William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew, has often been accused of being a farce and farce, for those of you who don’t know is a subgenre of comedy that chooses to entertain through the use of verbal humor both low-brow and witty, as well as improbable and exaggerated situations (“Farce.”). The male lead Petruccio openly declares to the audience; “Thus have I politically 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...” his plan to train his wife Kate, the shrew of Padua, as if she were some sort of animal (4.1. 169-72). Petruccio’s success in wooing and taming Kate through the use of ludicrous and absurd techniques such as killing Kate’s shrewdness with kindness, word play, and public embarrassment are what lead the play to be considered a farce.
Petruccio was laying down the ground work for his taming of Kate even from the first moment they met. He even openly admits to his plan to tame her during the quick witted banter when they first met each other:
Petruccio. Come, come, you wasp, i’faith you are too angry.
Katherine. If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
Petruccio. My remedy is then to pluck it out. (2.1.207-09)
The rest of this first conversation between Kate and Petruccio is riddled with sexual innuendos, clever word choices and it is this feature of the dialogue that can easily lead readers (or viewers in the case of a stage performance) to see this play as a farce. To further exemplify the wit and absurdity of the Petruccio/Kate dynamic, one could look at a scene later in the play where
Petruccio claims the moon is shining brightly in the middle of the day. Kate f...
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...ming techniques are showing result. If the reader sees Petruccio’s behavior as more altruistic, instead of cruel then it would be easier to reconcile the play with a true farce.
In conclusion, The Taming of the Shrew, contains many of the mainstay features of a farce in particular when in concern of Petruccio’s taming of Kate. The quick witted wordplay, the absurd scenarios, and the often borderline slapstick humor, along with the very premise of taming a woman should lead the play to be considered a farce.
Works Cited
“Farce.” Princeton University. Princeton University, 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
Shakespeare, William. “The Taming of the Shrew.” Ed. Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard, Katharine Eisaman Maus, and Andrew Gurr. The Norton Shakespeare: Comedies. By William Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Jay. Greenblatt. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. 175-244. Print.
I have been involved in the theater since I was a child so I was aware of the ways that actors and directors adapt plays to fit their own interpretation but I did not know that in Shakespeare’s day those adaptations were reflected in the print. It is very surprising to me that his works were published as they were acted as opposed to how they were first written. This made me think of the Taming of the Shrew and how we discussed the many interpretations of various parts. To this day various casts will portray Kate and Petruchio in different lights. I found this to be an example of the ways that history can be of use to us when analyzing literary texts. Kastan reveals that in the past these interpretations of the play were much more influential than they are now. Today, doing another take on a Shakespearian play is creative experiment, while in Shakespeare’s day modifications were fundamental to how the text would be perceived in the future. The emphasis on history and its place in literary study such as this proved compelling and seems to hold great value. It is something I plan on considering in my future studies of
Kate is in a rage, and Petruchio is so clever-witted that he turns all her insults into sexual innuendos before finally having her forced into marrying him, but what makes this laughter thoughtful? From Kate’s lashes, you are able to truly see just how vulgar and unhappy she is. She is wild, but she is also quite clever in her quick responses. On the opposite end, Petruchio’s character is shown. He is quick-witted as well, yet more crude. He takes joy in dishing out his “attacks” whereas Katherine becomes even more enraged. He’s finally determined to make her his wife, no matter
Shakespeare uses Mercutio’s insight as a contrast to every other character to show how ridiculous the other characters actually are. If you pay attention to the plots and story lines, this play is a love story. If you understand Mercutio’s purpose, then this play is one of the greatest satires on human emotions ever made.
The Taming of the Shrew written by William Shakespeare depicts the story of Petruchio a man who takes on the challenge of taming a shrew, a woman named Katherine (or Kate). By the end of the play, it becomes our knowledge that Petruchio has succeeded in taming Kate, because of the fact that she comes to him when she is called (or demanded to), while the other wives do not. The icing on the cake is her final speech which enforces the idea that she has been tamed by Petruchio. But it can also be seen that Kate’s final speech creates the idea that she is a powerful, smart and clever woman who was never truly tamed and instead only acting like she was. In the beginning of the play, when Kate and Petruchio first meet, her answers towards him are
In Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew the elements of farce are exemplified in terms of character, plot, and writing style. The stereotyped characters in The Taming of the Shrew are typical of a farce. Katherina is an outstanding example of a farcical character. Katherina, although stereotyped as a boisterous shrew, can be portrayed as a person needing sympathy due to Baptista's favoritism. The quote, "She is your treasure, she must have a husband: I must dance barefoot on her wedding day…" (A. II S. 1 L. 36-37), makes it obvious that Baptista favors Bianca. In terms of plot, Shakespeare devises the plot to resemble a situation comedy. Although the subplot is more romantic, both the subplot and the main plot revolve around the principle of a favoristic father who is outwitted by his child and her lover.
“The Taming Of The Shrew” by William Shakespeare is a work of satire created to criticize the misogynistic outlooks of the 16th century. With this play, Shakespeare is trying to say that the idea and role of women in his society is deeply flawed and should be fixed, as well as to make other social commentaries, such as on the treatment of servants. Through exaggeration and parody, Shakespeare makes society look silly.
He is rich, madly in love, and willing to do anything to get what he wants; he is Lucentio. Lucentio is one of the main characters of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. His role in the play begins as he arrives in Padua, Italy as a rich student with the intent of furthering his education at a university in Padua. Mind you, Lucentio is accompanied by his servant Tranio who reminds him to enjoy life and not to exclusively focus on his studies. However, this conversation is abruptly interrupted by a boisterous crowd containing Baptista Minola and his alluring daughter Bianca. Upon seeing Bianca, Lucentio proclaims, “Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio, if I achieve not this young modest girl. (Act 1, Scene 1)” This ultimately leads to Lucentio’s passionate pursuit of Bianca.
In the play The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, Petrucio recognizes, respects and desires Katherine’s strength of character. Petrucio is a clever man who sees beyond facades because he uses them himself. (II, i 46) (II, I 283 - 89) He is stimulated by Katherine’s sharp tongue and harsh actions. He proves this many times throughout the play.
...ironic use of manipulation before and after the wedding, Petruchio is able to tame Kate. Or so he thinks. The only real change is that Kate agrees with him, but she only does this to get her way. Therefore she is manipulating him by pretending that he has been able to tame her. He has not tamed her, because she also utilizes the art of manipulation. Before, Kate’s only defense against patriarchy is to be outspoken; now, she negotiates her own sense of power within patriarchy by using manipulation. Shakespeare’s critic of the patriarchal social structure is therefore just, because not only are women denied the same legal power as men, but their manipulative power is also disregarded and considered a weakness. Therefore women are not to be blamed for utilizing this powerful form of control, because that is what the patriarchal social structure forces them into.
Shakespeare, William. _The Taming of the Shrew_. The Riverside Shakespeare. 2nd ed. Ed. Dean Johnson. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. 142-171.
It shouldn't be forgotten that in the body of the play those who are masters of a language of extraordinary wit and polish - language that seems to guarantee rationality and good judgement - get things almost completely wrong. The resolution of the play comes via the agency of the people whose discourse is an assault on language, who are dismissed - by Leonato - as 'tedious' when they should be patiently listened to. But, as Borachio says 'what your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light' (V.1.221-222). And even more disturbing, that resolution comes by mere accident: by the chance overhearing of a conversation.
The discussion of play-within-a-play makes us think; what counts as good theatre? What does it take for us to act on a play? Can anyone watch and understand the art of theatre, with elements of parody in it? These questions provide very sparse answers, but through the parody of Pyramus and Thisbe and also Romeo and Juliet in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare has shown us a parody of what a bad theatre is itself. These parodies show that the play requires deep understanding of the art of theatre in order for it to be enjoyed fully.
In this play as any other, Shakespeare proves to be a visionary. Petruchio achieves his goal through witty persuasion rather than resorting to beating his wife like many a man before him has done. Though Shakespeare does not go as far as some feminists would like him to, Shakespeare does much for the fight of equality of the sexes. Katherine’s as strong, or stronger than any woman in Shakespeare’s plays. The amazing thing is that she achieves this without ulterior motives such as lady Macbeth. She is an honest, bright independent woman. She is not underscored by her subservience to petruchio in public, for "the sun breaks through the darkest cloud" and so do Katherine’s assets break though the public visage of subordination to her husband.
Audiences observe an excessive amount of dramatic comedy in the form of farce in Act 2. Kate and Petruchio can be argued to be devised as extreme characters to perform comedic functions, hence shouldn't be taken sincerely. It is possible to execute this comedy in a way that brings out its farcical construction. Katherina and Petruchio engage in a lengthy battle of wit. Katherina refers to Petruchio as ‘a joint stool’, in which Petruchio retaliates with ‘come sit on me’. Their remarks are exaggerated thus only continuing to build sexual tension, as Petruchio counters Katharina with sexual innuendos. Shrewish women were often described as crabs. In using the term: 'I see a crab', Katherina positions Petruchio on a corresponding level with herself. A crab apple is a sour...
After Petruchio and Kate get married, they arrive at Petruchio’s house. In Act four of the book, Kate exits to go to her room, and when she does, Petruchio tells his plan to Grumio. He starts off by saying “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 today, nor none shall eat. Last night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not, nor tonight she shall not.” (73). He states to Grumio that he plans to tame kate by starving her and not letting her sleep at all until she is obedient. In him proceeding with his plan he makes Kate seem crushed by how he is changing her