Taming Of The Shrew: Gender Roles

With social and cultural stereotypes in this era, men were viewed as more powerful while women were portrayed as weak. William Shakespeare tries to interpret the roles between genders by having characters of the opposite sex. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses rhetorical devices to demonstrate Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s switch in traditional gender roles, which arise from the consequences for each character’s actions and speech.

The Taming of the Shrew examines the way traditional 16th century notions about gender and its hierarchy are tested and reinforced in tempestuous relationships. While patriarchy rules supreme at the plays end, it’s vital to consider the constant attempts to undermine the sexist assumptions about a women’s place in marriage. In The Taming of the Shrew gender plays a

William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth” completely challenges the idea of traditional gender roles and social norms during the renaissance period. The male characters have many feminine traits while the female characters have many more masculine and manlier traits. This was going entirely against the stereotypical outlook of the roles you’re supposed to play as your gender during that time of history. During the renaissance period women were only expected to clean, cook, and to have babies. Men on the other hand were typically expected to work hard and to provide for the home. Socially women didn’t have power or respect and men were the ones who were supposed to be brave and tough at the best of times and the worst of times. That idea is

Throughout Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, there is an overlaying presence of the typical roles that men and women were supposed to play. During Elizabethan times there was a major difference between the way men and women were supposed to act. Men typically were supposed to be masculine and powerful, and defend the honor. Women, on the other hand, were supposed to be subservient to their men in their lives and do as ever they wished. In Romeo and Juliet the typical gender roles that men and women were supposed to play had an influence on the fate of their lives.

Others have asserted that the roles of women in his plays were prominent for the time and culture that he lived in,his intent in creating characters to inspire much controversy. Two works, Taming of the Shrew, and Twelfth Night, stand out particularly well in regards to Shakespeare's use of female characters. If you could examine these two plays, you would see that Shakespeare, though conforming to contemporary attitudes of women, circumvented them by creating resolute female characters with a strong sense of self.

How would you feel if you were thought as incompetent towards the other sex? The play, “The Taming of the Shrew,” by William Shakespeare leans towards a sexist viewpoint. It was written in the 1500’s, a time where women were seen as property to men. Many other Shakespearean plays were also considered sexist, because Shakespeare writes all of his plays around the central story of a man, and a woman’s relationship. It was rare that anyone during this time period was not sexist because this was how society generally functioned. As children were raised they were taught that they were either superiors to woman, or that they were inferior, and incapable. Many characters in “The Taming of the Shrew,” show sexism through their words and actions, sometimes without directly meaning it.

This was usually arranged and seen as a way to make some money and not at all beneficial to the woman, meaning modern audiences would be appalled by this behaviour! The women in the relationship were powerless while the man had all the power. She was to be his possession and to do whatever he wishes. Nowadays there is a lot of controversy about how females should be treating equally and have the same rights as the males do. If a modern audience was to watch this play, I think there would be a be a lot of disagreement towards the way that the male got to treat the woman once he had married her. When I was watching The taming of the Shrew, I thought that the way Petruchio was treating Kate was totally unacceptable, but this was tragically customary in Shakespeare’s time.

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

William Shakespeare, one of the most famous writers in history, viewed gender roles as every male would have during the 16th century. From the 16th century to even now, there are people who believe that men should rule everything, and women have no say in anything. Between these time periods the men would run the government, be the voters, dictate relationships, and receive the education they needed to be successful. The Taming of the Shrew is a piece of writing that represents Shakespeare belief in male supremacy. The approach Shakespeare takes in order to show male supremacy stood out because he put the men in charge of what the women would do and even had the men betting on them.

The plot of this tale, The Taming of the Shrew, is centered around the human sexuality theme, in which it insinuates whether a character is good or evil. The play is a comedy about a woman managing with how she is required to act in society even though she is a madwoman and has her own opinions. Even though the play ends with her in the role of the ‘obedient wife’, Katerina might still have shrewish qualities in her. In the beginning of the comedy, there is an undeniable conflict between the two sisters Bianca and Katerina.

Viewed from a modern perspective, The Taming of the Shrew is a play presenting a story of a marriage full of inequality and abuse. Therefore I agree that it is very difficult for a modern audience to feel comfortable with it, as inequality and abuse are not things we find morally acceptable in today’s society. At the ending of the play, the men bet on whose wife is the most obedient and whoever’s will “come at first when he doth send for her shall win the wager which we will propose.” Petruchio wins, as Katherine is the only wife that obeys her husband’s command, such a stark contrast to the beginning of the play where she is presented as unruly and Petruchio has to work hard to tame her – he warns her in Act 2 Scene 1; “I swear I’ll cuff

“Gender equality is a human fight, not a female fight” (Confucius). From as far as we can remember the man in a household is supposed to go to work and the woman is supposed to sit at home and clean. Nevertheless, woman in recent years have brought a dramatic change into the workplace and are treated with even more respect. The way woman were socially treated back then would most likely not be acceptable and would be considered absurd yet, if we look closely at society today these gender stereotypes still exist. In Shakespeare’s comedic play the Taming of the Shrew he tends to give more power to the men, which according to the period of time one could argue that it is reasonable but, still very stereotypical. In the Taming of the Shrew author William

In The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, there is a controversy of whether the  play was portraying that he saw women as “possessions” or if men were too controlling. There are many scenes in the play that show signs of abuse and need for control by men. Women are forced to act a certain way in order to get their basic needs. I believe that women are not seen as possessions in the play. The men decide to go the wrong way of professing their love and “taking care” of the women. I believe that Shakespeare showed that man’s dominance and need for control is too extreme.

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

Abuse, forced marriages, acting proper, and not having a say in anything, these were all