How Do You Read It?

There are two different ways that the audience could read or interpret The Taming of the Shrew.  View one would be that the play is extremely misogynistic, and view two would be that Kate actually improves or develops throughout the play.  There are definitely plenty of examples for Kate’s improvement.  If the director wanted to make the play have this type of reading, then he would need to stage it so that Kate’s and Petruchio’s great relationship was emphasized.  The most important piece would be to show that what actually happens is Kate learns to play the game.  Her spirit is not actually broken, but it just has to show that she now understands what is necessary in order to win men over.  The director could show Kate as being in on the scheme to win Petruchio money during the bet.  Another important piece to this argument would be to show that Kate is happier after all.  She did not like being a shrew and constantly going against society.  So, now that she no longer can debate everything, she is actually happier.  However, I would argue that this is quite a stretch.  The director would have a lot of work to do in order to give the audience this type of interpretation.  I believe that this play is much more misogynistic.  Kate becomes completely submissive to Petruchio and is no longer considered an equal.  She is married against her will, and Petruchio uses cold methods of manipulation.  Not only does he starve her and sleep deprives her, but he makes her say whatever he wants.  Petruchio completely humiliates Kate.  He never has to compromise, while she completely loses her voice in the play.  This play shows women having no role in society or even control over their own lives.  Men have power over their future but women do not.  The question is whether or not the men will be generous with this power, and clearly, Petruchio is not.