History Theatre / TheTamingOfTheShrew

It's hard to find a story more prime for AlternativeCharacterInterpretation. Some readers see 'sweet' Bianca as a manipulative little bitch who's got their father twisted round her finger and Kate 'acts out' just to get some of his attention. It is also clear that though it is the thought of a fat dowry that initially attracts him, Petruchio is also enchanted by Kate's quick wit. His challenge is to break what has become a conditioned reflex.

Shakespeare's play is based on older works. Significantly, these versions emphasized women's inferiority. Shakespeare's Kate, on the other hand, argues that women should be obedient to their husbands because said husbands love them and want only what is best for them. Admittedly an arguable proposition, but it puts her in a different category from the patient Griselda who endured any kind of mistreatment as a duty.

* {{Tsundere}}: Kate.

* PropertyOfLove: Katherine at the end, if one takes the end literally.

* FanFic: ''The Tamer Tamed'' a play written by John Fletcher in 1611. Shakespeare apparently approved of the work.

** "Tranio" and "Grumio" were named after a pair of slave characters in Creator/{{Plautus}}'s play ''Mostellaria''--a well-bred, clever town slave with UpperClassWit tendencies and a low-born, much-abused country slave, respectively.

* UpperClassWit: Petruchio.

* SpankTheCutie: Kate, from Petruchio, and possibly Bianca and the widow from Kate at the end of the play

* BetaCouple: Bianca and Lucentio, though they seem like the OfficialCouple at first, if you think the ZanyScheme below is the actual main plot.

* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: Kate is a '''shrew''' who binds her sister and whips her, throws things at complete strangers for reasons ranging from, "I don't like the song you played." to "You looked at my sister first." and is generally an unpleasant person to be around. Every scene of Petruchio pretending to throw a fit is an exact mirror of Kate's terrible rage, no different than [[Literature/AChristmasCarol the Ghost of Christmas Present repeating Ebenezer Scrooge's cold words back to him]], but when he gives her her just desserts, could it be sexist?
** A person being abusive doesn't give others license to abuse them. Abuse is never justified. Whether his treatment is sexist or not, it's still a man abusing his wife. One can argue Kate deserved to be punished, that Bianca and her father deserved protection, and that Kate might be able to be rehabilitated without condoning Petruchio's actions.
** Petruchio, as her husband, has total power over Kate. Throwing things at people doesn't really compare.
** Victims of abuse might have something to say about that. Abusers have a ''very'' hard time changing, and abuse victims (especially extreme cases) would be very much okay with their abusers facing a treatment like Kate's.
** That is vengeance, not justice. Kate's behaviour in earlier scenes is abhorrent, yes, but two wrongs don't make a right.

* GoldDigger

* LargeHam: Petruchio is often played as this.

* SiblingYinYang
* SlapSlapKiss

* SpankTheCutie

* WouldHitAGirl: Petruchio's "I swear I'll cuff you if you strike again." (Kate counters by telling him he'll be no gentleman if he does so, and it's never brought up again.)

* LikeAWeasel: Petruchio forces Kate to behave like this with him.

* LysistrataGambit: According to some interpretations, Petruchio giving Kate a "sermon of continency" on their wedding night is a gender-reversed example of this, just as much a taming method as withholding food and sleep. ([[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation The other possibility]] is that since she hasn't warmed up to him yet, he's simply showing the common decency not to force anything while continuing to [[ObfuscatingInsanity feign insanity]].)

* PussInBoots: Tranio.

** "Tranio" and "Grumio" were named after a pair of slave characters in {{Plautus}}'s play ''Mostellaria''--a well-bred, clever town slave with UpperClassWit tendencies and a low-born, much-abused country slave, respectively.

* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: Am I the only Troper in the Queen's Commonwealth who notices that Kate is an abusive--oh, I don't know--'''shrew''' who binds her sister and whips her, throws things at complete strangers for reasons ranging from, "I don't like the song you played." to "You looked at my sister first." and is generally an unpleasant person to be around. Every scene of Petruchio pretending to throw a fit is an exact mirror of Kate's terrible rage, no different than [[Literature/AChristmasCarol the Ghost of Christmas Present repeating Ebenezer Scrooge's cold words back to him]], but when he gives her her just desserts, it is sexist?!

** The Wife Beater Beater trope (which most people in real life seem to have no problem with) is completely built on the idea that abusers deserve to be abused. I agree with the original poster, the way Kate treated people was disgusting (that scene were Kate strips, ties ups, and beats her younger sister was down right disturbing). It doesn't really make sense for Kate to be allowed to treat everyone around her like dirt with no repercussions.

It's hard to find a story more prime for AlternateCharacterInterpretation. Some readers see 'sweet' Bianca as a manipulative little bitch who's got their father twisted round her finger and Kate 'acts out' just to get some of his attention. It is also clear that though it is the thought of a fat dowry that initially attracts him, Petruchio is also enchanted by Kate's quick wit. His challenge is to break what has become a conditioned reflex.

* AbuseIsOkayWhenItIsFemaleOnMale: Am I the only Troper in the Queen's Commonwealth who notices that Kate is an abusive--oh, I don't know--'''shrew''' who binds her sister and whips her, throws things at complete strangers for reasons ranging from, "I don't like the song you played." to "You looked at my sister first." and is generally an unpleasant person to be around. Every scene of Petruchio pretending to throw a fit is an exact mirror of Kate's terrible rage, no different than [[AChristmasCarol the Ghost of Christmas Present repeating Ebenezer Scrooge's cold words back to him]], but when he gives her her just desserts, it is sexist?!
** A person being abusive doesn't give others license to abuse them. Abuse is never justified. Whether his treatment is sexist or not, it's still a man abusing his wife. One can argue Kate deserved to be punished, that Bianca and her father deserved protection, and that Kate might be able to be rehabilitated without condoning Petruchio's actions.
** The Wife Beater Beater trope (which most people in real life seem to have no problem with) is completely built on the idea that abusers deserve to be abused. I agree with the original poster, the way Kate treated people was disgusting (that scene were Kate strips, ties ups, and beats her younger sister was down right disturbing). It doesn't really make sense for Kate to be allowed to treat everyone around her like dirt with no repercussions.

* CommediaDellArte: Quite a few elements of the plot are linked to ''Commedia'' situations and character types. Gremio is actually referred to as "a pantaloon", and Lucentio and Bianca serve as the ''innamorati'', with Tranio as the [[TheTrickster trickster]] servant who gets them together and Vincentio and Baptista as their respective forbidding fathers. Meanwhile, Grumio and the rest of Petruchio's wacky household staff engage in ''zanni''-like slapstick and pratfalls.

* HairTriggerTemper: What makes Kate a shrew. Petruchio pretends to have one as part of his taming scheme, though it [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation may be]] more real than not, depending on how he's played (the very first time we see him he's beating up on Grumio).

* LysistrataGambit: According to some interpretations, Petruchio giving Kate a "sermon of continency" on their wedding night is a gender-reversed example of this, just as much a taming method as withholding food and sleep. ([[AlternateCharacterInterpretation The other possibility]] is that since she hasn't warmed up to him yet, he's simply showing the common decency not to force anything while continuing to [[ObfuscatingInsanity feign insanity]].)

* ObfuscatingInsanity: Petruchio--although as in the case of ''{{Hamlet}}'', he seems to be pretty crazy anyway and [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation how much of it is faked depends on interpretation]].

** A person being abusive doesn't give others license to abuse them. Abuse is never justified. Whether his treatment is sexist or not, it's still a man abusing his wife. One can argue Kate deserved to be punished, that Bianca and her father deserved protection, and that Kate might be able to be rehabilitated without condoning Petruchio's actions.

* TheMusical: ''KissMeKate'', where the original frame story is exchanged for Baltimore in 1947, and a theater company is putting on a musical production of the play. Kate's actress (Petruchio/the director's ex-wife) threatens to walk out, the [[TheFamilyForTheWholeFamily mob]] gets involved, and characters break character on stage as the "backstage" drama threatens to go out of control.

''The Taming of the Shrew'' is one of {{William Shakespeare}}'s more famous comedies and an interesting exploration of historical ValuesDissonance in the realm of gender relations.

It's hard to find a story more prime for AlternateCharacterInterpretation. Some readers see 'sweet' Bianca as a manipulative little bitch who's got their father twisted round her finger and Kate 'acts out' just to get some of his attention. It is also clear that though it is the thought of a fat dowry that initially attracts him, Petruchio is also enchanted by Kate's quick wit. His challenge is to break what has become a conditioned reflex.

* HairTriggerTemper: What makes Kate a shrew. Petruchio pretends to have one as part of his taming scheme, though it [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation may be]] more real than not, depending on how he's played (the very first time we see him he's beating up on Grumio).

* ThePhilosopher: Lucentio's opening speech pegs him as one of these, but he instantly throws his plans to study ethics out the window when he sees Bianca, which is only a few lines later.

--> '''Lucentio''': I read what I profess, ''[[{{Ovid}} The Art to Love]]''.

--->'''Petruchio''': Come, come, you wasp; i’ faith, you are too angry.
--->'''Katrina''': If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
--->'''Petruchio''': My remedy is then, to pluck it out.
--->'''Katrina''': Ay, if the fool could find it where it lies.
--->'''Petruchio''': Who knows not where a wasp does wear his sting? In his tail.
--->'''Katrina''': In his tongue.
--->'''Petruchio''': Whose tongue?
--->'''Katrina''': 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.
--->''[Kate slaps him]''

* GentlemanAndAScholar: Both Lucentio and Tranio. They're on their way to study at the University of Padua when a ZanyScheme derails them, but they still show themselves to be well-educated.

It's hard to find a story more prime for AlternateCharacterInterpretation. Some readers see 'sweet' Bianca as a manipulative little bitch who's got their father twisted round her finger and Kate 'acts out' just to get some of his attention. It is also clear that though it is the thought of a fat dowry that initially attracts him, Petruchio is also enchanted by Kate's quick wit. His challenge is to break what has become a conditioned reflex. YourMileageMayVary on whether he breaks her spirit.

* WouldHitAGirl: Petruchio's "I swear I'll cuff you if you strike again." (YourMileageMayVary on whether or not he means it, though; Kate counters by telling him he'll be no gentleman if he does so, and it's never brought up again.)