Themes/motifs Flashcards
What aspects of the play characterize it as a romantic comedy?
What aspects contradict this and characterize it as a Farce?
Romantic comedy:
-Ends with traditional gathering of 3 married couples.
Farce?
-Progress to altar involves tricks, ruses + brute force.
-Action of taming plot - systematically undermines romantic impulses and tendencies In Bianca subplot.
-Perhaps rejects notions of courtly love as naive.
What evidence is there that Shakespeare reject notions of courtly love?
-Lucentio.
-Hortensio + Gremio.
-Baptista.
-Matrimony chief concern of all characters in play.
-Lucentio only one - genuinely romantic approach.
-Baptista plays ‘merchants part’
-Hortensio + Gremio - ostensibly romantic - however engaged in masculine competition - have to provide ‘good deal’ for Biancas father. - hortensio true colors - Marries wealthy widow.
-Lucentio’s romantic wooings - useless without Tranios practical scheming.
-Lucentio’s approach fails - Bianca is not goddess of maidenly modesty + sobriety + obedient quiet wife - shows values as foolish + faulty approach to love/marriage.
What evidence is there that Shakespeare supports realistic approach to financial/practical mariage?
-Petruchio.
- Anti-romantic Petruchio – presented as winner, masculine hero. Greatly respected and admired by other male characters – confirms that in the play is a wooing competition.
- Establishing the way a happy marriage will work – also a contest – evident in main plot.
- Petruchio mercantile approach – wealth increases throughout play – takes on and tames his wife – brutal yet realistic view of Renaissance marriages.
- Main message about marriage seems to be that a happy marriage depends first and foremost on female subordination.
Arguably, what does Kate’s final speech suggest about the roles of men and women in marriage?
-Importance of female submission.
-Idea that men and women have duties to each other:
-Man goes out to world ‘painful labour by both sea and land’.
-Man works for ‘maintenance’ of woman - women owes ‘love, fair looks, and true obedience;/ Too little payment for such great debt’
What does the play seem to conclude about the ideal woman to marry?
-One who is silent or one whose tongue is used to serve and support men.
-Bianca (quiet initially) becomes problematic when voicing her opinions in act V.
-Kate licensed to talk in act V - because speaks on cue - only when men ask her to do so. - no longer assertive.
For and against the idea that the marriage in the play is ‘anachronistic view of marriage, already out of date when he play was first performed’?
For:
‘Hand below thy husbands feet’
-gesture was part of wedding ceremony prohibited 40 years before Shrew was written.
-Marriage was an institution being redefined by end of 16th century.
-Some Elizabethan commentators - suggest wife should be seen as joint governors of household - not beaten.
-Petruchio never actually uses physical violence on Katherine.
Against:
-domestic violence not illegal.
-writers and guides at time - still advise using force if necessary for maintaining right supremacy.
-domestic violence still widespread at the time.
-source of comedy in ballads/puppet shows.
-suitable subject for humor on stage.
-the play is comedy - suggests the beatings/abuse - supposed to make us laugh.
Power and gender:
Does the play advocate sexual inequality or does it show and critique men’s attempts to subordinate women?
-difficulty is it depends on the approach.
-uses perennial theme both comedy and tragedy: battle of the sexes.
-Does present misogyny and abuse of power - done in an ironic way - asking us to ridicule barbaric behavior.
Shows critique:
-Uses hunting motif throughout play - draw our attention to uncomfortable correlation male characters make between hunting and treatment of their social inferiors.
-Caricatures these attitudes - suggest critique of patriarchal attitudes rather than advocacy.
-Shakespeare shows humiliation as a method to suppress desire to escape social convention - prompting us to view male oppression as a subject for criticism.
-Gender politics in modern productions/ readings - don’t allow success in Petruchios stated enterprise.
-Language of final speech cold - un-personal - does not sound truthful - text itself critical of Petruchio.
How is the hunting motif used in induction?
-Larger metaphor beyond role as a mere social backdrop of play.
-Lord describes Sly as ‘swine’ and ‘monstrous beast’. - dehumanising - prey.
-Sly becomes a ‘fair game’ for the lords trap.
-Sets up dynamic of inequality and abuse.
-These power dynamics - key concern in play.
-Foreshadows and relate to Kathrine being dehumanised later - Gremio calls her ‘wild cat’ - vicious and untamable.
-further dehumanised by Petruchio - ‘My ox, my ass, my anything.’ - positions her alongside animals + inanimate objects.
Hunting and taming - Petruchio and Katherine.
-One of Petruchios soliloquies - language rich with imagery related to falconry.
-Explicit analogy between methods of taiming Katherine and methods used by falconers - he will ‘man (his) haggard’ - tame a wild female hawk.
-metaphor for marriage - disturbing - falconer curtailing natural freedom of powerful bird.
-Highlights inequality of relationship: free man subjugates woman - who like an animal has her access to food and sleep controlled. - disturbing.
-‘make her come to know her keepers call.’
-Patriarchal dominance compared to dominance of falconer over falcon.
How is wooing likened to a hunt?
-Final scene
-tensions lead to petruchio wanting to prove Katherina as most obedient wife.
-Petruchio mocks Tranio for wooing Bianca on his master behalf, uses hunting metaphor ‘the bird you aimed at, though you hit her not’
-Men perceive wooing as a hunt- with luck will result in trapping a wife.
-Tranio teases Petruchio ‘Tis thought your deer does hold you at bay’
Explore public humiliation and punishment for women?
-Petruchio’s power comes from willingness to humiliate Katherina.
-uses societal hierarchy to oppress her.
-Gremio says in response to idea to court Katherina ‘To cart her rather’ - publicly humiliating women - dragging them through the street - behind a cart.
Women and conformity:
-Bianca
-Widow
-Katherine
Bianca:
-Silent and conformist at first the representation of ‘ideal woman’ to juxtapose kates shrew.
-However - ‘i am no breaching scholar in the schools’ ‘learn my lessons as I please myself’ - back bone - has authority due to their lusting - sexual power.
-End of play when Petruchio asks Kate to throw a favored hat on the ground and step on it - Bianca says ‘fie, what foolish duty call you this?’
Widow:
-End of play when Petruchio asks Kate to throw a favored hat on the ground and step on it - does not abrove of Katherines blind obedience - calls it a ‘silly pass’.
Katherine:
-Debate over final speech - is she tamed -does she do it with sarcasm - Is she broken - brainwashed - genuinely educated - look to productions to answer question.
-Definenetly not at start ‘i see a woman to be made a fool if she hath no the spirit to resist.’
Clothing as an expression of the gendered social battle ground of Petruchio and Katherina’s relationship.
-Petruchio’s zany wedding outfit: “Old Jerkin” “Boots” + “have been candle cases” “full of winndgalls” “Sped with Spavins” “rayed with yellows” “a womans crupper of velour”
-Rejects the Tailors work on Katherina wardrobe.
-Weaponizes clothing to further his own programme of training and bullying.
“When you are gentle, you shall have one too, and not till then.”
-Costume - visible indicator of social convention or transgression.
-Brings Kate into line with behavior that is itself challengingly confrontational/ unconventional.
-When Petruchio claims that clothing is unimportant ‘to me she is married, not unto my clothe’ - he is at odds with world in which play is set - Bianca sold to highest bidder etc.
Clothing, hierarchy and authority.
-The Shrew uses costume to signal hierarchy and impose authority.
-Induction - clothing crucial to social experiment - sly is to be washed and changed - Bartholomew ‘dress’d in all suits like a lady’.
-When sly attempts to assert true identity - does it through resistance to lavish clothing ‘Ne’er ask me what raiment i’ll wear, for i have no more doublets than backs’
-Sumptuary laws in Tudor period - attempted to make social status visually apparent - trying to make clothing reflect status.
-If Sly becomes nobel man by wearing appropriate apparel and Bartholemew woman - then suggests clothing bestows rather than reflects status.
-Tranios - convincing Lucentio - merely exchanging clothe - basis of their difference of rank looks uncertain.
-Is point of induction to amplify force of social coercion - shows it operate on grounds of status as well as gender.
Theatres and Clothing
-Theatre site of obvious + sustained transgression of sumptuary laws - working men dressed in clothe of kings and noblemen.
-male bodies decorated in gowns, cowls etc - to appear women.
-Men would have played Bianca and Kate - draws attention to fact that these women - are a matter of convincing costume + audiences willingness to believe them women - so is societies conventions just down to convincing costume and willingness to accept/believe a certain idea - e.g. class, gender.
Hierarchy - link between sly and Kate
- Petruchio attracted to Kate for her dowry.
- Women have to part in financial dealings that concern their futures – suggests patriarchy is well and alive.
- Hierarchal theme from induction onwards (Sly is lords social inferior) – even those who transgress hierarchy eventually are restored (Tranio)
- However, lack of induction at the end – Sly is never returned to mundane reality and his social status.
- Kate learns to take her place in hierarchy by the end – quiet and submissive – hierarchy wins – or does it…
Women as a symbol of masculine power/lack of it
- Women are symbols of men’s power or lack of it.
- Hortensio and Gremio – laughable – fail to achieve their woman.
- Baptista – has one valuable daughter ‘Bianca’ who is marriageable and a shrew ‘Kate’ who is not valuable until she is tamed.
- Petruchio taming Kate increases his prestige.
How is masculinity presented?
- The play is about masculine assertiveness, masculine negotiations and game-playing and masculine ideals.
- Use of competitive and supportive male double acts confirms this. Petruchio and Grumio’s verbal banter, Petruchio and Hortensio baiting Kate in sun/moon scene.
- Constant masculine jolting for control and position.
Power gained through playing a role/ deception
- Petruchio – acts role of eccentric wife-tamer – disguise he believes will create lasting transformation in his wife.
- Like induction – dominant male – attempts to change other characters understanding and response to situation.
- Uses storytelling and acting to transform Kate.
- Bianca too – deceives Lucentio – gets what she wants.
- Proves power can be gained by playing a role.
- Deceiver often deceived – ironic – Lucentio deceived by Bianca’s appearance – punished when he realizes she is not so obedient. Perhaps Petruchio too is deceived by Katherina’s newfound submission (John Fletcher explores this in The Tamer Tamed, early 1600s)
Disguise
- Illusion and transformation.
- Disguise creates dramatic irony.
- Disguise used to achieve transformation.
- Induction of Sly – perhaps suggest transformations are fleeting wonders – you cannot really transform someone – presence on stage – remind the audience that Petruchio’s taming is temporary.
- However, no closing frame – audience forgets about theatrical induction – thus illusion of reality about Kate final speech – seems she truly is tamed – or acts in convincingly.
- Theme of difference between appearance and reality (established in induction) continued in subplot – Tranio and Lucentio.
Devil imagery
- Kates Shrewish disposition
- Images of hell – demonstrates men abhorrence of her language and behaviour.
- Suggests male characters frightened of Heroine.
- Establishes the scold’s unnatural and inhumane persona.
- Kate breaks lute – matches with these descriptions – or does it – does she just have a bad temper? Perhaps invocation of devilry are absurd.
- Petruchio attitude to Kate ‘I love her ten times more’ – undermines legitimacy of the imagery the other male characters use.
- Petruchio’s willingness to battle with evil forces – prove his masculinity to the other men.
Kate’s Madness
- Kate Labelled ‘stark mad’ by Tranio – stark mad suggesting disapproval.
- However, her madness may make her figure for pathos – ignored, scorned and isolated.
- Audience may take pleasure in her madness – aggression towards Gremio and Hortensio – horrible to her.
- ‘mad’ applied to acts of verbal and physical abuse.
Is Petruchio also mad - double standards
- Do we view antisocial actions of Petruchio through same eyes as actions of Kate.
- Is Petruchio madness licensed because he is male?
- Petruchio’s eccentricities are tolerated – however do cause alarm to others on stage.
- Perhaps both presented as mad to suggest warring couple are well matched.
- Petruchio’s madness – driving force in the play – appears to lead to harmony.
- Petruchio ends with same smug egotism he began marriage with – not changed – madness has not lead to enlightenment as it does in King lear – only female must learn/change.
- Forced to conclude men can behave as crazily as they please and still be allowed to control his wife and destiny.
Natural order, hierarchy
- Images of these hunting and hawking – evoke natural order, the hierarchy that degreed women were inferior to men.
- Kate submits in open air – nature – is this due to acceptance of a natural hierarchy?
- Final scene – images suggesting one natural order has been achieved – other two subverted.
- Bianca ‘Am I your bird? I mean to shift my bush, / And then pursue me as you draw your bow.’ – Petruchio has tamed his ‘bird’ yet Bianca remains at liberty can ‘shift’ her ‘bush’ as she pleases.
- Wager – like modern men bet on horses/dogs.
- Wins wager – Katerina performs like a trained animal.
Hawking
- Taming of Kate linked to Hawking – due to the rep of Falconry (AO3) – presents Petruchio as most worthy character – skill to tame his wife like the skill needed for falconry.
- ‘Curb’ his wife’s ‘mad and headstrong humour’ – methods exactly those used when training hawks.
- Hawk is most natural when ‘haggard’ – like Kate – suggests this is how things are intended.
- However – imagery forces us to understand a husbands successful reign depends upon showing his wife that she must ‘know her keeper’s call’
Irony of use of Falconry?
-Extended imagery of falconry.
-stoop, lure, haggard.
-Uses falconry to tame her - ironically you can never tame a falcon.
-in falconry - you never train a falcon - master is in a constant tussle with bird.
-Main way master can assert authority is by keeping it short of food - flies off hungry - easiest way to get food is to come back to master - let it go when it is not hungry - wrong come back.
-Very extended image of taming that he uses - dooms it to failure.
-Katherine treatment will no break her - rather allows her and Petruchio to function in an operating system together.
Petruchio - perfomance
Perhaps Petruchio seeks to accomplish mutual harmony - work as partners.
-accomplishes through performance/ action - role of violent shrew husband.
-helps Katherine learn different role - more sociable role, still spirited - can maintain some independent - but more compliant.
Gender - a theatrical role
-Gender may simply be a role cast by society - no real superiority.
-Conventional gender roles to reflect socially advantageous ways of behaving - Petruchio may be helping Kate fit a role that will benefit her and him.
-Is he forcing her to deform her nature or helping her to experiment with different aspects of her personality, lead to greater control of her social environment?
E.g. Speech at Bianca’s wedding - Katherine plays role of obedient wife - earn social credit for herself and Petruchio + fun of upending peoples beliefs of her.
Perhaps Petruchio is playing and intelligent game whereby Katherine is both tamed and liberated when she learns to play along.
