Controversial Shakespeare
The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare has been christened by modern audiences as one his most controversial plays. The story is a rendition of a classic folktale in which a husband tames an abysmal wife. Katherine [Kate], the "shrew," is portrayed as a strong spirited woman who speaks her mind with a sharp tongue. She marries Petruccio who attempts to tame her and is successful by the end of the play. In the final scenes, we see Kate as a humble, submissive wife. Petruccio tames his wife by utilizing a few different methods which some critics argue are modern day brainwashing and torture techniques. These methods include sleep deprivation, starvation, and the exploitation of fear. The "taming" of Kate has lead modern critics to the chastening of Shakespeare. Although this treatment sounds gruesome, it has been blown out of proportion by the cynics of our time. What seems to the audience as chauvinistic and controversial, is actually a small step towards the happiness of Petruccio and Kate. This paper will analyze the controversy in the taming of Kate. Many critics argue that Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is not politically correct in the way that it treats the woman's r
In Gregory Doran's version of the play, Petruccio is portrayed as more caring towards Kate in his taming. Some productions have cut out scenes altogether. Shakespeare merely captures the story of a shrew that is tamed and discovers her faults and gains happiness in her marriage. Although Petruccio seems to be serious, he is simply having fun with Kate. " They note that when the play was written, in 1592, women were expected to be completely submissive to their husbands, and physical abuse toward shrews was common. They argue that the story teaches that in marriage, the wife should display total submissiveness to her husband to live happily. Emily Detmer says of the time period, "Shakespeare's 'shrew' is tamed in a manner that would have made the wife-beating reformers proud; Petruchio's taming 'policy' dramatizes how abstention from physical violence works better - for men" (Detmer 279). Some argue that The Taming of the Shrew is simply "locked in it's time. Throughout the play, Petruccio uses physical force against Grumio and other men, but never lays a violent finger on Kate. I believe this takes away from Shakespeare as an author. Their happiness comes from their honesty and strife towards equality.
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