Is The End Of The Taming Of The Shrew A Happy Ending For Kate?
Throughout the play Kate has been known as a ‘shrew’, and ‘curst’ but although she puts on strong front she wishes inside that things were different. In Act 2 Scene 1 she has Bianca tied up because she is receiving all the attention from the suitors,
‘Of all thy suitors here I charge thee tell
Whom thou lov’st best. See thou dissemble not.’
From this we know that she wants to be noticed and not put aside and that she does want a husband for herself. So far all of her suitors have been weaker men who were fearful of her but what she really wants is a strong man who stands up to her and is not afraid to speak his mind. In steps Petruchio to fill the gap.
When Kate first meets Petruchio she expects him to be the same as all the others so once again she puts up her harsh front to put him off but as we see it doesn’t work. Petruchio begins to compliment Kate no matter how negative Kate is,
‘But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom,
Kate of Kate-Hall, my super-dainty Kate-‘
This does not impress Kate, but his strong nature does. Petruchio seems to have an answer to every insult Kate gives him. He is not bothered by how bitter she is because he can also ways come back with a clever retaliation which draws Kate further towards him,
The Essay on Kate Chopin 4
Who comes to mind when the term “American author” is mentioned? A lot of female authors of today would say Kate Chopin, one of the most independent writers of the nineteenth century. Although Kate Chopin didn’t live to see her work re-published, she is an important author to study because her stories are influential, her ambition arouses her readers, and her point of view supports independent ...
Petruchio:’ Thou has hit it. Come sit on me.
Kate: Asses are made to bear, and so are you.
Petruchio: Women are made to bear, and so are you.’
Their first conversation intrigues Kate and makes her think that maybe Petruchio is different from all of the other suitors. He does not get angry or upset at the way she treats him but instead just takes it on the chin. After their fight, Petruchio is content with Kate and so discusses marriage with Baptista who is delighted to have finally found a husband for her troublesome daughter. Kate is most displeased at this point and shows it by arguing with her father,
‘Call you me ‘daughter’?
Kate even makes a death threat to her father and Petruchio,
‘I’ll see thee hanged on Sunday first!’
This is full of anger and shows how much she does not want to get married or is it that she does not want to be forced to marry but to choose a husband for herself.
Baptista finally gives his blessing to them both and has nothing more to say about the matter,
‘I know what to say, but give me your hands.
God send you joy, Petruchio! ‘Tis a match.’
Kate must be filled with frustration, as she cannot do anything to stop the wedding. It’s also possible that she could have feelings towards Petruchio and by not making a fuss people could start think she was going soft. In this scene she is confused, frustrated, and angry.
Once the marriage has been arranged Kate is angry but she appears worried when he does not turn up on the day.
When Petruchio does not turn up to the wedding on time Kate is worried and anxious. If she did not want to marry Petruchio then why is she so worried? Shouldn’t she be happy he didn’t turn up? Kate is standing outside her father’s house with tears in her eyes, she turns to him for an explanation and finally says, ‘If it would please him come and marry her!’ Kate is obviously upset by Petruchio but she tries not to make it appear as if she is soft and so says this angered quote. Kate leaves weeping showing that she does care for Petruchio and she did want to marry Petruchio.
This hint of concern shows a more tender side of Kate and that she does have feelings for Petruchio but it could also mean that Kate does not want to look like a fool by being stood up at the altar. All this could be part of Petruchio’s plan to tame Kate and to test her loyalty by seeing how long she waits for him.
The Essay on Teenagers Look Unruly Which In Turn Makes People Napster Teenager
Napster and the Stereo type The construction of Napster, and its incredible popularity have changed the way many people around the world both obtain and listen to music. The Napster technology is defined as a person-to-person file sharing community. In other words, it is a forum where any number of people can go and exchange media. This technology has proved so effective with the transfer of music ...
After the wedding is over Petruchio prepares to take Kate back to his house, Kate does not want this to happen so she reveals a more gentle side,
‘Now, if you love me, stay.’
Kate shows that she can be caring but it is only a small comment but still it tells us that she is not just a ‘shrew’ and that she does care for Petruchio as she opens up for him and him only.
Petruchio takes Kate back to his house were he starves her and treats her poorly. He claims it is to tame her as if she were a hawk,
‘Another way I have to man my haggard,
To make her come and to know her keeper’s call,’
Kate is played with and made fun of, this torments her and frustrates until occasionally she can take no more and bursts with rage,
Grumio:Nay then, I will not. You shall have the mustard,
Or else you get no beef of Grumio.
Katherina: Then both, or one, or anything thou wilt.
Grumio:Why then, the mustard, without the beef.
Katherina:Go, get thee gone, thou false deluding slave
Beats him.
That feed’st me with the very name of meat.’
Kate is distraught by the way she is being treated but does not shout as she normally does; perhaps she does have feelings for him? She has learnt to control her temper and instead of arguing with Petruchio she should be calm and pleasant and so when the food is about to be taken from her she turns to her husband and says, ‘I pray you, let it stand.’ Kate is no longer the feared but the fearful.
In Act 4 Scene 5 Kate and Petruchio are on their way to Padua and Kate is showing signs of defeat. It is mainly due to her previous experience and that she has had enough and cannot be bothered argue any more, and also she cares for him and so she wants to please him and that this is the only way to do it.
Katherina:’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,
Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
The Essay on Loved Her Husband Love Elizabeth Poem
compare and contrast crucible and to my dear and loving husband. In our society many women tend to have different views and feelings upon their husbands. In the play "The Crucible", Elizabeth Proctor showed her care and love for her husband although she carried suspicion at the beginning. In the poem, "To My Dear and Loving Husband" by Anne Bradstreet, she uses different kinds of words to express ...
Petruchio:I say it is the moon.
Katherina:I know it is the moon.
Petruchio:Nay then you lie, it is the blessed sun.
Katherina:Then God be blessed, it is the sun.’
Petruchio has almost tamed Kate. All of the harsh treatment she received has done her good and made her pleasant and calm, Kate no longer lashes out towards people and so Petruchio has been a great help to both Kate and society. To some people the way Kate is treated is unjust and terrible, some question whether it is ‘taming’. For Kate it is almost like a defeat, she has always been the strongest but knows she has met her matched and must bow down to him.
After Petruchio feels he has ‘tamed’ Kate enough he wants to prove it to himself and Kate. In Act 5 Scene 1 he tests Kate,
Petruchio:’First kiss me, Kate, and we will.
Katherina: What in the midst of the street?
Petruchio:What, art thou ashamed of me?
Katherina:No sir, God forbid – but ashamed to kiss.
Petruchio:Why then, lets home again.
Katherina:Nay, I will give thee a kiss.
Kate passes the test but most of all she shows that she respects Petruchio and she is loyal to him. In the quotation she calls Petruchio ‘sir’ which she would have never done before.
Act 5 Scene 2 it is Kate’s final speech. Lucentio has married Bianca, Hortensio and a rich widow have also married and both these couples and Kate and Petruchio are having dinner. The men are at the table and the women are elsewhere. A bet is placed on who is the most obedient wife. All three wives are sent for and surprisingly Kate is the only one who comes. Petruchio orders Kate about and she faithfully does as she’s told. Petruchio says to her,
‘Katherine, I charge thee, tell these headstrong women
What duty they do owe their lords and husbands.’
Kate proceeds to tell the women that the husband should be treated as a King and they should feel lucky to have them. Kate continues to tell them that any women who does not obey and follow their husbands then they are ‘foul contending rebels’. Kate’s speech is full of love and respect for Petruchio. Right from the moment she met Petruchio she was intrigued by him, it could even have been love at first sight. They are very similar characters and they express their emotions by arguing and insulting each other but deep down they are in love. There are two explanations for Kate’s final speech. One explanation is that Kate could be filled with so much love and affection for Petruchio that she will withstand his harsh treatments and cruel tests just to be with him. Another explanation is that Kate has admitted defeat by Petruchio and that she respects him and understands that he is now master. Kate always wanted to be married and at last she has, she is no longer the controller but has a strong husband to look after her and keep her in a her place. Finally the shrew has been tamed and at last she is married, and so it is a happy ending for Kate.
The Essay on Arrange Marriages Life Husband Women
Arrange Marriages This article is about a young girl who has been arranged to meet with her potential husband, the girl is from the west and he is from the east they are both from different worlds. Her parents traditions does not meet with her own so she must find away to disarrange the marriage. Arrange marriages do not often work in western counties, is the theme of this article written by ...
