Is ThereHostility or

Love?9640112 Jenny Huang 黃逸涵

The Relationshipbetween Katharina and Petruchio

in “The Taming of the Shrew (1967)”

The Taming of the Shrew (1967)

•Directed by Franco Zeffirelli

•Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

About the original play

•There have been many different opinions about Katharina and Petruchio. They can be roughly divided into two sides.

1.Petruchio is a chauvinist! This play is an insult to women!

2.Actually, Katharina is not tamed; she is so wise that she chooses to be passive.

So,

how did Franco Zeffirelli

interpret

“The Taming of the Shrew”?

The Process of Taming (1)• Inhuman!!!• In the film, the process is spotted with

kindness. Petruchio shows both force and concerns▫Petruchio helps her to stand up and walk when

she twists her ankle, whereas the next scene is that he grabs her arm to keep her quiet.

▫He lets her take a comfortable sleep at night after she tumbled home alone in rain, ate nothing as dinner and had a fight with him in bed.

Katharina’s Last Speech (1)

•Interpreted as the ultimate goal Shakespeare set for all the women.

•In the film, Petruchio’s reaction demonstrates his uncertainty about his “taming.”▫After the widow’s and Bianca’s resistance,

Petruchio looks anxious and worried. Not until Katharina shows up does he feel released.

Katharina Is Wise (2)•She finds out her own way to get along with

her husband.• In the film, there are several times that she

chooses to be obedient.▫Katharina agrees with Petruchio that it is

seven o’clock while it is actually two.▫Katharina kisses him in public, but instead of

his lips, she kisses his nose.▫She doesn’t speak against Petruchio

immediately when he says it’s the moon while pointing to the sun. Instead, she smiles and says nothing.

Why does it seem

that Zeffirelli stands out

for both of the characters?

Possible Reason•There is love between them, more or less!•Katharina

▫The next day of their marriage, she gets up early to clean up the house happily with the servants and make new clothes for them.

•Petruchio▫On their way to her father’s house, he

passes over a cup of water to her and then holds her carefully to help her go down the horse.

I Swear that I’m not Kidding!

•This explanation may be how Zeffirelli polishes the criticisms which attack the playwright.

•This explanation surprises the audiences again and again.

To Be Honest, I Admire…

•Petruchio’s wisdom▫He uses a more useful way to get what he

wants.•Katharina’s intelligence

▫She knows how to get along with him and survive under his mistreatment.

•Their relationship begins with conflists but ends up with a harmony.

•Actually, the happy ending makes me almost forget the terrible fighting part.

This Film•On the surface:

▫Franco Zeffirelli doesn’t go too far from the original play.

•If examined this argument:▫Weaving his new ideas into his film, Franco

Zeffirelli turns Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” into his.

Other Versions

Shakespeare Retoldby BBC (2006) (TV)

Kiss Me Kate (1953)

10 Things I Hate about You (1999)

References▫Gelfert, Hans-Dieter. 《莎士比亞與他的時代》。許惠容譯。台北：時報， 2007 。 P.157。

▫Riley, Dick and Pam McAllister. 《一本書完全貼近莎士比亞》。謝瑤玲譯。台北：圓神，民 95。

▫Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew. London: Cambridge UP, 1977.

▫Shakespeare, William.《馴悍婦》。梁實秋譯。台北：遠東，民 56。

▫阿尼克斯特。《莎士比亞的創作》。徐克勤譯。一版。山東：山東教育出版社， 1985 。 P.166-70。

▫陸谷孫。《莎士比亞研究十講》。一版。浙江：復旦大學， 2005 。 P.166-69。