After that, on line 14 and 15 I think that the tone gets a bit more serious. On line 14 Baptista says “Paudua offers this kindness, son Petruchio” In the text there is no exclamation mark so if I was directing it I would make him say it in a stern, serious voice. Petruchio says after that “Padua offers nothing but what is kind” I think that when he says that he should again say it quite quickly and immediately after Baptista did because that brings out his ‘cheeky’ character and it is entertaining because there is an argument and this is an amusing way to start off quite a formal event.
Another incident which I found amusing was a few lines later on line 20 when the widow says “He that is giddy thinks the world turns round” Katherina seems intrigued by it and asks her what she meant by it, but the widow doesn’t answer her question. Katherina repeats what the widow said and then in a stern voice says “I pray you tell me what you mean by that” and the widow replies with something quite mean. Katherina doesn’t take it too well and the two women get into a slanging match, in which the two husbands are cheering their lady on. I found this amusing because the banquet was supposed to be a happy event not one in which they are all bickering with each other.
Bianca and the other women get up and leave, Petruchio then proposes a wager that each husband will send for his wife to see which one will obey the quickest. Lucentio then begins the contest. Biondello is sent to get Bianca however she doesn’t come “she is busy”. Lucentio seems embarrassed because he would have liked her to come. I think if I was directing it I would have Lucentio go quiet and let the attention shine on someone else because at that point he wouldn’t be wanting attention because he has just looked silly. Biondello is then sent to get the Widow but she doesn’t go, she bids Hortensio to come to her. Hortensio also feels quite embarrassed because he expected her to come. However when he goes to get Katherina she responds. Baptista congratulates Petruchio, again Petruchio gets attention, which he likes.
Petruchio instructs Katherina to tell the other women the duty that they owe their husband, she rebukes Bianca and the Widow for failing to recognise their husbands’ superior status. She explains in it how to be the perfect wife. Here Shakespeare is using poetry into the play throughout Katherina’s speech.
“Such duty as the subject owes the prince,
Even such a woman oweth to her husband.”
Katherina is beginning to realise that men are seen as more superior than women and that women should obey and respect men. In the speech she says some things that are quite sarcastic and I think that she is mocking the overall attitude that the women should be the ones who bow down to their husbands. She knows deep down that she’s quite dominant and isn’t going to change for anyone, but she’s just putting this act on to keep everyone happy.
Earlier in the scene when Petruchio calls her she doesn’t come immediately surely if she was a true obedient little wife she would come on command. I think this is entertaining for the audience because they can see that Katherina is just playing up to what Petruchio wants but the other characters aren’t seeing it.
As Petrucho is going to bed with Katherina he says to Lucentio “'twas I won the wager, though you hit the white, And being a winner, God give you good night”
I think that it was amusing how he was saying to Lucentio, yes you got Bianca, the one they were both after, but I won the wager showing that Katherina is now more obedient towards men and does what they say, whereas Bianca didn’t. This shows that Petruchio really is believing her act. I also liked the way he said “And being a winner” rubbing it in to Lucentio again, however he doesn’t actually have the last laugh, the audience do because they know that Lucentio probably did get the best girl in the end. I think that rounds Petruchio’s character off nicely because he thinks he is getting the last laugh, and proudly walks off stage smugly.
So to conclude, I think that Shakespeare does a good job of entertaining his audience and keeping the humour varied to keep everyone happy. He manages to lower the tone in the play from ‘jokey’ to serious well. All through the play he uses lots of different types of humour and uses lots of dramatic devices to entertain further.
