This is our first Action Project of Spring Term, and it is for our Humanities class, Drama. For this class, we read The Taming of The Shrew, a famous Shakespearean play. This unit, we explored what life was like for women, in the late 16th century and all of the injustices and suppression they had to endure. Shakespeare made it a point to show that throughout this play. We also learned a lot about how this play was different from his other ones, as well as, types of poetry he wrote, specifically sonnets. The play focuses mainly on Katherine, the shrew, Biana, her sister, and the desire of the two to be wed, coming from their father. It follows the journey of the young, fiercely outspoken, Katherine, who is rejected by many suitors but needs to be married first. Many of the men preferred Bianca because she appeared to be the sweet and quiet one but their father, Baptista, insisted on Katherine being married first. The play carries on with Katherine not finding anyone and suddenly, a man named Petruchio swoops in. They marry, mostly because he seeks money above love, and the reader follows along as he slowly tries to ‘tame’ Katherine. He entraps her mind in games until, in the end, he breaks her. Her quote “thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper…” is her moment of submission. She is at a party and Petruchio tells her to talk to the other wives. She listened and explained to them how it was the least they could do to obey their husbands, out of everything their husbands do for them. This shocked everyone because it appeared that the once quick-witted and opinionated Katherine, was now simply, a submissive wife.
For this AP, we wrote a sonnet of our own where we addressed one of the characters in the play, along with taking our own stance on the gender roles portrayed in the Elizabethan era. I chose to speak to Katherine, because I wanted to tell her not to give up her voice and character, just for a man such as Petruchio, and others in society.
Enjoy my sonnet!
Katherine, a woman put to the test,
Expected to give in with every glare.
You must not appear afraid like the rest,
Or their same volatile fate, you shall share.
The wicked knaves may claim you as their prize,
So let them be sliced by your piercing voice;
Then you will be the truest who is wise,
Because they cannot take away your choice.
Too long to revel for the union be,
With thy craven husband, Petruchio.
His taming of you, the shrew, who must see,
He might triumph, in your scenario.
“...husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper…”
But keep your voice, for those who are eager.
Works Cited:
Renaissance Music: Coronation Banquet - David Hirschfelder (8:38)
SoundCloud Image - https://shakespeareillustration.org/2015/01/28/katharina-baptista-and-bianca/
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