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Representation of women in Shakespeare's plays
Shakespeare's portrayal of women
Representation of women in Shakespeare's plays
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The Character of Katharina in The Taming of the Shrew
Michael W. Shurgot has written that The Taming of the Shrew "may never be as intellectually stimulating as reading, say, The Merchant of Venice or Hamlet or The Winter's Tale" and that the characters that seem one-dimensional on the page can only become interesting on the stage (328). Shurgot would seem to imply that Shakespeare did not fully develop his characters, and that the play is only entertaining after a director has taken creative license with the stage directions. A close reading of the play itself will show it to be interesting enough indeed, for it reveals clues to the motivation of both Katharina's shrewishness and later submissiveness, and the manner in which her character is to be portrayed and viewed.
Agnes Mure Mackenzie would have audiences believe that "Katharina's revolt is temperamental apparently: at least we are given no reason for it in its beginnings," (24). Baptista says that his daughters will have "a good bringing up," (1.1.99), implying that he has always tried to raise the girls right. Katharina, he would have us believe, has turned out shrewish despite his best intentions. He also says that he intends to school his daughters. This does not necessarily mean that Katharina is intelligent, but she has probably been encouraged to think. Like it or not, Baptista has reared an independently thinking female.
An audience might assume that Katharina has always been shrewish; her reputation seems to have already been established, as is evidenced by Hortensio and Gremio's heckling in the first scene (1.1.55-61). This does not mean she is a shrew by nature, only that she had been exhibiting this behavior f...
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...hout his even knowing it.
So we see that Katharina is indeed a very complex and interesting character. Generations of readers and performers have misunderstood her character, and probably misrepresented her. Tucking Katharina into the "crazy shrew" package may be very convenient for the director looking for an easy production, but it is probably incorrect. In fact, no production that produces the play as a straightforward farce does the character of Katharina any justice.
Works Cited
MacKenzie, Agnes Mure. The Women in Shakespeare's Plays. London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1924.
Ring. "Was shrewish Shakespeare a feminist bard?" from http://web.uvic.ca/ucom/Ring/99feb19/bard.htm
Shurgot, Michael W. "From Fiction to Reality: Character and Stagecraft in The taming of the shrew." Theatre Journal, October 1981, 327-340.
In the beginning of “The Taming of the Shrew”, some say Shakespeare portrays Katherina as a very shrewish figure. Others may argue that she is not shrewish but just a very strong willed person. At the end of the play some people say she is transformed into a very kind and gentle person, while again others will argue that she is not “tamed” but just putting on an act to “show up” her younger sister Bianca, whom has always been more beautiful and charming. Kate is “like a wasp, like a foal, like foal that kicks from his halter; pert, quick and determined, but full of good heart.” 1. This statement made by one author, shows clearly that he does not see her as shrew-like, even at the beginning of the play. The same author states that at the end of the play she has not really transformed, rather she has just fallen in love with Petruchio, in essence she is free from torment because she is no longer seen as the shrew.
Taming of the Shrew, had a great story line, which can be related to several movies that exist today i.e. Othello, 10 Things I Hate about You, and The Lion King. In William Shakespeare's play, The Taming of the Shrew, the shrew played by Katherine, had a terrible perspective on life and just about everything else. Her negativity was caused by her younger, more pulchritudinous sister Bianca. Bianca wanted to get espoused. She had all of the men's hearts, Katherine retained none. If Katherine got espoused then Bianca could get espoused. She authentically was a shrew who needed to be tamed.
Shakespeare, William. _The Taming of the Shrew_. The Riverside Shakespeare. 2nd ed. Ed. Dean Johnson. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. 142-171.
In addition to their tremendous ecological benefit, coral reefs are also economically beneficial to humans, as they provide considerable services in terms of tourism, fisheries, and coastline protection. Surveys to determine their total global economic value are imperfect, imprecise, and highly varied in thei...
All over the world coral reefs play an important part in our environment. Not only are the reefs colorful and beautiful to look at but the coral reefs house several different types of fish and other sea creatures. Coral reefs have started to decline over the years due to “climate change, El Nino events, overfishing, pollution and other pressures” (Newnham 1). A healthy coral reef can also collapse due to a natural disaster (Newnham 2). There can be several different reasons why a coral reef has started to decline or has been destroyed.
A long time ago, a drunken man fell asleep outside an alehouse. This man, Christopher Sly, was discovered by a mischievous lord who took him into his home. The witty lord then convinced Sly that he was a lord, as well. The lord then put on a play for him. The play, The Taming of the Shrew, was about the two young daughters of Baptista. The youngest daughter, Bianca, wished to wed but her father, Baptista, would not allow this until his eldest daughter, Katherina, was married. Under normal circumstances, it would be easy to find a husband for Katherina with all her beauty, but all her beauty was covered by her shrewd personality. By this time Bianca's suitors were growing very impatient, so they decide to team up and find a husband for Katherina. In jest they mentioned their plan to a friend, Petruchio, who surprisingly agreed to marry Katherina. All her beauty and wealth were enough for him. Katherina reluctantly was wed to Petruchio and she was taken to his home to be tamed. With Katherina out of the way, Bianca was now allowed to marry Lucentio, who offered her father the highest dowry for her. In the final scenes of the play, Katherina proves that she is tamed by winning an obedience contest at a dinner party. Katherina is now even more in accordance with her wifely duties than Bianca. A fare is a type of comedy based on a ridiculous situation. The Taming of the Shrew, an eminent example of a farce, is the first of three farces written by Shakespeare.
“ Hitler used propaganda and manufacturing enemies such as Jews and five million other people to prepare the country for war.” (Jewish Virtual Library), This piece of evidence shows Hitler’s attempt of genocide toward the Jewish race a...
"Women have a much better time than men in this world; there are far more things forbidden to them." -Oscar Wilde. This quote embodies the fight over gender roles and the views of women in society. Taming of the Shrew deals with Kate and Bianca, two sisters who are at the time to he married off. However, suitors who seek Bianca as a wife have to wait for her sister to be married first. Kate is seen as a shrew because she is strong willed and unlike most women of the time. In his 1603 play The Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare enforces traditional gender roles and demonstrates how little say women had in society. He accomplishes this through the strong personality of Kate, Baptista 's attitude towards his daughters as transactions, and
Shakespeare, William. “The Taming of the Shrew.” Ed. Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard, Katharine Eisaman Maus, and Andrew Gurr. The Norton Shakespeare: Comedies. By William Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Jay. Greenblatt. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. 175-244. Print.
Hitler had a poor relationship with his father, who could not accept his son's lack of self-discipline and his interests in art, architecture and music. When his father died in 1903, his mother Klara had very little control over her son, and in 1905 he left school. In 1907 Hitler applied to enter the Vienna Academy of Art but his application was rejected. In that year his mother died from cancer. Hitler had been devoted to his mother and her death affected him deeply. He carried her portrait everywhere he went for the rest of his life.
On April 20, 1889 at 6:30 PM little Adolf Hitler drew his first breath. He was born to Alois and Kara Hitler. Alois was a civil servant and Kara stayed at home. In 1895 Adolf stayed six months in front of a Benedictine monastery. The monasteries coat of arms was the swastika, which Hitler eventually adopted as the Nazis sign (Adolf Hitler’s Childhood). The monastery intrigued and influenced his desire to become a priest. When Hitler started secondary school in 1900 he wanted to become an artist, but his dad wanted him to be a civil servant (Reams). In 1903 Hitler’s father died of pleural hemorrhage removing the pressure to become a civil Servant (Adolf Hitler’s Childhood). He quit school at the age of sixteen and moved to Vienna in 1906. He lived off his fathers’ inheritance and an orphan’s pension, but was broke by 1909. He wandered Vienna as a homeless person, sleeping somewhere new each night (Adolf Hitler’s Childhood). It was this time when he began harboring his hatred for Jews. Surprisingly enough, two of his best friends were Jewish and he was jealous of Jewish art dealers and performers (Reams). Hitler’s childhood is crucial to understanding why he was such a hateful man in his adulthood.
Coral reefs are said to be the foundation for many marine species, and are a crucial support for human life. The coral reef ecosystem is an a diverse collection of species that interact with each other and the physical environment. Coral reefs are the homes of many species including crabs, shrimp, oysters, and clams, foods eaten by humans on a daily basis. Coral reefs are among the most diverse and biologically complex ecosystems on earth, supporting 33% of marine fish species. Research has shown that there exist a host of dangers for these precious species that are living in our very oceans and alongside our seashores, and these are some pertinent questions that need to be addressed in order to establish whether coral reefs are needed for our future existence and to global warming:
Comedies are important to the daily lives of people so we, as a society are not terrorized by fear to act. Often times in life people are faced with situations too difficult to face alone. Comedies empower people to relate to one another and know they are not alone in facing major problems. Take into account the Peloponnesian War; war is often brutal and terrifying. This enables people to become fearful and helpless. What comedies do is put a serious issues
While you are cruising down the road with your parents, Marshall Mathers is not someone you all would sing along too. Mathers is a caucasian boy who grew up on the wrong side of 8 mile in Detroit. He had a many different stage names: Marshall Mathers, Eminem, and Slim Shady. All of these helped to develop his loose cannon persona. Slim Shady was developed through his rude lyrics, relationships with family, and clothing.
This is because the primary goal of comedy is to make the audience laugh. The comedic light on everything makes viewing a comedy enjoyable and amusing. Laughter is a form of expressions that everyone connects and understands. It's the universal language that needs no explanation. Laughter helps relieve stress, picks you up and gives you a sense of escapism. Comedies allow you to see the good things in the world and give a positive light on things. Despite everything in your life or in the world that may be troubling you, comedies are a place for laughter and fun. Laughter is truly a shared experience, and that's what comedy is all about. Not only is their goal is to make you laugh, but there are all aspects of humor out there. There is truly a type for everyone. There's a type out there for everyone whether it involves crude humor, found in White Chicks or Dumb and Dumber or all the way to ironic or satirical humor found in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World or Hot Rod. Everyone can find a comedy that appeals to them personally. There also varying themes in comedy that make you enjoy them more. For example, there are comedies that deal with reality and hardships but in a light-hearted way or imaginative worlds and ridiculous scenarios there. Comedy movies are also one of the few genres that can include family friendly options that appeal from kids to adults alike. Movies such as The Lego Movie, Zootopia