Monday, January 28, 2013

The Shrew is Tamed by the Goodness and Heart She Posesses Within

In "The Taming of the Shrew" by Shakespeare, Katherine Minola is portrayed as a very mean, vicious, impulsive, and stubborn woman: a shrew, at the beginning of the play.  

"...she is an intolerable curst 
And shrewd and froward, so beyond all measure
That were my state far worser than it is
I would not wed her for a mine of gold." (28)

Hortensio delineates the fact that Katherine is not easy to love. Therefore, there is no suitor who is interested in seeking her hand in marriage. However, most people see her beauty from the outside, but when met it is obvious that Katherine is not as beautiful within as she appears. When a suitor named Petruchio comes along, he instantly falls in love with Katherine. Without regard for what others are saying about this shrew, Petruchio is willing to risk everything to tame her and wed her despite the opinions of other suitors. This feeling of affection Petruchio has revealed to Katherine is what ignites a change of character in her. The shrew is tamed by the goodness and heart she posesses within, which Petruchio has drawn forth from Katherine.

"Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,
And place your hands below your husband's foot,
In token of which duty, if he please,
My hand is ready, may it do him ease." (109)

"The Taming of the Shrew" relates to "Antigone" by the fact that her sister, Ismene, realizes that she was too scared to do what was right even though that, by the face of society, it would be wrong. She was not willing to risk burying her brother, who had been forbidden from the kingdom for betraying his people and left vulnerable (as he is dead) in an open field for birds to pick at him. Ismene was tamed by Antigone in realizing that now Antigone must face a tragic death that she was not willing to accept as well. Ismene regrets not taking part in the proper burial of her brother, and she realizes that she could have been there for her family and face the consequences of society as it is.





2 comments:

  1. That theme is a very different approach then what most people had. It makes a lot of sense and I can tell you where thinking out of the box. Great Job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really like how you wrote about something different from most other posts. Good job!

    ReplyDelete

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