(1) The Taming of the Shrew

So, I begin with The Taming of the Shrew and I really liked it. How do you tame a shrew you may ask (for those of you not in the know, a shrew is a nagging, “difficult” wife)? On the surface, the play suggests some mild starvation coupled with sleep deprivation. Also, and most importantly, you must act like her, the idea being that when she sees her own self reflected in another she will be disgusted and reform her ways. Lots could be said here but I think I will focus on the obvious (and probably belabored) point: the idea that this is a play promoting misogyny and male chauvinism. It’s not, and to suggest so would be to sorely miss the mark. Although I can see such an interpretation, I think Shakespeare is smarter than that and deserves much more credit. Taken at face value, yes, the central action of the play has Kate being “tamed” by her newlywed husband, but taken deeper, there’s more nuance to it. The play unfolds as a deftly done dance that actually subverts the idea of male dominance over their wives. It is all about the ideal of the balance between the sexes, and stands as a discourse on the importance of sharing power…and provides a warning about the terrible dangers of hoarding and concentrating such power.

After reading the play, I found a really good Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton movie version and checked it out. Great, and a really good idea going forward (read the play, watch the movie, where possible). It really helped me catch things I never noticed in the text (plays are meant to be seen, not just read, right?). It does a really good job of communicating the deeper nuances I alluded to above, especially with the final all-women-must-be-allegiant-to-their-men speech from Kate. Taken off of the page and onto the stage, the speech goes from a simple diatribe against the shrewish women of the world to a much more eloquent and complex plea for all of us to work together equally and with all our hearts towards a greater general harmony between the sexes, a harmony stewarded by both sides, with each side playing their part to create what Shakespeare seems to be promoting as the greatest ideal of all: the ideal of the loving, shared life. Or at least that’s what I saw. So anyway, I liked this one quite a bit and am looking forward to the rest.