TheTamingofAShrewchangesthewaythatweviewShakespeare`scomplexanalysisof

performanceasbeingingrainedinbothclassandgender.Ithasamoreempoweredviewof
womenthanTheShrewandsuggeststhatwomencansubverttheoppressiontheyface
throughtheirintelligence.ItimpliesthatKate`sspeechattheendoftheplayissarcastic,and
thatanyonewhobelievestheycantamewomenorservantsareasfoolishandasridiculous
asdrunkenSly.ThisisamuchmoreprogressiveendingthanthatofTheShrew,which
suggeststotheaudiencethatamancancrushawomansspiritanddominatehercompletely
solongashelietoheranddepriveheroffoodandwater.

RatherthandepictingPetruchioasadominantandpowerfulmalefigurewhomanagesto
breakKatesspirit,heispresentedinAShrewasbothabusiveandludicrous.Hismethods
forsubduingKateandturningherintotheperfectwifearepatentlyridiculous.Hevowsthathe
will(...)killawifewithkindnessAndthusI'llcurbhermadandheadstronghumour.andit
seemsthathebelievesthesewordstobetrue.ForPetruchio,totamehiswifeasafalconis
tamed,throughabuseandstarvation(2.1,lastlinesbefore2.2)istodoherafavour.InA
Shrew,Petruchioisalsoeasilyduped.WhenKatemakesherfinalspeechinAct5itis
impliedinAShrewthatitissarcastic.ThespeechisdevoidofKatesusualclevernessand
wit.Itisrepetitive,longwindedandboring,containingonlyideasthatPetruchiowantstohear.
KatedeclaresthatThyhusbandisthylord,thylife,thykeeper,thatawomans(...)strength
asweak,[woman's]weaknesspastcompareandthatAwomanmovedislikeafountain
troubled,
Muddy,illseeming,thick,bereftofbeauty,allideaswhichcorrespondexactlytowhat
Petruchiobelievestobetrueaboutwomen.Petruchioisthrilledbyit,exclaimingWhy,there's
awench!Comeon,andkissme,Kate.(5.2.rightattheend)andtriumphantlytelling

LucentioTwasIwonthewager,thoughyouhitthewhite.ByjuxtaposingKatesendspeech
withSlysdeclarationthathe,too,cantameashrew,Shakespeareisdemonstratinghowmen
areeasytofool.

WhenSlydrunkenlyproclaimsthat[he`ll]to[his]wifewifepresentlyandtamehertooifshe
anger[him]inAShrew,heseemsfoolishratherthanadominantpatriarch.Itiscleartothe
readerthathisideasareridiculous,sinceSlycannotspeakwithoutslurringhiswordsatthat
point,letalonetameanangrywoman.Theideaoftamingastrongandindependentwoman
isthusshowntobeafantasyofaweakanddespicablebreedofmanratherthananidealto
aspireto.PetruchioisrevealedtobenothingmorethanSly,dressedupinfancyclothesand
speakingmorecoherentlyhe,too,believesthathecantameashrew,andanyevidencethat
heisunabletoissimplyignored.

IfthefinalsceneAShrewisremoved,theplaylosesitscentralmessage.Ratherthanbeing
ahumorousplayabouthownoblesaresonarcissisticthattheyfailtoseethatthewomenand
servantshavetheupperhand,itbecomesaplayaboutthetotaldominanceofmen.Petruchio
isanabusivehusbandwhosucceedsinbreakingthespiritofhislovelyandonceopinionated
wife.Hestarvesher,liestoherandiscrueltoheruntilshesubmitstohimnotonly
emotionallythroughherspeechbutalsophysically.Shevails[her]stomachs,foritisnoboot,
Andplaces[her]handsbelow[her]husband'sfoot:Intokenofwhichduty(...),inviting
Petruchiotofinishcrushingherspiritbyliterallycrushingherhandwithhisboot.


topicsentences:
Thescenein``TheTamingOfAShrew``attheendoftheplay,inwhichSlydrunkenly
proclaimsthatheknowshowtotameashrew,softensthehorrorofhearingKatherine
utterherfinalspeech.

KatherinestamingisjustasfalseasSlystransformationfromdrunkardtoLord.

quotes:
themiracleofKate'staming,eventhough,atleastasweliketoreadandteachthe
playnowadays,itisbynomeansclearthatKateisthoroughlyconvertedtothe
systemofpatriarchalhegemonysheadvocates.Whethersheisornot,thereisa
strongillusionofrealitysurroundingherspeechattheendoftheplay:weareinvited
toforgetthatthetamingofKatebyPetruchiostartedoutasamereplaywithinaplay
performedforthedelectationofoneChristopherSly,drunkentinkerturnedtemporary
aristocrat.

Helurchesoff,vowingtotamehisowntermagantwifeathomenowthathisdream
hastaughthimhowtodoit.Heisunlikelytosucceed,wecanconfidentlypredict,
givenhisstaggeringconditionandhisobviouscharacter
ologicaldistancefromthe
charismaticstagefigurePetruchio.Insteadofconvincingusthattheinnerplay's
wifetamingscenarioisapossibleoneinreality,Sly'svowturnsitintothe
wishfulfillmentfantasyofahabitualdrunkardwhoisaslikelytobepunishedbyhis
wifeforthisnightoutashehasbeenforpasttransgressions.


``Ourstrengthasweak,ourweaknesspastcompare,
Thatseemingtobemostwhichweindeedleastare.``

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,
2280
Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.

thesunwasthemoon.
Andthemoonchangesevenasyourmind.
Whatyouwillhaveitnamed,eventhatitis,
AndsoitshallbesoforKatherine.