"An excellent thing in woman"
Regan, Goneril and Katherine all certainly do not display what Lear considered "an excellent thing in woman," a voice that "was ever soft,/ Gentle, and low." While we can't actually use Lear as the spokesman for all things proper in women, the idea of silence as a virtue for women is, and has been, a traditional belief. Remember that Creon wants to silence Antigone.
So, what happens when a woman keeps silent (Cordelia)? What happens when they do speak, and what are the consequences? What does speech reveal about their characters? Is Katherine silenced in the end of The Taming of the Shrew? Is silence part of her "taming?" You can think of silence as both literal and figurative--complete or selective.
So, what happens when a woman keeps silent (Cordelia)? What happens when they do speak, and what are the consequences? What does speech reveal about their characters? Is Katherine silenced in the end of The Taming of the Shrew? Is silence part of her "taming?" You can think of silence as both literal and figurative--complete or selective.
posted by Dr. Battles at 1:59 PM
5 Comments:
When a person keeps silent, it can mean different things. With Cordelia, her silence is meant to represent loyalty, virtue and honesty. Because of her silence, she is the one who is banished. But in the end, she is the one who literally becomes a sacrifice to the heartlessness of an unjust world.
Regan and Goneril are the exact opposites. They are clever in the way they manipulate what they say to obtain what they want, which is their fathers kingdom and good graces. At the end, their lack of silence and desire for power and greed only destroys them.
Katherine, who speaks her mind, has the knowledge to know that if she plays the game of society and conforms, to a point, then she will eventually gain the position and even the authoritative voice that she was previously denied by her father and previous suitors before Petruccio.
Therefore, silence can be selective and complete to gain a means to the end, like with Elizabeth and Katherine.
Shakespeare seems to say that silence isn’t always a virtue for women because Cordelia may have been able to change things for the better if only she spoke out early on in the play. And yet, when Katherine speaks out, it appears that she suffers for it. First at her father’s hands, he prefers the docile Bianca, and then at her husband’s.
For Regan and Goneril, their speeches show their true characters; they quickly let their evil ideas reign, but only after they have power. Before Lear gives over the kingdom, they use flowery words and a false front of obedience, so speech alone cannot prove their characters. It’s true that what you say isn’t as important as what you do.
And then we have Katherine. I think she uses rough speech and a sour disposition to hide her insecurities. In the literal sense, Kate isn’t silenced at the end of Taming of the Shrew because she gives the last big speech of the play. If you take what she says at face value, though, she is silenced because she preaches the merits of obedience to one’s husband, whereas previously she maintained her independence.
I think there is a huge difference between being submissive and being a doormat. I also believe that women can get what they want without being totally obnoxious about it. Regan and Goneril go overboard and it ends up backfiring.
Katherine, on the other hand, is good at playing the game. I think that she wants Petruccio to think he has "beaten" her when in reality, she has "beaten" him. She makes him think he is the stronger person but she knows that she will get what she wants if she plays his game.
I don't think that silence is always a virtue for women. There is a way for women to use their voices without strong-arming men to get what they want. Most like to be the stronger sex and they want women to "need" them. If a woman can use her voice and still be feminine, more power to her.
Shelly, you seem to be saying that silence is the proper behavior, at least with King Lear and Taming of the Shrew. So, would you say that Shakespeare is telling women the proper way to behave is with silence? Cordelia, the good daughter, maintains her silence and Katherine only gains her “proper” position in society when she is silent and appears to heed Petruchio in all things.
Do you think women today feel the same way about silence? It seems that women who talk (Regan, Goneril, and an early Katherine) are seen as evil creatures.
I’ve always wondered if anything would have really changed had Cordelia spoken up, but I doubt they would have. Lear wanted to believe Regan and Goneril and Cordelia probably would have been suspected of being jealous or petty because she claimed her sisters were lying. Cordelia would not have been heard even if she had spoken, so should she have attempted it anyway?
Britabeth,
In the case of Shakespeare, yes, I do think that silence is what he beieved women should adhere to. Do I think that women today should remain silent. You should ask anyone who knows me well. I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe in and at times can be confrontational when provoked. Maybe that comes with age and life experiences. Most women today are not afraid of speaking their minds and more often than not are admired for it. But there are a few who think that when a women speaks her mind then she must be a b...ch. That's the male interpretation of a women speaking her mind and standing up for herself.
As time goes on, the attitude and opinions about women will change like they have from Shakespearian times. The more agressive women become then more men will either accept and admire or continue to label us all as witches with a B. Their ignorance, not ours.
Post a Comment
<< Home