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Feb 21, 2018FVReader rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
This started great: a prank played on an extremely drunk character. Fun and funny. However, the play within this play, the entire scope of this work.....what was Shakespeare thinking??!! Questions I have: Why is Kate so angry? What happened in her life to cause that anger? What is going on in her home? Anger like this comes from hurt & pain. It stops her from enjoying and living. Then she marries the first guy who "wants" her (to get away from this home situation?). Didn't she jump from the frying pan into the fire?!! Why is Petruchio seen as such a good guy? He marries a woman for her money, then abuses her until she breaks (or at least agrees with him to keep the abuse away). He's seen as a complete success story and highly admired by his friends. What???!! Why? Yikes!! Yes, there are some witty remarks throughout and this play seemed easier to understand than some other Shakespearean plays I've read (it's a bit "Shakespeare-lite") but the premise of this play is a bit off-kilter to me. I read this after reading Vinegar Girl, which was a kind hearted, light, funny story of a somewhat bitter, disillusioned girl learning to trust herself by trusting love. It was a warm story based on this play. I prefer the Kate in Vinegar Girl to Shakespeare's Kate. This Kate grew and flourished. Shakespeare's Kate is confined to an abusive, shrunken life. Also, what happened with the prank played on the drunken guy at the beginning? What happened to that group of people? They seem to have been forgotten. What's their purpose? ......scratching my head on this one.......