In William Shakespeare’s play, ‘The Taming Of The Shrew’ and Sylvia Plath’s poems ‘Daddy’ and ‘The Arrival of the Beebox’ we can clearly see many ways in which the thoughts, expressions and characteristics of women. In both pieces of writing there are carious techniques used to show us the feeling of strength in women.
From the extreme resentment of her father in the poem ‘Daddy’ to the role of playing God in ‘The Arrival of the Beebox’ we can see techniques which show us the feeling of strength. Many similarities can also be see in Shakespeare’s poem the Taming of the shrew in which Katherina, the so called ‘Shrew’ uses different actions, language and characteristics to project her strength of feelings.
One such action is seen within act 2, scene 1 in which Katherina and Petruchio are having a heated argument with each other. Petruchio Says: “Come Come you wasp! I faith you are too angry.” Katherina replies with “If I be waspish best beware my sting.” Here we can see that Shakespeare has cleverly linked Katherina’s short temper and rapid actions with those of a wasp. This is clearly metaphorical, he has related Katherina’s actions to those of a wasp. Katherina has also responded with a threat. She has threatened Petruchio, she has stated she will sting him or in a way hurt him. She has stood up to a male in a time in which women were expected to look up to men in general as masters. She has clearly tried to project her feelings across to Petruchio by threatening him and this is just one way in which the strength of feeling in women has been shown in the book. Katherina is clearly opposed to the fact that her father is looking to get her married.
Petruchio then tells her “my remedy is to pluck it out.” referring to Katherina’s ‘Sting’ to which she replies with “Ay, if the fool could find where it lies.” Here she has used her ‘Shrew-like’ language to show Petruchio how hard it will be to wed her, she has insulted his intelligence and is using this behaviour to try and deter Petruchio, to push him away from herself. Later on in the play she strikes Petruchio, which may be likened to the ‘sting’ of a wasp. She doesn’t want to be seen as a prize to him or an animal which Petruchio will tame. Shakespeare continually relates her actions to an animals which we can see in a scene where Gremio asks Petruchio if he will ever be able to tame Katherina. “But will you woo this wild cat?”.
She is referred to as a ‘wild cat’, a cat which hasn’t been domesticated or in a way ‘tamed’. The fact that the name ‘Kate’ has a sound similar to that of ‘Cat’ shows us the idea Shakespeare had in his head. In a way this can be called a Pun. The relations between Kate and animals continue in a play, later on she is called an ‘ass’ and Petruchio also says that she is a Falcon which he must deprive of sleep and starve in order to tame.
Her shrew like behaviour has also made an impression on people, Lucentio states she is ‘Stark, Mad’ later on in the play. Lucentio clearly dislikes her actions compared to the actions of Katherina’s sister, Bianca who is more reclusive and keeps her thoughts to herself. She doesn’t show her strength of feeling as much as Katherina does. Lucentio says “I do see, maids’ mild behaviour and sobriety.” He clearly prefers the more ‘tamed’ Bianca to the ‘untamed’ Katherina. ‘Katharina the curst! A title for a maid of all titles the worst’ is another example of the impression she has made.
Similar shrew like actions can be seen in Sylvia Plath’s poem “Daddy” in which she tells us of her love and hate for her father, this love and hate is also shown by Katherina, in one way she is obedient towards her father, she stops attacking Bianca when her father tells her to but she also dislikes him due to the obvious reasons of him trying to forcefully get her married and also that her father also sees her as a shrew due to her actions when you would expect a father to stand by his daughter.
React!