Shakespeare's Shrew: A Rhetorical Comparison of the Shakespearean Female I see a woman may be made a fool, if she had not

a spirit to resist Shrew III!ii!""#$"%&! Foolish women, as s'((ested by Shakespeare, are those who lack the spirit to resist and instead blindly accept the fate for which society determines for them! Foolishness, th's cannot be breached by a woman in any other way! )ith that bein( said, Shakespeare writes his women to be sensible e*emplifications of his ideas re(ardin( social c'stoms! In two of his ma+or works, Romeo and Juliet and Taming of the Shrew, he writes his female characters in this manner! ,oth the female main characters of the works, -'liet and .ate, play the role of the shrew and are well known for this role! -'liet, especially, is a name known aro'nd the world by men and women alike! ,y castin( the female role in that of the shrew, Shakespeare employs the female a /oice and ma+or role within his work! 0hro'(h the 'se of rhetoric, the female /oice is e*hibited on the same le/el of that of her male co'nterparts, and th's bears e1'al depth as well as intellect! In Taming of the Shrew, it is indisp'table that .ate plays the role of the shrew, howe/er in Romeo and Juliet, -'liets role as shrew is not as easily noticed! 0his can be attrib'ted to the lack of intelli(ence associated with the other characters in Romeo and Juliet. In Taming of the Shrew, it is .ates 1'ick, sharp ton('e that earns her the rep'tation of bein( a shrewish woman amon( her peers! 2owe/er in Romeo and Juliet, -'liet has +'st as sharp and 1'ick a ton('e as .ate's, howe/er her remarks are 's'ally not recei/ed by her peers in the same way as in Taming of the Shrew, th's her rep'tation ne/er precedes her as a shrewish woman! She ill'strates this d'rin( a con/ersation with her mother in re(ards to marria(e! )hen approached abo't her feelin(s towards marryin( 3aris, -'liet tactf'lly replies, It is an honor I dream not of I!iii!4%&! -'st as .ate does, she /oices her opinions freely! In the case of -'liet, howe/er, her peers, in this case her mother, simply do not possess the intellect'al ability to 'nderstand the do'ble meanin( behind -'liets words! 5espite the inability of the s'rro'ndin( characters to /iew -'liet as a shrew, she e*hibits the same mannerisms as .ate! 0hese

mannerisms can be seen by e/al'atin( the meetin( of .ate and 3ertr'chio to that of the meetin( between -'liet and Romeo!

.ates 'se of rhetoric in her first meetin( with 3ertr'chio e*emplifies the power her female /oice holds in maintainin( her at the same le/el as 3ert'chio! 0he followin( lines ill'strate a con/ersation in their initial meetin(: 36R0R7C2I8! 9yself am mo/ed to woo thee for my wife! .A06! 9o/ed: In (ood time, let him that mo/ed yo' hither;Remo/e yo' hence! I knew yo' at the first;<o' were a mo/eable! 36R0R7C2I8! )hy, what's a mo/eable= .A06! A +oint stool! 36R0R7C2I8! 0ho' has hit it> come sit on me! .A06! Asses are made to bear and so are yo'! 36R0R7C2I8! )omen are made to bear and so are yo'! .A06! ?o s'ch +ade as yo', if me yo' mean II!i!%@A$"#%&! 0hese lines of their first meetin( show the rhetorical battle between them, in which 3ertr'chio is perfectly matched with her in intellect'al ability! Ri(ht off from the start, .ate asserts her /oice by comparin( him to a mo/eable piece of f'rnit're, s'((estin( that he is fickle and easily swayed! )hen he attempts to h'mor her by in1'irin( abo't the mo/eable, she replies that he is a +oint stool, implyin( that she finds him to be common and holds him in low re(ard! 8f co'rse, 3ertr'chio himself is a male shrew, and with his 1'ick ton('e responds that if that be so, she sho'ld sit on him! At this se*'al reference, .ate responds by indirectly callin( him an ass! 2owe/er 3ertr'chio t'rns her words a(ainst her by 'sin( her bear, in re(ards to carryin(, and chan(es it to bear, in re(ards to women bearin( children! 0he 1'ote is concl'ded by .ate callin( him a sorry horse! 0he e*chan(e between the two demonstrates how .ate is able to initially assert her power in the form of her rhetoric, and maintain this power thro'(ho't the con/ersation! In addition their intellect'al similarties are what propel the play forward, as it is their disco'rse that defines the entirety of the play! -'st as .ate 'tiliBes rhetoric in her first meetin( with 3ertr'chio to maintain her position, -'liet

also employs the same techni1'e to assert her power in her first meetin( with Romeo!

R8968! If I profane with my 'nworthiest hand; 0his holy shrine, the (entle sin is this:;9y lips, two bl'shin( pil(rims, ready stand;0o smooth that ro'(h to'ch with a tender kiss! -7CI60! Dood 3il(rim, yo' do wron( yo'r hand too m'ch,;)hich mannerly de/otion show is this>;For saints ha/e hands that pil(rims' hands do to'ch,;And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss! R8968! 2a/e not saints lips, and holy palmers too= -7CI60! Ay, pil(rim, lips that they m'st 'se in prayer! R8968! 8 then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do!;0hey pray: (rant tho', lest faith t'rn to despair! -7CI60! Saints do not mo/e, tho'(h (rant for prayers' sake! R8968! 0hen mo/e not while my prayer's effect I take! EHe kisses her.] -7CI60! 0hen ha/e my lips the sin that they ha/e took! R8968! Sin from my lips= 8 trespass sweetly 'r(ed: Di/e me my sin a(ain I!/!%#F$%"%&! In response to Romeo's to'ch, -'liet immediately asserts herself by 'sin( his line a(ainst him! Similar to when .ate calls 3ertr'chio a +oint stool in re(ards to his 1'estion re(ardin( the mo/eable, -'liet 'ses Romeo's bl'shin( pil(rims to discreetly pa'se his efforts to kiss her! )hile she does seem to be intri('ed, she makes it /ery clear to him that she is not to be easily swayed! In doin( so, she asserts herself to Romeo! 2e contin'es to take her words to try and (et his kiss, and she contin'es in twistin( them to p't it off! Finally, he (oes in and kisses her for the first time! 0he second kiss happens shortly after, when she asks for it! 0heir whole meetin( is dominated by -'liets rhetorical skill! It is her ability to assert herself thro'(h her /oice that mo/es the play forward! And she is in complete control when she asks for the second kiss and he (rants her wish! 3oor Romeo only belie/es himself to be the initiator! 0he power lies entirely within -'liet! 0hro'(h caref'l e*amination of the rhetoric 'sed by both -'liet and .ate, one can concl'de that Shakespeare wrote their female role of shrew as a means to employ them with power to maintain their intellect with that of their male co'nterparts! 0he role of shrew is essential to the female /oice, beca'se the shrew woman is one who speaks her mind freely a(ainst societal norms! In castin( .ate as the shrew in Taming of the Shrew and implyin( -'liet as a shrew woman in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare employs the female role with a sense of power deri/ed from their desire to manip'late lan('a(e as they

see fit! 0he only foolish woman, to Shakespeare, is one who doesn't /oice herself, and th's -'liet and .ate are far from foolish! F'rthermore, these women represent an ima(e of power and confidence that sho'ld be reflected by Shakespeare's a'dience, especially the women!

)orks Cited: Shakespeare, )illiam, ,arbara A! 9owat, and 3a'l )erstine! The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet! ?ew <ork: Simon G Sch'ster 3aperbacks, "#%%! 3rint! Shakespeare, )illiam! The Taming of the Shrew! 6d! Syl/an ,arnet! ?ew <ork: 3en('in Dro'p, %@F4! 3rint!