Last week I attended an amateur production of The Taming of the Shrew.
Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die?
Yeah, I know, wrong play. The point I want to make is that while the lesson on ethnic prejudice offered by The Merchant of Venice would not be out of place in 21st century America, The Shrew‘s message is more or less anathema to our current gynothelemic mores. Four years ago, I guess, I saw the The Taming of the Shrew performed in a different venue. I lacked appreciation for it then, but now, enjoyed through the proper lens, I observed this play to be a masterwork of Game theory.
For those not familiar with the story, it revolves around two sisters: Bianca, who is sweet, docile, and traditionally feminine – and thus desirable; and Katherina, a raging harpy, brimming with the worst sort of female anger and abuse. The father of these two maidens seeks to marry them both off, but knows that Katherina’s demeanour makes her unattractive to all but the most self-punishing of men. Several suitors struggle amongst themselves for Bianca’s hand; meanwhile, beyond all probability, there appears a man (Petruchio) who avows that only a headstrong, fiery woman can satisfy his thirst for challenge.
That’s all you need to know, and there’s really not much more to the plot anyhow. Of specific interest are the themes of sociosexual interaction – particularly, the source of and cure for Katherina’s horrid personality.
For starters, it’s readily evident that Katherina’s distemper is amplified by the weak comportment of every male within her social sphere. All of the men in her life behave in a fearfully supplicating manner towards her. As I watched, I could see irritation grow on the actress’s face with each beta interaction. What of Petruchio? He is Alpha with a capital ‘A’. By the end of the play, he has transformed Katherina from a raging estro-gorgon to a docile, dreamy-eyed bride, all through the strength of his inner Game. He knows every trick in the book, and uses them.
The highlight of this dynamic occurs near the middle of the play, when Petruchio meets Katherina for the first time, and begins wooing her. She sets the b!tch shield to thermonuclear; he nonetheless plows through shite test after shite test after shite test with soberingly alphtastic prowess. In the play that I saw the other night, the acting was energetic, enthusiastic and enjoyable; the banter was well-rehearsed and choreographed; timing was tight; and the sexual tension could have been cut with a knife. Well-done and delightful to watch.
PETRUCHIO
Myself am moved to woo thee for my wife.
KATHARINA
Moved! in good time: let him that moved you hither
Remove you hence: I knew you at the first
You were a moveable.
PETRUCHIO
Why, what’s a moveable?
KATHARINA
A join’d-stool.
PETRUCHIO
Thou hast hit it: come, sit on me.
KATHARINA
Asses are made to bear, and so are you.
PETRUCHIO
Women are made to bear, and so are you!
If the above seems lacklustre, note that Shakespeare always comes across better live – with body language and facial expressions – than in print.
PETRUCHIO
Come, come, you wasp; i’ faith, you are too angry.
KATHARINA
If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
PETRUCHIO
My remedy is then, to pluck it out.
KATHARINA
Ay, if the fool could find it where it lies,
PETRUCHIO
Who knows not where a wasp does
wear his sting? In his tail.
KATHARINA
In his tongue.
PETRUCHIO
Whose tongue?
KATHARINA
Yours, if you talk of tails: and so farewell.
PETRUCHIO
What, with my tongue in your tail? nay, come again,
Good Kate; I am a gentleman.
Shakespeare is a master of the sly double entendre, and nota bene: The twentysomething women in the crowd laughed loudest. Their ginas tingled.
So watch the play, if you get a chance. I’m sure there are many renditions on Youtube.
This was awesome. I hated Shakespeare in school, because what I read was so insufferably boring . But this had me laughing. I guess “tail” meant the same thing 600 years ago as today.
It is also noteworthy to observe that women back then were substantively the same as today. Game has done a lot to demystify the feminine…they weren’t fundamentally different back then, merely the social/moral ecology was different.
It is also noteworthy to observe that women back then were substantively the same as today. Game has done a lot to demystify the feminine
I know. The more I see how many of our forebears had access to the red pill, the more I wonder how men in our time ever got stuck with the blue one.
Hollywood? Their mummies? My grandpa blames the ‘mollycoddling’ of children in the 50s and 60s. He says in his day parents didn’t spent anywhere near as much time with their young children. Also, bringing back national service is high up on his list.
Then again, my grandpa as a baby used to be hung out of in a ‘cage’ for fresh air.
His plays are quite deft at the human interactions. High School tends to stick with Hamlet, Caesar, maybe Romeo and Juliet and maybe Macbeth.
Those tend to be dryly analyzed.
But when you look at them they all speak to human nature.
Macbeth is a perfect example of a man that is not the head of his household.
Hamlet is an example of a son without a father, his mother hooks up with someone else and he is driftless, indecisive, even when he is called to do a very mascuine task, revenge.
They’re all we worth looking at.
Taming of the shrew is excellent.
I must say I am surprised in this climate that someone was doing it.
I must say I am surprised in this climate that someone was doing it.
I was too, at first. But maybe it goes over better than we might think because it touches on primal, unchangeable instincts? Remember that most women secretly want to be treated like this. (Side note: After we saw the play, walking out to the car, I kept calling my wife a “shrew” and telling her I was going to “tame” her. She nearly melted.)
[...] Shakespeare knew game. [...]
Funny Samson, I couldn’t stand Shakespeare in high school (except when they showed us Romeo & Juliet…they actually made us get permission slips to attend class that day, which I of course forged my Dad’s signature…hell, we got to see TITS in school!)
Anyhow, learning about Game has certainly changed my perspective. Last year I went on a Shakespeare kick and read all of his plays that I could get my hands on. Once you understand the real dynamics of attraction and seduction, you then understand what made Shakespeare so clever in the first place. Shakespeare certainly understood that the the double-entendre is chick crack.
Last year I went on a Shakespeare kick and read all of his plays that I could get my hands on.
I might do this too, when I have time.
Hey, my son is a part-time, amateur Shakespearean actor among his other talents. I sent him this link and he offered this in return:
–snip —
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6117710320762600410#
This is my favorite rendition on video.
One thing- Katherina is not transformed into a “docile” bride, though a number of troupes play it this way. Her aggressive assertion is merely channeled into their relationship and her Husband’s mind for her. In the final scene, she chases the manipulative and rich, recently rewed -to hortensio- widow out of the dining chamber because of her verbal affront to her marriage. Petruchio cackles at how his wife’s fury is directed at a truly undesirable woman, and wagers that his wife will win in what is sure to become a physical fight.
Fast forward to 1:42:00 for this scene performed well in that video.
–unsnip–
One thing- Katherina is not transformed into a “docile” bride, though a number of troupes play it this way. Her aggressive assertion is merely channeled into their relationship and her Husband’s mind for her.
Good point. That is all one could hope for from a woman like Katherina – and in fact, if, like Petruchio, you *like* a fiery woman, then maybe this is the marriage model you’re looking for!
I think that this may be the definitive version of the play.
I was first introduced to Taming of the Shrew in high school and didn’t fully understand it. We had to study it from feminist perspectives and look at modern interpretations and all that crap.
After I found game a few years ago I reread the play and instantly recognised what the hell was going on. I have never seen the play staged, and frankly don’t want to risk it. In this feminist age I can’t imagine how the play could be done without destroying the essence of it. Still, you were able to view a non-femininsed performance so maybe there is hope.
I have seen the movie version with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor and consider that movie spot on, except for the final scene. Its the only part of the movie open to any ambiguity and potential feminist watering down.