Sara IRL | John Caedan

Should there be a power struggle in love, sex, and marriage, and if so, should the woman subordinate herself to the man?

Or as Tessa said, “Who wears the pants?”

Shakespeare seems to have started this controversy, yet perchance it was already an old fight when he penned his play “The Taming of the Shrew” around 1590.

The story was turned into a Broadway musical by Cole Porter in 1953 called "Kiss Me Kate." Both the musical and the original play have been made into films.

The friends at Desert Academy at Sky Valley expressed their opinions during and after they appeared in it at the high school.

IRL, many others, critics, feminists, intellectuals and artists, have fought over the meaning.

Some say it shoots straight, says "hell yes, women ought to surrender to men and become obedient wives." This satisifies some, horrifies others.

Others say this is obvious farce, so it’s a joke. Shakespeare and Cole Porter didn't mean it.

In the middle is the rich vein of interpretation: the irony that both sense the tension of power, but their characters are so good, they get beyond, and the strength of their loving wins in the end.

The Wikipedia article is excellent

Click here for the Wikipedia Article

The recent film “10 Things I Hate About You” with Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles is loosely based on this plot.

Here are three versions of the controversial final speech, the longest in the play, which brings the point home.

Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”:

KATE:

I am ashamed that women are so simple
To offer war where they should kneel for peace,
Or seek for rule, supremacy, and sway,
Whey they are bound to serve, love, and obey.

Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth,
Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,
But that our soft conditions and our hearts
Should well agree with our external parts?

Come, come, you froward and unable worms,
My mind hath been as big as one of yours,
My heart as great, my reason haply more,
To bandy word for word and frown for frown.

But now I see our lances are but straws,
Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,
That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.

Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,
And place your hands below your husband's foot,
In token of which duty, if he please,
My hand is ready, may it do him ease.

Broadway musical “Kiss Me Kate” by Cole Porter:

KATHARINE:
I am ashamed the women a so simple
To offer war where they should kneel for peace,
Or seek for rule, supremacy, and sway
When they are bound to serve, love and obey.
Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth,
Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,
But that our soft conditions and our hearts
Should well agree with our external parts?
So, wife, hold your temper and meekly put
Your hand 'neath the sole of your husband's foot,
In token of which duty, if he please,
My hand is ready,
Ready,
May it do him ease.

Paraphrase from No Fear Shakespeare:

No Fear Shakespeare

Kate:

I am ashamed that women are so foolish as to declare war when they should plead on their knees for peace, that they seek authority, supremacy, and power when they are under an obligation to serve, love, and obey.

Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth, unfit for toil and trouble in the world, if not so that our soft qualities and our hearts should agree with our external parts?

Come, come, you weak, ungovernable worms! My spirit has been as proud as each of yours, my courage as great, and my reason perhaps even better suited to bandy words back and forth and exchange frown for frown. But now I see our weapons are like straws, our strength like a straw’s weakness, and our weakness past comparison, so that we seem to be the thing we most are not. Humble your pride, then, since it’s useless, and place your hand beneath your husband’s foot. As a gesture of my loyalty, my hand is ready if he cares to use it. May it bring him comfort