KATE'S METAMORPHOSIS--

The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare is a comedy about how to tame a shrewish woman and make her a civilized member of society. The woman in particular is named Katherine Minola, one of Baptista Minola's daughters. Baptista's other daughter, Bianca, is a woman with many suitors. However, she is unable to marry any of them unless the elder daughter, Katherine, finds herself a husband. Alas, Katherine happens to be both "stark mad" and "wonderful froward," known by the rest of Padua as a crazy, stubborn shrew (I.1 69). Indeed, the only person who seems to be up to the challenge of taming Kate is a man named Petruchio, who immediately tells Kate that he is the man who is "born to tame [her].../ And bring [her] from a wild Kate to a Kate/ Conformable as other household Kates" (II.2 277-279). For the rest of the play, Kate, under Petruchio's guidance, slowly experiences an epic transformation from a shrew to an obedient, civilized woman. But the question must be posed: does Kate really want to become compliant?

Kate's public persona conflicts with her private persona. Her usual outward behavior consists of throwing temper tantrums, making threats, and even breaking a lute over someone's head. Most of the men in Padua are terrified of her, and the thought of courting her is like a joke: "To cart her rather, she's too rough for me" (I.1 55). However, from the first words Kate utters, it becomes clear that she cares about appearances: "I pray you, sir, is it your will/ To make a stale of me amongst these mates?" (I.1 57-58). She asks the question immediately after Baptista tells some of Bianca's suitors that Bianca will not be married until Katherine has a suitor. Presumably, Katherine is upset at the fact that "she has become nothing but an obstacle or a means to her sister's advancement" (Nevo 256). When she finally does get married, Kate still cares what people think, because her future husband is late to the event: "No shame but mine... Now must the world point at poor Katherine..." (III.2 8, 18). Bianca and her three conservative suitors contrast sharply to Kate, the elder daughter with one quirky suitor. Kate's lack of suitors leads her to believe that no one loves her. Therefore, to avoid embarrassment, Kate, who obviously cares deeply about appearances, fashions herself a makeshift armor through which she is invulnerable. "So determined is she to make herself invulnerable that she makes herself insufferable, and finds in insufferability her one defence" (Nevo 256). By making herself seem like she does not care whether she has any suitors or not, Kate avoids any potential embarrassment, and is able to establish control over society's reactions to her shrewishness. Though Kate leads a predictable life through this situation, she is at least able to control society's feelings toward her in this manner.

After Petruchio meets Kate, he slowly penetrates her defenses with his unpredictability and complete disregard for society's feelings toward him. "Petruchio is not trying to be what others expect or desire him to be. He insists on making his own decisions and is impervious to both ridicule and solicitous advice" (Slights 6). In doing so, Petruchio effectively baffles Kate with both compliments and insults: "I find you passing gentle...yet sweet as springtime flowers..." (II.1 243, 247) and "When you are gentle you shall have one too,/ And not til then" (IV.3 71-72). In the first quote, Petruchio is complimenting Kate during their first meeting, but in the second quote, he is insulting Kate by denying her a cap that gentlewomen often wear. Though he falls in love with Kate's "vivacity and nimble wit," Petruchio is careful to note that she is "insecure and resentful but always painfully aware of how others see her" (Slights 7). Kate's pride and insecurity stand in the way of Petruchio's taming process. Though she has a reputation to uphold, a small part of her must certainly wonder what it would be like to be married. Kate's pride keeps her from expressing her desire to free herself of the trap that has been designed for her. She would rather not marry and be content "in [Bianca's] discontent" than take a chance and risk having her pride hurt (I.1 80). When she finally does take a chance, her pride is hurt. Petruchio is late to their wedding and Kate's pride takes a serious blow. She regrets "Would Katherine had never seen him though!" while running off weeping (III.2 26). Kate's pride is still an obstacle even after marriage:

KATE [Advancing] Husband, let's follow, to see the end of this ado.
PETRUCHIO First kiss me, Kate, and we will.
KATE What, in the midst of the street?
PETRUCHIO What, art thou ashamed of me?
KATE No sir, God forbid, but ashamed to kiss (V.1 132-136).

Katherine is both insecure about what people will think at the two of them kissing in public and reluctant to abandon her pride in being independent and in control. Kate's insecurity plays a role in the taming process as well. When Hortensio tells Kate she will not get any mates until she is of "gentler, milder mold," Kate is immediately on the defensive, assuring him that marriage "is not halfway to her heart" and that if it were, she would "comb [his] noddle with a three-legged stool/And paint [his] face and use [him] like a fool" (I.1. 60, 62-65). Kate is also insecure when it comes to being loved; she feels that her father prefers Bianca over her, and has decided to make Bianca's life miserable as revenge. Envious and miserable, she can only snivel "[Bianca] is your treasure, she must have a husband;/I must dance barefoot on her wedding day..." (II.1 32). From this quote, one can easily see Kate's insecurity about not being loved, along with her fear of becoming the proverbial old maid. Though Kate portrays herself outwardly as a cold shrew, she must certainly possess a great deal of inward emotional conflict. Perhaps she does not like being alone in the world after all.

Petruchio is Kate's savior from her confined lifestyle. He is the sole person capable of saving her from herself. Kate cannot and will not save herself because of her pride. But if Petruchio steps in and helps Kate, it will look like she is being tamed by force. This scenario is precisely what Kate desires. Through a process of rigorous sleep and food deprivation, Petruchio weakens Kate's will to resist while at the same time teaching her vital lessons. By not allowing her to eat, he deprives Kate of something she has taken advantage of her whole life. She realizes she must start becoming civilized in order to receive the things she needs, and by doing so, gradually abandons her shrewish temperament. Petruchio also shows Kate just how horrible she acts to other people by putting on childish displays in front of her:

PETRUCHIO What's this, mutton?
FIRST SERVANT Ay.
PETRUCHIO Who brought it?
PETER I.
PETRUCHIO ' Tis burnt, and so is all the meat. What dogs are these! Where is the rascal cook? How durst you, villains, bring it from the dresser, and serve it thus to me that love it not? [He throws it at them.] There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all. You heedless joltheads and unmannered slaves! What, do you grumble? I'll be with you straight.
KATE I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet. The meat was well if you were so contented (IV.1 147-157).

In the quote, Petruchio has a tantrum about meat that is burnt (though probably not at all) just to show Kate how she acts. In doing so, he subdues her shrewish tendencies. She is put off by such a display and, for one of the first times in her life, does not have control over a situation. One of the servants notes that "He kills her in her own humor" (IV.1 170). Kate, having no other choice, must reverse her role; she now asks her husband not to be so alarmed, whereas she might have earlier thrown a tantrum herself. Petruchio also teaches Kate that self worth is not based on material things. He tempts Kate with "silken coats and caps and golden rings" and just as soon takes them away, teaching her that "'tis the mind that makes the body rich," slowly dissolving away Kate's mindset of appearance determining worth (IV.3 55, 169). Scene 1 of Act V is monumental; it marks the first time Kate fully dismisses her pride. When told to kiss her husband, she at first lets her pride stand in the way, but, to prove that she is not ashamed of the man she has married, gives him a kiss, and asks him to stay. The fact that she is not ashamed of Petruchio, despite his unconventional ways, means that she has been tamed. She is no longer afraid of what society will think. In addition, she knows that for any relationship to work there must be some give-and-take. "Her offer of 'love, fair looks and true obedience' [V. ii 153] to Petruchio's 'honest will,' an important qualification, confirms her new-found humility and expresses gratitude for his freeing her from a sterile role" (Jorgens 375).

The most important thing to realize is that Kate's conversion from a shrew to an obedient wife is not putting her in the doormat position. By putting Kate through her own hell and then taming her into a subservient wife, Petruchio has given Kate the freedom to decide what she wants. This freedom to choose is what Kate desired all along. She wanted the choice to not be a shrew, and Petruchio has helped her obtain her goal. Kate is finally liberated from the boundaries she set for herself.

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