taming

• Context


  -written late 1590s, 16th century.

  -comedy, following its conventionalities of ending in a 'happily ever after'.

  -society= highly patriarchal, women having little to no freedom over their own lives + unable to make own decisions esp in marriages.

  -Elizabethan marriages=fixated on financial perks, viewed as financial transactions between husbands and fathers and the potential to further one's financial status.

  -a "shrew" was a woman who was out spoken, not very feminine and generally who did not fit the traditional feminine archetype: Katherina.

  -critique of Elizabethan society.
• A02- ways in which meanings are shaped

  -genre= comedy promotes idea that women should be subservient to men, if not, be tamed. this is all presented satirically, to convey its genre. feminist critics see this as an attack on women.

  -prose methods= lower class characters such as Petruchio's servant, spoke in blank verse and straight forward sentence structure. more outstanding characters used eloquent language- class differences.

  -stichomythia between petruchio and kate= highlighting their early chemistry.
• A03- context


  -shakespeare's gender= male writing the women from a male perspective. his plays seen as attacking women, disrespecting them and only reflects the patriarchal attitudes of the contemporary. has influenced his female characters to be presented as less than the men.

  -true love and marriage= not based on genuine and pure forms of admiration, but rather on physicality or financial potential of a person.

  -relationships only possible if there is something in it for both parties- selfish society.
• A04- connections across literary texts

  -plot of TTOTS similar to that of Much ado.

  -character similar to Kate- Juliet too wants to marry for true love and subvert the traditional expectations of marrying for money. Both women attempt to overcome the boundaries to their happily ever afters set out by their misogynstic society.

  -character similar to Kate- Beatrice= both women are witty and perfectly match the energy of their husbands. seen as social outcasts and constantly degraded by their contemporary societies, but are seen as being ahead of their time to modern and feminist readers.
• A05- different interpretations/critics


  -modern interpretation of play= criticise the absurd nature of Elizabethan society and its values.

  -one modern interpretation on women= social isolation of women; they are usually isolated from each other, no scenes of them supporting each other. whereas there are plenty of the men doing that.

  -one key interpretation on Kate's "shrew" behaviour= she lacks the guidance of a mother figure is just trying to navigate a life where she isn't toyed around by men.
• A04 Kate - characters similar to Kate

  -Beatrice= witty and advocates female independence during a time where otherwise was preached.

  -Elizabeth Bennett= E is known for her intelligence, refusal to conform to societal expectations and stubbornness. Like Kate, she is a strong character.
• A05 Kate- critics.


  Daniell: "Kate's final speech is a statement of contemporary doctrine, of male fantasy or of almost unbelievable sustained irony"
• Kate's role within the play

  -Shakespeare may have used her as a break from reality at the time- heavily judged by everyone, but that may have been Shakespeare's way of showing what should be seen more and socially accepted.

  -others argue= she cleverly plays along w contemporary societal norms w/o truly surrendering her independence.
• Characterisation of Kate


  -victim of patriarchy and sexism= men viewed as superior and dominant gender to women, male-supremacy. women seen as incapable of doing anything on their own, needing a man by their side. she is forced to marry a man to keep her going.

  -ahead of her time= calls men out for anything wrong including her father. independence she has, loudmouth and violence towards men is unconventional. breaks expectations of her and appeals more to a modern audience.
• A04 Petruchio- similar characters

  -Don Juan= character who defies traditional norms and engages in various adventures. his unconventional behaviours, combined w wit and charm, challenges societal expectations.

  -Leontes= intense emotions and rational behaviour. Like P, his actions contribute to exploration of societal norms and consequences of unchecked authority.
• A05 Petruchio- critics


  Robert Heilman: P is a "generous and affectionate fellow whose method is to bring out the best in his fiancé".
• Characterisation of Petruchio


  -product of 16th century man= behaviour and attitude around others reflects society around him. sexism, misogyny and dominance prevalent in society, and he embodies this.

  -motivated by wealth= comes to padua w intention of marrying someone w good amounts of wealth. shallow and superficial character. interest in Kate sparked from her financial freedom- he is materialistic but is conventional nonetheless.

  -psychological abuse, deprivation of basic needs.
• A04 Bianca- similar characters

  -Jane Bennet= eldest and most beautiful Bennet sister. calm and sweet nature mirrors that of Bianca, aligning w traditional feminine virtues.

  -Anne Elliot= mature and reserved character fading societal expectations and deals w consequences of a past decision.
• A05 Bianca- critics


  Saccio: "Bianca and Lucentio behave with romantic independence".
• Bianca's characterisation

  -desirable and symbols of traditional femininity= most desirable out of her and Kate due to her dowry but also bc softness and unconditional kindness. gentleness, modesty and compliance are all qualities of traditional femininity.

  -submissive and obediant= subservient to the males, even when otherwise she is still respectful.

  -actress= argued by modern readers she is an actress. throughout entirety of play she is conventional Elizabethan woman, minute she gets married this changes. potentially used their marriage to escape her father and suitors.
• A04 Lucentio- characters similar

  -Claudio= also symbolises youth and idealism. His courtship w Hero involves complications, misunderstandings and societal expectations.

  -Romeo= romeo is a quintessential symbol of youthfulness and idealistic love. intense emotions and romantic pursuit of Juliet lead to both tragedy and a commentary on the impulsive nature of young love, Lucentio getting married to Bianca rapidly.
• Characterisation of Lucentio

  -Petruchio's character foil= P more assertive and domineering and L more gentle and kind. L's approach to courting Bianca is based on disguise and clever strategies, not damaging techniques like P.

  -symbol of youthful love= archetype of youthful lover in Shakespearean comedy. embodies idealistic pursuit of love and the challenges associated w deception and courtship.
• Lucentio- "Minerva speaking" A1 S1


  simile emphasises the physicality of the marriage between Bianca and Lucentio. quite shallow as his "love" for Bianca stemmed from the sound of her voice. Minerva was the Goddess of art, music, etc.
• Petruchio- "wive it wealthily in Padua, if wealthily, then happily in Padua" A1 S2


  repetition of "wealthily" encapsulates Petruchio's true intentions and motived behind marriage to Katherina. he marries her for the financial benefit, no desire of getting the know the real her and building a real and deeper connection. shows lack of depth in Elizabeth marriages, he only wants her to obey him bc he is the husband.
• Baptista- "a devilish spirit" A2 S1


  denunciation of Kate by her own father serves to convey the patriarchal attitudes during contemporary society. Bianca is favourited by her father
• kate- "tis burnt and so is all the meat" A4 S1


  psychological abuse
• "is it your will to make a stale of me amongst these mates."


  Katherina, A1S1 (stale)
• "My books and instruments shall be my company."


  Bianca, A1S1 (books)
• "thou mayst hear Minerva speak!"


  Lucentio, A1S1 (Minerva)
• "Will he woo her? Ay, or I'll hang her."


  Grumio, A1S2 (hang)
• "ate no meat today, nor none shall eat; last night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not."


  Petruchio, A4S1 (no meat)
• "Am starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep"


  Katherina, A4S3 (starved)
• "I say it is the moon that shines so bright."

  "I know it is the sun that shines so bright."


  Petruchio and Katherina, A4S4 (moon and sun)
• "I must and will have Katherine to my wife."


  Petruchio, A2S1 (must and will)
• She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, my household

  Petruchio, A3S2 (master)
• "Asses are made to bear, and so are you."

  "Women are made to bear, and so are you."


  Katherina and Petruchio, A2S1 (to bear)
• "Come, madam wife, sit by my side."


  Sly, In2 (wife)