The Taming of the Shrew is a comedic play written by William Shakespeare in the 16th century. The play follows the story of Katherine, a strong-willed and independent woman who is referred to as the "shrew" because of her sharp tongue and stubborn nature. Despite her initial resistance, Katherine is eventually "tamed" by her husband Petruchio, who uses various tactics, including withholding food and affection, to subdue her and bring her under his control.
The monologue I have chosen to focus on is one spoken by Katherine at the end of the play, in which she delivers a lengthy speech in praise of her husband and his methods of taming her. This monologue has been the subject of much controversy and criticism due to its submissive and patriarchal tone.
In the monologue, Katherine begins by stating that she is now a "shapeless trunk," implying that she has been stripped of her own identity and agency. She goes on to declare that Petruchio is the "lord and master" of her body and soul, and that she is "bound" to him. She also asserts that it is a woman's duty to obey her husband and submit to his will, stating that a "woman's tongue must be silenced" and that "God hath ordained" that men should be in charge.
Many critics have argued that this monologue represents the internalization of patriarchal values and the suppression of female agency. Katherine's words seem to suggest that she has been brainwashed or conditioned to accept her submissive role, and that she has given up her own identity and autonomy in favor of pleasing her husband.
However, it is worth noting that the play as a whole is a comedy, and that Katherine's monologue may be meant to be humorous and satirical. Shakespeare often used comedy as a way to comment on social and political issues, and it is possible that he intended this monologue to be a commentary on the oppressive expectations placed on women in his society.
Overall, the Taming of the Shrew monologue is a complex and controversial piece of literature that raises important questions about gender roles and relationships. While it may be tempting to simply dismiss it as a product of its time, it is important to consider the broader cultural and historical context in which it was written and to recognize the ways in which it speaks to enduring issues of power and inequality.
The Taming of the Shrew Translation
Those later Shakespeare heroines end the play with something close to equality with their male counterparts while Katherine is literally tamed by Petruchio through a plan of psychological and physical abuse. The only problem with this plan is that there are no documents produced, so the suitor decides to sue Katerina because without evidence it must be her fault somehow. The men are surprised when they see Cambio enter followed by Kate wearing an incredibly beautiful dress which is paid for by Cambio who is now paid handsomely for his role in this play. She ends the play by submitting to his will and her 'proper' place as a wife. . Lesson Summary Like so much in Shakespeare, the monologues in The Taming of the Shrew are open to multiple interpretations. In this, she brings back the king-subject metaphor, comparing women to knights with lances made of straws.
Such duty as the subject owes the prince, Even such a woman oweth to her husband; And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour, And not obedient to his honest will, What is she but a foul contending rebel And graceless traitor to her loving lord? Taken literally, they seem to endorse the idea of a man torturing his wife into submission. The plan he comes up with in order to fix this problem is simple: marry her off as quickly as possible. Petruchio compares his task to that of a falconer training a hawk and describes his plan to deprive her of food and sleep until he has broken her down, and she submits to him. In Act 5, Scene 2 Katherine delivers a long monologue explaining that she has seen the error of her ways and submitting to Petruchio. He became exposed to other cultures which could have influenced his writing style. .
The only problem is that there are no men who are willing to take on Katerina because she has a sharp tongue and displays stubborn behavior which are often misconstrued as being shrewish. Either way, they are full of vivid imagery and give us such iconic phrases as 'kill a wife with kindness. However, on this last point, it is one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays. Both these aspects of the play are on display in the monologues by its two main characters, Petruchio and Katherine. For example, when Petruchio makes the audience members co-conspirators with his soliloquy, the audience is supposed to realize how disturbed his plan is.
Irony refers to a literary technique of saying one thing literally while intending something different. Bianca reminds her that tomorrow is their wedding day and they should be getting married at the same time so she leaves to get ready for bed. While it was written early in his career, it includes many of the hallmarks of his best comedies: cutting wit, complex wordplay, and compelling meditations on gender roles and relations. For example, when Petruchio makes the audience members co-conspirators with his soliloquy, the audience is supposed to realize how disturbed his plan is. They argue that Katherine is the playwright's early attempt at portraying an independent, fully realized woman.
Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth, Unapt to toil and trouble in the world, But that our soft conditions and our hearts Should well agree with our external parts? Those later Shakespeare heroines end the play with something close to equality with their male counterparts while Katherine is literally tamed by Petruchio through a plan of psychological and physical abuse. These tensions, as well as Shakespeare's complex wordplay, are apparent in the two long monologues, or solo speeches, spoken by Petruchio and Katherine. It seems out of character with other strong-minded Shakespearean heroines. Having married Katherine at the behest of Hortensio, who needs Katherine to be wed so he can pursue her sister Bianca, Petruchio has taken her to his country house for their honeymoon. The only problem with this plan is that there is another man who desires Bianca; Lucentio, a young man who has entered Padua disguised as a tutor and he and Bianca fall in love at first sight—although they must keep it secret because no one would approve of such an unequal match. This seemingly regressive view of gender roles has made the play controversial today.
In this play, however, she is treated quite differently. In this, she brings back the king-subject metaphor, comparing women to knights with lances made of straws. In Act 5, Scene 2 Katherine delivers a long monologue explaining that she has seen the error of her ways and submitting to Petruchio. She compares a woman's relationship with her husband to a subject's relationship with his king. Other critics argue that there is a strong degree of irony in both monologues. She then goes into a monologue where she criticizes all the men in The Taming of The Shrew for being unintelligent, ungrateful, and rude.
According to this reading, the audience should consider Katherine's speech ironic in that she is knowingly playing the role of the subdued wife because it benefits her. Some scholars attribute this to The Taming of the Shrew being one of Shakespeare's earliest plays. She lists the ways a king protects his subjects and deserves respect, in the same way a husband should. Come, come, you froward and unable worms, My mind hath been as big as one of yours, My heart as great, my reason haply more, To bandy word for word and frown for frown. She ends the monologue by exhorting her fellow women to follow her example: 'Come, come, you froward and unable worms, My mind hath been as big as yours. Summing up this plan of pretending to care for her while actually torturing her, he uses a phrase that has since entered the language as a common saying: 'This is a way to kill a wife with kindness' 4. Having married Katherine at the behest of Hortensio, who needs Katherine to be wed so he can pursue her sister Bianca, Petruchio has taken her to his country house for their honeymoon.
The play ends with Baptista accepting their offers of marriage, Lucentio marrying Bianca, Hortensio marrying a widow, and Kate holding a grudge against all men. Other critics argue that there is a strong degree of irony in both monologues. He also describes how he will do this while pretending to care for her: 'Ay, and amid this hurly I intend that all is done in reverent care of her' 4. The plan works at first until the suitor decides to sue for his dowry because he claims that Katerina has not yet been married off. Taken literally, they seem to endorse the idea of a man torturing his wife into submission.
They can also be read as ironic indictments of this practice. But now I see our lances are but straws, Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare, That seeming to be most which we indeed least are. I am ashamed that women are so simple To offer war where they should kneel for peace, Or seek for rule, supremacy, and sway, Whey they are bound to serve, love, and obey. The connection between The Taming of the Shrew and The Sonnets are that they both mention Elizabeth I. Like Rosalind and Beatrice, she is smart, outspoken, and independent, defying the gender expectations of Shakespeare's day.
It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads, Confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds, And in no sense is meet or amiable. . Katherine decides to stay awake because she is upset about everything changing on her marriage day. Katherine's Monologue The fruits of Petruchio's 'taming' are seen at the very end of the play. 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. In this play, however, she is treated quite differently. The reason why Katherine is upset about this man changing is because he had been trying to court her for a while now, but things were going well with another suitor named Petruchio.
