TheTamingofAShrewchangesthewaythatweviewShakespeare`scomplexanalysisof

performanceasbeingingrainedinbothclassandgender.Ithasamoreempoweredviewof

womenthanTheShrewandsuggeststhatwomencansubverttheoppressiontheyface

throughtheirintelligence.ItimpliesthatKate`sspeechattheendoftheplayissarcastic,and

thatanyonewhobelievestheycantamewomenorservantsareasfoolishandasridiculous

asdrunkenSly.ThisisamuchmoreprogressiveendingthanthatofTheShrew,which

suggeststotheaudiencethatamancancrushawomansspiritanddominatehercompletely

solongashelietoheranddepriveheroffoodandwater.

RatherthandepictingPetruchioasadominantandpowerfulmalefigurewhomanagesto

breakKatesspirit,heispresentedinAShrewasbothabusiveandludicrous.Hismethods

forsubduingKateandturningherintotheperfectwifearepatentlyridiculous.Hevowsthathe

will(...)killawifewithkindnessAndthusI'llcurbhermadandheadstronghumour.andit

seemsthathebelievesthesewordstobetrue.ForPetruchio,totamehiswifeasafalconis

tamed,throughabuseandstarvation(2.1,lastlinesbefore2.2)istodoherafavour.InA

Shrew,Petruchioisalsoeasilyduped.WhenKatemakesherfinalspeechinAct5itis

impliedinAShrewthatitissarcastic.ThespeechisdevoidofKatesusualclevernessand

wit.Itisrepetitive,longwindedandboring,containingonlyideasthatPetruchiowantstohear.

KatedeclaresthatThyhusbandisthylord,thylife,thykeeper,thatawomans(...)strength

asweak,[woman's]weaknesspastcompareandthatAwomanmovedislikeafountain

troubled,

Muddy,illseeming,thick,bereftofbeauty,allideaswhichcorrespondexactlytowhat

Petruchiobelievestobetrueaboutwomen.Petruchioisthrilledbyit,exclaimingWhy,there's

awench!Comeon,andkissme,Kate.(5.2.rightattheend)andtriumphantlytelling

LucentioTwasIwonthewager,thoughyouhitthewhite.ByjuxtaposingKatesendspeech

withSlysdeclarationthathe,too,cantameashrew,Shakespeareisdemonstratinghowmen

areeasytofool.

WhenSlydrunkenlyproclaimsthat[he`ll]to[his]wifewifepresentlyandtamehertooifshe

anger[him]inAShrew,heseemsfoolishratherthanadominantpatriarch.Itiscleartothe

readerthathisideasareridiculous,sinceSlycannotspeakwithoutslurringhiswordsatthat

point,letalonetameanangrywoman.Theideaoftamingastrongandindependentwoman

isthusshowntobeafantasyofaweakanddespicablebreedofmanratherthananidealto

aspireto.PetruchioisrevealedtobenothingmorethanSly,dressedupinfancyclothesand

speakingmorecoherentlyhe,too,believesthathecantameashrew,andanyevidencethat

heisunabletoissimplyignored.

IfthefinalsceneAShrewisremoved,theplaylosesitscentralmessage.Ratherthanbeing

ahumorousplayabouthownoblesaresonarcissisticthattheyfailtoseethatthewomenand

servantshavetheupperhand,itbecomesaplayaboutthetotaldominanceofmen.Petruchio

isanabusivehusbandwhosucceedsinbreakingthespiritofhislovelyandonceopinionated

wife.Hestarvesher,liestoherandiscrueltoheruntilshesubmitstohimnotonly

emotionallythroughherspeechbutalsophysically.Shevails[her]stomachs,foritisnoboot,

Andplaces[her]handsbelow[her]husband'sfoot:Intokenofwhichduty(...),inviting

Petruchiotofinishcrushingherspiritbyliterallycrushingherhandwithhisboot.

topicsentences:

Thescenein``TheTamingOfAShrew``attheendoftheplay,inwhichSlydrunkenly

proclaimsthatheknowshowtotameashrew,softensthehorrorofhearingKatherine

utterherfinalspeech.

KatherinestamingisjustasfalseasSlystransformationfromdrunkardtoLord.

quotes:

themiracleofKate'staming,eventhough,atleastasweliketoreadandteachthe

playnowadays,itisbynomeansclearthatKateisthoroughlyconvertedtothe

systemofpatriarchalhegemonysheadvocates.Whethersheisornot,thereisa

strongillusionofrealitysurroundingherspeechattheendoftheplay:weareinvited

toforgetthatthetamingofKatebyPetruchiostartedoutasamereplaywithinaplay

performedforthedelectationofoneChristopherSly,drunkentinkerturnedtemporary

aristocrat.

Helurchesoff,vowingtotamehisowntermagantwifeathomenowthathisdream

hastaughthimhowtodoit.Heisunlikelytosucceed,wecanconfidentlypredict,

givenhisstaggeringconditionandhisobviouscharacterologicaldistancefromthe

charismaticstagefigurePetruchio.Insteadofconvincingusthattheinnerplay's

wifetamingscenarioisapossibleoneinreality,Sly'svowturnsitintothe

wishfulfillmentfantasyofahabitualdrunkardwhoisaslikelytobepunishedbyhis

wifeforthisnightoutashehasbeenforpasttransgressions.

``Ourstrengthasweak,ourweaknesspastcompare,

Thatseemingtobemostwhichweindeedleastare.``

Forward, I pray, since we have come so far, And be it moon, or sun, or what you please; And if you please to call it a rush-candle, 2280

Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.

thesunwasthemoon.

Andthemoonchangesevenasyourmind.

Whatyouwillhaveitnamed,eventhatitis,

AndsoitshallbesoforKatherine.