The English Housewife In Taming Of The Shrew

Katherine: The English Housewife

The English Hus-wife, the second book in a two book compilation entitled Countrey Contentments written by Gervase Markham, flourished as a best seller in the early seventeenth century. Published in 1615, Markham extends the title to further elaborate the purpose of the book by advertising its "Contayning, The inward and outward virtues which ought to be in a compleat woman. As her skill in Physicke, Cookery, Banqueting-stuffe, Distillation, Perfumes, Wool, Hemp, Flax, Dayries, Brewing, Baking, and all other things belonging to an Houshould" (cover). As the cover states, this text printed by John Blake was sold in Roger Lackson's shop for the "generall good of [the English] kingdom" (cover). The whole two book compilation is about 129 pages, but this specific book runs from pages 61-129 for a total 68 pages.

The purpose of the book is to teach women domestic skills. The book contains a collection of popular recipes of the time, directions on how to keep a house and garden, tips on how to take care of sick loved ones suffering from various ailments and diseases, and other fashions of the day that Markham believed a woman should be skilled in. Although this book is clearly intended for a female audience, only about 5-10% of women could read during this time. Besides literate aristocratic women who probably already practiced the contents of this book, clergy, gentry, and educated men read this work, most likely passing different key concepts on to women close to them.

Gervase Markham did not write these recipes and instructions himself, though. He explains in his preface that "this is no collection of his whose name is prefixed to this worke, but an approved Manuscript which he happily light[ed] on, belonging sometime to an honorable Personage of this kingdome, who was singular amongst those of her ranke for many of the qualities here set forth". Markham simply garnered the "how-to" book and expanded on some of the subjects with a man's touch with the fashions of his day.

This work is interesting because women of this time, for the most part did not have true professions; women were either in a nunnery or married. This book was popular because it outlined the main concepts of what it meant to be a good housewife--this basically spelled out the most important things every woman was expected to know. Even if she did not learn tips and tricks from her mother growing up, then she could still find them for herself and not have to ask other wives. Women were expected to know many of these things already. If they did not or if they could not read, they could ask their husbands if they were literate. A husband befitted the most from this book, so if he could read, he'd probably be happy to explain a recipe to his wife or a treatment for a cough if she asked. This book was put together and polished off by a man. This has significance because it stresses the importance of the housewife's role to those around her. Markham felt it was so necessary that a woman be knowledgeable in the subjects expressed in his book that he took the time to compile a great deal of information. He then made it compact, easy to read, and accessible.

Before listing heaps of information one after another, he begins The English Hus-wife by writing a Reader's Digest version of the qualities a housewife should possess. Markham explains that a woman must be religious, temperate, and docile. He elucidates that a housewife's religious prowess should include learning how to serve God and to "sustaine man in that godly and profitable sort which is required at the hands of every true Christian" (2). Markham maintains the idea that an "English Huswife [should] be a godly...and religious woman, learning from the worthy Preacher and her Husband those good examples which shee shall with all careful diligence see exercised amongst her servants" (2). Religion played a major role in the lives of the people of Elizabethan England. When Queen Elizabeth took the throne, Catholicism fell out of favor and Protestantism took its place as the official religion of the country. Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry VIII who first enforced Anglicanism, became the head of the Church of England when she took the throne as well as being the political leader of her strong country. Markham continues with his description of the model housewife by writing that

"unto this sanctity and holinesse of life, it is meete that out English

Hous-wife be a woman of great modesty and temperance as well

inwardly as outwardly; inwardly as in her behavior and carriage

towards her Husband, wherein she shall shunne all violence of rage,

passion, and humour, ... appearing ever unto him pleasant, amiable,

and delightful" (3).

He even states that even if a woman has reason to be mad at her husband, she must find it in herself to abate her anger. How a woman carried herself outwardly involves how she wore her clothes, and what she ate, and how she ate it. She must wear clothes in accordance with her husband's choices; they must make her look strong, beautiful, and clean. Markham then starts the body of the book in which the reader may find the recipes, treatments, and directions for daily necessities and wants.

The English Hus-wife correlates perfectly to William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew because Markham explains the qualities with which a woman of the sixteenth and seventeenth century should carry herself. These proved to be the same the qualities Petruchio instilled or brought out in Kat's demeanor. Everything Petruchio tried to and did teach Kat can be found in this book, whether it is learning how to hold your tongue or how to wear your clothes. This book is so interesting because it gives you Markham helps give the reader a better grasp of Katherine's character and Petruchio's goal in "taming" Katherine which is so vital to the Shakespeare's play that it becomes the title of the play. The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare's first plays, written between 1590 and 1594, which brings about the questions of whether Shakespeare's work was Markham's influence for writing this book and was its success due in part to Shakespeare's play. There is no question, though, that a woman's role in the house was important and clearly a popular topic of discussion amongst men--the people who were the primary benefactors.

This play focuses primarily on Petruchio's method of "taming" Kate--the older, more unruly, and more