ELICA reads The Taming Of The Shrew by William Shakespeare from director’s point of view.
When you want some directing/acting inspiration, or studying Shakespeare, peep in!
Hello, friends, It’s time for Today’s Shakespeare, the Taming Of The Shrew.
Let’s look into Induction 2..
Let me read the beginning.
–enter a loft Sly, the drunkard, with attendants, some with apparel, others with basin and ewer and other appurtenances, and Lord dressed as an attendant.
SLY: for God sake, a pot of small ale.
First servant: will’t please your Lordship drink a cup sack?
Second Servant: Will’t please your Honour taste of these conserves?
Third servant: what raiment will your honour wear today?
Sly: I am a Christophero Sly. Call not me Honour nor Lordship.
I guess the servants and the Lord were surprised with this reaction.
In Induction 1, they planned to treat him as an aristocrat to see him believe that.
But here, Sly refuses. He says quite honestly who he is.
If I were to play the servants, I would look at each other, not knowing what to say.
There, Lord jumps in to help.
Lord: Heaven cease this idle humour in your honour!
Oh, that a mighty man of such descent, of such possessions and so high esteem, should be infused with so foul spirit!
Sly says:
What, would you make me mad?
So funny. Then we know who he is.
Sly:
Am I not Christopher Sly, old Sly’s son of Button-heath, by birth a peddlar, by education a card-maker, by transmutation a bearherd, and now by present profession a tinker? Ask Marian Hacket, the fat alewife of Wincot.
You see the whole list of town workers, most of which were forgotten now. If we to put this play on stage, actors must look into what kind of jobs they were.
By the way, Wincot is a fictional town. It is thought to be Wilmcote, a small village 3 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon where Shakespeare was born and raised. Wilmcote is where Shakespeare’s mother was born, and you can visit her cottage as it was.
Now, the servants understand the game more and eager to join.
And Lord asks Sly what he favours to do.
Wilt thou have music? Hark! Apollo plays.
This, “Hark! Apollo plays.” should be the cue for the musician.
Which do you prefer, A: the musicians are all ready and so eager and wait on the cue, or B: the musicians were too shocked to be ready and just watched the scene, until Lord gives this cue, winking or waving hands to get attention, then the musicians upsettingly try to start the music.
Either is fun.
Lord continues:
Or silt thou sleep?
Say thou wilt walk.
Or wilt thou ride?
Dost thou love hawking?
Or wilt thou hunt?
Aren’t these questions reminding you of anything?
Yes, Titania of The Midsummer Night’s Dream, when she asks Bottom the ass what he would like to do.
It would be fun, the servants immediately prepare what the Lord suggests: when he says, wilt thou sleep? and the servants bring a pillow; when he says wilt thou ride, and the servants bring the riding boots, and so on.
And finally Sly says;
Am I a lord?
Or do I dream?
Or have I dreamed till now?
I do not sleep: I see, I hear, I speak. I smell sweet savours and I feel soft things.
Yes, it resembles Bottom when he wakes up in the morning, remembering the hideous night and make it sure that he is awake.
Then, there comes Page, disguising as his beautiful young wife.
This time Sly admits he knows her.
Sly asks: what must I call her?
Lord says: Madam.
Sly: Alice Madam, or Joan Madam?
Lord: Madam, and nothing else.
Now Sly is getting more bold and says:
Madam, undress you and come now to bed.
Page is quick enough to say the Doctor says it is too shocking for you to jump into that.
But Sly insists.
What are they going to do?
If he persists, he would find out this fake wife is a boy, and the game is over.
There comes a messenger, a very good timing indeed.
Your Honour’s players, hearing your amendment,
And come to play a pleasant comedy.
For so your doctors hold it very meet,
…I like the rest of the speech:
Seeing too much sadness hath congealed your blood,
And melancholy is the nurse of frenzy.
Therefore they thought it good you hear a play
And frame your mind to mirth and merriment,
Which bars a thousand harms and legthens life.
The merit of theatre!!
And Sly says:
Well, we’ll see’t. Come, madam wife, sit by my side and let the world slip. We shall ne’er be younger.
Hamlet asks Ophelia to sit by his side to hear the play.
But here, the atmosphere is more fun.
Let the world slip!!
We shall ne’er be younger!!
Isn’t Shakespeare wonderful?
In this early play, the feeling of liveliness and joy are felt from the script.
Next time, finally, we will look into Act 1, Scene 1 of the Taming Of The Shrew.
See you then, Bye!
