Taming of the Shrew

Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew.

Why Taming? Why now? I realized this weekend that I had one more Shakespeare play due before the Shakespearean Summer challenge closes tomorrow. Knowing that I'd never be able to handle a new-to-me play, I decided to go with one I'd not blogged about before. Plus, I've had this desire to watch Ten Things I Hate About You for a week or so. And this is the perfect excuse for why it needs to happen now.

Chances are you're aware that this Shakespeare play is a bit controversial with modern readers. What is Shakespeare saying about women? And what's up with this "cruel to be kind" notion of wooing?

The story, quite simply, concerns two sisters. The oldest, Katharina (aka Kate), is known for her sharp tongue, her wit, her sassy and all-too-disagreeable ways. She has a mind of her own, and she's not afraid to tell you where to go. The youngest, Bianca, is the favorite. She supposedly is beautiful and perfect and just so darn likable that she's got a long list of would-be-suitors. The father won't allow Bianca to marry until Katharina does.

Enter Petruchio. A man who has "come to wive it weathily" in Padua. He's determined to marry Kate--he insists on calling her Kate--and "tame" her. To turn her into a good little wife, one who will do his bidding.

Of course there are other characters--some more comical than others--but I've always focused on Kate and Petruchio. Bianca and her suitors? Well, to be honest, they bore me. So she's beautiful? Big deal. So a dozen guys want her? So what?! Can she hold her own in conversation? Kate, on the other hand, has always been an interesting character to me.

There are all sorts of things I could try to say about this one. It's a comedy. You can tell these lines are supposed to come across as funny. (You can almost always tell where Shakespeare wanted a laugh track inserted.) Should the relationships be taken seriously? Is this a true romance? Is there anything in the play itself that shows that Kate really and truly loves Petruchio? Or that he loves her? Most of his 'wooing words' came before the ceremony, and most were spoken in jest. Or at least Kate took them that way. (Should readers???) Didn't he just say he came to wive it wealthily? Didn't he agree to marry her before he even met her once the dowry had been agreed upon? Isn't this more about pride than love? What about respect? We get the idea that Kate is at the very least showing respect to him outwardly. But is there any indication that he respects her?

I remember I had a point I wanted to get across when I began...

What struck me this second (or is it third?) time through is that neither Bianca nor Kate are exactly as they appear. Kate isn't really a shrew. And Bianca isn't little miss perfect. The father doesn't really get his daughters. It makes me think that maybe there was labeling going on. If this "shrewishness" wasn't brought about in a big case of sibling rivalry where the dad was fanning the flames. No one likes to be labeled 'the shrew.' No one likes to be treated so condescendingly. The way this dear-old-dad spoke about his daughter was embarrassing and shameful. If this is what he tells strangers, I can only imagine the kind of stuff he says in private.

But does her marriage put her in a better place? I just don't know. I think, in a way, they're equally matched. But will they have their happily ever after? Will he treat her with kindness and respect now that he's "tamed" her? Now that he's proven his case, will he stop testing her, pushing the boundaries to see just how far she'll submit?

And what about Bianca? What is she really like? Is she selfish and stupid and shallow? What kind of wife will she make? If all her worth is tied up into her beauty, what will happen when her looks start to fade? Doesn't a wife need to be more than a pretty face?

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Antony and Cleopatra

Shakespeare. William. 1608?. Antony and Cleopatra.

Nay, but this dotage of our general's
O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and musters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,
The office and devotion of their view
Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper,
And is become the bellows and the fan
To cool a gipsy's lust.

Antony and Cleopatra is a tragedy. One of those Shakespeare plays that end with a massive heap of bodies. Personally--each to their own and all--I'm not all that into Shakespeare's tragedies. Even those tragedies that are reportedly tragic love stories. I suppose they're human enough stories--tales of men and women with natural flaws and the unfortunate circumstances that ultimately lead to hopelessness, despair, and death for those involved.

Cleopatra and Antony are lovers doomed for a tragic end. And they are to blame in part--as most 'tragic lovers' are, I suppose. Antony loves Cleopatra well enough in his own way. But he also loves himself, his sense of duty to his country, his glorious political and military career. He likes to be thought well of. He likes being a Roman hero, a political somebody. Cleopatra, likewise, is a political somebody. She understands--in a way--because she definitely has her own sense of love and duty for her country, for Egypt. Both lovers have big egos and the personalities and temperaments that go along with them. I would classify both as high-maintenance; neither would be easy to live with. (Personally, even without outside influences l think these two could not have had their happily ever after.) The problem with these two is a sense of imbalance. Each have two selves: the public persona and the private individual. So their love affair bleeds through into both. Their relationship has just as much to do with politics and power and authority and military majesty as it does the bedroom.

So who is Cleopatra? Is she "cunning past man's thought" or "a wonderful piece of work"? Who is Mark Antony? Is he "a man who is the abstract of all faults"? Does she bring out the best or the worst in Mark Antony? For that matter, does he bring out the best or worst in her? Is their affair one based on love or lust. Oh, I'm not denying that there is plenty of lust to go around. Their relationship is a passionate one. But does it go beyond that? How true is their love? How solid is it? Does their 'love' for one another make them weak or strong? Is Cleopatra right to mistrust Antony? Is she right to believe the old saying, once a cheater always a cheater. If he really, truly loves Cleopatra why is it so easy for him to agree to marry someone else?

What did I think of this one? Well, I liked parts of it. There were some lines that were just beautiful. Lines like, "the bright day is done, and we are for the dark" and "eternity was in our lips and eyes." But did I like the characters? Not really. Cleopatra was manipulative--that is when she wasn't being a nag. Did she have every reason in the world to be jealous and suspicious? Sure. I think she had more than a little reason. What with him having been married when their relationship began. And then after his first wife died, having him choose to marry another woman instead of her. Anytime he is away from her, she's suspicious. She always thinks the worst. If it weren't so tragic, it would be funny. The way she carries on. Antony was just stupid. I'm sorry, that's the way I see it. He chose not to think with his brains. And that's all I have to say about that. If I had to pick a favorite character it would be Enobarbus.

Have you read this one? Did you think it was romantic? Did you like Antony and Cleopatra as a couple?

This is one I read for Liv's Shakespearean Summer challenge.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

A Shakesepearan Summer

Liv is hosting "A Shakespearean Summer" reading challenge. Here are her rules for the challenge:

So onto the rules. 1. You must read three plays by Shakespeare between June 1st and August 31st. There's a list of all of his stuff toward the bottom of this page. 2. After you've finished reading one, do a post about it on your blog. Link back to this original post in your own post so people can see what it's all a part of. 3. If you don't have a blog, leave your thoughts in the comments of this post so there's some sort of documentation. 4. The Sparknote versions of the plays can count. Because yes, Shakespeare is hard to understand and sometimes we might need a little help along the way. I know that I'll be reading some Sparknotes. 5. Have fun.

Lisa Mantchev--one of my favorite, favorite, favorite people. (And no, she didn't give me a cupcake to say that!) is the sponsor for the challenge. And successful participants who complete the challenge are entered to win some prizes. And since one of those prizes is an autographed hardback copy of Eyes Like Stars, I am so there!

My three plays:

1. All's Well That Ends Well
2. Antony and Cleopatra
3. The Taming of the Shrew



© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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