Taming of the Shrew: Act 5

1. Analyze Kate's final speech. Is she sincere or ironic? Should we take her at her word? Or should we imagine a gap between what she says and what she means? Does the context of her words change their meanings? What are different possibilities in performing this scene? 

I honestly can't really tell if she's being sincere or ironic, but from the reaction Petruchio gives, she must be sincere at least to a certain extent. It is obvious from the end of Act 4 into the beginning of Act 5 that the character of Katherine is completely different from who she was in the beginning. She has been "tamed," and she is now wrapped around Petruchio's finger. If she didn't mean the things she said, she wouldn't have come when he called for her in the first place; she would've simply stayed back like Bianca and the Widow did when they were summoned. I think we should take her at her word because she is now a changed woman - she let love in, or what is on the road to becoming love - and it changed her, honestly for the better.

In performing this scene, body language is key, especially if the audience is questioning Kate's sincerity within her final speech. It should also be taken into account the way that she acts around Petruchio and the way she speaks around him. Does she seem to be acting? As long as the body language, her tone, and her actions all seem consistent, then I'd be positive she's sincere with her words.

2. What happens to the power dynamics in this scene - between men and men, women and women, men and women? 

The gender roles of this time period are brought into perspective by none other than Kate herself. Directly before she begins her final speech, the audience is shown the way the men act when they are alone together. They treat their wives like pieces of furniture that they own and boss them around like they control every aspect of their lives. The most obedient wife wins their bet, which is extremely sexist but pretty normal for the time period. The women mostly stick together, if not only for the aspect that they all have to be loyal to their husbands, but not to the extent that Katherine was. She eventually turns on them and lectures them on the importance of being loyal to their husbands because it is their job to do so, just as Petruchio wanted. Basically, the men ruled everything and women were playthings - fun to have their way with and even more fun to boss around, but if they step out of line, there are dire consequences. 

[I'm totally leaving that up there because it was a really good answer.~]

In the beginning of the play, Baptista had the most power because he controlled when Bianca could be married. This shifts in the end to Petruchio having the most power because he married Katherine and made it possible for Bianca to be married.

Bianca had the most power in the beginning, female wise. This shifts to Katherine having the most power in the end.

Among the men and women, the women are all submissive by the end of the play, which is an especially big change for Katherine who was beating people with instruments and giving snarky, rude responses in the beginning. The men are their superior lords.