Love, Serve, Honor, and Obey

As we have worked to develop a Shakespeare Ensemble scene that is true to the nature of the bard as well as contemporary and socially conscious, we have created perhaps the most compelling and agressive piece of my directing career. Something that I have brought with me from my college days is a propensity to find damaging attitudes about women in classical works. Shakespeare is not immune to this scrutiny and, if anything, his "Taming of the Shrew" is the flagship of sexism on stage of the period. It is appaling to me that this play is still performed straight in this day and age. The final speech indicates attitudes about women that are misogynistic, plain and simple. So, I felt that we needed to discuss those issues, both as a critique of the Bard himself, and as a commentary on the current state of affairs. I have chosen 3 scenes from other Shakespeare plays to revolve around Katherine's speech, that represent the 3 types of abuse. Hamlet chides Ophelia to a nunnery is emotional abuse. Chiron and Demetrius in the rape of Lavinia is sexual abuse. And Othello strangling Desdemona is physical abuse. As we have put this scene together it has become apparent that all of the types of abuse are interrelated. There is something of sexuality and violence in Hamlet's maddening emotional teasing. When Chiron and Demetrius are done with Lavinia they violently abuse her by cutting her and then are not finished until they have emotionally crushed her. Othello has much of the same. What it leads me to believe is that abuse is abuse, and it is not long before one who emotionally abuses moves on to other things. My hope is that the kids in the class have gained a greater respect for women (if they are men) and for themselves (if they are women). Next Friday will show if we are a success.