having full control over her. Hortensio’s comment to the audience after Petruchio’s rant provides some comedic relief as the whole audience is aware that what he just said is completely unrealistic and makes him look like a fool for thinking he has any control over anything or anyone other than himself.
I really like how you pointed out Hortensio's comment, but I feel you could have explained it's significance more. Much of Taming of the Shrew is satirical. Shakespeare was criticizing both the typical courting acts of the wealthy and the treatment of women in marriage. By having Hortensio comment "this gallant will command the sun!" Shakespeare gets the audience to laugh at themselves. Hortensio is criticizing behavior that Petruchio mocking, behavior that is standard for the audience. I guess it is an example of reverse dramatic irony? The actors know something the audience doesn't, correct me if I'm wrong
The first half of Act IV, Scene 5 on page 74 showcases the encounter with Vincentio during Petruchio and Katharina’s journey to Baptista’s home. Petruchio plays a joke and pretends the old man is a beautiful woman and in a way forces his wife to acknowledge her beauty and fairness. After doing so, he scolds her for thinking he is a woman and assures her that he is actually in fact a wrinkly, aged man. This is a part of one of his many tactics to tame her wildness and “give her a taste of her own medicine” (referring back to the second scene where two servants, Nathaniel and Peter, discuss how Petruchio’s behavior is really a scheme to show her what it’s like to be on the other end of the spectrum). Shakespeare uses hyperbole on Katharina’s responses to emphasize the ridicule she is experiencing with her husband’s treatments. There is also a tiny bit of sarcasm present when she says, “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 favourable stars allot thee for his lovely bed-fellow!” (IV. v. 74). In this example, she is obviously not meaning anything she is saying about Vincentio but is only corresponding with Petruchio’s command to “embrace her [Vincentio] for her beauty’s sake” (IV. v. 73). After he corrects her for her mistake of thinking Vincentio is a woman, she does not argue. Katharina exaggerates and blames herself for her own wrongdoing by mentioning her blinded eyes and seeing everything in green.
PETRUCHIO: Thus have I politicly begun my reign, And ’tis my hope to end successfully. My falcon now is sharp and passing empty, And, till she stoop, she must not be full-gorged, For then she never looks upon her lure. Another way I have to man my haggard, To make her come and know her keeper’s call. That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites That bate and beat and will not be obedient. She ate no meat today, nor none shall eat. Last night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not. As with the meat, some undeservèd fault I’ll find about the making of the bed, And here I’ll fling the pillow, there the bolster, This way the coverlet, another way the sheets. Ay, and amid this hurly I intend That all is done in reverend care of her. And, in conclusion, she shall watch all night, And, if she chance to nod, I’ll rail and brawl, And with the clamor keep her still awake. This is a way to kill a wife with kindness. And thus I’ll curb her mad and headstrong humor. He that knows better how to tame a shrew, Now let him speak; ’tis charity to shew. (IV.i.188-211) (pg 58-59)
The first scene of Act IV ends with a soliloquy given by Petruchio. He outlines how he plans to “tame” Katherine. He says, “And, if she chance to nod, I’ll rail and brawl, // And with the clamor keep her still awake. // This is a way to kill a wife with kindness. // And thus I’ll curb her mad and headstrong humor,” (206-209). Petruchio only wants to teach Katherine that it isn’t smart to always be so rough and bull headed. He jokes with the “kill [her] with kindness” bit, as he is doing to her likely what she has done to many before; likely described as anything but kind. Through the past few scenes, Petruchio has become more belligerent and unpredictable. Despite this, we know that it is only a role; from the earliest points of the play, Petruchio has been known to be clever and typically cheerful. Early on, his original motivation was to seek a wife that would bring him riches. After seeing how many servants he has, it is unlikely he truly needs more money. More likely, he wanted a wife that he could trade metaphorical blows with, with money just being an added bonus. If Petruchio is infact, still only in it for the money, it still wouldn’t make sense to treat his wife this way for their entire marriage. Surely someone would eventually figure out that Kate was being mistreated. It makes much more sense that Petruchio’s new persona is a farce; he is playing the tamer until he believes his wife is “tamed.”
I agree with your analysis that Petruchio is changing his persona only to teach Katherine and "tame" her stubborn behavior. It is interesting to me how he has created an entire scheme and personality change in order to do so. Like you said, the audience knows Petruchio to be very clever, yet I wonder why he would go to such lengths to attempt to change someone like Kate. She would have been so unlike anyone else of her time, being a headstrong woman, so why would a smart man spend his time trying to control this girl? Whatever the reason may be, the dynamic between the couple grew in this scene and it will be interesting to see how Kate will respond to Petruchio's attempts at "taming" her.
Pet: Come, Kate, and wash, and welcome heartily. You whoreson villain! Will you let it fall? Kate: Patience, I pray you; ‘t was a fault unwilling. Pet: A whoresome bettle-headed, flap-ear’d knave! come, Kate, sit down; I know you have a stomach. Will you give thanks, sweet Kate; or else shall I? What’s this? Mutton? First Server: Ay. Pet: Who brought it? Peter: I. Pet: ‘T is burnt; and so is all the meat. What dogs are these! Where is the rascal cook? How durst you, ,villains, bring it from the dresser, and serve it this to me that love it not? There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all: You heedless joltheads and unmanner’d slaves! What, do you grumble? I’ll be with you straight.
In act IV scene I, Petruchio begins his first attempt at “taming” his new wife, Katherine. The scene takes place as the couple arrives at Petruchio’s country house, after having a treacherous event with the horses. Grumio explains to Curtis that the entire ride Petruchio and Kate were relentlessly fighting, and at one point Kate’s horse tripped and she fell off. Petruchio blamed and beat Grumio for the horse’s fault, and surprisingly, it was Kate to pry Petruchio off from hitting the survant. Then, when they arrived at dinner, a server spills water all over Kate, and again, Petruchio violently scolds the servant. However, once again, Kate spares kindness and understanding to the man, and tell Petruchio, “Patience, I pray you; ‘t was a fault unwilling” (IV.I.153). This is a new side of Kate that the audience is seeing. She seems to have found a new perspective on things as she defends the servants in both times from Petruchio. Earlier in the play, Kate would not have bat an eye at Petruchio’s harsh responses, however she seems to have matured, and it is questioned if that is due to Petruchio and his attempts to “tame” her. At this point, Kate is not the only character that is changing behavior in this play. Petruchio is clearly putting on a role of a strict and unruly husband, and plans to deprive Kate of food and comfort to break down her wild persona. While the audience knows it is only an act, Petruchio has still been put in bad light. Form the scandalous wedding and violence towards to servants, his behavior is a symbol of the male dominance found in marriages during this time. Shakespeare has Petruchio being vile, malicious, and uncaring of proper social norms to show to drastic difference between male and female expectations. While Petruchio can get away with these actions, Katherine is scolded and ridiculed for simply having a stubborn personality and standing up for herself.
In my opinion, I think Petruchio's first attempt at taming Katherine came even earlier in the act, before they even got on the horses. I understood the whole deal about what time it was, as well as the debate over the sun and moon, as two instances where Petruchio was establishing his dominance and absolute control over Katherine. Aside from that, I agree that Kate's ways are changing. I think it may be because she realizes that she's no longer the most shrewd person anymore. I feel like Shakespeare contrasts Petruchio and Katherine in such a way that Katherine only SEEMS tamed by comparison. I don't know if I'm right, but it's just a thought.
VINCENTIO Where is that damnèd villain, Tranio, That faced and braved me in this matter so?
BAPTISTA Why, tell me, is not this my Cambio?
BIANCA Cambio is changed into Lucentio.
LUCENTIO Love wrought these miracles. Bianca’s love Made me exchange my state with Tranio, While he did bear my countenance in the town, And happily I have arrivèd at the last Unto the wishèd haven of my bliss. What Tranio did, myself enforced him to. Then pardon him, sweet father, for my sake.
VINCENTIO I’ll slit the villain’s nose that would have sent me to the jail!
BAPTISTA But do you hear, sir, have you married my daughter without asking my goodwill? (V.i.123-136)
In this passage, the fathers of the bunch, Vincentio (the real one) and Baptista, are finding out about all the disguises that went on. Lucentio and Bianca are trying to calm them down, to say “it’s all good, don’t worry, we really do love each other,” and Vincentio and Baptista are asking questions, incredulous at the whole situation. Lucentio is clearly in love, as evidenced by his loving, happy diction. Words like “love”, “happily”, “haven”, “bliss”, “pardon”, and “sweet” pepper his long line. This shows the reader how at peace he is with Bianca and how much he loves her. Bianca’s line answers her father’s question calmly, because she knows what’s happening and who she has actually married. The two fathers are quite insulted by this whole thing, Vincentio exclaiming that he will “slit the villain’s nose” who deceived him, Baptista wondering if Lucentio has married Bianca without asking for Baptista’s blessing. The short, alternating lines of the older gentlemen portray their confusion and indignance. Lucentio and Bianca’s calm, flowing lines portray their peace with the situation, because this is how it’s been all along. They know what they’re about, and what their plan is, and now they just have to explain it to their parents.
I was almost going to do my analysis on the same passage and I completely agree with your points. I think his use of overjoyed diction shows how content he is now that he has finally achieved her hand in marriage. Even though Bianca was worried about disappointing both of their fathers for going behind their back and not asking for permission whatsoever, Lucentio assures and says, "Look not pale, Bianca; thy father will not frown." (V. I. 80). This also shows how determined he is in reaching his goal. It also characterizes him as a little self-centered since he did not respect Baptista and Vincentio enough to ask them for her hand in marriage.
KATE Husband, let’s follow to see the end of this ado. PETRUCHIO First kiss me, Kate, and we will. KATE What, in the midst of the street? PETRUCHIO What, art thou ashamed of me? KATE No, sir, God forbid, but ashamed to kiss PETRUCHIO Why, then, let’s home again. [To Grumio.] Come, sirrah, let’s away. KATE Nay, I will give thee a kiss. Now pray thee, love, stay. PETRUCHIO Is not this well? Come, my sweet Kate. Better once than never, for never too late.
(V.i.145-156) (Page 80 in packet)
Here, we see the newly “tamed” Kate and her husband Petruchio in perhaps their most calm of encounters. Kate suggest going to the wedding feast, and Petruchio complies. Not only does this show that Kate has grown to consider Petruchio as someone she wants to listen to, but it also shows that she is an equal in the relationship, or at least not powerless. Petruchio agrees, but with a condition as always. However, this time it is for something much kinder; a kiss. It isn’t the first time Petruchio told Kate to kiss him, but it is the first where she is willing. Her declination is not due to being opposed to kissing Petruchio, but rather in public. This could either be because of societal norms frowning upon public displays of affection, or because she wishes to keep her rough “look” in public. The former is more likely, as the latter is later disproven in the second scene with her great speech on how the wives should listen to their husbands. Petruchio, as usual threatens to take Kate home, but it sounds more light-hearted due to the overall tone of the scene. Shakespeare crammed lots of humor and romance earlier into the scene, so it would make sense to continue with it at the end. Kate agrees to kiss Petruchio, and does so lovingly, “Now pray thee, love, stay” (V.i.154). Petruchio responds with a half joke, referencing his once playful remark with one more sincere. The relationship is that of equals. Shakespeare subtly makes it apparent that these two characters do in fact love each other.
I talked about the same scene as your, but with a different perspective in mind. I thought that Katherine was ashamed, not because of how they were in public, but because she betrayed herself by going against what she originally planned out, not succumbing to arranged marriage. I had another thought in my mind that it was not the social norm to frown upon kissing publicly because in scene two they kissed again at the feast after Katherine taking the money from Petruchio winning his bet against the men. It just my perspective.
Act V Scene I Lines 123-131 "Husband, let's follow, to see the end of this ado. // First kiss me, Kate, and we will.// What, in the midst of the street?// What, art thou ashamed of me?// No,sir, God forbid; but ashamed to kiss.// Why, then let's home again. Come, sirrah, let's away.// Nay, I will give the a kiss: now pray thee, love stay.// Is not this well? Come, my sweet Kate:// Better once than never, for never too late" In act 5 scene 1, Shakespeare used self versus society, tone, and concrete nouns to show Katherine submission to Petruchio while creating the mood of love. From act one to act three, Katherine was conflicting over her decision of marrying Pertruchio or not. The evidence showed this problem were the slapstick between her and Petruchio and the quote of her saying she rather hang on Sunday than marrying him. Her back and forth with saying yes or no showed her great discontent with herself; whether she should succumb to the idea of arrange marriage or become a shrew for the rest of her life. But then she found out she was truly in love with Petruchio when they had another argument about the sun and moon. She finally agreed with Petruchio, and revealed her true feelings about Petruchio. Her tone was not like from the slapstick from before and was more toned down and sweeter. She showed this side of her another time in act 5. She called Petruchio "Husband" for the first time and Petruchio asked her to kiss him, which then she said she was ashamed to kiss him, but it was not because it was out in public, but because she betrayed her persona of an individualist and fell for Petruchio. Finally she kissed him anyway, showing the readers through action and not words of her love for Petruchio, and Petruchio did the same by calling her "sweet Kate" in a more lovely tone than sarcasm. -Nam Mguyen
PETRUCHIO: Go fetch them hither. If they deny to come, Swinge me them soundly forth unto their husbands. Away, I say, and bring them hither straight. LUCENTIO: Here is a wonder, if you talk of a wonder. HORTENSIO: And so it is. I wonder what it bodes. PETRUCHIO Marry, peace it bodes, and love, and quiet life, An awful rule, and right supremacy, And, to be short, what not that’s sweet and happy. BAPTISTA: Now fair befall thee, good Petruchio! The wager thou hast won, and I will add Unto their losses twenty thousand crowns, Another dowry to another daughter, For she is changed as she had never been. PETRUCHIO: Nay, I will win my wager better yet, And show more sign of her obedience, Her new-built virtue and obedience. See where she comes, and brings your froward wives As prisoners to her womanly persuasion.— Katherine, that cap of yours becomes you not. Off with that bauble, throw it underfoot. (V.ii.116-136)
In this excerpt from the end of Act 5, Petruchio, Lucentio, and Hortensio are in a contest to see whose wife is more obedient and “tame”. They all bet some money and went on to send their servants for each of their wives. Bianca and Hortensio’s widow made an excuse not to obey, but neither of the men were all too surprised by their wives’ actions. Petruchio, being the cocky character he is, sends for Kate and, of course, she comes right away, no questions asked. His cocky and arrogant nature is only reinforced by Lucentio and Hortensio’s comments, as well as the praise he receives from Baptista, after Petruchio commands Kate to fetch the other wives. Petruchio is seen by the other men as somewhat of a hero in this excerpt because he is the first to successfully “tame” Kate, but also the only one to have total control over his wife. This total control is a quality most envied by Lucentio and Hortensio, which makes Petruchio out to be the best man of the three. But is he really? Is Kate really as “tame” as they like to believe? Petruchio’s cockiness is also evident in his last few lines where he brags to the others about Kate’s “new-built virtue and obedience”. At this point, Petruchio seems utterly unrealistic in thinking he has the power to instill such qualities in someone, as well as completely ignorant to the fact that Kate is simply putting on an act. This act is benefitting Petruchio in the sense that his friends believe him to be the lord of all lords, so I think Kate is doing it for her own satisfaction in knowing that he is truly a fool.
I agree with your analysis, and mine was very similar. Do you think that Petruchio knows that Katherina's actions are purely an act? His arrogance may blind him from understanding this, but his reputation is the only thing of importance to him. Additionally, what do you think Katherina gets out of obeying Petruchio? Does she do it for her entertainment or for another reason? This excerpt has an excellent portrayal of how keen Katherina truly is, especially in comparison to Petruchio (and his intentions). Overall, your points are very valid and the actions of Petruchio are clearly and thoroughly explained.
BAPTISTA: Now, fair befal thee, good Petruchio! The wager thou hast won; and I will add Unto their losses twenty thousand crowns; Another dowry to another daughter, For she is changed, as she had never been. PETRUCHIO: Nay, I will win my wager better yet And show more sign of her obedience, Her new-built virtue and obedience. See where she comes and brings your froward wives As prisoners to her womanly persuasion. ... PETRUCHIO: Katharina, I charge thee, tell these headstrong women What duty they do owe their lords and husbands. WIDOW: Come, come, you're mocking: we will have no telling. PETRUCHIO: Come on, I say; and first begin with her. WIDOW: She shall not. PETRUCHIO: I say she shall: and first begin with her. (V. ii. pgs 84-85)
Towards the end of the second half in Act V, Petruchio goes to extreme lengths in order to prove his utter dominance over Katherina. He has already won the initial bet of having a wife who would come and do his bidding. This is shown when Shakespeare writes “Nay, I will win my wager better yet And show more sign of her obedience” (V. ii. pg 84). Petruchio is set on achieving a status of having completely tamed Katherina. Later, he even emphasizes his own dominance over the widow. He is greedy in the sense of his dominance over Katherina, and seems arrogant about his first “win”. Petruchio says, “Come on, I say; and first begin with her” (V. ii. 84), and when the Widow opposes him, he replies by using a parallel structure and repeating his point, “I say she shall: and first begin with her” (V. ii. 85). Throughout this excerpt and surrounding text, the men continually use language which portrays the women as objects for the subject of their entertainment. Previously, there has been a slight reference to animals such as horses and dogs in comparing them to the women. They also believe that a simple task such as asking a woman to come will show the most loyal wife and the best husband. All of this is done for the pleasure of Petruchio, and his thirst to prove the other men that he has successfully tamed his wife, Katherina.
KATH. ...A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty; A while it is so, none so dry or thirsty Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it. Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee, And for thy maintenance commits his body To painful labour both by sea and land, To watch the night in storms, the day in cold, Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe; And craves no other tribute at thy hands But love, fair looks and true obedience; Too little payment for so great a debt... (V. ii. 85)
At this point of the passage, the men decide to bet on which wife is the most obedient by seeing who will follow orders when called upon. After calling the widow and Katharina to the rooms and refusing, Katharina provides the longest speech in the play which includes the importance of obeying their husbands. Shakespeare uses simile and parallel structure in the speech to showcase how “tamed” she really was. In the beginning of the passage, she compares an angry woman to a fountain lacking sanitation and true beauty. This is to emphasize the fact that wives who do not show respect to their husbands will not receive the amount of attention they think they will. No one will dare to touch or sip a foul water from a fountain which is referring to the stubbornness in Bianca and the widow. She also exaggerates when she repeats herself numerous times by describing what role husbands play in the marriage. Kate says, “...Thy husband is thy lord, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign…” (V. ii. 85) which also shows how devoted she really is to Petruchio, showcasing him as basically the dominant in the relationship. This speech not only showcased how much her perspective on loyalty towards men has changed but also proved how effective Petruchio’s plan was to tame his shrew of a wife.
Kate: ...A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty; And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it. Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee, And for thy maintenance commits his body To painful labour both by sea and land, To watch the night in storms, the day in cold, Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe; And craves no other tribute at thy hands But love, fair looks and true obedience; Too little payment for so great a debt. ...
In the final scene of act IV, Kate delivers a long speech, and essentially has the last word of the play. Her speech is the longest soliloquy of the entire play, and holds the meaning to the purpose of this play. At face value, this speech is a bit of a let down considering Kate spent the whole play acting as a strong female character that defies the social norms of female obedience in marriage, and now comes in at the last minute to openly tell the other wives that they should treat their husbands like a Lord. However, when analyzing the language in the speech, it is clear that there is a deeper and more prominent meaning. Kate’s soliloquy is mockery of the feeble wit among her, and shows her intelligence and ability to manipulate other’s perception. During her speech, Kate is aware of the bet Petruchio has made on her obedience. The entire speech was fabricated so Kate and Petruchio could win the money. Shakespeare adds differences to Kate’s language which makes it clear that she is putting on an act. Her gestures and word choice are greatly exaggerated, juxtaposing her previous behavior of being straightforward and concise. On lines 163-164 in act IV scene 2, Kate says, “A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty”. Here, Kate expresses a woman’s inability to think for herself and are only used for beauty as she compares a woman to a ‘fountain troubled’, while in reality, Kate herself believes the opposite and is an example of a smart woman. Shakespeare’s use of exaggerated imagery and comparisons show the audience that Kate is performing an act. She continues on and comments how a woman’s husband is ‘thy lord, thy life, thy keeper’, and that true obedience is a small price to pay for the great sacrifices men do for women. At this point, it appears that Kate has been ‘tamed’ to believe that women are made for obedience in a marriage, but when comparing her speech now to language and actions of her past, Kate is making light of the situation and providing a comedic sense to the speech. All of her actions leading up to this moment contradict her words, and while the other character seem to believe her act is true, Shakespeare intended it to be another symbol of illusion in the play. Disguise and deceit have been large motifs throughout this play, and Kate’s speech is the final and greatest ‘trick’ of the story. Her intelligence allows her to work with Petruchio to con her peers, and her wit allows her speech on woman obedience to provide a comedic tone while her words mean one thing and her true intentions mean another.
Christopher Sly, "What, would you make me mad? Am not I Christopher Sly, old // Sly's son of Burton-heath, by birth a pedlar, by education card- // maker, by transmutation a bear-herd, and now by present profes- // sion a tinker? Ask Marian Hacket, a fat ale-wife of Wincot, if // she know me not: Of she say I am not fourteen pence on the score // for sheer ale, score me up for the lyingest knave in Christendom" (Ind. Scene II. Lines 15-20).
ReplyDeleteIn lines fifteen to twenty in scene two of the introduction of Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare used slang and visual imagery to characterize Christopher Sly. Christopher said he was born from a "Pedlar", a Shakespeare slang for a peddler, and from this the readers can interpret/imagine that Christopher came from the poor class because his parents had jobs that were not considered as high paying. Another evidence that described Christopher was from the nineteen line, where he said to the Lord that he is not a nobleman and the Lord should ask Marian Hacket, a "fat ale-wife" as Christopher called her that. "Fat ale-wife" meant in this line was of a female bartender, and the readers can interpret that Chris tend to get drunk because a bartender knew him. What the readers can now realize was that Christopher was a low class citizen who get drunk on a regular basis.
-Nam Nguyen
I thought your take on Shakespeare's characterization of social classes was really interesting, especially the part about how people act as others expect them to. When I first read the Induction, I had wondered how Sly went along with the prank- surely he knows he isn't- and now you have answered my question. (Also, if I woke up as a duchess or something, I'm not sure I would complain.) Additionally, you pointed out that another notation of Sly's status was his father being a peddler, and that he is now himself a tinker. He also seemed to know Marian Hacket, the ale-wife, which I thought was a good point. A question for you (which you probably won't answer because no one reads these comments anyway): why does someone being drunk = low social status? In Shakespeare's time, people were always drinking wine or beer because the water was crappy, so why was being drunk so out of the norm?
DeleteWell I assumed Sly was a low class citizen because of the bartender. I related my idea of Romeo and Juliet l because even though the people in those days drink alcohol and get drunk, the rich tends to have their own party and get drunk with their own alcohol rather than from a bar and the low class went to the bar often because the drinks were cheap.
Delete-Nam Nguyen
P.S I do answer comments if there are question don't assume I'm the norm 😃.
Christopher Sly, “Am I a lord, and have I such a lady? //
ReplyDeleteOr do I dream? Or have I dreamed till now? //
I do not sleep: I see, I hear, I speak. //
I smell sweet savors and I feel soft things. //
Upon my life, I am a lord indeed //
And not a tinker, nor Christopher Sly. //
Well, bring our lady hither to our sight, //
And once again, a pot o' the smallest ale," Taming of the Shrew (Ind.2.53-60).
An induction is traditionally an introduction, but can also be "a bringing forward of separate facts or instances, so as to prove a general statement." The passage referenced does just that. Shakespeare uses the identity change in the Induction to alert the audience of a theme that will occur throughout the rest of the play. The entirety of Taming contains characters pretending to be something they are not in order to change how people behave towards them, as well as people behaving in certain ways because of being treated a certain way. The same occurs with the character Sly, he changes his entire behavior by based solely off of how others treat him. He goes from being a drunkard living in the streets to believing that he is a lord with servants and a beautiful wife. However, there is still a remnant of his true self in the line, “...once again a pot o’ the smallest ale,” Taming of the Shrew (Ind.2.60). This suggests that Shakespeare is letting the audience know that the disguises of the characters aren’t perfect and will eventually be uncovered. Even further, Shakespeare could be implying that there is always a remnant of the truth in a lie, no matter the nature of it.
I agreed with your analysis, however I also had another idea on the same quote. When Sly based off his whole life on how others treated him, I thought of the theme of society influence how a person act, but also it is the person choice of choosing if they want to follow the crowd or retain their individualism and goes against it. Even though Taming of the Shrew was a comedy play, it held a lot of serious topic within itself. It is like Shakespeare repeated his quote of "To be or not to be?".
Delete-Nam Nguyen
Your interpretation of the purpose of the induction made me think of how Petruchio is trying to tame Katharina and basically forcing her to acknowledge that the sun is the moon or how Vincentio, an old man, is a woman in the fourth act. He then corrects and blames her for being incorrect. Sly's acceptance to his new and improved environments is similar to Kate's quick adaptation to Petruchio's strange behavior. The lord's tactics and Petruchio's treatment to his wife is similar in this way.
DeleteLord. O monstrous beast! how like a swine he lies!
ReplyDeleteGrim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image!
Sirs, I will practise upon this drunken man.
What think you, if he were convey’d to bed,
Wrapp’d in sweet clothes, rings put upon his fingers,
A most delicious banquet by his bed,
And brave attendants near he when he wakes,
Would not the beggar then forget himself?
First Huntsman. Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose.
(Ind.1.34-43)
This passage occurs when the lord first sees Sly passed out, drunk, asleep on the table. He describes what he sees in very dramatic visual imagery, and then tells his friends what his plan is. On a very literal level, this passage foreshadows how quickly minds can change and plans can be hatched during the rest of the play. The lord’s contrasting language, used within only a couple of lines shows how fast he changed his mind and decided to play a massive prank on a drunkard, Sly. He starts out describing Sly as a “monstrous beast” and says that he is “grim”, “foul”, and “loathsome”, and then switches to describe what it will be like when Sly awakes- “a most delicious banquet by his bed”- which is very different from the imagery used before. In the beginning of the actual story of Shrew, Lucentio arrives in Padua talking about all he will learn while he is there. Once he sees Bianca, he totally changes his mind as to what he wants to do while in the city. A little later, after he and Gremio hear that Baptista will allow tutors to help Bianca in literature and music, they quickly hatch a plan based on disguise- much the same as the lord in the induction. I included the Huntsman’s response to the lord’s idea: “Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose” (Ind.1.43) because this foreshadows how later, those who get roped into the elaborate, deceptive plans employed to get Bianca often have no say, or are tricked into believing that Lucentio really is just a tutor and that Gremio really is Lucentio.
At first I didn't really understand the purpose of the induction, but I agree with your connection between the induction and this excerpt as well as the rest of the play. I also think the induction served as a comical introduction to the play in the sense that it began right away with a comedic situation in order to set the comedy up. I think your analysis of the last part of the excerpt is also very interesting. I agree that the characters who introduce the idea of changing identities are very manipulative and easily rope their servants into following their plan even when there's not much in it for them.
DeleteLORD. Even as a flattering dream or worthless fancy.
ReplyDeleteThen take him up and manage well the jest:
Carry him gently to my fairest chamber
And hang it round with all my wanton pictures:
Balm his foul head in warm distilled waters
And burn sweet wood to make the lodging sweet:
Procure me music ready when he wakes,
To make a dulcet and a heavenly sound;
And if he chance to speak, be ready straight
And with a low submissive reverence
Say “What is it your honour will command?”
Let one attend him with a silver basin
Full of rose-water and bestrew’d with flowers;
(Ind. 1. 44-56)
At this point of the passage, the Lord is preparing his huntsmen to play a joke on a drunkard sleeping in the streets. He plans on creating a fake environment for the drunkard and tricking him into thinking he is a lord or an important figure as soon as he wakes. I noticed this passage uses many examples of juxtaposition to emphasize the differences in the drunkard’s and the lord’s lives. For example the words “flattery dream” and “worthless fancy” creates a tone of hopelessness. Even though the drunkard will get to experience the life of luxury, he will never truly earn this kind of power. In the 48th line, the Lord says “Balm his foul head in warm distilled waters”. The Lord illustrates the filth of the drunkard to showcase his status in society. Sly is considered filthy since he is seen as inferior to the Lord. The warm distilled waters also symbolizes wealth in this case since the Lord is able to have access towards this type of luxury. At the end of the passage it says, “Let one attend with a silver basin / Full of rose-water and bestrew’d with flowers;” (Ind. 1. 55-56). These couple of lines uses visual imagery to establish the luxurious conditions the Lord already experiences himself. It creates an opulent mood demonstrating how big of a difference their lives truly are: the Lord gets to come home to warm bath water while Sly is dead passed out on the streets. He also says these lines nonchalantly to emphasize the fact he is already living the life he is producing for this prank. This passage also characterizes the Lord since it shows his apathy towards the drunkard and how he is willing to go so far in this prank just to get a few laughs.
KATHERINA
ReplyDeleteI'faith, sir, you shall never need to fear.// Iwis it is not halfway to her heart. // But if it were, doubt not her care should be// To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool,// And paint your face, and use you like a fool.
(Act I Scene I lines 61-65)
In the conversation between Katherina and Hortensio in Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare used symbol to create a theme of relationship. The quote was of Katherina warning Hortensio that he must be a fool to fall for her sister, Bianca, because of their age difference. Shakespeare used metaphor in lines sixty-three to sixty-five to represent Bianca as a child playing with her doll and painting its face. The doll represented Hortensio and the actions of painting and combing of the hair represented a puppeteer controlling their puppet and using it for their personal gain. In this case for Bianca, her personal gain was of money and becoming rich because she has a chance to have her own possession if she gets marry to Hortension, who was rich. Shakespeare was also giving his opinion on relationship between the man, who is extremely older than the woman, and the woman to be seen as a "gold digger".
-Nam Nguyen
In the Induction of Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, malapropism, allusion, and pun are present to show the deviation in social stature of Christopher Sly as compared to the other characters. Malapropism is seen when Sly says, “Therefore paucas pallabris // let the world slide: sessa!” (Ind. 1.4-5). Malapropism is the confusion or mix up of words with similar sounds. In this case, Christopher Sly is too drunk to realize that he said “paucas pallabris” instead of “pocas palabras” which is Spanish for “few words”, as if he is trying to say that he’s had it with his conversation with Hostess and he wants it to end. In the same line, Sly also says “sessa” instead of the Spanish command “cessa” meaning cease or be quiet. Sly is attempting to tell the Host to shut up and get off his case but he’s too intoxicated to be taken seriously.
ReplyDeleteAllusion is seen in line five when Sly says, “Go by, Jeronimy”. Here, Sly is mockingly referring to Hostess as an impatient person that needs to lighten up a little bit by referencing a character in another play.
Shakespeare uses pun in line ten when Sly replies to the Hostess’s attempted threat of calling the police. Archaically, a police officer is called a “thirdborough”. Playing off of this, Sly says, “Third, fourth, or fifth borough, I’ll answer him by law” (line 10). This play on words is a well-played, witty comeback for someone so inebriated. The contraction of “I’ll” is present in this quote, which is rather modern considering the context of the play. Both the pun and contraction lead the reader and/or audience to believe that Sly is of a lower class because his language is simply more casual than that of the Hostess.
In the induction, Shakespeare uses language, diction and syntax to differentiate the classes of characters which he is introducing. The Lord whom has entered says, “O monstrous beast! how like a swine he lies! Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image!”(Ind. 1) This is the image Shakespeare uses to depict Christopher Sly, a common man. He does not have any status, and the use of dirty diction such as, “swine”, “foul”, and “beast” all add to this image. In addition, the Lord’s servants are not degraded to this extent, just valued at a lower status. For example, the Lord says, “Bid them come near” (Ind. 1). This shows how there is no respect and use of word like please. They are commanded to do their master’s bidding, while servants are polite and respect their master. When Shakespeare writes, “For yet his honour never heard a play” (Ind. 1), this shows how Christopher Sly was previously a poor peasant who would never be able to afford going to events like plays. Later, when Christopher Sly has been tricked and transformed into a noble lord the servants say, “ Will’t please your mightiness to wash your hands?” (Ind. 2). This is very different from how the lord originally spoke to Sly in the tavern. The word mightiness elevates Sly and puts him with the elite class. They constantly are being called by names which compliment them, and elevate them above the citizens. Although the induction has nothing directly to do with the play “The Taming of the Shrew”, it foreshadows all the switching of characters which will later occur. The audience understands that Shakespeare will try to trick and change the characters throughout the play.
ReplyDeletePETRUCHIO: Signior Hortensio, ’twixt such friends as we
ReplyDeleteFew words suffice. And therefore, if thou know
One rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife
(As wealth is burden of my wooing dance),
Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love,
As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd
As Socrates’ Xanthippe, or a worse,
She moves me not, or not removes at least
Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough
As are the swelling Adriatic seas.
I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;
If wealthily, then happily in Padua.
(I.ii.66-77)
In this quote, Petruchio is responding to Hortensio’s offer and warning of marriage to Katherine. Even though he has been warned of her sharp tongue, he still decides he wants to marry her because she’s rich, and money is his goal. This passage is a strong example of indirect characterization- Petruchio says “‘twixt such friends as we” (I.ii.66), denoting that he and Hortensio are close friends. In his description of Katherine, who he has not met yet, he declares that even if she is as bad as Hortensio says, the money will make it worth it. Through this, the reader finds that Petruchio is after riches and gold. He says, “If wealthily, then happily in Padua” (I.ii.77), which expresses this idea further. Also, all of Petruchio’s allusions to classic literature prove him to be a well-educated man. Florentius was a knight in a story who swore to marry a hideous hag, in return for the answer to a riddle, Sibyl was an ancient prophetess, and Xanthippe was Socrates’ argumentative wife, so when Petruchio says he will put likenesses to these things aside to marry rich, he proves himself to be incredibly ambitious. The last two lines of this passage, “I come to wive it wealthily in Padua; / If wealthily, then happily in Padua” (I.ii.76-77) cement his goal in Padua: to marry wealthily. Knowing this motivation is hugely important in the reader’s understanding of the character.
I agree that knowing Petruchio's motivation is important in the understanding of his character, but I feel that you haven't gone deep enough with it. The norm of the time period was to marry into a wealthy family in order to secure one's status, whether male or female. That doesn't really say much about Petruchio as logically, if he were really only in it for the wealth, he would choose to court a much more typical women. The fact that he accepts the challenge of courting Kate suggests that Petruchio is much more interested in finding a women that compliments his personality. Petruchio is very wise, but also not afraid to let his anger out like Kate, this is supported by when he smacks his own servant for taking the joke a step too far.
DeleteYou make a very good point about Petruchio’s desire to wed Katherina despite her horrible reputation and take the money which she would come with . However, I wish you went into more depth as to why Petruchio would think that he could handle Katherina and her hot temper along with the reputation of her being undesirable as a wife. He definitely believes he can conquer her approval for money, but why would he go to such lengths to obtain this money? He seems quite desperate to acquire a large sum of money quickly. It would have been nice to write a deeper explanation of his motivation.
DeleteKatherine
ReplyDeleteI pray you, sir, is it your will
To make a stale of me amongst these mates?
//
I’ faith, sir, you shall never need to fear.
I wis it is not halfway to her heart.
But if it were, doubt not her care should be
To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool
And paint your face and use you like a fool.
Katherine, or Kate as many call her, takes the lead female role in Taming of the Shrew. Much like the rest of Shakespeare’s plays, Kate is not a typical Elizabethan woman. She is strong, brash, speaks her mind, and is highly intelligent, evident by her use of language, “make a stale of me amongst these mates?” (I.I.12). Kate is accusing her father of trying to sell her off as a whore, someone he has to get rid of so that his favorite daughter can marry, in a way that also insults the men he is talking to. Although her outright disgust of the men fawning over Bianca is bold, it is not unwarranted. Men of the day intended to marry for money, not for love, just as Petruchio says he will in Act II. Katherine is trying to weed out the men that aren’t suited for her or her sister. That is what makes her seem undesirable to everyone around her. Looking deeper into her language, Kate is actually looking for love, but she knows that her behavior drives others away, she does it on purpose because of how stubborn she is. She wants a man who is perfect for her. The way she behaves, and her relationship with Petruchio is what gives the play the title of Taming of the Shrew. The central conflict will be whether or not Petruchio can convince Kate that he is worthy of her, which in the eyes of the other men comes across as taming her wild spirit.
I also analyzed the same quote as you did, but had a completely different view. My view was that Shakespeare was developing Bianca through Katherina, and showing of how Bianca was using Hortensio to become rich. I also agree with your analysis of Katherina of being an intelligent, strong, and an individualist woman. She seem to be very dependent on her own, and through this Shakespeare was doing a role reversal; instead of the men picking up women, he had the women portraying the men role. This role reversal made his play in a more unique because the norm was "a maiden in distress hoping to find a guy who would swoon her off her feet and recue her".
Delete-Nam Nguyen
We both think that Katherina is a strong minded and ill-tempered woman who is resentful towards the men who swoon over her younger sister, Bianca. I also agree with your main conflict of
DeletePetruchio winning over Katherina and taming her sheer like behavior. However, I also think that she doesn’t want anyone to control her or tell her what to do. Evidence from the text to support this is seen when she says, “I' faith, sir, you shall never need to fear. I wis it is not halfway to her heart. But if it were, doubt not her care should be To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool And paint your face and use you like a fool” (I. i. 62-66). This shows how she has apathy for the suitors who visit her sisters and the thought of marriage to a person of similar qualities disgusts her.
Excerpt from Act I Scene I, lines 58-68 (Page 13)
ReplyDeleteKATH: I pray you, sir, is it your will
To make a stale of me amongst these mates?
HOR: Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for you,
Unless you were of gentler, milder mould.
KATH: I' faith, sir, you shall never need to fear.
I wis it is not halfway to her heart.
But if it were, doubt not her care should be
To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool
And paint your face and use you like a fool.
HOR: From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us!
GRE: And me too, good Lord!
Throughout this excerpt, Shakespeare portrays Katharina as an ill-tempered and aggressively assertive woman (a shrew). Shakespeare utilizes indirect characterization from other characters and how they interact with Katharina. This can be shown when Hortensio says, “Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for you” (I. i. 60). Hortensio acts as if being her suitor is an insult and no one will be until she calms her temper. Later, Hortensio exclaims, “From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us” (I. i. 67). This depicts Katharina as a devilish woman, who he would need protection from by God. Both Hortensio and Gremio seem to exaggerate how undesirable Katharina is to wed or be around, but it creates an image of an unpleasant women in the reader’s mind. In addition, the allusions to Katharina being the Devil set the tone for her presence as hot tempered and cruel. Katharina is also portrayed as independent from needing a man or anyone to tell her what to do. This is shown when she says, “I' faith, sir, you shall never need to fear. I wis it is not halfway to her heart. But if it were, doubt not her care should be To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool And paint your face and use you like a fool” (I. i. 62-66). She scolds them with harsh words, but also makes her point of apathy towards the men and the prospect of marriage. The repetition of “good Lord” (I. i. 67-68) brings focus to how much help the men seem to think Katharina needs in order to obtain a suitor or husband, as well as how much she reminds them of the Devil.
I like this analysis of how the suitors of Bianca see Katharina as a devilish spirit. It is a humorous how Gremio and Hortensio asks God to save their souls from Kate's mad self. I also like your acknowledgement of her independence being shown in this passage because she is not afraid to say what she thinks and is not passive towards men. You can really see how she contradicts society's expectations towards women with her aggressive behavior and apathetical responses.
DeleteHOR. Faith, as you say, there’s a small choice in rotten apples. But
ReplyDeletecome; since this bar in law makes us friends, it shall be so far forth
friendly maintained till by helping Baptista’s eldest daughter to a
husband we set his youngest free for husband, and then have to
‘t afresh. Sweet Bianca! Happy man be his dole! He that runs
fastest gets the ring. How say you, Signior Gremio?
GRE. I am agreed and would I had given him the best horse in Padua
to begin his wooing that would thoroughly woo her, wed her and
bed her and rid the house of her! Come on.
(I. i. 15)
This passage is taken place after Hortensio’s and Gremio’s conversation with Baptista about marrying his youngest daughter, Bianca. They are both unhappy to find Baptista settled with his decision to have his eldest daughter,, Katharina, who is compared to the devil many times, before having Bianca married off. Before this encounter, Hortensio and Gremio were rivals in terms of wooing Bianca. Now, they have decided to join together in hopes of finding a suitor for Katharina. Shakespeare indirectly characterizes these two roles as lustful and greedy. Their unity shows their eagerness towards achieving their goal to marry Bianca. It is evident that they are pursuing Bianca for her beauty and humility but they have not taken the time to get to know her. Gremio is a little hesitant about their success in this mission for a husband but is willing to do all it takes to get the devil sister out of the house. Shakespeare uses metaphor when Hortensio says, “He that runs the fastest gets the ring.” (I. i. 15). This is referring to their chase after Bianca’s hand with the ring symbolizing marriage. He does not see Bianca as a woman but as property to take. Hortensio and Gremio are not mindful towards other people’s feelings and only follow their desire to gain power and fortune.
I love your analysis about their partnership being symbolic of eagerness and I also think it shows their perseverance, and the importance of Bianca to them, as they are both very willing to set aside their differences for their equal benefit. I agree with what you said about Bianca being considered an object rather than a woman. I also think that, at this point in the play, Hortensio and Gremio do seem to be greedy and selfish, but as we continue to read, these qualities are far more prevalent in Petruchio.
DeletePET: “Signior Hortensio, ’twixt such friends as we Few words suffice. And therefore, if thou know One rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife (As wealth is burden of my wooing dance), Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love, As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd As Socrates’ Xanthippe, or a worse, She moves me not, or not removes at least Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough As are the swelling Adriatic seas. I come to wive it wealthily in Padua; If wealthily, then happily in Padua” (I.ii.66-77).
ReplyDeleteIn this excerpt, Hortensio has just introduced the idea of Katharina to Petruchio. Shakespeare’s use of allusion characterizes Petruchio as a well-educated man, which, in those days, was equivalent to a wealthy man because his family could afford an education for him. “Florentius’ love” refers to Florent, a knight who agreed to marry an extremely ugly woman in order to solve a riddle in order to live. “Sibyl” alludes to a prophetess who was given as many years of life as grains of sand she could hold in her hand, so she was really really REALLY old as you can probably infer. “Socrates’ Xanthippe” is an allusion to the wife of Socrates who, it is said, he only chose because of how argumentative she was. All of these allusions lead to the conclusion that Petruchio doesn’t care how ugly, how old, nor how scolding Katharina is, as long as she has money to match his. This conclusion about Petruchio leads to another, that he is all together a very shallow man because he doesn’t care about anything but the amount of money that she can bring to the relationship, or lack thereof. I feel like Shakespeare characterized Petruchio like this so early in the play because he wants to allow the audience to have a basic understanding of Petruchio’s personality in order to be able to compare his personality at the end of the play after he experiences Katharina.
Excerpt from Induction Scene 1 (Line 31-45)
ReplyDeleteLord: What’s here? One dead, or drunk? See doth he breathe.
Second Huntsman:He breathes, my lord. Were he not warmed with ale, This were a bed but cold to sleep so soundly.
Lord: O monstrous beast, how like a swine he lies! Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image! Sirs, I will practice on this drunken man. What think you, if he were conveyed to bed, Wrapped in sweet clothes, rings put upon his fingers, A most delicious banquet by his bed, And brave attendants near him when he wakes, Would not the beggar then forget himself?
Third Huntsman:Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose.
Second Huntsman: It would seem strange unto him when he waked.
In this excerpt the Lord has seen Sly for the first time. Sly is passed out from being drunk and lays tossed outside from the alehouse. The Lord decides to pick him up and take him back to the castle, dress him in lavish clothing and convince him that he is the Lord of the estate. The lord plans on telling the Sly that he lost his memory, therefore he will believe the doup. The induction of the play is also known as the prequel or the introduction of the play. Shakespeare chose to start this play with the creation of an illusion to warn readers that things may not always be what they seem. It also introduces the idea that there will be various disguises, tricks, and illusions through the play, and it is important to look out for them. This opening scene also address the effect to which social hierarchy can be manipulated. If the Lord plans to take a beggar in and convince him that he is of wealth, and the beggar believes and acts as if he were, the system of personal standards in royalty could be tested.
*Blog from when I was absent last week
Excerpt Act 1 Scene 1 (Line 55-70)
ReplyDeleteGremio: To cart her, rather. She’s too rough for me.— There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife?
Katherine: I pray you, sir, is it your will To make a stale of me amongst these mates?
Hortensio: “Mates,” maid? How mean you that? No mates for you, Unless you were of gentler, milder mold.
Kathrine: I’ faith, sir, you shall never need to fear. Iwis it is not halfway to her heart. But if it were, doubt not her care should be To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool And paint your face and use you like a fool.
Hortensio: From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us!
Gremio: And me too, good Lord.
Tranio: Husht, master, here’s some good pastime toward; That wench is stark mad or wonderful froward.
In this excerpt, Shakespeare characterizes Katherine as the opposite of a stereotypical ‘good’ woman of this time. She is headstrong and witty rather than passive and controlled. Although she is first viewed as innocent and harmless, her rebellious reply to her father, “to make a stale of me amongst these mates?” (58), suggests that she is less proper and lady-like than most women of that time. The aggressive tone mimics a male-dominant trait. Shakespeare created a character like Kate to contrast the stereotypical women of that time. She is the complete opposite of her sister, Bianca. Their demeanor, speech, and even name juxtapose each other. Bianca is associated with pure connotations, and she is viewed as the perfect wife. She could have her pick of men if it weren’t for Katherine and her stubborn nature, which opposes all men.
Petruchio: Nay, come, Kate, come; you must not look so sour.
ReplyDeleteKate: It is my fashion, when I see a crab.
Petruchio: Why, here’s no crab, and therefore look not sour.
Kate: There is, there is.
Petruchio: Then show it me.
Kate: Had I a glass, I would.
Petruchio: What, you mean my face?
Kate: Well aim’d of such a young one.
Petruchio: Now, by Saint George, I am too young for you.
Kate: Yet you are wither’d.
Petruchio: ‘T is with cares.
Kate: I care not.
(II.i.242-253) (Page 35 in packet)
Okay, first of all, I just think this is one of the best parts of the entire show- Petruchio is trying desperately to woo Kate, and she is having none of it. (Spoiler alert: she ends up married to him anyway.) Shakespeare uses short lines, repetition, and a contrast in colloquial and intelligent diction to depict part of the “battle of wits” between Kate and Petruchio. The short lines emanate how a real argument would go, and makes it seem more like natural, comedic banter. The repetition of words and phrases, such as “look not sour” and “crab” and “‘T is with cares...I care not”, also work to this effect, and help the audience follow the exchange- otherwise it might be hard to follow if the two jumped from one insult to the next within a line or two. Throughout the whole scene, Kate does insult every part of Petruchio: she says that he’s a piece of furniture, a fool, a potential rapist (the whole part with the tail and the tongue), ungentlemanly, ugly, too young, witless, and he talks too much. However, she takes her time with each facet of his personality, making sure she injures and confuses him completely. The contrasting diction helps show both characters as multilayered people. They are going at each other’s throats in a somewhat childlike fashion, yet they reference things outside themselves- Saint George, in this case. Throughout the scene, they also reference common symbols, like the turtledove and the buzzard, and mythology, through mention of the goddess Dian. These allusions give the reader the impression of intelligence and a reminder that Kate and Petruchio are, in fact, adults. The contrast against the childlike bickering makes it seem even more so.
I also agree with this part being entertaining. I also think that Kate is very defensive in the possibilities for who may be her husband, or who she even talks to. She tries to deflect every compliment which Petruchio says to her. It is surprising how even though Katherina does not desire to marry Petruchio, he overrules her and they end up being married anyway. The allusions to other aspects of worldly knowledge created a large juxtaposition of intelligent adults with bickering children. I enjoyed this part of your analyzing. Overall, I agreed with all of your analysis for this excerpt.
DeleteIt's interesting hearing your interpretation of their persiflage and how their child-like behavior contrasts with their actual age as their banter continues on throughout the scene. It also emphasizes their stubbornness and willingness to go as far as insulting one another to get what they want. As Kate mocks his physical appearance and lack of intelligence, Petruchio continues to degrade her position in society by acknowledging her role as a woman. He says, "Women are made for bearing, and so are you." (II. I. 32) referring to the one of the only uses for women during the Shakespearean times.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteKATHERINE:I chafe you, if I tarry. Let me go.
PETRUCHIO: No, not a whit. I find you passing gentle.
'Twas told me you were rough and coy and sullen,
And now I find report a very liar.
For thou are pleasant, gamesome, passing courteous,
But slow in speech, yet sweet as springtime flowers.
Thou canst not frown, thou canst not look askance,
Nor bite the lip as angry wenches will,
Nor hast thou pleasure to be cross in talk.
But thou with mildness entertain’st thy wooers,
With gentle conference, soft and affable.
Why does the world report that Kate doth limp?
KATHERINE: Go, fool, and whom thou keep’st command.
(II.i.232-248) (Page 35-36 in packet)
This passage occurs right after Katherina and Petruchio continue to banter back and forth. Petruchio is complimenting Katherina while she is scolding him with insults after everything he says. In the first line of this excerpt Katherina says , “I chafe you, if I tarry. Let me go” (I. i. 232). This shows how she believes she will make him mad and that she had better leave him. It also portrays how Katherina believes no man would ever think she is good enough to marry her because of what everyone else says. Petruchio then proceeds to go on a rant about how everyone has the wrong image of Katherina and she is the most lovely woman. This shows how desperate Petruchio seems to wed a woman with a good dowry. He seems very determined to win her over, as he willingly withstands her insults as she tries to make him leave. However, even at the end of this long speech, Katherina decides Petruchio is still not worthy of her. This can be seen when she says, “Go, fool, and whom thou keep’st command” (II. i. 248). Katherina demands that Petruchio leaves and she says to tell his servants what to do, not her. She overcompensates as she tries to project an image of independence and strength. Petruchio was not commanding her to do anything besides considering him as a husband, and telling her how wonderful of a woman she is. Overall, the conversation between Petruchio and Katherina is quite comical as they are pursuing the opposite things while neither one is willing to give up.
I agree with you analysis, but also I see Petruchio is a obsessed man who is falling for Katherina. They are both not willing to give up, but what if Katherina is not giving up because all she sees in Petruchio is obsession rather than love? I asked this because in my mind I put myself as Katherina and I would not marry to anyone who I don't know and seem like a crazy, love-struck person.
Delete-Nam Nguyen
ReplyDeleteTS II.i.168.1 I pray you do.
TS II.i.168 Exeunt all but Petruchioattend (v.) 1 await, wait for, expect See Topics: Frequency count
TS II.i.168.2 I'll attend her here,
TS II.i.169 And woo her with some spirit when she comes.
TS II.i.170 Say that she rail, why then I'll tell her plainrail (v.) rant, rave, be abusive [about] See Topics: Frequency count
TS II.i.171 She sings as sweetly as a nightingale.
TS II.i.172 Say that she frown, I'll say she looks as clearclear (adj.) 3 serene, cheerful, unclouded
TS II.i.173 As morning roses newly washed with dew.
TS II.i.174 Say she be mute and will not speak a word,
TS II.i.175 Then I'll commend her volubility,commend (v.) 4 praise, admire, extol
TS II.i.176 And say she uttereth piercing eloquence.piercing (adj.) 1 moving, touching, poignant
TS II.i.177 If she do bid me pack, I'll give her thanks,pack (v.) 1 take [oneself] off, be off, depart
TS II.i.178 As though she bid me stay by her a week.
TS II.i.179 If she deny to wed, I'll crave the daycrave (v.) 2 need, demand, require
crave (v.) 1 beg, entreat, request See Topics: Frequency count
deny (v.) 2 refuse, decline, scorn
TS II.i.180 When I shall ask the banns, and when be married.
TS II.i.181 But here she comes, and now, Petruchio, speak.
(II.i.168-181) (pg. 33 in packet)
In act two of Taming of the Shrew, men were coming to Baptista to ask for his daughters hand in marriage. Petruchio was one of the man, but unlike the others he asked for Katherina instead of Bianca. In this soliloquy, Shakespeare used couplets to portray the theme of love and also obssession. On line 170 and 171, Petruchio said if Katherina's voice was not beautiful then he would tell her she sang like a nightingale. Readers can interpret Petruchio as a romantic person because he never seen Katherina, but he was saying he will ignore any of Katherina's unfavorable features and love the real her rather than what others saw her from the outside. Shakespeare wanted the reader to know what love was, loving a person for who they were rather than loving them because of their physical appearance. There was another theme, which was obsession. Readers can also see Petruchio as an obsession freak. He never knew Katherina (never heard or saw Katherina), but then in this soliloquy he was saying how much he "loved" her no matter what her physical appearance maybe. In modern age, people got to know each other first, through dates, then they get married but in Petruchio case he was clearly obsessed over Katherina and wanted to marry her right away. He was clearly a Romeo in this play.
-Nam Nguyen
I agree with your comparison of Petruchio to Romeo in this act. Petruchio does seem obsessed with Kate, even before meeting her. This supports that common idea that Petruchio is only in it for the money. It sounds like everything he is saying is intended to "butter her up." However, it is revealed in the section of the scene where Petruchio and Kate meet that there is an underlying attraction between the two. The two disguised their flirting as banter for the most part. Even before-hand, when Hortensio had a lute broken over his head by Kate, Petruchio says, "it is a lusty wench! / I love her ten time more than e'er I did. / O, how I long to have some chat with her!" (160-162). It is entirely possible that Petruchio is eager to finally meet a women with such high spirits, as opposed to the typical "trophy wife" of the era.
DeletePET. Why, that is nothing; for I tell you, father,
ReplyDeleteI am as peremptory as she proud-minded;
And where two raging fires meet together
They do consume the thing that feeds their fury:
Though little fire grows great with little wind,
Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all:
So I to her and so she yields to me;
For I am rough and woo not like a babe.
BAP. Well mayst thou woo, and happy be thy speed!
But be thou arm’d for some unhappy words.
PET. Ay, to the proof; as mountains are for winds,
That shake not, though they blow perpetually.
(II. i. 32)
At this point of the play, Petruchio is convincing Baptista that he is able to handle Katharina’s unpleasantness and proving his love to her. This passage shows his determination to woo Katharina when Shakespeare uses allusion. Petruchio’s comparison of his and Katharina’s personality as “two raging fires” (II. i. 32) refers to their big personalities and doing whatever it takes to reach their goal. In my opinion, this allusion may also symbolize how fire is uncontrollable. It also results in destruction, similar to Katharina’s abusive words and her distasteful attitude. At the second half of the quote he shifts his point and compares himself to the wind. He boasts, “Though little fire grows great with little wind, Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all: So I to her and so she yields to me; For I am rough and woo not like a babe.” (II. i. 32). This allusion also brings up another fact that he will be the one to keep her sane as she continues to rage like a fire. Petruchio starts to show arrogance when he says he does not pursue women like a girl, characterizing him as masculine.
I loved your analysis, especially the part about the "two raging fires". This was one of my favorite lines in the entire play, because it really explains the whole "fight fire with fire" concept. I agree with your analysis as well, where you said that this is about Petruchio proving his love to Katherine, even though throughout the rest of the play it seems he is trying to marry her for the money. I do believe he likes to argue and enjoys a healthy amount of banter, and enjoys Kate's company for this reason. At the end, where you said that he is characterized as masculine (actually, I think he means "babe" as in "baby", but it still works) and powerful- do you think maybe he's planning on wooing her and taming her to impress the other men? Just another thought. Overall, though, loved your analysis!
Delete"GREMIO
ReplyDeleteTwo thousand ducats by the year of land?
Aside. My land amounts not to so much in all.—
That she shall have, besides an argosy
That now is lying in Marcellus’ road.
To Tranio. What, have I choked you with an argosy?
Tranio, as Lucentio
Gremio, ’tis known my father hath no less
Than three great argosies, besides two galliasses
And twelve tight galleys. These I will assure her,
And twice as much whate’er thou off’rest next.
Gremio
Nay, I have offered all. I have no more,
And she can have no more than all I have.
To Baptista. If you like me, she shall have me and
mine.
Tranio, as Lucentio
Why, then, the maid is mine from all the world,
By your firm promise. Gremio is outvied.
Baptista
I must confess your offer is the best,
And, let your father make her the assurance,
She is your own; else, you must pardon me.
If you should die before him, where’s her dower?
Tranio, as Lucentio
That’s but a cavil. He is old, I young.
Gremio
And may not young men die as well as old?"
(ii.i.393-413) (pg 40 in packet).
In this section, Gremio and Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) wage a bidding war for the opportunity to marry Bianca now that Kate is engaged. The entire section is intended to be comedic as Tranio actually contains no money to his name, it all belongs to the father of his master, and even then, he is probably lying about just how much he has available to him. This adds to the comedic value of the scene, as now Tranio has to figure out a way to convince Baptista that he really is wealthy. He later hints that he is going to find someone else and have them lie, pretending to be Vincentio (Lucentio’s father), adding yet another impersonator to the cast of characters. Shakespeare creates a comedic atmosphere with lines like “And twice as much whate’er thou off’rest next.” (ii.i.401). Tranio says in advance that whatever Gramio offers, he can double, essentially preventing him from winning. However, even after Gremio loses the bidding war, he keeps trying to poke at Lucentio (Tranio), which shows that he really is lusting after Bianca. Shakespeare also uses the comedy to criticize the social norm of “purchasing” quality women. In Eastern cultures, women are traded for livestock like goats, in Shakespearean England, and the fictional Europe incorporated Shakespeare’s plays, women are bought with gold, jewels, and other symbols of wealth. By presenting the social norm in a comedic tone, Shakespeare is saying that the typical model of marriage is laughable.
I agree with your analysis that Shakespeare intended for this scene to be comical. While reading it, I also thought that he intended for it to mimic an old bidding auction to emphasize how women are viewed as property and can be bought. It is also clear that the Baptista, although has good intentions for Bianca, wishes to wed her to for the highest profit. He thinks himself above giving his daughter away only for economical advancement, but then treats Bianca's marriage proposal as a business transaction.
DeleteExcerpt Act 2 Scene 1
ReplyDeleteBianca: If you affect him, sister, here I swear I’ll plead for you myself but you shall have him.
Katherine: O, then belike you fancy riches more. You will have Gremio to keep you fair.
Bianca: Is it for him you do envy me so? Nay, then, you jest, and now I will perceive You have but jested with me all this while. I prithee, sister Kate, untie my hands.
Katherine: If that be jest, then all the rest was so. (14-22)
Petruchio: Now, by the world, it is a lusty wench I love her ten times more than e’er I did. O, how I long to have some chat with her! (168-170)
In this scene, more insight is brought on to the character of Katherine, and the reasoning behind her rebellious behavior. In the opening conversation with her sister, Bianca, it is clear that there is some resentment from Katherine to her sister. She scolds her sister for only finding a husband for the riches, although it seems that Katherine is subtly jealous of all the suitors her sister has. Katherine does want a husband, however she disregards finding one only for wealth and power. this further shows how Katherine goes against the gender stereotyped roles of that time. She would rather find a husband for love than money and economic security. This could also be the reason for her rude behavior. Katherine goes against her father’s wishes of finding a husband because he does not share the same beliefs in marrying for love. Her actions are more justified, however, when it is made clear that her father favors Bianca more. Katherine acts out in rebellion against her father because she is constantly bewiddled and her wants are overlooked. Now that Petruchio is in the picture, Katherine’s mindset may change. He hopes in courting her mainly for her upcoming inheritance, but he also is fond of her stubborn and strong willed nature. On line 168-170, before he meets Katherine, he says, “Now, by the world, it is a lusty wench I love her ten times more than e’er I did. O, how I long to have some chat with her!”. Although this could be a stunt only to prove to the other men that he is dauntless when attempting to wed Katherine, there is promise that his words are genuine and he is fond of her witty ways. He is the only character so far in the story to compete with her wit and this is startling for Katherine. Both characters are in a way perfect for each other because both are sarcastic, witty, and have the desire to ‘beat’ the other in their own game. Petruchio wants to win Katherine over, and Katherine wants to fend him off, as she has done many times before.
I agree with your analysis of Katherine's reasoning for going against her father's wishes for her marriage. Even though she is seen as a shrew on the outside by everyone in the community, deep down she has a tender heart and has no desire to be married off to a man who doesn't love her. I also agree with what you said about Petruchio possibly meaning what he said when he talked about liking Katharine's whittiness. I think this is most likely because he has the same quality and has, in a way, finally met his match.
Delete“PET: Come, come, you wasp; i’ faith, you are too hungry.
ReplyDeleteKATH: If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
PET: My remedy is then, to pluck it out.
KATH: Ay, if the fool could find it where it lies.
PET: Who knows not where a wasp does wear his sting? In his tail.
KATH: In his tongue.
PET: Whose tongue?
KATH: Yours, if you talk of tails: and so farewell.
PET: What, with my tongue in your tail? nay, come again, Good Kate; I am a gentleman.
KATH: That’ll try” (II.i.203-212).
In this excerpt from Act II Scene I of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio is characterized through his persiflage with Katharina. A metaphor is presented at the beginning of the excerpt where Petruchio refers to Kate as an angry wasp. This metaphor is extended throughout this section because, ironically, Kate begins to act harsh as a wasp the more Petruchio presses into her. Petruchio asks two rhetorical questions in this section. The first being ‘who doesn't know where a wasp’s stinger is?’ after which he says, “In his tail”. In this line, Petruchio is actually referring to the bottom end of a wasp, as that is truly where their stinger is located. This rhetorical question was proposed in order for Petruchio to show off, more or less, his knowledge and smoothness when it comes to women. The second rhetorical question he asked was, “Whose tongue?”. Obviously Petruchio is trying to elicit some inappropriate sexual innuendos with this question, but he isn't affective. In the next line when Kate says, “if you talk of tails”, tails is actually a malapropism, as she is actually referencing ‘telling tales’, fibbing, or lying. By saying this, Katharina is basically saying that the stinging wasp tongue actually belongs to Petruchio because of his dishonesty. The line after that, Petruchio asks, “What, with my tongue in your tail?”. In this instance, the interpretation can go either way. On one hand, Petruchio is referring literally to his tongue on her hypothetical wasp stinger. Another way to look at it is to assume “tail” means “tale” as it did above. In this case, Petruchio is asking if she really desires to go now that she has opened up and let him into her story.
PET. They shall go forward, Kate, at thy command.
ReplyDeleteObey the bride, you that attend on her;
Go to the feast, revel and domineer,
Carouse full measure to her maidenhead,
Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves:
But for my bonny Kate, she must with me.
Nay, look not big, nor stamp, nor stare, nor fret;
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 any thing;
And here she stand, touch her whoever dare;
I’ll bring mine action on the proudest he
That stops my way in Padua. Grumio,
Draw forth thy weapon, we are the beset with thieves;
Rescue thy mistress, if thou be a man.
Fear not, sweet wench, they shall not touch thee, Kate:
I’ll buckler thee against a million.
(III. ii. 52)
At this point of the play, Petruchio announces that he will not be attending the big feast to celebrate the marriage of him and his new wife, Kate. Before hurrying out the door to take care of some unknown business, he compares Kate as his property by the use of hyperbole and commanding diction, emphasizing the amount of power and wealth he has. He gloats, “She is my goods” (III. ii. 52) and starts to compare her to his other belongings such as his animals and house, dehumanizing her to make her seem less superior to him. He also commands his servants to obey everything he demands. If they refuse to follow his orders, Petruchio uses threat and says, “Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves” (III. ii. 52). This is to create a fear factor towards the audience and a subtle way to emphasize his abilities. It can also be seen how possessive he is when it comes to Katharina and his eagerness to do whatever it takes to protect his love. This can be shows in the last couple of sentences of the passage. Petruchio may be trying to prove his masculinity to the other wealthy suitors in the room and to showcase how much power he really has.
I agree with your analysis, especially on what you said about his treatment of his servants and how he wants to prove himself to the other men in the room. However, I would argue that Petruchio, as we know, is a very materialistic character. He loves money and fine clothes and a nice house- by comparing Kate to these things could it be possible he is saying he loves her too? Especially when he says "she is... my any thing". And, at the end: "Fear not, sweet wench, they shall not touch thee, Kate: / I'll buckler thee against a million." I do believe he loves her at this point. I also liked how you said that Petruchio's words might have a frightening effect on the audience- they now know what he's capable of.
DeleteI agree with your analysis of Petruchio viewing Katherina as a piece of property, not as an individual human being with her own thoughts and wishes. I found his comparison to all the other belongings he had disrespectful. Additionally, I agree with the masculinity and power he may be trying to prove. It is a little confusing to me however, as to why he would need to storm off in such a hurry. I would think that he would want to show off his power over his love for a longer period of time. Throughout this entire act (act III), I found Petruchio’s actions very odd and I was not sure of his intentions behind them.
DeleteTranio. See not your bride in these unreverent robes;
ReplyDeleteGo to my chamber, put on clothes of mine.
Petruchio. Not I, believe me; thus I'll visit her.
Baptista Minola. But thus, I trust, you will not marry her.
Petruchio. Good sooth, even thus; therefore ha' done with words;
To me she's married, not unto my clothes.
Could I repair what she will wear in me
As I can change these poor accoutrements,
'Twere well for Kate and better for myself.
But what a fool am I to chat with you,
When I should bid good-morrow to my bride
And seal the title with a lovely kiss!
Exeunt PETRUCHIO
Tranio. He hath some meaning in his mad attire.
We will persuade him, be it possible,
To put on better ere he go to church.
(Page 48-49, III.ii.113-128)
The theme of disguise strikes again! Petruchio has just shown up late to his own wedding, and he’s wearing mismatched, weird, Goodwill-status clothing. Everyone is like “dude you can’t get married like that”, to which he responds “nah it’s cool bro she loves me for my heart anyway, not my clothes.” He’s also saying that the ability to repair the parts of his personality that she will wear out in him is much more important to their relationship than what he’s wearing. This in itself shows that Petruchio does really love Kate (#Katruchio for the win) and that he’s excited to be married. His words have an effect on Tranio, who agrees that there is some method to his madness. Still no explanation for the weird clothes, but this passage describes that what’s on the outside doesn’t always match what’s on the inside. Shakespeare uses anaphora and first person diction to emphasize the difference between the disguise and the real person. Petruchio and Baptista repeat the word “thus”, and this anaphora sort of connects the two and continues the theme of the disguise. The abundance of first-person diction shows more of the personal motivations of each character, and what their plans and thoughts are.
TS III.ii.156 Tut, she's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him.
ReplyDeleteTS III.ii.157 I'll tell you, Sir Lucentio – when the priest
TS III.ii.158 Should ask if Katherine should be his wife,
TS III.ii.159 ‘ Ay, by gogs-wouns,’ quoth he, and swore so loud
TS III.ii.160 That all-amazed the priest let fall the book,all-amazed
TS III.ii.161 And, as he stooped again to take it up,
TS III.ii.162 The mad-brained bridegroom took him such a cuff
TS III.ii.163 That down fell priest and book, and book and priest.
TS III.ii.164 ‘ Now take them up,’ quoth he, ‘ if any list.’
(III. ii. Lines156-164) (pg. 50 packet)
In this scene, Shakespeare used symbolism to portray Gremio dis likeness toward the marriage between Petruchio and Katherina. Gremio called Petruchio a devil because Petruchio was going to marry Katherina who Gremio thought of as an evil being. Gremio thought that only the devil would marry Katherina. Then, Shakespeare used the metaphor, "That down fell priest and book, and book and priest:" (line 163) to say that the act of two benevolent being marry each other would cause the earth to shake, symbolized by the book and priest falling. By having Gremio saying this line, the readers can feel his hatred toward this wedding and how he went against it. But then again if a person hate something this much then he would not talk about it, and this led to the question if Gremio wanted to marry Kate because he seem jealous by Petruchio marrying Kate and thinking if he was only in it for the fortune.
-Nam Nguyen
GREMIO: A bridegroom, say you? 'Tis a groom indeed,
ReplyDeleteA grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find.
TRANIO: Curster than she? Why, ’tis impossible.
GREMIO: Why, he’s a devil, a devil, a very fiend.
TRANIO: Why, she’s a devil, a devil, the devil’s dam.
GREMIO: Tut, she’s a lamb, a dove, a fool to him!
I’ll tell you, Sir Lucentio: when the priest
Should ask if Katherine should be his wife,
“Ay, by gogs wouns!” quoth he, and swore so loud
That, all amazed, the priest let fall the book,
And as he stooped again to take it up,
The mad-brained bridegroom took him such a cuff
That down fell priest and book, and book and priest.
“Now take them up,” quoth he, “if any list.”
(III. ii. 125-139)
In this excerpt of the play, Gremio (a suitor to Bianca) has just come back to Baptista’s House from the church where Katherina and Petruchio’s wedding is being held. Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) has asked if the bride and bridegroom are coming home soon, but Gremio is taken aback in his response by explaining the actions of Petruchio. Gremio describes Petruchio as a groom to clean an animal’s stall, not one to marry. This is shown when he says, “A bridegroom, say you? 'Tis a groom indeed, A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find” (III. ii. 125-126). Gremio questions how Petruchio is acceptable for Katherina to wed. He goes on to elaborate on how he is the devil, as Katherina was previously described. Tranio then says that if both Katherina and Petruchio are devils, they are a good match. However, Gremio replies to Tranio with, “Tut, she’s a lamb, a dove, a fool to him!” (III. ii. 131). This diction of kind and small animals in talking about Katherina portrays her in a new light. Additionally. it makes the reader understand how horrible Petruchio seems from Gremio’s point of view (especially when compared to how horrible they use to think Katherina was). The visual imagery from lines 132-139 depicts a scene where Petruchio is being disrespectful to the priest who was marrying the two of them. At the end of this passage, there is a clear and new understanding of who Petruchio seems to be. However, the audience must be careful in assuming characteristics due to the theme of disguise.
I like how you pointed out that there is a constant theme of disguise. I found Petruchio's behavior very off putting the first time I read the play, but after watching it performed, and reading it again, I feel that Petruchio is "pranking" everyone else. He is making himself look like the devil to get them to cut Kate some slack. His behavior is so eccentric and abnormal from what we have seen from him previously, that it is highly unlikely that this is the true Petruchio.
DeleteLucentio
ReplyDeleteHic ibat, as I told you before, Simois, I am
Lucentio, hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa,
Sigeia tellus, disguised thus to get your love, Hic
steterat, and that “Lucentio” that comes a-wooing,
Priami, is my man Tranio, regia, bearing my port,
celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon.
Hortensio (as Litio)
Madam, my instrument’s in tune.
Bianca
Let’s hear. [He plays.] Oh fie, the treble jars!
Lucentio (as Cambio)
Spit in the hole, man, and tune again.
Bianca
Now let me see if I can conster it.
Hic ibat Simois, I know you not; hic est Sigeia tellus, I trust
you not; Hic steterat Priami, take heed he hear us not;
regia, presume not; celsa senis, despair not.
(iii.i.33-47) (page 43 in the packet)
In the first scene of Act 3, we get our first taste of Bianca’s real personality as well as a more traditional form of wooing compare to Kate and Petruchio. Just like the two sister are supposed to have different personalities, Shakespeare further emphasizes their differences by juxtaposing their wooing scenes. While Hortensio and Lucentio are fighting for her Bianca’s attention, she apparently takes the reigns. She chooses to first push away Hortensio and hear Lucentio’s offer, which is appropriate, as the common occurrence during such situations was to reject suitor’s advancements. However, after hearing Lucentio’s confession as himself, not as Cambio, she tells him, “presume not… despair not” (iii.i.47). She essentially told him that she likes him more, thus adding more comedy to every time Hortensio attempts to court her, something Shakespeare does to keep the audience entertained as well as focused. With this, it is now known that Bianca is capable of forming judgments and appealing to her own personality. These are two traits that, although common nowadays, would have been considered highly unattractive for a women of the time. It seems that Bianca is more like her sister than originally suggested. This is not surprising though, Shakespeare is known for having strong, progressive female characters.
I like how you recognized the similarities between Katherine and Bianca. I agree that because she made her own judgments about the man she was going to marry, that she may be more like Katherine than we all originally thought. It is interesting to see how Shakespeare continues to further the juxtaposition between the two characters, though. Their blatant oppositions go beyond their social demeanor and continue to their way their marriage is proposed. Bianca also seems to have found attraction in Lucentio, which may result in their marriage to be more than just for social hierarchy, and will be an ironic outcome considering that Bianca was originally only wanting to be married to a man that provides for her.
DeleteAct 3, Scene 2 begins with a very angry Baptista and Katharina because Petruchio is nowhere to be found the morning of their scheduled wedding day. In this excerpt, Katharina’s use of negative diction characterizes her as the shrew so many people in her community view her as. Words like “shame”, “forced”, and “opposed” create a tone of oppression. I interpreted this as not only her commentary on her current situation, but also on her entire life. She has always been shamed by everyone for her personality, has always been forced into the shadows by Bianca’s vibrant presence, and has always been faced with opposition. Granted, I’m sure she takes this opposition far more personally than ever intended, but it is opposition none the less. The now archaic, once common, language she uses to insult Petruchio also contributes to her characterization. “Mad-brain”, “rudesby”, and “full of spleen” are all rude remarks that weren’t commonly used toward people like Petruchio. Shakespeare has Katharina use these phrases in order for the audience to understand how short tempered she is. It seems to me like this excerpt was quite an exaggeration though. I’m wondering if Katharina is putting on an act of some sort, as if she’s trying to keep up her image of a shrew because that is what she finds security and identity in. Maybe she’s almost proud of the way people talk about her so even though it’s a bad public image, it’s a public image none the less.
ReplyDeleteI liked your analysis on how Katharina almost getting ditched on her wedding day and the humiliation she faced is similar to what she has been through her whole life. Having the reputation of a shrew and being compared to the devil as she lives in the shadow of her sister has caused her to worry if her soon-to-be husband is even going to show up. I would disagree with your interpretation of Kate's overexaggeration caused by public image, even if it's a bad one. It emphasizes her short tempered behavior but this rant also shows her true emotions and how "happy" she really is to feel wanted. Before, she never received attention from any suitor and her father has not shown her love nor sympathy. She is worried about Petruchio's lack of presence because she wants to be loved and cared for.
DeleteBion: “Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, a pair of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, another laced; an old rusty sword ta’en out of the town armory, with a broken hilt, and chapeless; with two broken points; his horse hipped, with an old mothy saddle and stirrups of no kindred, besides possessed with the glanders and like to mose in the chine, troubled with the lampass, infected with the fashions, full of windgalls, sped with spavins, rayed with the yellows, past cure of the fives, stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the bots, swayed in the back and shoulder-shotten, near-legged before, and with a half-checked bit and a headstall of sheep’s leather, which, being restrained to keep him from stumbling, hath been often burst, and now repaired with knots; one girth six times pieced, and a woman’s crupper of velour, which hath two letters for her name fairly set down in studs, and here and there pieced with packthread.” (III. ii. 42-63) pg. 46
ReplyDeleteAct II was the first time Petruchio showed an understanding of the difference between what is acceptable in social versus private events when he justifies Kate’s “curst” behavior. Here, however, he is almost mocking his own wedding. Shakespeare writes, “Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, a pair of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, another laced” (42-43). Petruchio is aware of what the proper attire for a wedding is, but as he shows up in old ratty clothes, and broken shoes, he is portraying a physical comparison to how Kate treats others, both rude and improper. This is the first of acts which Petruchio will go to in order to “tame” Kate. Attending his own wedding in such an inappropriate manner mimics Kate’s very public and open disgrace for the common social norms for women. In a way, Petruchio is mocking Kate’s bad behavior in order for her to see how it is viewed as wrong. Petruchio’s blatant disrespect to the customs of his own wedding also show his dominant and controlling nature. He plans on ruling over Kate and not the other way around. He stubbornly destroys his own reputation in hopes that Kate will catch on to his obvious horrific behavior and realize that she must change her own public demeanor.
I had never previously considered your take on Petruchio's wedding attire as a physical representation of Katherine's shrewd personality, but I agree that it was somewhat of a mockery of his own wedding. I think Petruchio realized at this point just how shallow he had been the whole time, only marrying Kate for her money. I recall after this quote that Petruchio states something along the lines of "she's not marrying my clothes, she's marrying me" which seems very ironic considering up until that point Petruchio was only marrying her for her material possessions. This could lead the reader to believe that Petruchio is actually starting to become fond of Kate, aside from her financial assets.
DeletePET: Come on, i' God’s name, once more toward our father’s.
ReplyDeleteGood Lord, how bright and goodly shines the moon!
KATH: The moon? The sun! It is not moonlight now.
PET: I say it is the moon that shines so bright.
KATH: I know it is the sun that shines so bright.
...
HOR: Say as he says, or we shall never go.
...
Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
PET: I say it is the moon.
KATH: I know it is the moon.
PET: Nay, then you lie. It is the blessed sun.
KATH: 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 so for Katherine.
(IV. v. 1-23)
This excerpt occurs as Petruchio, Katherina, Hortensio, and the other servants are traveling down a road towards Baptista’s house. They have just left Petruchio’s house and he has declared the sun to be the moon, as an act to show Katherina how impossible he is. At first, Katherina strongly states her opinion by saying, “I know it is the sun that shines so bright” (IV. v. 5), which is correct. Then, Petruchio demands her to say that it is the moon, but once she says it is, he then tells her she is a liar because it is actually the sun. Finally, Katherina gives up and is “tamed” because she says that she will agree with whatever Petruchio says. Shakespeare utilizes parallel structure and repetition to create a tone of confusion and portray Petruchio’s newfound dominance over Katherina. When Katherina and Petruchio disagree with each other, they speak using parallel structure. This makes it easier to compare their beliefs and how originally, Katherina spoke her mind against Petruchio’s. The phrases which are repeated throughout the parallel structure bring emphasis to how trivial the topic of their argument is. However, even though the topic of the conversation is not crucial, it symbolizes how Petruchio plans to tame Katherina. Some may also argue that Katherina is not being tamed, she is just being astute and realizes that the fastest way to get anywhere or anything she wants is to agree with Petruchio. Hortensio also sees this very same aspect, and even mentions it to Katherina when he says, “Say as he says, or we shall never go” (IV. v. 13).
I love your analysis of this scene, especially because it is part of the scene that my group performed for the project. Anyway, I loved what you said about the parallel structure, because I didn't really analyze it as I read it, but I agree. It does highlight the differences between Kate's view and Petruchio's view. Also, I didn't take note of what was important about the topic. The triviality does show Petruchio's dominance over Kate. I do believe she's being "astute", as you say, and she realizes that the only way they will get anywhere is by just agreeing. How do you think this will play out over the rest of their undocumented marriage? (Dunno about you but I want a sequel- does Petruchio eventually drop the act or does Kate file for divorce or what?)
DeleteYour analysis really helped me understand the cause of Petruchio's treatment and behavior towards Katharina. I thought his inner psychotic personality was just coming out but this was all just a part of his plan to tame his shrew of a wife. Before being treated as a lower-class, Katharina has been getting used to using tantrums and physical abuse to get what she wants or get her points across. Now she feels as if the only way to survive as she continues as Petruchio's wife is to agree to his madly responses such as the moon being the sun or Vincentio posing as a woman. Sadly, her personality has shifted from contradicting society's expectations for women during those times to being compelled to follow what she's told to do by her husband.
DeletePetruchio:
ReplyDeleteThus have I politicly begun my reign,
And 'tis my hope to end successfully.
My falcon now is sharp and passing empty;
And till she stoop she must not be full-gorged,
For then she never looks upon her lure.
Another way I have to man my haggard,
To make her come and know her keeper's call,
That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites
That bate and beat and will not be obedient.
She eat no meat to-day, nor none shall eat;
Last night she slept not, nor to-night she shall not;
As with the meat, some undeserved fault
I'll find about the making of the bed;
And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster,
This way the coverlet, another way the sheets:
Ay, and amid this hurly I intend
That all is done in reverend care of her;
And in conclusion she shall watch all night:
And if she chance to nod I'll rail and brawl
And with the clamour keep her still awake.
This is a way to kill a wife with kindness;
And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour.
He that knows better how to tame a shrew,
Now let him speak: 'tis charity to show.
Exit
(IV.ii.188-211) (Page 58-59)
In this soliloquy, Petruchio outlines his plan for taming Kate, likening her to a falcon. In falconry, to tame a bird you must deprive it of food, sleep, and light, so it becomes obedient and stops bating (attempting to fly off the perch or wrist while still attached). In this passage, Shakespeare uses falconry-related jargon, deprived diction, and long sentences/listing to show how developed Petruchio’s plan is. The abundance of words like “lure”, “keeper’s call”, “kites”, and “bate” show the reader that Petruchio is objectifying Kate- she is a project, something to tame, something to be shown off when he is done. He is thinking of the final product of his plan. Additionally, during Shakespeare’s time, falcons were a symbol of status- Kings would fly bigger falcons, and earls, priests, and yeomans could fly smaller ones, and peasants could fly still smaller ones. Petruchio is taming Kate the way one would tame a falcon, and as such is using her as a metaphor for his status. Later, in act V, he “shows off” Kate when he orders her to tell everyone the wife’s rightful place in the household and she performs her speech. In order to do this, however, he must first rob her of sleep and food, which is evident in his plan by his use of deprived diction. The words “not” “none” and “nor” are used repeatedly for this effect. Also, later on, he divests her of fashionable dresses and hats, first showing her the beautiful things and then rudely taking them away. His long sentences in this passage show how complex and well-thought-out his plan is. He knows what he’s doing and how to execute it.
Your analysis which compared Katherina to a falcon was very intriguing, and the way you presented it was very clear. When I originally read this passage, I did not catch the falcon's purpose as being a symbol of Shakespeare's status and power. The entire excerpt was slightly offensive as to how dehumanizing Petruchio was towards Katherina. Additionally, the depriving diction created a deeper image of Petruchio and his character. This portrayed him as almost desperate to "tame" Katherina and his actions were very cruel and rude in a sense. The elaborate and long syntax are something I didn't pay much attention to in the beginning, but they are crucial to laying out Petruchio's plan and how detailed his thoughts are.
DeletePET: O no, good Kate. Neither art thou the worse
ReplyDeleteFor this poor furniture and mean array.
If thou account’st it shame, lay it on me,
And therefore frolic! We will hence forthwith
To feast and sport us at thy father’s house.
Go, call my men, and let us straight to him,
And bring our horses unto Long-lane end.
There will we mount, and thither walk on foot.
Let’s see, I think ’tis now some seven o’clock,
And well we may come there by dinner time.
KATH: I dare assure you, sir, ’tis almost two,
And ’twill be supper time ere you come there.
PET: It shall be seven ere I go to horse.
Look what I speak, or do, or think to do,
You are still crossing it. Sirs, let ’t alone.
I will not go today, and, ere I do,
It shall be what o’clock I say it is.
HOR: Why, so, this gallant will command the sun!
(IV.iii.176-193)
Here, Petruchio is giving a long speech to Katherine after excessively scolding the tailor for his apparently unsatisfactory work. Prior to this section of the speech, he makes comparisons between animals based on their outer appearance. In this excerpt specifically, Petruchio is disregarding those comparisons as to say that he loves Kate for more than her just her expensive dress. I think this is an example of dramatic irony because the audience is aware that Petruchio made the decision to marry Katherine based solely on her financial stature. Petruchio then goes on to command Grumio to fetch their horses, claiming the time to be 7 o’clock. Katherine, knowing the true time, innocently goes against Petruchio’s claim which sends him into an unjustified frenzy. Petruchio is characterized here by his short temper and self-justified entitlement as he accuses Kate of constantly contradicting him because he thinks he is always right. It’s obvious that this is one of his “taming” tactics because he’s trying to instill in Kate the idea that he is above all and can make his own rules, therefore, having full control over her. Hortensio’s comment to the audience after Petruchio’s rant provides some comedic relief as the whole audience is aware that what he just said is completely unrealistic and makes him look like a fool for thinking he has any control over anything or anyone other than himself.
I really like how you pointed out Hortensio's comment, but I feel you could have explained it's significance more. Much of Taming of the Shrew is satirical. Shakespeare was criticizing both the typical courting acts of the wealthy and the treatment of women in marriage. By having Hortensio comment "this gallant will command the sun!" Shakespeare gets the audience to laugh at themselves. Hortensio is criticizing behavior that Petruchio mocking, behavior that is standard for the audience. I guess it is an example of reverse dramatic irony? The actors know something the audience doesn't, correct me if I'm wrong
DeleteThe first half of Act IV, Scene 5 on page 74 showcases the encounter with Vincentio during Petruchio and Katharina’s journey to Baptista’s home. Petruchio plays a joke and pretends the old man is a beautiful woman and in a way forces his wife to acknowledge her beauty and fairness. After doing so, he scolds her for thinking he is a woman and assures her that he is actually in fact a wrinkly, aged man. This is a part of one of his many tactics to tame her wildness and “give her a taste of her own medicine” (referring back to the second scene where two servants, Nathaniel and Peter, discuss how Petruchio’s behavior is really a scheme to show her what it’s like to be on the other end of the spectrum). Shakespeare uses hyperbole on Katharina’s responses to emphasize the ridicule she is experiencing with her husband’s treatments. There is also a tiny bit of sarcasm present when she says, “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 favourable stars allot thee for his lovely bed-fellow!” (IV. v. 74). In this example, she is obviously not meaning anything she is saying about Vincentio but is only corresponding with Petruchio’s command to “embrace her [Vincentio] for her beauty’s sake” (IV. v. 73). After he corrects her for her mistake of thinking Vincentio is a woman, she does not argue. Katharina exaggerates and blames herself for her own wrongdoing by mentioning her blinded eyes and seeing everything in green.
ReplyDeletePETRUCHIO:
ReplyDeleteThus have I politicly begun my reign,
And ’tis my hope to end successfully.
My falcon now is sharp and passing empty,
And, till she stoop, she must not be full-gorged,
For then she never looks upon her lure.
Another way I have to man my haggard,
To make her come and know her keeper’s call.
That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites
That bate and beat and will not be obedient.
She ate no meat today, nor none shall eat.
Last night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not.
As with the meat, some undeservèd
fault I’ll find about the making of the bed,
And here I’ll fling the pillow, there the bolster,
This way the coverlet, another way the sheets.
Ay, and amid this hurly I intend
That all is done in reverend care of her.
And, in conclusion, she shall watch all night,
And, if she chance to nod, I’ll rail and brawl,
And with the clamor keep her still awake.
This is a way to kill a wife with kindness.
And thus I’ll curb her mad and headstrong humor.
He that knows better how to tame a shrew,
Now let him speak; ’tis charity to shew.
(IV.i.188-211) (pg 58-59)
The first scene of Act IV ends with a soliloquy given by Petruchio. He outlines how he plans to “tame” Katherine. He says, “And, if she chance to nod, I’ll rail and brawl, // And with the clamor keep her still awake. // This is a way to kill a wife with kindness. // And thus I’ll curb her mad and headstrong humor,” (206-209). Petruchio only wants to teach Katherine that it isn’t smart to always be so rough and bull headed. He jokes with the “kill [her] with kindness” bit, as he is doing to her likely what she has done to many before; likely described as anything but kind. Through the past few scenes, Petruchio has become more belligerent and unpredictable. Despite this, we know that it is only a role; from the earliest points of the play, Petruchio has been known to be clever and typically cheerful. Early on, his original motivation was to seek a wife that would bring him riches. After seeing how many servants he has, it is unlikely he truly needs more money. More likely, he wanted a wife that he could trade metaphorical blows with, with money just being an added bonus. If Petruchio is infact, still only in it for the money, it still wouldn’t make sense to treat his wife this way for their entire marriage. Surely someone would eventually figure out that Kate was being mistreated. It makes much more sense that Petruchio’s new persona is a farce; he is playing the tamer until he believes his wife is “tamed.”
I agree with your analysis that Petruchio is changing his persona only to teach Katherine and "tame" her stubborn behavior. It is interesting to me how he has created an entire scheme and personality change in order to do so. Like you said, the audience knows Petruchio to be very clever, yet I wonder why he would go to such lengths to attempt to change someone like Kate. She would have been so unlike anyone else of her time, being a headstrong woman, so why would a smart man spend his time trying to control this girl? Whatever the reason may be, the dynamic between the couple grew in this scene and it will be interesting to see how Kate will respond to Petruchio's attempts at "taming" her.
DeletePet: Come, Kate, and wash, and welcome heartily. You whoreson villain! Will you let it fall?
ReplyDeleteKate: Patience, I pray you; ‘t was a fault unwilling.
Pet: A whoresome bettle-headed, flap-ear’d knave! come, Kate, sit down; I know you have a stomach. Will you give thanks, sweet Kate; or else shall I? What’s this? Mutton?
First Server: Ay.
Pet: Who brought it?
Peter: I.
Pet: ‘T is burnt; and so is all the meat. What dogs are these! Where is the rascal cook? How durst you, ,villains, bring it from the dresser, and serve it this to me that love it not? There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all: You heedless joltheads and unmanner’d slaves! What, do you grumble? I’ll be with you straight.
In act IV scene I, Petruchio begins his first attempt at “taming” his new wife, Katherine. The scene takes place as the couple arrives at Petruchio’s country house, after having a treacherous event with the horses. Grumio explains to Curtis that the entire ride Petruchio and Kate were relentlessly fighting, and at one point Kate’s horse tripped and she fell off. Petruchio blamed and beat Grumio for the horse’s fault, and surprisingly, it was Kate to pry Petruchio off from hitting the survant. Then, when they arrived at dinner, a server spills water all over Kate, and again, Petruchio violently scolds the servant. However, once again, Kate spares kindness and understanding to the man, and tell Petruchio, “Patience, I pray you; ‘t was a fault unwilling” (IV.I.153). This is a new side of Kate that the audience is seeing. She seems to have found a new perspective on things as she defends the servants in both times from Petruchio. Earlier in the play, Kate would not have bat an eye at Petruchio’s harsh responses, however she seems to have matured, and it is questioned if that is due to Petruchio and his attempts to “tame” her. At this point, Kate is not the only character that is changing behavior in this play. Petruchio is clearly putting on a role of a strict and unruly husband, and plans to deprive Kate of food and comfort to break down her wild persona. While the audience knows it is only an act, Petruchio has still been put in bad light. Form the scandalous wedding and violence towards to servants, his behavior is a symbol of the male dominance found in marriages during this time. Shakespeare has Petruchio being vile, malicious, and uncaring of proper social norms to show to drastic difference between male and female expectations. While Petruchio can get away with these actions, Katherine is scolded and ridiculed for simply having a stubborn personality and standing up for herself.
In my opinion, I think Petruchio's first attempt at taming Katherine came even earlier in the act, before they even got on the horses. I understood the whole deal about what time it was, as well as the debate over the sun and moon, as two instances where Petruchio was establishing his dominance and absolute control over Katherine. Aside from that, I agree that Kate's ways are changing. I think it may be because she realizes that she's no longer the most shrewd person anymore. I feel like Shakespeare contrasts Petruchio and Katherine in such a way that Katherine only SEEMS tamed by comparison. I don't know if I'm right, but it's just a thought.
DeleteVINCENTIO
ReplyDeleteWhere is that damnèd villain, Tranio,
That faced and braved me in this matter so?
BAPTISTA
Why, tell me, is not this my Cambio?
BIANCA
Cambio is changed into Lucentio.
LUCENTIO
Love wrought these miracles. Bianca’s love
Made me exchange my state with Tranio,
While he did bear my countenance in the town,
And happily I have arrivèd at the last
Unto the wishèd haven of my bliss.
What Tranio did, myself enforced him to.
Then pardon him, sweet father, for my sake.
VINCENTIO
I’ll slit the villain’s nose that would have sent me to the jail!
BAPTISTA
But do you hear, sir, have you married my daughter without asking my goodwill?
(V.i.123-136)
In this passage, the fathers of the bunch, Vincentio (the real one) and Baptista, are finding out about all the disguises that went on. Lucentio and Bianca are trying to calm them down, to say “it’s all good, don’t worry, we really do love each other,” and Vincentio and Baptista are asking questions, incredulous at the whole situation. Lucentio is clearly in love, as evidenced by his loving, happy diction. Words like “love”, “happily”, “haven”, “bliss”, “pardon”, and “sweet” pepper his long line. This shows the reader how at peace he is with Bianca and how much he loves her. Bianca’s line answers her father’s question calmly, because she knows what’s happening and who she has actually married. The two fathers are quite insulted by this whole thing, Vincentio exclaiming that he will “slit the villain’s nose” who deceived him, Baptista wondering if Lucentio has married Bianca without asking for Baptista’s blessing. The short, alternating lines of the older gentlemen portray their confusion and indignance. Lucentio and Bianca’s calm, flowing lines portray their peace with the situation, because this is how it’s been all along. They know what they’re about, and what their plan is, and now they just have to explain it to their parents.
I was almost going to do my analysis on the same passage and I completely agree with your points. I think his use of overjoyed diction shows how content he is now that he has finally achieved her hand in marriage. Even though Bianca was worried about disappointing both of their fathers for going behind their back and not asking for permission whatsoever, Lucentio assures and says, "Look not pale, Bianca; thy father will not frown." (V. I. 80). This also shows how determined he is in reaching his goal. It also characterizes him as a little self-centered since he did not respect Baptista and Vincentio enough to ask them for her hand in marriage.
DeleteKATE
ReplyDeleteHusband, let’s follow to see the end of this ado.
PETRUCHIO
First kiss me, Kate, and we will.
KATE
What, in the midst of the street?
PETRUCHIO
What, art thou ashamed of me?
KATE
No, sir, God forbid, but ashamed to kiss
PETRUCHIO
Why, then, let’s home again. [To Grumio.] Come,
sirrah, let’s away.
KATE
Nay, I will give thee a kiss.
Now pray thee, love, stay.
PETRUCHIO
Is not this well? Come, my sweet Kate.
Better once than never, for never too late.
(V.i.145-156) (Page 80 in packet)
Here, we see the newly “tamed” Kate and her husband Petruchio in perhaps their most calm of encounters. Kate suggest going to the wedding feast, and Petruchio complies. Not only does this show that Kate has grown to consider Petruchio as someone she wants to listen to, but it also shows that she is an equal in the relationship, or at least not powerless. Petruchio agrees, but with a condition as always. However, this time it is for something much kinder; a kiss. It isn’t the first time Petruchio told Kate to kiss him, but it is the first where she is willing. Her declination is not due to being opposed to kissing Petruchio, but rather in public. This could either be because of societal norms frowning upon public displays of affection, or because she wishes to keep her rough “look” in public. The former is more likely, as the latter is later disproven in the second scene with her great speech on how the wives should listen to their husbands. Petruchio, as usual threatens to take Kate home, but it sounds more light-hearted due to the overall tone of the scene. Shakespeare crammed lots of humor and romance earlier into the scene, so it would make sense to continue with it at the end. Kate agrees to kiss Petruchio, and does so lovingly, “Now pray thee, love, stay” (V.i.154). Petruchio responds with a half joke, referencing his once playful remark with one more sincere. The relationship is that of equals. Shakespeare subtly makes it apparent that these two characters do in fact love each other.
I talked about the same scene as your, but with a different perspective in mind. I thought that Katherine was ashamed, not because of how they were in public, but because she betrayed herself by going against what she originally planned out, not succumbing to arranged marriage. I had another thought in my mind that it was not the social norm to frown upon kissing publicly because in scene two they kissed again at the feast after Katherine taking the money from Petruchio winning his bet against the men. It just my perspective.
DeleteAct V Scene I Lines 123-131
ReplyDelete"Husband, let's follow, to see the end of this ado. // First kiss me, Kate, and we will.// What, in the midst of the street?// What, art thou ashamed of me?// No,sir, God forbid; but ashamed to kiss.// Why, then let's home again. Come, sirrah, let's away.// Nay, I will give the a kiss: now pray thee, love stay.// Is not this well? Come, my sweet Kate:// Better once than never, for never too late"
In act 5 scene 1, Shakespeare used self versus society, tone, and concrete nouns to show Katherine submission to Petruchio while creating the mood of love.
From act one to act three, Katherine was conflicting over her decision of marrying Pertruchio or not. The evidence showed this problem were the slapstick between her and Petruchio and the quote of her saying she rather hang on Sunday than marrying him. Her back and forth with saying yes or no showed her great discontent with herself; whether she should succumb to the idea of arrange marriage or become a shrew for the rest of her life. But then she found out she was truly in love with Petruchio when they had another argument about the sun and moon. She finally agreed with Petruchio, and revealed her true feelings about Petruchio. Her tone was not like from the slapstick from before and was more toned down and sweeter. She showed this side of her another time in act 5. She called Petruchio "Husband" for the first time and Petruchio asked her to kiss him, which then she said she was ashamed to kiss him, but it was not because it was out in public, but because she betrayed her persona of an individualist and fell for Petruchio. Finally she kissed him anyway, showing the readers through action and not words of her love for Petruchio, and Petruchio did the same by calling her "sweet Kate" in a more lovely tone than sarcasm.
-Nam Mguyen
PETRUCHIO: Go fetch them hither. If they deny to come, Swinge me them soundly forth unto their husbands. Away, I say, and bring them hither straight.
ReplyDeleteLUCENTIO: Here is a wonder, if you talk of a wonder.
HORTENSIO: And so it is. I wonder what it bodes.
PETRUCHIO Marry, peace it bodes, and love, and quiet life, An awful rule, and right supremacy, And, to be short, what not that’s sweet and happy.
BAPTISTA: Now fair befall thee, good Petruchio! The wager thou hast won, and I will add Unto their losses twenty thousand crowns, Another dowry to another daughter, For she is changed as she had never been.
PETRUCHIO: Nay, I will win my wager better yet, And show more sign of her obedience, Her new-built virtue and obedience. See where she comes, and brings your froward wives As prisoners to her womanly persuasion.— Katherine, that cap of yours becomes you not. Off with that bauble, throw it underfoot. (V.ii.116-136)
In this excerpt from the end of Act 5, Petruchio, Lucentio, and Hortensio are in a contest to see whose wife is more obedient and “tame”. They all bet some money and went on to send their servants for each of their wives. Bianca and Hortensio’s widow made an excuse not to obey, but neither of the men were all too surprised by their wives’ actions. Petruchio, being the cocky character he is, sends for Kate and, of course, she comes right away, no questions asked. His cocky and arrogant nature is only reinforced by Lucentio and Hortensio’s comments, as well as the praise he receives from Baptista, after Petruchio commands Kate to fetch the other wives. Petruchio is seen by the other men as somewhat of a hero in this excerpt because he is the first to successfully “tame” Kate, but also the only one to have total control over his wife. This total control is a quality most envied by Lucentio and Hortensio, which makes Petruchio out to be the best man of the three. But is he really? Is Kate really as “tame” as they like to believe? Petruchio’s cockiness is also evident in his last few lines where he brags to the others about Kate’s “new-built virtue and obedience”. At this point, Petruchio seems utterly unrealistic in thinking he has the power to instill such qualities in someone, as well as completely ignorant to the fact that Kate is simply putting on an act. This act is benefitting Petruchio in the sense that his friends believe him to be the lord of all lords, so I think Kate is doing it for her own satisfaction in knowing that he is truly a fool.
I agree with your analysis, and mine was very similar. Do you think that Petruchio knows that Katherina's actions are purely an act? His arrogance may blind him from understanding this, but his reputation is the only thing of importance to him. Additionally, what do you think Katherina gets out of obeying Petruchio? Does she do it for her entertainment or for another reason? This excerpt has an excellent portrayal of how keen Katherina truly is, especially in comparison to Petruchio (and his intentions). Overall, your points are very valid and the actions of Petruchio are clearly and thoroughly explained.
DeleteBAPTISTA: Now, fair befal thee, good Petruchio!
ReplyDeleteThe wager thou hast won; and I will add
Unto their losses twenty thousand crowns;
Another dowry to another daughter,
For she is changed, as she had never been.
PETRUCHIO: Nay, I will win my wager better yet
And show more sign of her obedience,
Her new-built virtue and obedience.
See where she comes and brings your froward wives
As prisoners to her womanly persuasion.
...
PETRUCHIO: Katharina, I charge thee, tell these headstrong women
What duty they do owe their lords and husbands.
WIDOW: Come, come, you're mocking: we will have no telling.
PETRUCHIO: Come on, I say; and first begin with her.
WIDOW: She shall not.
PETRUCHIO: I say she shall: and first begin with her.
(V. ii. pgs 84-85)
Towards the end of the second half in Act V, Petruchio goes to extreme lengths in order to prove his utter dominance over Katherina. He has already won the initial bet of having a wife who would come and do his bidding. This is shown when Shakespeare writes “Nay, I will win my wager better yet
And show more sign of her obedience” (V. ii. pg 84). Petruchio is set on achieving a status of having completely tamed Katherina. Later, he even emphasizes his own dominance over the widow. He is greedy in the sense of his dominance over Katherina, and seems arrogant about his first “win”. Petruchio says, “Come on, I say; and first begin with her” (V. ii. 84), and when the Widow opposes him, he replies by using a parallel structure and repeating his point, “I say she shall: and first begin with her” (V. ii. 85). Throughout this excerpt and surrounding text, the men continually use language which portrays the women as objects for the subject of their entertainment. Previously, there has been a slight reference to animals such as horses and dogs in comparing them to the women. They also believe that a simple task such as asking a woman to come will show the most loyal wife and the best husband. All of this is done for the pleasure of Petruchio, and his thirst to prove the other men that he has successfully tamed his wife, Katherina.
KATH. ...A woman moved is like a fountain troubled,
ReplyDeleteMuddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty;
A while it is so, none so dry or thirsty
Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it.
Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee,
And for thy maintenance commits his body
To painful labour both by sea and land,
To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,
Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe;
And craves no other tribute at thy hands
But love, fair looks and true obedience;
Too little payment for so great a debt...
(V. ii. 85)
At this point of the passage, the men decide to bet on which wife is the most obedient by seeing who will follow orders when called upon. After calling the widow and Katharina to the rooms and refusing, Katharina provides the longest speech in the play which includes the importance of obeying their husbands. Shakespeare uses simile and parallel structure in the speech to showcase how “tamed” she really was. In the beginning of the passage, she compares an angry woman to a fountain lacking sanitation and true beauty. This is to emphasize the fact that wives who do not show respect to their husbands will not receive the amount of attention they think they will. No one will dare to touch or sip a foul water from a fountain which is referring to the stubbornness in Bianca and the widow. She also exaggerates when she repeats herself numerous times by describing what role husbands play in the marriage. Kate says, “...Thy husband is thy lord, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign…” (V. ii. 85) which also shows how devoted she really is to Petruchio, showcasing him as basically the dominant in the relationship. This speech not only showcased how much her perspective on loyalty towards men has changed but also proved how effective Petruchio’s plan was to tame his shrew of a wife.
Kate: ...A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty; And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it. Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee, And for thy maintenance commits his body To painful labour both by sea and land, To watch the night in storms, the day in cold, Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe; And craves no other tribute at thy hands But love, fair looks and true obedience; Too little payment for so great a debt. ...
ReplyDeleteIn the final scene of act IV, Kate delivers a long speech, and essentially has the last word of the play. Her speech is the longest soliloquy of the entire play, and holds the meaning to the purpose of this play. At face value, this speech is a bit of a let down considering Kate spent the whole play acting as a strong female character that defies the social norms of female obedience in marriage, and now comes in at the last minute to openly tell the other wives that they should treat their husbands like a Lord. However, when analyzing the language in the speech, it is clear that there is a deeper and more prominent meaning. Kate’s soliloquy is mockery of the feeble wit among her, and shows her intelligence and ability to manipulate other’s perception. During her speech, Kate is aware of the bet Petruchio has made on her obedience. The entire speech was fabricated so Kate and Petruchio could win the money. Shakespeare adds differences to Kate’s language which makes it clear that she is putting on an act. Her gestures and word choice are greatly exaggerated, juxtaposing her previous behavior of being straightforward and concise. On lines 163-164 in act IV scene 2, Kate says, “A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty”. Here, Kate expresses a woman’s inability to think for herself and are only used for beauty as she compares a woman to a ‘fountain troubled’, while in reality, Kate herself believes the opposite and is an example of a smart woman. Shakespeare’s use of exaggerated imagery and comparisons show the audience that Kate is performing an act. She continues on and comments how a woman’s husband is ‘thy lord, thy life, thy keeper’, and that true obedience is a small price to pay for the great sacrifices men do for women. At this point, it appears that Kate has been ‘tamed’ to believe that women are made for obedience in a marriage, but when comparing her speech now to language and actions of her past, Kate is making light of the situation and providing a comedic sense to the speech. All of her actions leading up to this moment contradict her words, and while the other character seem to believe her act is true, Shakespeare intended it to be another symbol of illusion in the play. Disguise and deceit have been large motifs throughout this play, and Kate’s speech is the final and greatest ‘trick’ of the story. Her intelligence allows her to work with Petruchio to con her peers, and her wit allows her speech on woman obedience to provide a comedic tone while her words mean one thing and her true intentions mean another.