Katherine - Act 5, Scene 2: ~145-165
Modern Translation - Courtesy of NFS KATHERINE Girls, girls! Wipe those frowns off your faces and stop rolling your eyes. This disrespectful stance toward the man who is your lord, your king, your governor tarnishes your beauty the way the frosts of winter blights the land. It mars your reputations as whirlwinds shake fair buds. And in no sense is it fitting or attractive. An angry woman is like an agitated fountain- muddy, unpleasant, lacking in beauty. And in this condition, no one-however dry or thirsty he may be- will stoop to sip or touch one drop of it. Your husband is your lord, your life, your keeper, your head, your sovereign, one who cares for you and who, for your ease and comfort, commits his body to harsh labor both on land and sea. Long, stormy nights at seas he stays awake, by day he endures cold while you lie safe and warm, secure in your beds at home. And in exchange he seeks no more from you but love, kind looks, and true obedience- too little payment for so great a debt. A woman owes her husband the same loyalty a subject owes his king.
'Original' KATHERINE Fie, fie! Unknit that threat'ning unkind brow And dart not scornful glances from those eyes To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor. It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads, Confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds, And in no sense is meet or amiable. A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty, And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it. Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee, And for thy maintenance commits his body To painful labor both by 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- Too little payment for so great a debt. Such duty as the subject owes the prince, Even such a woman oweth to her husband.
Scornful Glances - Lots of consideration and thought goes into this description.
Thy Fame -
Woman Moved - Words.
So -
Thy Lord - Et cetera.
Thy Maintenance - You know the drill.
Storms -
Tribute -
Prince -
This section serves to act as a reference towards the set-up and direction of the close reading assignment. In order to omit 'face value' and traditional footnotes, a fairly decent modern translation is provided as part of "No Fear Shakespeare." As for the rest of the set-up, the format is a simple dual anchored hypertext linking system which is used to make connections and provide a more in-depth review than the translation provides. As for content, the passage chosen from Taming of the Shrew is found at the end of the play when Katharine (also known as Katherina) says her final speech. There are two general stances on what this monologue means: either Katherine accepts her role as an obedient housewife, or this speech is a ploy. This close reading examines contextual support in favor of the latter perspective.
My concluding summary paragraph shall be placed here.