The chemistry between Petrucio and Katherine can be observed immediately. The sexual tension is evident from the choice of words and from the way they speak to each other. Petruchio proves that he is her equal right away and there is a special connection established between the pair. Katherine is intrigued by him and stays engaged in the conversation even though Petrucio insults her. She seems to be looking for this kind of interaction, for somebody to treat her seriously. We can question whether she enjoyed being a shrew or maybe she didn’t know better?
She has always felt isolated and maybe the only way she knew how to make others to pay attention to her was through aggressive behavior. Petruchio gives her attention that she craves, and challenges her unlike the others. He complements her and makes her feel attractive. He lets her know that he has serious intentions he wants to make her his wife. Even though Petruchio’s intentions are somewhat dishonest and methods of timing his wife are repulsive and cruel he made her believe that he loves her. On the day of the weeding Katherine is being humiliated by her husband but she follows him anyway. This proves how much she wanted to be accepted and understood.
It is difficult to interpret the reasons for transformation in Katherine’s behavior has she been brainwashed and disciplined by her husband or maybe she becomes an obedient wife in exchange for the love and protection of her husband? It is difficult to say if she is really happy in her new role but it seems that Petruchio brings out the best of Katherine, she is no longer a shrew she is a lady.
I definitely agree that Kate likes the attention she receives from Petruchio (what woman doesn’t?) and it shows in their first meeting’s conversation. They talk back and forth to each other and they both enjoy it, even with the sexual undertones. As Urszula as stated, she continues to be engaged with him in conversation even after he has insulted her.
But it is Petruchio that enjoys the attention that Kate returns to him. During Kate’s music lesson with Hortensio, who is disguised as Litio, she throws the lute over his head and calls him countless names such as rascal and twangling Jack (2.1 line 156-7). Upon hearing this and before meeting her, Petruchio begins to like Kate’s character even more. Maybe it was Petruchio all along who was looking for a mate and wife that could challenge his authority and what better, perfect person than a shrew? The taming became a challenging entertainment.
Kate knew what she was getting into when she accepted the proposal. Yes, it is true that she had no choice but to follow him on the day of their wedding but she could have continued to be a “shrew” and fight back. Instead, she allowed herself to be tamed in exchange for partnership and protection. She allowed herself to be tamed for comfort and care. She wanted all of these things as well as love and marriage and to achieve that, she gave up the life of a shrew. She is an entirely new person with a new mindset because she allowed herself to become a lady.
Chenda’s response sheds new light on Petruchio’s thinking, and Urzsula articulates the most attractive interpretation that can be put on their budding relationship. So much depends on how we feel about the actors and their own chemistry. It’s always seemed significant to me–and I hope we’ll talk about this tomorrow–that P and K are on a journey together in the transition from newlyweds to married couple. Nothing is static in this play.
Before our class discussion today, I was really amazed at Kate in Act 5. Surprisingly, Kate did not continue to dispute with Petruchio. Act 4, Scene 5 was mentioned to be read in two ways. The best way to view this scene is to view it as a couple enjoying their play fight. As discussed in class, the last act is a turning point for Kate who gives up her pride and violent authoritative figure to become the perfect obedient wife.
I have a better understanding of Kate’s disturbing speech on page 108. I agree with Chenda and Urszula that Kate willingly became a shrew. Throughout the text, we notice that Kate’s mother is absent and her father prefers his youngest daughter Bianca. Kate had to be the adult female figure in the family, especially to Bianca. Petruchio, as her husband will not only love and protect her, moreover she will be under his watch. This is the reason why Kate makes a loyal speech about her husband to the other woman in the room.
In today’s society woman can walk away from an unhappy marriage. At least in my family, parents can offer advice to the couple about maintaining their relationship. I was speechless when Baptista stated, “For she is changed as she had never been” (107) and offered more money to bet on his daughters. As the father of the bride, he could have questioned Kate’s refinement. He did not seem in the least bit worried, he actually seemed pleased with the outcome. Women of this time period did not have many choices and it is hard to see past that, living in today’s society.
I completly agree with Ursuzla’s comment about the extreme chemistry between Kate and Petruchio. We can see the immense tension between the two characters building more and more, and while reading the play, I thought why is Kate so stuborn? Why won’t she just submit. However, through the end of the play we see that she does. And, this could have been what she was looking for the whole time.
It seems as if Kate (throughout the play) was playing her own version of “The Hard to Get Game” and in today’s day in age, one can say that this game of cat and mouse can work. The idea that Skakespeare wrote about the whole psychology of how fickle, coy, and shy the actors in the play are amazes me because this is still something we see in today’s sociey
I agree with Chenda’s view on Petruchio. I don’t think Kate and Petruchio were as black and white as we sometimes described them. Kate did have a rather surprising transformation, but it wasn’t a complete shift in personality. She must have been repressing those qualities as she acted out her aggression. She was just unhappy with the circumstances she was stuck in. You could see right away her curiosity developing when she met Petruchio and asked who taught him to speak like that. I doubt Petruchio was also just looking to marry a rich woman. That may have been his initial intentions, but he definitely liked Kate. That’s probably why he took it as far as he did. He wasn’t trying to “tame” Kate for solely his benefit or pleasure, he was trying to show her a better way of doing things. It appeared a bit cruel on the surface because he chose to manner her apparent behavior.