The newspaper., 1907-02-08
Criticism of the Leading Characters in
1.-The Tanning of the Shrew."
BY MISS RUTH RALsTON.

L lie aiming OF the SnreW oie
of Shakespeare's earlier plays has for
the scene of it's action the northern
part of Italy.
Baptista is a rich gentleman of
crime and Blanca. The latter is del
uged with suitors for her hand, but
her father has refused to consider any
OF these. or have any thing to do with
them until the older daughter has
been married. This does not prom
Use to be very soon, for Katherine Is
afflicted with such terrible temper
that she is known as Katherine. the
curst, or Katherine, the shrew, and
naturally no one is exceedingly de-
sirous OF marrying any one with a
disposition like this.
Katherine evidently had temper,
but 1T had probably been made worse
by environment. Blanca had always
been held up before Katherine as a
model OF all the virtues, and so much
practice had she had that she could
play the part well. AS often hap
pens, Katherine did not feel inclined
to profit by the good example set
before her.
Her father, too, instead OF trying to
keep his daughters ill-temper in the
back ground, seemed to improve
every opportunity to bring it to the
notice of Others, and to impress upon
Katherine, in the presence OF Others,
that she had a "devilish spirit" as
he calls 1T.
No one ever suggested to her the
power to conquer this spirit and be-
everyone seemed to look upon it as
something entirely irrevocable. Even
strangers were informed upon their
arrival that Katherine was "A shrew,
curst with an i'll temper and forward,
but that she had a younger sister
who was as beautiful in character as
she was in face.
Once when her father and Blanca
We're talking with some friends, they
began to remark about katherine's
shrewish temper. Katherine turned
to her father and said:
II pray you, sir, is it your will
To make me thus IA state amongst my mates?'
And her father made answer;
MATES, maid! How mean you that? No
mates for you,
Unless you were OF gentler, mder mould"
At least one is apt to feel little
sympathy for Katherine anyway.
Surely, If anyone ever had chance
to live up to the standard set up for
her, she had.
Petrucio is n young man OF Verona,
travelling over the country, and incl
dentally in search of wife. The
only requirements are, that the lady
shall be young, good-looking and
rich.
Two OF Bianca's suitors who meet
Petrucio and learn the reason OF his
visit to Padua, think that II In some
way Katherine could be married to
Petrucio, it would at last give them
"a chance to try for the hand OF Bian-
ca. They tell Petrucio of Katherine,
but they also tell what sort of n
character she bears and why she has
not been married sooner.
They can scarcely believe their
ears when Petrucio announces that
he is willing to WOO the girl and that
a bad temper has no terrors for him.
He Immediately goes to find Baptista,
the father OF Katherine. Baptista Is
likewise astounded and cannot be-
lieve that any young man in his
right senses would think of marrying
Katherine when he knew her dispo-
sition. However, he IL willing to
give Katherine dowry OF twenty
thousand pounds and count himself
lucky to get rid Of her.
Katherine comes in to meet Pe-
trucio in anything but an angelic
frame OF mind as she had just broken
her lutte over the head Of her music
teacher, because he had dared to criti-
else her playing. Petrucio greets her:
"Bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate,
the curst, but Kate, the prettiest
Kate in Christendom," and calmly
A 1. L. ~