The Taming of the Shrew — страница 2

  • Просмотров 370
  • Скачиваний 6
  • Размер файла 106
    Кб

rest nor food that night. The tables were spread, and supper soon served; but Petruchio, pretending to find every dish not suitable to eat, threw the meat about the floor, and ordered the servants to remove it away; and all this he did, as he said, in love for his Katharine, that she might not eat meat that was not well cooked. And when Katharine, weary and hungry decided to rest, he found the same fault with the bed, throwing the pillows and bedclothes about the room, so that she was forced to sit down in a chair, where she felt asleep, she was awakened by the loud voice of her husband, shouting at the servants for the bad-making of his wife's wadding-bed. The next day Petruchio still speaking kind words to Katharine did not give her chance to eat, throwing the breakfast on the

floor as he had done with the supper; and Katharine was forced to beg the servants to bring her secretly a food; but they being instructed by Petruchio, refused to do this. At this day Petruchio decided to return to Batista’s house and feast there. On all way Petruchio continued to tame Katharine. On a road they had met an old man. Then Petruchio knew that old gentleman, he was the father of Lucentio, a young gentleman who was to be married to Baptista's younger daughter, Bianca, and he made Vincentio very happy, by telling him about that rich marriage of his son and they all journeyed together to Baptista's house, where there was a large company assembled to celebrate the wedding, Baptista had willingly agreed to the marriage of Bianca when he had got Katharine off his hands.

When they entered, Baptista welcomed them to the wedding feast, and there was present also another newly married pair. Lucentio, Bianca's husband, and Hortensio, the other new married man, could not be kept from jesting at Petruchio, and they hint at the shrewish disposition of Petruchio's wife, and these grooms seemed high pleased with the mild tempers of the ladies they had chosen, laughing at Petruchio for his less fortunate choice. Petruchio took little notice of their jokes. And he offered a dispute in order to find out whose wife was more obedient. The other two husbands willingly agreed, for they were quite sure that their gentle wives would prove more obedient than the Katharine. Lucentio was first who sent his servant to Bianca, but the servant returned, and said, that

she refused to come. And then it was Hortensio's turn to send for his wife. But the servant turned without mistress. And at last Petruchio’s turn came; he had sent the servant to his wife Company had practically no time to think she would not obey her husband, when Baptista, and all in amaze saw Katharine entering the room. And to the wonder of all present, the reformed shrewish lady spoke about duty of obedience wife, as she had practiced it implicitly in a ready submission to Petruchio's will. And Katharine became famous in Padua, not as Katharine the Shrew, but as Katharine the most obedient and duteous wife in Padua. My opinion. "The Taming of the Shrew " is one of the earliest comedies of Shakespeare. I like this comedy very much. It is evident, that it was

written by a young, cheerful man. It is the real comedy, which is full of lively situations and funny dialogues. It is very pleasant to recollect my first sensation from the scene 5 (the 4-th act), where Катарина and Petruchio came back to Baptista's home for a wedding feast. It seems to me that I could not stop laughing in a loud voice for a very long time. The action in a comedy develops very dynamically. There are no long and dull dialogues, unnecessary scenes and events. Everything is written so alive, that if there are separate moralizing scenes, they do not irritate. Petruchio is the typical representative of his time - courageous, free from prejudices, full of force and energy. He thirsts for struggle, success, riches, female love - and meets worthy opponent, she

is Katharine. In her image Shakespeare had represented traditional type of the quarrelsome woman from the medieval stories, but nevertheless he relieved her from unpleasant features. She as well as Petruchio, causes the large sympathy. And Katharine, giving way to Petruchio, still remains his worthy opponent. Even it is difficult to understand, who from them will be the leader in their further joint life. One can consider the play as protection of a medieval principle of unconditional submission of the woman to the man, or as a hymn to courageous, beautiful and clever woman. But I think it is more correct to consider it simply as a joke. So this play is fine seen both at theatre, and in cinema. And I think it very pleasant to the directors to put, to the actors to play and to the