Taming Of The Shrew Argumentative Essay On Women

The Taming Of The Shrew by William Shakespeare is an introduction in the everpresent battle of women to be loving and caring wives, while at the same time holding on to our independence. Its plot is derived from the popular 'war of the sexes' theme in which males and females are pitted against one another for dominance in marriage. The play begins with an induction in which a drunkard, Christopher Sly, is fooled into believing he is a king and has a play performed for him. The play he watches is what constitutes the main body of The Taming OfThe Shrew.

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).

That the film includes these elements of feminist material reflects its modern context of a society that is not unfamiliar with feminism. In this area it challenges the original text, where within the context of the Elizabethan era, Katherina’s rejection of her inferiority as a woman is unaccepted and repressed. As Hortensio mocks: ‘ ‘Mates’, maid? …No mates for you/Unless you were of gentler, milder mould’ (1.1.59-60), he manipulates Katherina’s reference to him as a ‘mate’- a crude man- to mean ‘husband’ in an attempt to silence her. Such repression- and that of Katherina at the hands of Petruchio- though exaggerated and outrageous, was acceptable and approved of in the context of Shakespeare’s play.

This story also depicts that a woman is not suppose to be strong and opinionated. Kate is viewed by most suitors as undesirable because she speaks her mind and doesn't let the male population walk all over her (Dolan 32). She is very precautious of the intentions of the men that claim they would like to marry her. Throughout the story it's made clear that Petruccio's objective is to "tame" Kate so that she will be suitable to be a wife. It's not that it's in her nature to be mean but she has a different that on the role of a wife. She indeed believes that she should be good to her husband and do all that things that are expected of her but feels that it should be deserved. Her husband needs to be worthy of all of her affection and attention. Not only that, he needs to love her in such a way that makes her want to be a good woman to him (33).

In the Elizabethan era, Petruchio’s actions may have been somewhat appropriate but in today’s society, such treatment is disapproved of. Petruchio puts Katherina through constant abuse such as starvation and sleep deprivation. These actions could easily lead to years of jail time today. Women nowadays are treated with much more respect and are allowed to live independently and can have a say in things. In William Shakespeare’s “The taming of the shrew”

The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare, deals with marriage. The ideas explored are primarily shown through the characters of Petruchio and Katharina. We are introduced to the trials and tribulation's which present themselves in their everyday lives. The characters bring up a traditional concept of male domination. Through the play we see the need for domination through Petruchio, and the methods he uses to dominate. While these ideas of male domination have remained a constant throughout the years, however recently there has been a change toward equality.

Throughout the Elizabethan era, men had more advantages than women. William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew has characters such as Petruchio, Baptista, Katherine, and Bianca that show how men overpowered women. During the Elizabethan era, there was heavy sexism. Women were discriminated. Through Shakespeare’s language, men could speak to and about women in a disrespectful and derogatory manner. Women were voiceless and deprived of their right to speak. Women were inferior to men. During the Elizabethan era, through Shakespeare’s language, and in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, it is proven that men had more advantages than women.

Also, the point that Bianca’s characteristic has changed overall needs to be estimated. The change is not as dramatic as the case of Katherina, but Bianca still goes through a change. She was a docile and lady-like woman at the beginning, but in Act5, she turns out to be a woman who can reject her husband’s request and insist her own opinion. Consequently, it is hard to jump to a conclusion that this play sugarcoats the virtue of submissive women. In this point of view, the progress of Petruccio taming Katherina can be interpreted as an aspect of an individual putting another person under his own control rather than a husband taming his wife.

However, the comedic merit of Shakespeare's entertaining plays can still be appreciated, but possibly only as satire. Shakespeare's masterfully used devices such a role-playing, role reversal and colorful characters ascertain the lasting quality in his works. However the historic reference that men should marry for money (the dowry) and women should marry to avoid being “an old maid” is nearly unfounded today (Shakepeare). Therefore, well-to-do women and even some not-so-well-to-do, still expect men to at least bring equal to the table in order to be considered as marriage material and if they can not, the men only gets what he has brought and not a penny more when they part company. Most women today pride themselves in being strong and able to take care of themselves and do as they please. Unlike Shakespeare's era, the stigmatization of single women being “old maids” does not exist. If anything, the so-called tables have inched towards being completely turned. The Kate's of today are no longer shrews; they are shrewd. They no longer wait to be rescued for they are not in danger of being an “old maid.” Women no longer have to be chosen, and oftentimes they choose.

Performing Marriage with a Difference: Wooing, Wedding, and Bedding in The Taming of the Shrew by Amy L. Smith deeply investigates the connections between patriarchy and gender role. The Taming of the Shrew is often seen as males dominating women however if the relationships of power are looked at more closely a different story emerges. For example, according to the author, there are two types of reader: revisionist and antirevisionist. The first type of readers see Kate's performance as reflection of patriarchal hierarchies where woman is a subject to her husband. The second type of readers see Katherine's performance as an actor game where she shapes and controls both her husband and their marriage. In his writing Smith also emphasizes

Throughout the play, Petruchio’s behavior illustrates his chauvinistic mindset to force Katharina into obedience. After the wedding ceremony, Petruchio wants to head home with Kate while she disagrees and he says “I will be master of what is mine own:/She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,/My household stuff, my field, my barn,/My horse, my ox, my ass, my any thing;” (Shakespeare 52). Instead of treating her like a human being, he speaks of her as if she is an object that he owns and controls. Also, when the newly married couple prepare to leave for Baptista’s house, Petruchio claims that the time is different from what it actually is and when Kate argues, he states, “Look, what I speak, or do, or think to do,/You are still crossing it. Sirs, let ’t alone:/I will not go to-day; and ere I do,/It shall be what o’clock I say it is” (Shakespeare 69). Petruchio is basically saying that the only opinion

When commencing the Extended Essay meeting the first topic that came up was the question I was addressing: Investigate if Taming of the Shrew promotes sexual inequality or constitutes a commentary about men's endeavor to subordinate women? My mentor, Ms.Davey, pointed out that I might not be able to know Shakespeare’s intent with the play, therefore, I need to feel comfortable not having an answer. Thus, I will need to expose both perspectives that can be interpreted from the play. Furthermore, I asked for some directions in regard to the structuring of my paragraphs. For instance, if I should divide them in characters or literary aspects. We agreed upon the fact that addressing literary aspects such as hyperbole (hunting language), motif

In The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare reveals the flaws in gender and class roles by pointing out the flaws in when women always listen to men. For everyone that has strict parents or been in a relationship you understand these examples, the man(dad) is the boss, the women obey the man, and class roles are determined by society. Shakespeare challenges through many situations, the class and gender roles that are determined by society.

“The Taming of the Shrew” act 4 scene 1 is a very important scene because it helps the readers understand Petruccio and Kate’s relationship, how Petruccio plans on taming her, and the two concepts Shakespeare wants to impart to his readers. When Kate meets Petruccio for the first time, she is appalled by his arrogance and obstinate temperament. Forced to marry Petruccio, Kate unwillingly agrees. However, at the wedding when Petruccio shows up extremely late, Kate is weeping that he has left her at the altar instead of being happy that she did not have to marry him. At the last minute, Petruccio arrives in rags and behaves like a hooligan, which shocks everybody. After the exchange of vows, Petruccio forces Kate to leave her own wedding party to go back home. During the wedding, readers see a whole new side of Petruccio as he is starting to act the way that Kate used to act. Petruccio’s new attitude foreshadows how he plans on taming the wild Kate. Lowering her pride, Kate begs Petruccio to stay for their wedding party by saying, “Let me entreat you” (3.2.193). Unfortunately, Petruccio would not stay and on the way home he acts even more shrewishly, which brings the readers to act 4 scene 1.

Most married couples develop a united understanding of who does what in their relationship. It is a every now and then unspoken acknowledgement of an certain split of hard work and responsibilities. The modern, normally agreed, “politically correct” idea for marriage is an equal sharing of chores and other duties; but this strategy is not always followed now any more than it has been throughout the past. In fact, in much of the animal kingdom there is a separation of labor which grows patently out of different biological necessities—although here and there in the animal kingdom there are shocking examples of role setbacks. Sometimes the male is charged with taking care of the eggs, for instance.