Katherina is not Tamed by Petruchio: She Tamed by Herself - Case Study Example

William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, is one of the best comedies knitted along with the Elizabethan requirements of courtship and marriage. A theme s intended for the contemporary audience. The play is concentrated mainly on women characters Katherina, Bianca, widow etc. Among all Katherina’s transformation has been given more attention than the others. All the comic scenes are woven along with the incidents related to taming. Katherina earns the hatred of the men in the play and the audience in the beginning, but as the play goes on it becomes quiet clear that she had been made like this due to the partial affection shown by her father and the men who comment on her as being so rough and crust. However, at the end of the play she proves herself to be an obedient wife and a good natured soft woman. Katherina Continues to remain a sort of second importance to her father and younger sister, however she has a depth in her character which could be understand while the plot procee150573_Taming.docds. Her transformation appears to be more of a situation oriented rather an ultimate conversion in her character make up. The gradual changes that takes place in her stance, though happens because of her husband, the intentional changes in her prove that she could have been a better women too in the beginning if she had not been treated in a partial way by her father and others. Probably it is the way that others look at her enhances her rough kind of behaviour. As the play moves on it appears that she is really a good human being inside. From the beginning of the play, Katherina’s characters is criticised by most of the men. Shakespeare gives a hint at Katherina’s nature in the very first scene of the play, allowing the audience to form a prejudice against her character. Where as Bianca, Katherina’s younger sister earns all the praise and appreciation of all by her beautiful looks and speech, however her approach towards her elder sister is of the same rude nature and this could be understood after her change of attitude after marriage. To the surprise of every one in the play and the audience themselves Bianca erases the expectations of others by her opposing behaviour, by objecting what her husbands says. Katherina on the other hand, becomes a loyal and obedient wife and wins the appreciation of all at the end of the play, leaving the prejudices of others to think as false one. Gremio and Horentio both seemed to be engaged in the pursuit of getting the approval of Bianca to marry either one of them. Meanwhile interrupted by Katherina’s father Baptista, who says that the elder should get married first. Germio appears to be unfair with his judgement on Katherina; however, this might be because she had been in arguing in the same way to him. When Baptists asks him to suit Katherina, he vehemently comments, “She is too rough for me” [Act 1, Scene 1]. Is has to be analysed in terms of how the comments made by men like Gremio towards Katherina makes her to talk in a rough way. She replies to her father in a offensive manner that “To make a stale of me amongst these mates?” [Act 1, Scene 1], gives a sudden focus towards her character as a rough woman. However the fact that both Gremio and Hornito’s target was mainly towards Bianca. If we say the Katherina’s hard nature stands on side of the play, Bianca’s beauty adds further negative attention towards Katherina’ character in terms of the importance people give for outward appearance. Gremio is among the one who has been disturbed both by the beauty of Bianca and the dowry and by the rudeness of Katherina, he seemed to have developed an unshakable prejudices against Katherina, is reflected in every comment of his, for example when he puts forth his individual idea of marrying a woman like Katherina, he says to Horentio that “..though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell” [Act 1, Scene 1]. In this moment, Horentio’s response towards Gremio showers a hope of taming her for the first time in the play. His words “…there is small choice in rotten apples” [Act 1, Scene 1] do carry a sense. Meanwhile wooing Bianca to get her acceptance begins from Gremio, Horentio and continues with Lucentio. However, Lucentio succeeds among others. Katherina gets special attention care and concern only after the arrival of Petruchio, who arrives in Pauda in search of a wife. Horentio’s appears to be very calculative when he thinks of Petruccio getting married to Katherina, because all his plans ahs a central notion, that is if he succeeds in finding a match for Katherina he could marry Bianca and win over the huge amount. He admits that Katherina is a shrew and has to be tamed as well, but Pertuchio appears to be very determined to marry a rich Katherina rather a normal woman, as so he says “ Be she as foul as was Florentius’s love, As old as Sibyl and as curst and shrewd As Socrates’ Xanthippe, or worse, She moves me not, or not removes, at least, Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough… I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;” [Act 1, scene 2]. He is the only character who continues to argue tiredelssly with Katherina, though with an intension to tame her. Shakespeare presents the way he wins over her attention in a fantastic language, in their conversation between them Katharina says “If I be wapish, best beware my sting” [Act 2, Scene 1]. And Petruchio responds “My remedy is then, to pluck it out”[ Act 2, Scene 1]. Even through out the whole conversation Petruchio gives instantaneous responses which sounds the same sort of hardness like that of Katherina’s. It should be understood that the taming begins from here. Petruchio’s main intension remains with money, he is very much determined to marry Katherina in terms of the challenge he takes within himself. As a result in spite of the harsh arguments he fixes the day to get married with Katherina. Their marriage becomes the second hint showing Petruchio’s successful attempt in taming Katherina, but here too it should be admitted that unless Katherina really had a soft corner for Petruchio she would not have accepted to marry him. Her argument on the day of wedding indicates her want of independence to think, to speak and to decide on her marriage this is revealed from her words “I see a woman may be made a fool, iF she had not a spirit to resist” [Act 3 , Scene 2]. Petruchio on the other side claiming to reveal an excelling rough nature against Katherina, that responding in a style contradicting with the views of Katherina, as an impact of that Katherina’s rudeness starts to reduce from its intensity. While others including her sister react in an unjust fashion adding fuel to the fire. From another aspect Katherina who had been so reluctant towards men, agrees to marry Petruchio [ though amidst her steps to defend her independence] shows a sign of being tamed by herself out of the forceful situation and the approach of Petruchio. Taming Katherina has to be analyse both from the effort of Petruchio and from Katherina’s desire to live according to the situations. Petruchio’s taming reaches the peak point after Katherina and Petruchio arrive at the former’s country house. The very first moment Petruchio enters commences with his excelling rude behaviour by commenting severely on the food, and other preparations by the servants and says that he is not contented with what they have done. Petruchio orders them to prepare dinner immediately, however he finds fault with each preparation. He knows very well that Katherina might be very hungry and so if she finds very less chance to eat she might come to a smooth level and obey her husband. Petruchio showers anger on others except his wife, this results in Katherina says “Patience, I pray you; ‘twas a fault unwilling” [Act 4 , Scene 1]. These words of Katherina reflects two things, one would be that she too is a normal woman and do possess all characteristics of a soft natured personality, and second would be that situation has becomes so worst that she becomes a prey for hunger and this makes her to cool down Petruchio to fulfil her initial need. Meanwhile Petruchio claims his intentions to succeed completely in taming her. This could be understood form his words.”….If she chance to nod I’ll rail and brawl , And with the clamour keep her still awake. This is a way to kill a wife with kindness” [Act 4, Scene 1]. If taming of the shrew is considered as a whole some effort of Petruchio then it is his idea of “killing a wife with kindness” which leaded him to triumph. This sort of treatment continues for a some days leaving Katherina without proper food and sleep. Petruchio succeeds in keeping an obstacle in every aspect of individualism reflected in Katherina. He takes the full control and authority to decide on what she should eat and what she should wear, of course in a different way by trying to express his decision with an affection-oriented intension. However, Katherina also seems to understand his intension, when she says to Grumio about Petruchio that “He does it under the name of perfect love; As who should say, if I should sleep or eat, ‘Twere deadly sickness or else present death” [Act 4, Scene 3]. Further Katherina undergoes taming without her willingness for some time. This continues when they start to Baptista’s house. On the way Petruchio points out the sun as moon which Katherina disagrees and the argument continues till Horentio intervenes Katherina to follow Petruchio in his thoughts till they reach Baptista’s house. Katherina with a mixed sense of anger and reluctance pursues Petruchio’s by saying that “Then , God be bless’d , it is the blessed sun; But sun it is not, when you say it is not; And the moon changes even as your mind. What you will have it named, even that it is ; And so it shall be so for Katherina.” [Act 4, Scene 5] these statements are said by her as she develops a fear that their trip to their father’s house might get cancelled. At Baptista’s house Lucentio, Tranio and others express their grief towards Petruchio for having married a shrew, but Petruchio proves that Katherina is no more a shrew, but an obedient wife more obedient than the other women there are. So each of the men there send their servants to call their wives but no one returns except Katherina, who comes in a fraction of second surprising the expectations of others. On the other hand, she reprimands the other women on how a wife should behave with her husband. The final portion of the play reveals the total change in Katherina, as an obedient and caring wife, who has totally deviated from her previous characteristic features. Her speech at the end of the play is so sensible that it becomes a strong proof to show Katherina has been tamed. Each inch of change, she has developed within her and out look becomes relevant from her speech which she gives at the end of the play. Her deep sense of kindness towards men, particularly her husband, and her profound understanding of hardships which men undergo leaving safe family oriented life to women are all clearly publicized, she says.. ”love, fair looks and true obedience; too little payment for so great a debt… even such a woman oweth to her husband; And she if forward, 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?”[ Act 5 ., Scene 2].These words of Katherina proves that she had undergone a great change. But that change came through three reasons, first would be she had to live along a situation which has no better choice to disclose her independence, secondly she might not be person who is rough in nature right from the time of birth, thirdly she develops a real love for her husband, since he was the one man who chooses her from the first sight. TO the surprise of Grumio, Traino, Lucentio and others who described Katherina as “fiend of hell”[ Act 1, scene 1] and Crust and shrewd” [Act 1, scene 1] respectively and so on Katherina gets the applause of all including the audience as an obedient wife, a compulsory requirement of the Elizabethan England. Petruchio’s words said towards Horentio that “Marry, peace it bodes, and love, and quiet life; An aweful rule and right supremacy, And, to be short, what not that’s sweet and happy” [Act 5, Scene 2] is yet another indication of the Elizabethan social life and the importance given to male dominance. Taming of Katherina could not be said as done by Katherina herself but Petruchio’s concept of killing the wife with kindness should also be added as an effective instrument in taming. References: Shakespeare, William. “The Taming of the Shrew”. Online available from http://www.online-literature.com Read More