Taming of the Shrew- Modern Audience
Book: The Taming of the Shrew
Topics: Alliteration, Audience, Convention, Setting, Women
Pages: 4 Words: 1591 Views: 1864
'It is impossible for a modern audience to feel comfortable with 'The Taming of the Shrew'. With close reference to Shakespeare's presentation of Katherina comic conventions, and having the above question in mind, write about your response to the ending of the play. It is often thought that 'The Taming of the Shrew' (ToTS) is not suitable for modern audiences and that they would not enjoy it as a viewer. This is an obvious interpretation for a modern audience because of social conventions within modern society today.
A main reason for it not being compatible with the audience is the presentation of females within the play, especially Katherina and the presentation of the marriage between Katherina and Petruchio. However, it could be said that a modern audience can feel comfortable with it because of the historical content and the play's setting within the Shakespearian society which had different conventions to todays. The powerful language used by Katherina at the end at the end of the play to describe men makes me as a viewer feel uncomfortable while watching ToTS. Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign. " The repetition in this line emphasises the conformity that Katherina has succumb to after her marriage to Petruchio. This is amplified by the use of alliteration by the use of the word 'thy' and also the words 'lord' and 'life'. Shakespeare uses these techniques to show how Katherina has been changed by Petruchio and adopted the persona of'Kate', a tamed wife. This 'Kate' is a far cry from the Katherina presented at the beginning of the play.
The Katherina met in Act 2 of the play represents a fearless woman from the era who defies society's conventions, contrasting with the completely changed character at the end of the play. "Asses are made for bearing, and so are you. " This line stresses the transformation Katherina undertakes and juxtaposes her personality at the beginning and her attitude towards Petruchio at the end of the play. The insult that Katherina uses towards Petruchio presents her as a rebellious woman and also has a double meaning which shows her wit and humour towards the beginning of the play.
Again, this is not seen in Katherina's last speech, displaying how she has been morphed by Petruchio and changed into a tamed woman. For a modern audience, this morphing would be rather disturbing because of the conventions of the society they live in. The way Petruchio changes Katherina is often seen as domestic abuse and their relationship is seen as abusive by critics today. As there is more female liberation within society today, a female audience and possibly male audience would be more shocked by the nature of the representation of Katherina and the categorization of the abuse of Katherina can be today classified as 'comedy'.
Her final speech in the play defines the change she has made from her character at the beginning of the play to how she is at the end of the play, presenting the modern audience with a possible view of how a woman of
the Elizabethan period was expected to act once married. During Katherina's final speech, much of the language is extremely negative towards women and suggests that Shakespeare is not actually condoning the behaviour of Katherina after her transformation because her behaviour and change is so extreme. What is she but a foul contending rebel and graceless traitor to her loving lord? I am ashamed that women are so simple to offer war where they should kneel for peace…" This line uses powerful language such as 'foul' and 'graceless' which suggests that this part of the play was designed to make the audience feel uncomfortable. Even in society then, it would have been very odd for a woman to refer to themselves as a 'graceless traitor' which suggests that the language is so extreme that it cannot possibly be what Shakespeare thought of as the correct thing to be said.
A different interpretation of the ToTS is that it was not meant to be enjoyed necessarily but it was written as a warning to its audience. The play is so shocking to its audience that Shakespeare could not possibly be condoning Petruchio's actions. Conall Morrison said in 2008 that 'It (the taming of Katherina) is so self-evidently repellent that I don't believe for a second that Shakespeare is espousing this', suggesting that a widespread view that Shakespeare's aim of the play was not to entertain but to warn the society of the effects of the actions of Petruchio.
If the actions were seen as they are today, the effect on the audience would be very different as to how a lot of modern critics thought the effect would be. It is possible that much of the modern audience find the play so offensive and controversial is that the message that Shakespeare was trying to convey has been lost. The aim of ToTS could have been to try and change the audience's opinions of how women in society should be treated.
It could be said that society in which TTOTS would have been more tolerant to behaviour similar to that in the play and Shakespeare displays an extreme case of such behaviour so to discourage the behaviour and possibly try to change the way society sees women and how they are treated. Katherina's last speech at the end of the play is often seen as the most repulsive part of the play for the modern audience but it needs to be taken into consideration that it may have had the same reaction from the Elizabethan audience as well.
Katherina seems to have her last words, representing her last slither of freedom and resilience to her husband's control over her, saying ' My hand is ready: may it do him ease'. The language used in this line is so emotive that the audience is shown Katherina becoming a woman of the society at the time, shown as a triumph for Petruchio and the play, as the name depicts this final act and the taming of her.
This would be seen as repellent for the modern audience but also the
Shakespearian audience may feel sympathy for Katherina, further discouraging them to act as Petruchio does. Katherina's vocabulary suggests ToTS is an example of a well-run society and it should be followed to create a model society. The idea of a patriarchal society is strong in Katherina's final speech as she refers to all husbands as the wife's 'soverign' and the wife's 'lord'. This shows how men were dominant over their wives and how the marriage acts as a level for the male to become even more powerful.
The idea of a patriarchal society has run as an accepted theme throughout history and is still a main subject in today's society. Many people believe that males are the dominant gender and the society should evolve around them and that they should have control. Some critics have said that the representation of the society in TTOTS is the correct interpretation of a society and it should be kept like this. Johnathan Miller said in 1980 that '(the play shows) how society should be organised in order to restore a fallen world. suggesting that there were different views throughout history and that the original audience may well have been split. The structure of the play also depicts the changing of Katherina and how the play is classified as a comedy because of the marriage at the end. To classify the play as comedic makes me as the viewer feel uncomfortable as it makes a mockery of the obvious abuse towards the end of the play and the marriage is the only thing that makes it fit for categorization as a comedy. Katharina, I charge thee, tell these headstrong women what duty they do owe their lords and husbands. " This line expresses the control Petruchio has over Katherina now they are married and how the marriage enables him to have dominance over her. The fact that this makes the play a comedy would naturally make the modern viewer uncomfortable, however, the marriage at the end of the play is a comic convention of the time it was written so would be natural for the audience at the time.
The overall opinion is that the modern audience would not be comfortable watching The Taming of the Shrew and may find it very difficult to understand a possible message that Shakespeare was trying to present throughout the play, especially in Katherina's final speech as it could be interpreted as the final words from her and she is never to be heard from again, showing the negative effects of Petruchio's actions.
It is easy to see how the modern audience, feminists especially, would find the play repulsive because of it's abusive themes concerning marriage and the treatment of females. If the modern audience were able to look past the obvious violent and abusive themes which do not allow them to be comfortable with The Taming of The Shrew, they may be able to gain a different interpretation suggesting that Shakespeare is not condoning the behaviour and they may become more comfortable with Shakespeare's play. Alice Fletcher 12RH Word Count- 1,498
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