Review: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare, through his comedies, not only creates laughter and mirth but also highlights the basic suppressed social issues. In the case of the Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare presents the determined role of women in society through the character of Katherine and how her taming by Petruchio ushers her to survival in the best form. Apparently, it is taming but at the same time, this is the fulfilment of her basic needs.

This paper aims at bridging Maslow’s Hierarchal Needs with the self-accomplishment and self-realization of Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew. The idea goes with the arising query in the mind about her taming, as it seems she is tamed but in actuality, she has acquired the ability to adapt to the circumstances. So Katherine’s character is a convincing illustration of Moslow’s list of needs, which are psychological, safety, esteem needs, love and belonging and the last, which is the final destination, is the accomplishment of self. Despite all the injustices of the patriarchal society and the burden of the sub-title of the shrew, she recognizes herself in the best way for her comfortable survival. The triangle of Moslow’s needs gives a clear vision of Katherine’s role in the play as an intelligent woman who realises the best for herself.

The very basic idea around which the play revolves is the taming of Katherine and it triggers the minds and makes the readers suspicious about the success of Petruchio. Katherine, a shrewd lady, becomes obedient in the end and it seems from different evidence from the play that she, in reality, is not being tamed but rather understands the sensibility of the circumstances. This research will explore this heightened query through the principles of “Humanistic Psychology” presented by Abraham Moslow in his A Theory of Human Motivation.

The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by Shakespeare about the taming of an assertive lady. From the very first reading, it provides the picture of the triumphant goal of victorious taming, but when the text is given in-depth reading, it expounds a detailed understanding of the character of Katherine and her indirect willingness to be tamed. Every society has certain limitations for women to be entitled as accomplished women. Katherine does not fall into the category of the listed societal role of women. Bianca, her younger sister, is completely engrossed in the described etiquette of politeness and shyness of Elizabethan society. Although it seems that patriarchy as always, gains success, here in this play, it is the opposite. Katherine under the disguise of being tamed, tames Petruchio, not only for her benefit but for him also, to gain a stable life for both of them.

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This article traces the character of Katherine with the proposed theory of Abraham Moslow,’s triangle of human basic needs. Abraham Moslow in his A Theory of Human Motivation, says “What a man can be, he must be” ( Moslow 15 ), so a person knows fully about one’s self and can make oneself what one wants to be. The Taming of the Shrew, under the camouflage of farce play, shows a woman who completely understands the complexity of the human self and learns to accept the better for herself. Moslow theory deals with the true nature of any human being as he says, “Improve human nature, and you will improve all” (Moslow 11), in “Towards Humanistic Psychology”. This improvement in the nature of establishing individuality within the building structure of the society.

Petruchio comes to know about the shrewd girl of Padua upon his arrival from Verona. This young gentleman resolves to make her the sophisticated lady of all. His resolution under the flag of patriarchy and the intelligence of Katherine make this play a successful taming of the ill-tampered girl. Petruchio goes with the very psyche of Katherine. He shows the same behaviour as hers, fulfilling the “psychological need” (Moslow).

Throughout the play, Petruchio shows various dysfunctional traits demonstrating his search for stability. Due to the death of his father, a gap is being created in his life and builds in his, flawed behaviour. He is in search of certainty and finds a resolution to tame a girl. This urge for taming comes out of his maladaptive behaviour. Sarah Spaulding in her “Powering Petruchio: Building a Case for Personality Disorder in The Taming of the Shrew” exhibits her point of view by saying, “Petruchio exhibits a variety of maladaptive psychological characteristics as seen in his cruelty, lack of empathy, and aggression” (Spaulding 3).

He comes to Baptisa and sets dowry with him without talking to Katherine. He speaks decisively as he goes to Katherine and tells her that he is going to marry her no matter what. He talks the opposite of what Katherine says, declaring her beautiful and replies to her rudeness in a nice and threatening manner. showing the same behaviour as hers but with an amalgamation of softness in it. In this way, he becomes successful in his quest. As he says, “Women are made to bear, and so are you” (Shakespeare 2.1, 709) and “I swear I’ll cuff you if you strike again” (Shakespeare 2.1, 710). In the next moment he claims that “I find you passing gentle” (Shakespeare 2.1, 711) and in the end, puts his decision in front of her in a very perfect manner “You shall be my wife” (Shakespeare 2.1, 711).

This sort of behaviour is highlighted by his disordered being as Sarah Spaulding says, “Petruchio as a candidate for personality disorder uncovers his motives, feelings, and fears, as well as the social constructs within which he lives” ( Spaulding 3) in her article “Powering Petruchio: Building a Case for Personality Disorder in The Taming of the Shrew”. Katherine herself acknowledges this fact when she says, “He was a frantic fool” (Shakespeare 3.2, 719). Due to alienation, which he is facing after his father’s death, he finds a girl who is completely alienated by the people around in The Development of the Shrew in British Comedy to 1642, Sandra Corder Barnhill says, Kate “is strong-willed, embarrassed by her reputation as a shrew and the resultant treatment by her sister’s suitors, and offended by her father’s obvious preference of Bianca” (Barnhill 220). So through taming, he makes her and himself fit in society.

Katherine reaches the highest level of self-accomplishment of Moslow’s “Hierarchal Needs”. Firstly, there is the fulfilment of psychological needs Petruchio. He does psychological pummelling by his rigid attitude. He acts in a very strange and odd manner, like hasty marriage, late on the wedding day, not dressed like a bridegroom, doing weird acts while marrying, depriving her of food, water and sleep on the wedding night, scolding the servant infant of her and in the end, showing consent for going to her father’s house. He makes us forget about her shrewd behaviour. He, in this way, acts like a therapist for her, showing the fulfilment of the first step of the psychological need of Moslow’s triangle. As he says, “This is a way to kill a wife with kindness:/Thus I will curb her mad and headstrong humour.//He that knows better how to tame a shrew” (Shakespeare 4.1, 731).

The other very basic need which Katherine yearns for is safety which she finds in the existence of Petruchio. She recognizes a man who wants to make her save from the evils of society and her shrewdness is one of them. According to Moslow, the “need for safety is seen as an active and dominant of the organism’s resources” (Moslow 13) in A Theory of Human Motivation. Petruchio starts calling her Kate instead of Katherine. This mildness of behaviour highlights the sense of love. Katherine feels love and a sense of belonging which is the third stage of Moslow’s needs. Although, love is not deeply presented here in this play. As in comedies, Shakespeare does not give love so prominent position but love exists also on a minor level. Petruchio gives the complete manifestation of love and belonging by uttering these lines,

Thy beauty that doth make me like thee well
Thou must be married to no man but me
For I am he am born to tame you, Kate,
And bring you from a wild Kate to a KateComfortable as other household Kates (Shakespeare 2.1, 711)

Abraham Moslow in his A Theory of Human Motivation, defines the fourth state, which is self-esteem, in these words, it is a “desire for strength, for achievement, for adequacy, for confidence in the face of the world and for independence and freedom” (Moslow 15). As Katherine claims, “I am ashamed that women are so simple/To offer war where they should kneel for peace” (Shakespeare 5.2, 756).

Sandra Corder Barnhill rightly says, “Petruchio not only indicates to his wife the behaviour he desires, but he also provides an excuse whereby she may alter her behaviour without becoming the object of ridicule” (Barnhill 233) in the Development of the Shrew in British Comedy to 1642.

Harold Bloom in Shakespeare’s Invention of Human argues, “Petruchio is someone else from inside, as Kate comes to know, comprehends and controls, with her final assent” (Bloom 29). Katherine is the one who understands the real Petruchio and decides to leave her all shrewdness and reaches the last stage of self-accomplishment. Charles Brooks in his “Shakespeares’s Romantic Shrews” states that, “she discovers that such playing can be a good sport, that if she bends a little she and her husband can not only live harmoniously but can also entertain themselves gloriously at the expense of others” (Brooks 354).

As she shows her realization in the end,
And when she is frowned, peevish, sullen and spur,
And not obedient to his honest will,
What is she but a foul contending rebel,
And graceless traitor to her loving Lord? (Shakespeare 5.2, 756)

She finally understands reality and reaches her real self. The respect which she cannot gain under the title of the shrew, she achieves under the title of obedient wife. She finds all the basic needs which she acquires and makes herself a completely changed personality from the previous Kate. She comes to know how to be acceptable in society without even losing a little. Her speech, in the end, is a clear demonstration of this fact, as she says,

Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee,
And for thy maintained commits his body
To painful labour, both my sea and land;
To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,
Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe,
And craves no other tribute at thy hands,
But love, fair looks, and true obedience;
To little payment for so great a debt. ( Shakespeare 5.2, 755)

The fusion of madness of Petruchio and the pretending Katherine let her achieve stability, certainty and acceptance in society. As Harold Bloom gives this perception in Shakespeare’s The Invention of Humans, The mutual roughness of Kate and Petruchio makes a primal appeal, and yet the humour of their relationship is highly sophisticated. The amiable ruffian Petruchio is actually ideal- that is to say an overdetermined choice for Kate in her quest to free herself from a household situation far madder denying than Petruchio’s antic zaniness. (Bloom 29)

So The Taming of the Shrew is either a comedy or a farce. The absurd elements and the comic dialogues make it a play of taming of a shrew in a lighter tone. So the timing is not taming in the reality but the hidden intelligence of Katherine. Abraham Moslow through his “Humanistic Psychology” gives the Hierarchal Needs through which Katherine works for her improvement as an individual and for the betterment of her relationship with Petruchio. She finds her individuality, happiness and acceptance under the title of obedient wife and reaches the culminating height of self-acknowledgement.