Tuesday, February 18, 2025

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Lord, let me never have a cause to sigh,

Till I be brought to such a silly pass!

 

Widow

The Taming of the Shrew      Act V, Scene ii, Line 124

We are at the very end of the play. Katharine, the titular shrew, is displaying actions that would certainly indicate that she has been tamed. In the line previous to today’s, Petruchio told her that he didn’t like the hat she was wearing.

Off with that bauble, throw it under foot.
                                         
And Katharina quickly takes off the hat and steps on it. That’s what the widow is responding to with Today’s Lines. And rightly so? I’m not so sure. Let's 
open this up.

Katharina started out unmarried and apparently pretty unhappy. She was not a pleasant person to be around, and she certainly wasn’t nice to anyone. Petruchio decided that she would make a good wife, so Katharina’s father gladly gave her to him.

Petruchio didn’t physically or verbally abuse his wife, but he did let her know that he was in charge, and he did insist that she go along with things the way he wanted. Along the way Katharina realized that this whole thing was going to work out better all around if she just went along with Petruchio, and when she did, things started to work out quite well for her. Along with his crazy demands, Petruchio actually did treat her quite well, and I believe he loved her too.

There’s a lot more to it than I can explain in a few lines. Suffice it so say that this is not just a play about men in charge and women being tamed. Unfortunately, it is also a play that might not get past modern sensibilities, partly because of the title, and partly because it needs to be looked at really hard and long to be fully appreciated.

Anyway, there you have it. If you ever get a chance to see this play, I hope you take advantage of it. And when you do, I hope that you go with a very open mind. Then, if you come away feeling that Will was simply an ardent misogynist, well so be it. But I hope not.


Hey, what's a mistogynistist?

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