Forget "to be or not to be." That (above) is the question when it comes to the title we'll be discussing on June 7th, The Taming of the Shrew by Will.i.am.Okay. Not Will.i.am. William. Shakespeare.
But anyway . . .
It's a Man's World
One thing you'll find as you read this play is that the women aren't treated very well. The premise of the whole thing, after all, is that a wealthy man named Baptista won't let his beautiful and much sought after younger daughter (Bianca) get married until someone agrees to take his shrewish older daughter (Kate) off his hands. (We can only hope that Kate stiffed Baptista every time Father's Day rolled around.)
Two buddies hatch a plan whereby one of them will "take one for the team" and court Kate so the other can make a play for Bianca. Of course, Petrucchio, the team player in this scenario, won't come out empty handed. Since Baptista is rich, Kate's hand in marriage will be accompanied by a nice dowry. Plus, Petrucchio fancies himself a bit of a shrew-tamer and relishes the challenge. (Hm. Does that make him a good sport or a domestic abuse enthusiast? Tough call.)
Or Is It?
It's all pretty despicable . . . unless, of course, you view it as a satire. But like I said before, that's the million dollar question here:
Is The Taming of the Shrew a satire, or is it sexist?
As You Read
Try to find clues that indicate one interpretation or the other--either that Shrew is sexism at its finest, or that it's a satire, suggesting that treating women as chattel to be domesticated and sold off (ahem, married) is a ludicrous manner in which to approach romance and matrimony. Make a note of anything you see that sways you in one direction or the other.
It's also important to note that the way a particular director decides to stage specific action and scenes could have a great effect on the audience's interpretation of the play, so . . .
As You Read: Part 2
Be on the lookout for lines that could be delivered in a particular way--or actions that could be carried out at various points--to indicate whether the play is serious or satirical in its depiction of male-female relations. Essentially, think about how you--if you were the director--would direct your cast in order to communicate either sexism or satire in particular scenes. Again, make a note of your ideas so we can discuss them when we meet.
Bring your observations with you--in writing, or noted in your text--to our next (and last!) lit group for 2012-2013.
See you on the 7th!
