The taming of the shrew - critical response
It is the intention of this Critical essay to consider the play ' The taming of the shrew" By William Shakespeare. I will firstly offer a brief summary of events and then go on to consider the portrayal of Pertruchio and in particular the way in which he uses and manipulates language in order to meet the demands of any given situation. The play is technically a play within a play. In the outer framework we find a lord tricking a drunkard called Christopher Sly into believing that he is a rich lord with a beautiful wife (Page). A group of players then enter to perform for Sly and his wife. In the play we find Hortensio and Lucentio battling out their wits to win the sweet Bianca. Bianca's father Baptista declines both until his elder daughter Kate is married. The only problem is that Kate is renowned for being a shrew. Pertruchio is a scholar who is visiting Padua. He wishes to find a rich wife. Hortensio is still after Bianca and hopes that Pertruchio will fall in love with Kate and then Bianca will be open to his proposals. Hortensio leads Pertruchio to Kate. Pertruchio marries Kate after finding out that her father has money. Pertruchio tames his shrewish wife into being obedient. Kate soon realises that she
He ignores Kate's identity of being a shrew and says the opposite of what she says or how she looks. He claims that taming Kate is like taming a falcon. Throughout the play Pertruchio is portrayed as a very theatrical man. What, up and down carved like an apple tart. He is willing to marry and old, curst, toothless woman so long as she is rich. I will now examine Pertruchios language and how it becomes more perverse and duplicitous during the famous sun and moon scene. In Kate's obedience speech she reflects what page told Sly in the beginning. Another way I have to man my haggard, to make her come and know her keepers call. He has complete domination over her. He uses exaggerated, hyperbolic language from the outset. "O mercy God, what masquing stuff is here? What's this? A sleeve? 'Tis like a demi- cannon. I don't think Kate has really been tamed. He is being highly ironic in doing this. His aim is to upset Kate and show her just how shrewish she is and how it can affect people. In conclusion, it is clear that Pertruchio is ultimately portrayed as a man who adapts his language to meet the needs of the situation.
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