Shakespeare Electronic Conference, Vol. 6, No. 0929. Thursday, 30 November 1995.
 
(1)     From:   Jay Johnson <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Wednesday, 29 Nov 1995 15:21:51 -0700 (MST)
        Subj:   Re: SHK 6.0927  Re: *Shr.*
 
(2)     From:   Bernie Folan <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Thursday, 30 Nov 95 11:36:49 gmt
        Subj:   Kate / Griselda
 
 
(1)----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Jay Johnson <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Wednesday, 29 Nov 1995 15:21:51 -0700 (MST)
Subject: 6.0927  Re: *Shr.*
Comment:        Re: SHK 6.0927  Re: *Shr.*
 
With regard to Kate's final speech in _The Taming of the Shrew_, one very clear
and unironic interpretation is that given by Charles Marowitz.  In his
adaptation, called _The Shrew_, Kate's taming is essentially a Concentration
Camp brainwashing.  Here is the beginning of the final scene:
 
(Lights up on a surreal tribunal setting.  Petruchio sits behind a high
tribunal desk.  He is looking straight ahead in the background, there is the
unmistakeable murmur of women's voices, chatting, gossiping, conniving.  After
a moment Grumio, dressed in a black gown like an official of the Court, bangs
his staff three times.  The wispering stops.
 
Kate is ushered in by Baptista.  She is wearing a simple, shapeless
institutional-like garment.  She stares straight ahead and gives the impression
of being mesmerized.  Her face is white; her hair drawn back, her eyes wide and
blank.)
 
Kate: (Weakly)  What is your will, sir, that you send for me?
 
Petruchio:  Katherine, I charge thee, tell these headstrong women
            What duty they owe to their lords and husbands.
 
(Kate does not reply.  After a moment, Baptista, who is beside her, touches her
shoulder comfortingly.  Eventually, Kate begins to mouthe words.  Obviously,
she has learned this speech by rote and is delivering it as if the words were
being spoken by another.)
 
and so on... Marowitz also has a very interesting version of _The Merchant of
Venice_ set in pre-WW II Palestine. These and other adaptations can be found in
_The Marowitz Shakespeare_ (1978).
 
Cheers,
Jay Johnson
Medicine Hat College
 
(2)----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Bernie Folan <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Thursday, 30 Nov 95 11:36:49 gmt
Subject:        Kate / Griselda
 
Lisa Broome wrote:
 
          >>I am working on a paper in which I describe Shakespeare's
          >>Taming of the Shrew as mythic and Dekker's Patient Grissil
          >>as folkloric in mode. .. I would like to know if anyone
          >>has suggestions for additional sources.  I also welcome
          >>any comments on the topic! ..<snip>
 
There is an article by C E Brown comparing Katherina and Griselda in TEXAS
STUDIES IN LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE, Vol 37, No 3 (Fall 1995). Published by
University of Texas Press.
 
          Bernie

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