And in this corner...

Something that really struck me during this read was the first exchange between Petruccio and Katherine in Act II Scene 1.  The conversation reminded me of an intense verbal boxing match; when one opponent swung, the other fired back swiftly and fiercely.   Both characters were hit ‘below the belt,’ yet didn’t let the blow shake them.  This resilience requires a tough exterior and a very strong will that both Katherine and Petruccio maintain throughout.  Upon entering this “match,” Petruccio knew exactly what he wanted and he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of his quest for victory.

Throughout Act II, the readers become very acquainted with the fiery nature of Katherine.  We see her beat her helpless and bound sister, swear revenge on her father, and smash a lute over the head of Hortensio.  She has certainly proven herself to be the top contender.  When Petruccio comes into the picture, I definitely questioned his ability to hold his ground with Katherine.  After the first few lines of the conversation my doubts are completely squashed.  Petruccio absolutely proves himself a worthy opponent for the “shrew.”  After each of Katherine’s quick and witty jabs, Petruccio knows exactly what to say to keep him self in the running.  I can vividly imagine the confident smirk on his face while Katherine grows red with fury.  When it comes to witty comebacks, it seems Katherine has met her match.  One of my favorite exchanges between the quick-witted duo is lines 218-220, where Kate first exclaims, “What is your crest? A coxcomb?”  and Petruccio insinuatingly replies, “A combless cock, so Kate will be my hen.” And Kate fires back with “No cock of mine.  You crow too like a craven.”  Needless to say, I was very entertained during Petruccio’s “chase.” 

In today’s world, I think we can see a conversation much like Petruccio and Katherine’s in our local P&G’s on any given Friday night.  There are plenty of persistent, smoothing-talking guys today that love a challenging hook up.  If a girl doesn’t give seem to be interested, these guys, like Petruccio, do not back down just yet.   Sometimes, a girl may be impressed with this persistence and confidence.  Other times, however, a girl may react in the same way Katherine does—with swift slap in the face.  Fortunately for women today, we are not forced into a marriage with these guys that wont take no for an answer.  Katherine, however, was not so lucky.  Even though she had to give in and marry Petruccio, she certainly put up a solid fight and showed her future husband just whom he was dealing with.    

A Maiden Mislabeled

A Maiden Mislabeled

                Katherine Minola is a sad, desperate maiden who has become mislabeled by Baptista and other characters in Taming.  Her reputation as being “shrewish” or unmanageable, and brash becomes strongly attached to her.  I think it becomes easy for the audience (as the play moves on) to spot moments of Katherine crying out, literally and metaphorically, for some respite from her socially assigned role.  In Act 1, scene 2 Petruccio, although he has not met Katherine yet, essentially compares her to the likes of an angry sea, roaring lion, firing cannon, piercing trumpets, and artillery fire.  These unfair references should be checked with Kate’s actions in Act 2 and 3.  After Baptista, Katherine, and others are waiting for Petruccio to show up on the wedding day, a different type of emotion is exposed by Kate.  “Would Katherine had never seen him, though” is the line uttered by this distraught woman who exits the scene weeping (3.2.26).  It appears that no character gives much consideration to this “shrew” acting so vulnerably.  Baptista only states a backhanded comment of “Go, girl.  I cannot blame thee now to weep./ For such an injury would vex a very saint,/Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour”(3.2.27-29).  Her father does not understand her strong opposition to this union.  It is not that she is acting in her typical brazen way.  Katherine shows real fear of what Pertuccio’s motives are in his wooing her.  She even states early in Act 3, scene 2 “I must forsooth be forced/ To give my hand opposed against my heart…”(lines 8-9).  Thus the lines clearly emphasize how something within her heart does not feel right with the marriage.

                Earlier in Act 2, more cheerless emotions of “the shrew” are spotted in the play.  After Katherine binds Bianca, she questions her about whom she loves.  It appears Katherine is taking her frustration out on the sister that all men care for and admire.  Bianca bravely replies, when her Kate prods if she loves Hortensio, “If you affect him, sister, here I swear/I’ll plead for you myself but you shall have him” (2.1.14-15).  Bianca talks kindly, but her speech is not well received by Katherine who believes her sister  has all the power, let alone the affection from men.  Another occurrence of weeping appears when Baptista enters the scene with his two daughters.  Katherine lets her guard down with a couple of important lines.  “She is your treasure, she must have a husband./ I must dance barefoot on her wedding day…./Talk not to me, I will go sit and weep/ Till I can find occasion of revenge” (2.1.32-33, 35,36).  These lines divulge an immense amount about Katherine’s feelings over the whole marriage circumstance.  She may act willfully, but she allows the readers to see her desire for a loving marriage and approval within these lines.  “I will go sit and weep” is yet another sign of Kate’s utter sadness and unashamed inclination to weep.  Katherine does not wish to “dance barefoot on [Bianca’s] wedding day” or as the footnote 2 explains, what is “expected of older unmarried sisters.”  Her fearfulness and disappointment in her situation come bubbling over and the audience cannot help but feel pity for our mislabeled maiden.  One could argue that Baptista’s unfair love of Bianca has driven Katherine to her current troubles and attitude on life.  The Minola’s would surely be labeled a ‘dysfunctional family’ if their situation was looked at today by therapists.  Perhaps I am taking a far too sentimental look at poor Katherine, but I still consider her to be misunderstood and an emotive woman that should not be ignored by anyone, including the audience, Baptista, or potential suitors.

Characterization in Taming of the Shrew

I found the characterization of those in The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare to be extremely fascinating. Katherine, the shrew who must be tamed, is described with extremely negative characteristics. Katherine is seen as an insulting, abrasive, and miserable woman. Her overall unpleasant attitude is also matched with a great amount of wit, one that is only challenged by Petruccio. It is particularly interesting to compare the sisters, Bianca and Katherine. It is obvious that Bianca serves as a foil to Katherine. Where Katherine is seen as aggressive and almost vicious individual, Bianca is seen as the exact opposite. She is characterized as a peaceful, kind, and even-tempered woman. Shakespeare’s technique as portraying the sisters as foil characters to one another only strengthens their very different personalities. 

One of the most interesting pairings, in my opinion, seen in Shakespeare’s texts is the relationship between Katherine and Petruccio. It seems that among all of the men in Padua, Petruccio is the only person who is able to conquer the challenge of wooing Baptista’s eldest daughter, Katherine. Other men who were forced to interact with Katherine, were very much intimated by her aggressive attitude. This can be seen particularly when Katherine strikes Hortensio when he is attempting to teach her to play the lute. Despite her reputation, Petruccio takes it upon himself to convince Katherine to marry him. Petruccio and Katherine’s fascinating interaction can be first seen in scene 2.1 of the play. Where other men have been emasculated when conversing with Katherine, Petruccio does not suffer the same fate. Immediately, Petruccio takes Katherine completely off guard when calling her “Kate”. Although Katherine responds to Petruccio by informing him that this is not her name, he continues to call her a number of names involving “Kate”. This passage can be seen when Petruccio says: “You lie, in faith, for you are called plain Kate, and bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst, but Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom, Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate- fofr dainties are all cates...” (2.1 184-87). This passage immediately starts of the witty banter that Petruccio and Katherine converse in. It seems that nearly every statement that is uttered by Katherine, is completely contradicted by Petruccio. The interaction seen in this scene between Petruccio and Katherine was very humorous. It is very clear that none of the other men in The Taming of the Shrew would have been brave enough to dare to converse with Katherine in such a way. However, possibly this is what Katherine needed. Perhaps, the reason for Katherine acting the way she does could be a result of feelings of jealousy of her sister, Bianca. It is clear from the amount of suitors that Bianca had, contrasted with the one suitor that Katherine had. Therefore, it is a reasonable conclusion to believe that Katherine’s negative attitude could be a result of sibling rivalry and animosity!