Erica Bailey Performativity and Hierarchies in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew The language William Shakespeare uses in The Taming of the Shrew during Kate’s final speech suggests that it is performed. After Kate’s speech in Act 5, Scene 2, Lucentio says “’Tis a wonder, by your leave, she will be tamed so” (5.2.194). By definition, to be tamed means to become docile, or submissive, as a person or in disposition. One’s spirit must break in order to be tamed, and Kate displays that she is still very much spirited when not in the company of Petruccio. Given the fact that the entirety of the play challenges stereotypes and performativity, Kate’s final speech is called into question.
For example when she says ‘None my Lord’ at her wedding to Claudio it shows how she is being respectful and conforming to societies expectations. She calls him ‘Lord’ which shows how he has a higher rank than she and so she must be polite even when he is being rude and aggressive.. Throughout the play Leonato objectifies his daughter such as when he agrees to let Claudio marry her without asking her permission or opinion first. He says to Hero ‘If the prince do solicit you in that kind, you know your answer’. This shows how he is telling her what to do and she is conforming to it as she knows her place and is aware that she must do what her father wishes.
The portrayal of both of the female characters in Hamlet is shaped by the male characters with which they interact. Ophelia’s character seems to be wholly reliant on the men to whom she is related or linked. Gertrude, while possessing more power than Ophelia, is similarly dependent on men to provide the dramatic action in which she is involved and is portrayed. Nonetheless, both characters are required on almost every level of Hamlet’s plot and much of the conflict is caused by the existence or actions of the women. The idea that Ophelia is an essentially insubstantial character is introduced in the language of her first line.
I strongly believe ‘In the process of transforming older texts into contemporary situations, the writing style and contexts change but the same values are reinforced” is false. I introduce Gil Junger’s ’10 Things I Hate about You’ and Shakespeare’s ‘Taming of the Shrew’ which I will be using in this speech today. Taming of the Shrew written approximately 400 years ago is one of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, sharing many characteristics as his other romantic comedies, such as ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Some characteristics include light-hearted and slapstick humour, disguises and deception and a happy ending in which most of the characters come out satisfied. 10 Things I Hate about You – written 400 years later, is a film directed by Gil Junger.
In Taming of the Shrew, Lucentio disguises himself as Cambio and does the same thing. Another similarity is that in the play, Petruccio is paid to marry Katherine, where in the modern version, Patrick is also paid to go out with Katherine. In the end, Patrick and Petruccio have “tamed” Katherine because she is now willing to be with a man but before that she is a shrew. PETRUCHIO: Come, come, you wasp, i’faith you are too angry. KATHERINE: If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
The story of Eve was used to preach that women should be controlled by men and that included anything from their behaviour to sexuality. Consequently it could be argued that Shakespeare has controversially used female sexual desire as a central part to The Tempest linking into how patriarchy was a crucial measure to the era it was written. Miranda is the main female character in The Tempest. The first impression of her is that she is a good 17th century woman because she obeys her father, only speaks when prompted and is eager to please. We see this earlier on in the play when Prospero is talking to Miranda about their history and tells her to ‘obey, and be attentive’ (The Tempest, I.ii.38).
This scene is significant because it relates to Shakespeare life and refers back to the romance of Romeo and Juliette. However this scene is fairly open for interpretation. This scene could have a modern spin while also reverting back to some of the significant parts of Shakespeare previous play. The fact that the play is so versatile allows the director to use it as a tool to convey their own interests as well. Shakespeare starts the scene with Prospero apologizing for being so harsh on Ferdinand.
The Methods Shakespeare uses to allude to homoeroticism in As You Like It William Shakespeare’s plays cover an array of topics focused on sexuality, from gender reversal to adultery to bestiality. But perhaps the most consistent and emphasized topic is homoeroticism. This focus on homoeroticism proceeds from the prohibition of women on the English stage and the subsequent female roles young boys would play.When looking at As You Like It Shakespeare is subtly hinting at the acceptance of Homoeroticism. When Rosalind decides to dress up as a man ‘And therefore look you call me Ganymede’ she is highlighting gender as a main theme in the play and showing women as clever and powerful who are capable of looking after themselves, but the idea of cross-dressing brings homoeroticism into the themes. In this essay I am going to talk about the different methods Shakespeare uses to allude to homoeroticism in As You Like It.
The novel takes place in a patriarchal society where man is the powerful figure and woman is obedient to his every wish. Women accept that they are second class citizens because that is the culture they are raised to follow. Women in Frankenstein are forced to act mannerly because that is how men classified an attractive woman. Women are forced to act passive because men deprive them of
Cloud 9 is a play focussed on the issue of gender and identity. It is filled with stereotypical characters, particularly in Act 1. Indeed, the first lines that the character of Betty says are; ‘I live for Clive. The whole aim of my life/ Is to be what he looks for in a wife./ I am a man’s creation as you see/And what men want is what I want to be’ (Churchill, 1). Churchill shows these dominant ideas about gender throughout the play, with references to the women being ‘delicate and sensitive’ (3) and the men and boys being manly and brave, ‘it’s manly of you Edward, to take care of your little sister’ (8).