Under My Thumb
Sitting at the computer, I was listening to my music set on random. Up comes "Under My Thumb" by the Rolling Stones. I listened to the lyrics and thought, "my goodness, this is The Taming of the Shrew!" Of course, I was not the first to ever have this particular thought.
I didn't have to go further than Wikipedia to read from the Under My Thumb entry:
The song's lyrics, an examination of a sexual power struggle, were very much in tune with the rebellious, vaguely misogynistic attitude that the mid-'60s Stones had cultivated, though the concept of "Under My Thumb" is arguably more sophisticated--even psychological--than any of the other controversial the Stones had released up to that point.
Jagger's lyrics celebrate the satisfaction of finally having controlled and gained leverage over a previously pushy, dominating woman. The lyrics, which savor the successful "taming of the shrew" with glee (comparing the woman in question to a "pet" and a "cat"), definitely provoked negative reactions among some listeners, especially feminists, who objected to the suppressive sexual politics of the male narrator. It can be reasonably argued, however, that the song is a vignette, or simply an examination of sexual malevolence and tension, and that the maliciousness of both the lyrics and Jagger's performance is theatrical and doesn't seriously advocate male domination. Many listeners also note that the woman who is the subject of the song was previously the dominant figure in the relationship, and that the narrator was originally submissive to her, making the implications of the song more complicated than simple chauvinism. Jagger later reflected on the track in a 1995 interview: "It's a bit of a jokey number, really. It's not really an anti-feminist song any more than any of the others.... Yes, it's a caricature, and it's in reply to a girl who was a very pushy woman."
This leads me to wonder, can we view the entirety of the Taming of the Shrew in the same light as, "a bit of a jokey number," or must we be outraged as feminists?
Comments
I think you bring up a really important question. Personally, I didn’t really like how Shakespeare portrayed women in “The Taming of the Shrew,� but I think anyone’s reaction to the play is based on their belief of Shakespeare’s intention. If you see “The Shrew� as a serious play where Shakespeare is using the characters of Kate, Bianca, and the Widow to make a statement about women, society, and the nature of relationships, then OF COURSE you would be outraged (given the fact that you’re not a misogynist). But, in my opinion, I don’t think that Shakespeare was trying to do that. “The Taming of the Shrew� is a comedy. In nearly every scene, someone is making fun of someone else, playing a cruel joke, or using biting comments to try to gain power all with the intention of making the audience laugh. If Shakespeare was really trying to make a statement about women, he would have used a more serious platform.
Agree? Disagree?
Posted by: Kimberly Miller | October 1, 2006 9:15 PM
I think Shakespeare can still make a statement about women while using a platform like The Taming of the Shrew. I'm of the opinion that the play is rather subversive: it portrays women in such exaggeratedly weak roles that the audience cannot help but question how we treat women.
Posted by: Patrick | October 1, 2006 10:52 PM
I agree that although this was a comedy, Shakespeare only seems to see women in extremes. Granted he is still young at this point and just emerging on the literary scene, but does he really believe that there can't be women who are strong, but also beautiful and "ladylike" when they want to be? It reminds me of Velma and Daphne in Scooby Doo - women are EITHER smart or sexy - never both, at least in the writers minds.
Posted by: Patience | October 2, 2006 12:25 AM
I don't imagine there's anyone that would really like how women are portrayed in "The Taming..." And by no means do I think that Shakespeare meant his female characters to be reflections of reality. Just like the woman in Jagger's song- they are "charicatures." Extremes used to get a laugh and make a point.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 2, 2006 3:15 PM
Oops, the above comment is mine, forgot to enter a name.
Posted by: Jenna Olson | October 2, 2006 3:17 PM
The treatment of women in this play is interesting at the least. One thing many people seem to gloss over, though, is that during the taming part, where Petruccio starves and deprives Kate of sleep, Petruccio himself is also being starved and not getting sleep. In order to keep her awake, he yells and does things to keep her awake, keeping him awake as well. When he sends the food away, he sends his food away as well as hers. I actually glossed over this fact as well, but I'm in The Shrew group, so I've done some additional research. :)
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