Modern Audience Essay

“It is impossible for a modern audience to experience comfy with the Taming of The Shrew” with close mention to Shakespeare’s presentation of Katharina. amusing conventions and holding the above inquiry in head. compose about your response to the stoping of the play…

In my sentiment. The Taming of The Shrew tells the narrative of an opprobrious matrimony and I would hold with the position that it is impossible for a modern audience to experience comfy with the drama. particularly the decision of the narrative. Shakespeare’s presentation of Katharina at the terminal of the drama seems to me to be one of a broken individual ; she is about robotic in her obeisance and without spirit. except for when singing the congratulationss of wifelike entry. “Thy hubby is thy Lord. thy life. thy keeper. thy caput. thy sovereign” is a premier illustration of the upseting brainwashing Petruchio has carried out on her. This broken ‘Kate’ is a far call from the plucky Katharina we are foremost greeted by in Act 2. where she exchanges a barbarous conflict of words with Petruchio ; “Asses are made to bear and so are you” .

This phrase in itself shows that she is unafraid. and defies her society’s conventions. cussing at aliens ; a sad contrast to the dramas stoping. where she has wholly conformed to what’s expected of her. The stoping of the drama besides contains really small comedy. with the exclusion of the statement as to who is the existent Vincentio. and the battle between Kate and the Widow. This is because the Taming of the termagant defies most Shakespearean comedy conventions. as the matrimony takes topographic point midway the drama. instead than at so stop as was traditional. I believe that this adds to the uncomfortableness of the modern audience. as after the supposed ‘happy ending’ we are faced with the rough world of Petruchio’s intervention of Kate.

Shakspere nowadayss Katharina as wholly changed by the terminal of the drama. At first she is wild and apparently untameable ; we see her tie up her sister and argue violently with both Petruchio and her male parent. “So may you lose you weaponries. if you strike me. you are no gentleman. and if no gentleman. why so no arms” Here. Shakespeare presents Katharina as extremely skilled with word use. bring forthing temper with her contemptuous drama on words with “arms” as she brands Petruchio merely a common man if he would strike her.

This is in blunt contrast to the stoping of the drama where she seems to hold no free will. She is practically enslaved to Petruchio. holding with his every idea and caprice. An illustration of this is Act 4. Scene 5. Petruchio and Kate see Vincentio and Petruchio refers to him as a “fair and lovely maid” . teaching Kate to “embrace her for her beauty’s sake” . Shakespeare’s usage of a bid word clearly shows Petruchio’s power and arrant control in their relationship. Vincentio is evidently a adult male. but despite this. and despite a warning from Hortensio that this pretension will anger Vincentio. “a will do the adult male mad. to do a adult female of him” . Kate does so encompass him for his beauty’s interest ; “Young budding virgin. just fresh and sweet” .

This luxuriant linguistic communication with its stacking up of adjectives is an illustration of exaggeration used for amusing consequence. It is possibly besides. on a less humourous note. an case of what many women’s rightists would see as the darker side of The Taming of the Shrew. and the devastation of Katherina’s personality ; this is a strong reading as she could be seen to be utilizing this luxuriant linguistic communication due to her despair to delight Petruchio or her fright of penalty. Petruchio farther exerts his power over Kate by so altering his head and impeaching Kate of lunacy.

“I hope thou art non huffy. this is a man” she readily agrees. disregarding the fact that Petruchio has undermined and humiliated her. and begs for his forgiveness over her stupidity. This scene is a premier illustration of the alteration Petruchio has caused from Katharina to Kate. She is non the character we met in Act 2. and this transmutation could be said to be uncomfortable for a modern audience to watch. It is unpleasant to see one human being so wholly at the custodies of another. and whether this entire obeisance is due to love. fright or despair is down to the audience to make up one’s mind. I think this adds a more disquieting border to the drama as Shakespeare seems to excuse Petruchio’s chastening. or what most modern audiences would see as maltreatment.

However. some critics. for case Lucy Bailey. manager for the RSC. have stated that the drama is a oddly misunderstood love narrative. non the opprobrious narrative of misogyny some modern audiences would see it as ; Bailey says that Petruchio and Kate’s attractive force is instant. and that what follows after their first meeting is merely fore-play. However. this reading is difficult to digest in the face of the inhuman treatment Petruchio inflicts on Kate. why would a adult male in love dainty the object of his fondnesss like one of his farm animate beings? This intervention is peculiarly shown during Act 4 where Petruchio begins his ‘taming’ . he attempts to develop Kate as one would develop a Canis familiaris. EXAMPLE. Evaluate linguistic communication. Other critics have explained this intervention by stating that Petruchio is driven huffy by heartache after the decease of his male parent he “takes out his alienation and choler on other people about as an experiment. ” ( Director David Farr )

The best illustration of Shakespeare’s altering presentation of Katharina to Kate can be seen in the concluding scene. in her address. She has non spoken for several pages. but so. on Petruchio’s bid. launches into the longest address in the full drama. throw outing the virtuousnesss of being a good married woman. The first ground that most modern audiences would happen this scene uncomfortable to watch is the manner that Petruchio instructs Kate to “Tell these froward adult females what responsibility they do owe to their Godheads and husbands” .

This phrase itself could be seen to be debatable for modern audiences to digest. In the twenty-first century. work forces and adult females are equal. so the manner that Petruchio refers to work forces as “Lords” . implies a power and control over adult females that is uncomfortable for most modern audiences to hear. Shakespeare cleverly prioritises the word Lord over Husband in this line underscoring the debt Petruchio feels adult females owe their hubbies. like provincials owe their Godheads. In this statement. Petruchio besides uses headstrong as an abuse. whereas in modern Britain. although it can hold negative intensions. headstrong is frequently a positive personality property. connoting one knows 1s ain head.

The stoping of The Taming of the Shrew contains really small amusing elements. doing it all the more uncomfortable. There is the scene in which Vincentio encounters the pedant impersonating himself.

The audience has non seen Kate as ardent during her address since she was Katharina ; we see some of her old flicker when she refers to Bianca and The Widow as “froward and unable worms” . However. this abuse could be seen as a sad contemplation of how Petruchio has twisted her plucky nature to accommodate his ain demands. Most modern witnesss would see the full address as improbably anti-feminist. and I believe that due to this it is impossible for most modern audiences to experience comfy with The Taming of The Shrew. Kate suggests adult females should “kneel for peace” and “place your custodies below your husband’s foot” . These phrases evoke feelings of servitude and to most modern audiences are hard to hear. Kate’s ‘realisation’ that adult females are weak. their “lances nil but straws” contrasts to her physical force at the start of the drama where she attacks Petruchio. “That I’ll attempt ( she strikes him ) ” .

Shakespeare uses imperial imagination in this address to demo the entire infatuation and obeisance Kate feels towards Petruchio. She refers to hubbies and ‘Lords’ . ‘Sovereigns’ . ‘Heads’ and ‘Princes’ . and these words show the power Petruchio has over Kate and the power she believes all hubbies should hold over their married womans: one of absolute control. akin to the sovereign. Shakespeare’s effectual listing of these nouns accents Kate’s eldritch passion towards Petruchio and wifely obeisance. Similes are besides widely used in Kate’s concluding address ; for illustration. “to dart a contemptuous glance” at 1s husband “blots thy beauty as hoars do seize with teeth the meads” . Kate now believes that obeisance is beauty. and for most modern audiences who live in a society where independency is valued and celebrated. it is impossible to experience comfy with these thoughts.