Through his plays, Shakespeare does more than simply tell a story to entertain his audience; he also gives present-day readers a glimpse into what life in the XVI century was. To me, one of the most interesting cultural issues Shakespeare addresses is the role women played during that time period—however, two of his plays give completely different female roles. “Taming of the Shrew” and “Measure for Measure,” both written in the late 1500s, have a female in the lead role.
During the XVI century, women were expected to be chaste, silent, and obedient. This was the definition of a perfect woman. Having said this, readers today would expect to read about main characters that fit this definition. Isabella, from “Measure for Measure” fits the stereotype quite well; on the other hand, Katherina, from “Taming of the Shrew,” embodies all the opposite characteristics expected in a woman.
Isabella is first introduced at the beginning of Act I, scene 4: She is in the process of entering a nunnery, and she is having a conversation with a nun, Francesca. She is inquiring about nun’s privileges, not because she thinks what the convent offers is not enough, but “rather wishing a more strict restraint” (I.4.4). This shows that she is obedient, and likes to have rules to abide by. As the conversation proceeds, a man calls to the doors of the convent. Francesca asks Isabella to tend to him, for she cannot speak to men. She says, “When you have vowed, you must not speak with men / But in the presence of the prioress. / Then if you speak, you must not show your face; / Or if you show your face, you must not speak” (1.4.10-13). When Isabella asks who calls at the door and shows herself, the man, Lucio, says, “Hail, virgin, if you be—as those cheek-roses / Proclaim you are no less” (1.4.16-17). Isabella most certainly conforms to society, and is ready to have this be her life, her reality, her routine; it is fair to assume, then, that she is silent, obedient, and chaste, as the perfect woman should be.
As opposed to Isabella, who begins the dialogue in I.4 of “Measure for Measure,” Katherina is introduced by her father, Baptista, in a conversation with friends of his (I.I.48-56):
Gentlemen, importune me no farther,
For how I firmly am resolved you know:
That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter
Before I have a husband for the elder.
If either of you both love Katherina,
Because I know you well and love you well
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
Bianca, Baptista’s youngest daughter, has several suitors; but Baptista says that he will not allow Bianca to marry until Katherina marries. The situation worsens, because the men reply with such rude remarks as, “To cart her rather. She’s too rough for me,” (I.1.55), and, “No mates for you [Katherina] / Unless you were of gentler, milder mould,” (I.55.59-50). Katherina does not make matters easier by replying,
I’faith, sir, you shall never need to fear.
Iwis it is not half-way to her heart,
But if it were, doubt not her care should be
To comb your noodle with a three-legged stool,
And paint your face, and use you like a fool. (I.1.61-65)
Clearly, Katherina defies all preconceived notions of society, by not being silent, and seemingly disobedient. Her chastity, however, plays no role in this passage. I think it is fair to assume that she is chaste—however rude, impolite, disobedient, and talkative she might be. After Hortensio’s description of Katherina, there is no doubt that she defies social conformity and the idea of a perfect woman:
[Katherina is a woman] with wealth enough, and young and beauteous,
Brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman,
Her only fault—and that is faults enough—
Is that she is intolerable curst,
And shrewed and forward so beyond all measure
That, were my state far worser than it is,
I would not wed her for a mine of gold. (I.2.82-88)
Her name is Katherina Minola,
Renowned in Padua for her scolding tongue. (I.2.95-96)
The initial representation of the two women—Isabella and Katherina, respectively—is very different: one is autonomous enough to introduce herself in the action of the play, the other needs to be introduced (in a very unkind manner, if I may add). Lucio flatters Isabella as soon as they meet; both Hortensio and Gremio insult Katherina after her father introduces them.
Although Isabella and Katherina are two very different women, and “Measure for Measure” and “Taming of the Shrew” two very different plays, the other characters treat the women in much the same way: they want to change something in or about them.
In the case of Isabella, she is being persuaded to give up her chastity to save her brother’s life: “If I would yield him [Angelo] my virginity, / Thou might’st be freed!” (III.1.96-97). Claudio, her brother, slept and impregnated a woman, Juliet, before they contracted marriage. Under the law of the time, this was illegal, and punishable with death. When Angelo, the highest law official, discovers this incident, he punishes Claudio to death. Lucio, Claudio’s friend, goes to the convent to inform Isabella of the events, and Isabella goes to talk to Angelo, who tells her that “…to redeem him [Claudio], / Give up your body of such sweet uncleanness / As she that he hath stained” (II.4.52-54). Angelo tries to convince her by adding, “Might there not be charity in sin / To save this brother’s life?” (II.4.63-64). Lucio, who is with her the whole time, tries to persuade her to give in to Angelo’s desires and give up her most precious possession: her virginity. He instigates the situation, making comments such as:
To him again;
entreat him.
Kneel down before him; hang upon his gown.
You are too cold. If you should need a pin,
You could not with more tame a tongue desire it.
To him, I say! (II.2.42-47)Ay, touch him; there is the vein. (II.2.73)
O, to him, to him, wench! He will
Relent. (II.2.127-128)
Yet, it is not only Angelo and Lucio who try to change Isabella’s mind; Claudio, her guilty brother, does so as well, saying, “Sweet sister, let me live. / What sin you do to save a brother’s life, / Nature dispenses with the deed so far / That is becomes a virtue” (III.1.134-137).
It is interesting to see how these three different characters (Angelo, Lucio, and Claudio) are trying to persuade Isabella to change her mind, overlook her principles, and give up her most valued possession to save Claudio; nevertheless, she remains firm in her convictions and autonomous in her decisions, and does not give in to them.
In much the same way, characters in “Taming of the Shrew” are also trying to change Katherina. It is left unsaid throughout the play, but all characters want Katherina to stop being a Shrew; it is Petruccio, however, who undertakes the task of changing Katherina. He begins by stating that he wants a wife, a rich one, if possible, and cares not who she is. After Hortensio tells him about Katherina, he makes it his duty to make her his wife. He speaks to her father, Baptista, and they arrange a wedding; but, Katherina does not want to wed: when Petruccio says “And to conclude, we have ‘greed so well together / That upon Sunday is the wedding day”; to which Katherina replies, “I’ll see thee hanged on Sunday first,” (II.1.28-291). However, Petruccio marries her and ends up changing her from an evil Shrew to an obedient wife: When he and two other men call upon their wives, only Katherina answers, saying, “What is your will, sir, that you send / for me?” (V.2.103-104). In her closing monologue, Katherina gives evidence of her change of mind, by saying “Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, / Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee (…) / love, fair looks, and true obedience, / Too little payment for so great a debt. / Such duty as the subject hold the prince, / Even such a woman oweth to her husband,” (V.2.150-160).
Whether they end up changing or not, neither of the women have autonomy throughout their respective plays. Isabella, who seems to be perfectly autonomous and independent, does as she is told—as far as she agrees. Having denied any possibility of giving her virginity for her brother’s life, the Duke (dressed as a Friar) plans for another woman to sleep with Angelo, but still make him believe that it is Isabella he is sleeping with; this plan will not only save Claudio’s life but it will also not taint Isabella’s body. Isabella goes along with the Duke’s plan, not stopping to think twice about another woman’s body being tainted. The moment in which Shakespeare best portrays Isabella’s lack of autonomy is at the end, when the Duke tells her, “…and for your lovely sake / Give me your hand, and say you will be mine,” (V.1.485-486). The Duke continues his monologue, without giving her a chance to accept or decline his proposal.
Yet, Katherina’s lack of autonomy is worse that Isabella’s: Petruccio does not ask for her hand in marriage, but rather informs her of their engagement (“And will you, nill, you, I will marry you,” II.1.263; “And kiss me, Kate. We will be married o’ Sunday,” II.1.316; “I must forsooth be forced / To give my hand opposed against my heart,” III.2.8-9). Once they are married, the situation gets worse for Katherina: she leaves when Petruccio wants to leave, she goes where Petruccio wants to go… and she sees what Petruccio wants her to see. There is one incident, as they are going back to Padua, when Petruccio mentions the moon—and it is clearly the sun, and Katherina says so (IV.6.1-23); however, she changes her mind, saying “What you will have it named, even that it is, / And so it shall be still for Katherine,” (IV.6.22-23). When she marries Petruccio, she loses herself completely; she thinks as Petruccio thinks, she does as Petruccio does, she says as Petruccio says she should say.
Initially, Shakespeare’s portrayal of Katherina is that of subverted femininity; however, throughout the play, she modifies her behavior, her thoughts, and herself to fit the regressive notion of femininity, and reinforce it. Isabella reinforces the notion of femininity from beginning to end. Both women have the lead roles; both women are strong and willful; yet, although they develop differently throughout their plays, they end up in much the same way: reinforcing the idea that women should be chaste, silent, obedient, and compliant.
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