Taming Of The Shrew Views On Love — страница 2

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Here we see the pretentiousness and a need for power, as expressed by most of Shakespeare?s characters in The Taming of the Shrew. Once the taming is underway, Tranio tells Bianca, “Petruchio is the master, that teacheth tricks ? to tame a shrew and charm her chattering tongue,” this statement tells the story of the play, and Shakespeare?s views on love and marriage. The grand finale of The Taming of the Shrew, so to speak, is the tamed Katherina?s famed wedding speech, in which she contradicts everything that she stood for earlier in the play, and compromises her morals and standards. “Unkint that threat?ning unkind brow and dart not scornful glances from those eyes to wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor ? A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, muddy, ill-seeming,

thick, bereft of beauty ? Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee and for thy maintenance; commits his body to painful labor both by sea and land ? But love, fair looks, and true obedience – too little payment for so great a debt. Such duty as the subject owes the prince, even such a woman oweth to her husband; and when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour, and not obedient to his honest will, what is she but a foul contending rebel and graceless traitor to her loving lord? I am ashamed that women are so simple ? or seek for rule, supremacy, and sway, when they are bound to serve, love and obey ? My mind hath been as big as one of yours, my heart as great, my reason happily more ? Place your hands below your husbands

foot, in token of which duty, if he please, my hand is ready, may it do him ease.” As the playwright, Shakespeare puts the scathing words into the woman?s, Katherina?s, mouth; her shame and disrepute towards to female sex, and obedience and respect for the commanding men in her life. She urges other women to agree with her, “Come, come, you froward and unable worms.” In a style unique to Shakespeare, whist dramatically serious, The Taming of the Shrew is still funny and light-hearted. Though maybe it is time to question our morals when such an incident as to tame a shrew takes place, or perhaps question William Shakespeare?s, on love and marriage. After presenting us with so many social issues to think about, the play concludes with an all?s well that ends well scenario.

The scornful, untamed Katherina was simply opinionated, strong-willed and determined, much like her husband, Petruchio. It leaves us with a question to Shakespeare: Why was it not Petruchio who was being tamed? 362