Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Three Shrew Plays: Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew; with The Anonymous The Taming of a Shrew, and Fletcher's The Tamer Tamed by John Fletcher, Barry Gaines, Margaret Maurer, William Shakespeare

1 review

breeoxd's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

I greatly enjoy Shakespeare, both in production and in print, but somehow had never gotten to The Taming of the Shrew. Was very excited to pick it up, and read it in one sitting. While there were a few good chuckles from the Bard’s famous wordplay, I will admit that as a comedy, this one left me feeling conflicted and confused. Though “comedy” is more of a classification label for play endings, and this certainly had parts where I could tell the audience was supposed to be laughing, I had too hard a time with the idea of starving, gaslighting, and forced lack of sleep to force obedience. I know the time period and women’s roles were drastically different than our current society, but it just seemed out of step with other Shakespearean plays. Curious, I looked up some literary criticism, and there are several takes- that it was an epic battle of the sexes and foreplay, with neither letting the other win; that Pertruchio was greatly suffering after the death of his father; that Katherine was in fact rescued by her marriage, as she would have devolved into the town hag with age and without the protection of her father when he passed; the Katherine actually has little voice throughout the beginning of the play, and with Petruchio’s guidance, gains eloquence, that she gives her submission as a gift of love after having enjoyed his challenges. Some even thought that Shakespeare was commenting on the changing roles of women in his society, that bringing to the forefront the ways that men expected women to be accommodating and supplicant would serve as a parody. 

What do you all think? I admit that this would probably read as more bombastic and funny on stage than in print. 

Also, with happened to Christopher Sly? That's what I really want to know.


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