Essay On Katherine The Shrew

Throughout both Ten Things I Hate about You and Taming Of The Shrew Patrick & Petruchio have the responsibility of wooing the shrew herself, Katherina. Although they both succeed, they do it in vastly different ways. When Petruchio is set with the task of wooing Katherina he tames her with abuse but Patrick tames her through more romantic means such as taking an interest in the music she likes and caring about her. They both however have mastered the art of manipulation but again they do it in different ways, Patrick takes a more romantic approach unlike Petruchio who tends to do it in a more violent way.

Katherina may be a shrew, but Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew does not truly show a study of how a selfish, spoilt individual is made to conform to society’s expectations, or be tamed into a ‘proper’ woman. At the end of the play, Katherina is not, necessarily, tamed - she just realizes what she must to do in order to get the things she wants. Two main examples of her submitting to Petruchio in order to achieve her desires are in Act 4, scene 5, (the sun versus moon scene) as well as Act 5, scene 2 (the kiss me kate scene and her final monologue).

Men had the authority to say whatever they wanted to, no matter what it was. Although they were allowed to do a lot more that women, they were also allowed to say a lot more than women. Men did not really have boundaries when it came to speaking. They were allowed to speak their mind and have an opinion. Men could speak to and about women in a disrespectful and derogatory way. Women were also allowed to have an opinion, but they were not allowed to express it to others. Women were voiceless. They were deprived of their right to speak. The title itself, The Taming of the Shrew, already proves how strong men were compared to women during that time period. If a woman wanted to speak their mind, they would be criticized and judged. They would gain a bad reputation because women were expected to listen to men and follow their commands. However, Katherine did not like that. Instead, she spoke her mind and refused to do certain things. As a result, nobody liked her. They viewed her as a “fiend of hell” (I.i.90). A man would not be called that though. On the other hand, if a man did the same thing, no one would care. “Much more of shrew of thy impatient humour.” (III.ii.29) This proves that even the woman’s father would call their daughter a “shrew”. This was also normal

In The Taming of the Shrew, the concept of love is a means of emotional manipulation, and manipulation is nothing more than a means of control between men and women. William Shakespeare critiques the patriarchal social structure by ironically employing the manipulative stance Petruchio takes towards winning Katherine as his wife by charming her with words and manipulating her psychologically, and then taming her after their marriage through legal, physical, financial, and psychological control and manipulation. Though Petruchio may think he yields power over his wife, Katherine uses obedience as a tool of manipulation and has the control of the household, as can be seen

As Katharina beings her speech she tells how being a shrew is “In no sense meet or amiable.” (5.2.6).This implies that she thinks differently on being a woman who speaks her mind. She continues to say that being

Women in the era of Queen Elizabeth I were often portrayed through stereotypes such as, “The Good and the Badde” by Nicholas Breton. In this work women have desired traits such as loyalty, obedience, and innocence. Undesirable traits would be just the opposite, disobedience, raunchiness, treachery, loudness, and being outspoken. The play, “The Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare, plays heavily to these stereotypes with the two female main characters; Bianca and Kate. Whereas Kate plays the Un-quiet one in the beginning, but transitions to more of a quiet one or the good wife while Bianca plays The Virgin.

The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, and it shares many essential characteristics with his other romantic comedies, such as Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. These characteristics include light-hearted and slapstick humour, disguises and deception and a happy ending in which most of the characters come out satisfied. The play has been dated from as early as 1594 and as late as 1598. (http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/context.html)

Another clear example of character deception in The Taming of the Shrew is Petruchio’s deception of Katherine. Petruchio pretends that he loves Katherine so much, that he cannot allow her to eat his inferior food or sleep in his poorly made bed; all in the name of ‘love’. “That bate and beat will not be obedient. She eat no meat today, not none shall eat; last night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not,” (Act IV Scene I The Taming of the Shrew). The motive for Petruchio’s deception of Katherine is that he wishes to tame her. Katherine is the ‘shrew’ of the play and has needed to be tamed-not through violence or words; but by actions of ‘love’.

The definition of deceit is when someone causes another person to believe something that is not true, usually for a personal gain. Petruchio and Lucentio both used deception to their advantage but Shakespeare made the outcome of their deceptions a lot different than what the audience assumed would happen. The first big deception was on lines 273-275 on the “Taming of the Shrew,” Act II, Scene II, when Petruchio told Katherine that her father gave him to marry her and it was already to set to happen. What Petruchio did not tell her is that her father said that Petruchio could not marry Katherine unless Katherine loved him.

Petruchio had treated Katherina in a derogatory way ever since their first encounter. He starves Katherina on their wedding night and terrorizes her so she cannot sleep. The poor girl has to deal with this bad tempered and deceitful shrew. He never listens to what she says, even when she is obviously correct. In Act 4, Scene 5, Petruchio persistently claims that the sun is the moon, and Katherina has to be passive and agree with his illogical claims. She goes along with what he says, which boosts Petruchio’s giant ego. He felt vain and extremely proud that his plan of torturing Katherina was working. Changing her to become a submissive, pleasant wife was his main objective. Only a shrew would create a toxic relationship like

William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is an interesting story that demonstrates the patriarchal ideas of how a marriage is suppose to be according to society, what is acceptable of a woman's role in a relationship. It's a story that has many things to show for it's been remade, and remade, even slightly altered to better relate to the teenage audience.

Lucentio's treatment of Tranio is reflected in his treatment of Bianca and their role as man and woman. Lucentio never hits Bianca or mistreats her in anyway, but spends the play wooing her and showing her his love. However, Bianca does not completely mimic Tranio's obedience in her role as wife to Lucentio. Though Bianca is not as stubborn willed and shrewish as her sister, Katherine, she does not obey her husband when he calls her to him. Biondello comes back to Lucentio to report: "Sir, my mistress sends you word that she is busy and she cannot come." [7] This action is in direct contradiction with An Homily on the State of Matrimony which states: "Let not therefore the woman be too busy to call for the duty of her husband where she should be ready to perform her own, for that is not worthy any great commendation." [8] Though Lucentio is consistent with his role as master and husband. His relationship with Tranio differs slightly from Bianca, Tranio's servant hood more apparent and selfless.

The relationship between Kate and Petruchio is completely different from the love of Bianca and Lucentio. "Kate is a neglected, hurt, and humiliated daughter who disguises her grief from herself as well as others with a noisy shrewish temper" (Craig 342). She has a fiery disposition and a reputation for reacting violently to people. The challenge of capturing her is Petruchio's real attraction to her. He can be seen as a rough, unfeeling, greedy, "swash-buckler" who cares nothing for Kate's feelings (so long as she has money). "

In Shakespeare's comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare has a woman as one of the story's main characters. Katherine Minola (Kate) is off the wall, and kinda crazy. Because of her actions, the “male centered world” around her doesn't know what to do with her.

The above passages can also be seen as placing an emphasis on the degradation Baptista inflicts on Katherine for coming across as the opposite of an ideal woman. Unlike Bianca, who comes across as mild-mannered and respectful to others, Katherine is established as an antagonistic woman who lashes out at those around her on the slightest provocation. But while her threat to "comb [Hortensio's] noodle with a three-legg'd stool/And paint [his] face, and use [him] like a fool" accentuates her fiery personality, it also suggests that her shrewish behavior is a statement that condemns the