Samarqand state institute of foreign languages faculty of english philology and translation studies mirzayeva ozoda

1.1 Female Characters Who Do not Return Men’s Love

Kate in The Taming of the Shrew and Silvia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona

have to deal with a similar problem. Both protagonists have to deal with men who
have fallen in love with them but whose love they are not able to return. Katherine, the female protagonist of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, has previously been described as a misbehaved woman. Due to this characteristic the play opens with no suitor having ever wanted to marry her albeit her wealth. Petruccio is the first man who shows interest in getting married to Kate and his reasons are clear from the start: he is only interested in marrying a rich woman: PETRUCCIO: […] if thou know One rich enough to be Petruccio’s wife – As wealth is burden of my wooing dance – Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love, As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd As Socrates’ Xanthippe or a worse, She moves me not – or not removes at least Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough As are the swelling Adriatic seas. I come to wive it wealthily in Padua; If wealthily, then happily in Padua. (I.2 l.65-75) These lines clearly state that Petruccio’s aim is neither to fall in a love with a woman nor to find a beautiful and docile wife but he just wants to woo and finally marry a wealthy woman. Consequently, when he is told about Kate, the wealthy shrew, he immediately elaborates a plan to woo her: PETRUCCIO: Say that she rail, why then I’ll tell her plain She sings as sweetly as a nightingale. Say that she frown, I’ll say she looks as clear As morning roses newly washed with dew. Say she be mute and will not speak a word, Then I’ll commend her volubility, And say she uttereth piercing eloquence. If she do bid me pack, I’ll give her thanks As though she bid me stay by her a week. If she deny to wed, I’ll crave the day When I shall ask the banns, and when be married. (II.1 l.170-180) Petruccio’s plan does not
1 Thatcher Ulrich Laurel, Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History, New York: Vintage Books,
2007, p.74
2 Thatcher p.74
3 Thatcher p.74

consist in being very strict to Kate in order to tame her shrewish temper. Instead he has planned to tame her by being extremely kind to her. Although Petruccio puts this plan into action during their first encounter, it nonetheless becomes obvious that Kate does not like him. She immediately tells him that, for instance, he should not call her Kate but Katherine. However, instead of feeling discouraged, Petruccio follows his initial plan to tame her with kindness. One also has to point out that Petruccio never hides that he does not accept the way Kate behaves but that he will try to tame her in order to turn her into a typical obeying Elizabethan wife: PETRUCCIO: For I am he am born to tame you, Kate, And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate Conformable as other household Kates. (II.1 l.270-273) One may assume that Kate, who has repeatedly shown her shrewish and stubborn character, will just become even more shrewish if someone tells her that he wants to tame her. surprisingly enough, Kate has become far more silent after her suitor has informed her of his intention to tame her. As a matter of fact, after this announcement Kate only verbally attacks her father but not her suitor. When Petruccio then announces that their wedding day will be the following Sunday, she just gives a quick and rather weak answer: KATHERINE: I’ll see thee hanged on Sunday first. (II.1 l.295) Moreover, when Petruccio lies about her behavior by telling her father that she behaved in a very tamed way when they were alone, she actually does not contradict him at all. Kate’s lack of reaction towards Petrucci’s positive description of her behavior is very unexpected because so far she used to seem proud of her reputation as a rebellious shrew. In this context one may wonder if Kate can be interpreted in this scene as a victim who has already realized that it is useless to rebel because she is powerless to fight against a wedding that has been arranged by her father and her

8 Mc Evoy Sean, Ben Jonson Renaissance Dramatist, Edinburgh University Press, 2008, p.85
66 Shakespeare William, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
suitor. This idea also becomes obvious in the following words pronounced by Kate: KATHERINE: No shame but mine, I must forsooth be forced To give my hand opposed against my heart Unto a mad-brain rudesby full of leen, Who wooed in haste and means to wed at leisure? I told you, he was a frantic fool, Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behavior, And to be noted for a merry man He’ll woo a thousand, ‘point the day of marriage, Make friends, invite them, and reclaims the banns, Yet never means to wed where he hath wooed. Now must the world point at poor Katherine And say ‘Lo, there is mad Petrucci’s wife, If it would please him come and marry her.’ (III.2 l.8-20) Kate’s words quoted above could not only be interpreted as the reaction of a powerless victim but they could also have a deeper meaning.