The Taming of the Shrew Essay

During the course of the entire play, all of the characters except Petruchio treat Kate with disrespect. Baptista, her father, is especially insensitive to his daughter's feelings. When Petruchio comes to inquire about Kate, he describes her as fair and virtuous woman. Her father neglects to acknowledge that it was possible that his daughter could have those fine qualities (II.i.42-63).

Petruchio wears the psychological mask of a guy who only has eyes for money. He makes his mask clear to the reader when he tells Hortensio to “wife wealthily” adding “you don’t know the power of gold.” after being told about Katherina’s bad behavior, not to mention her temper. It appears that Petruchio marries Kate for her money, but immediately starts to “kill her with kindness”. He begins going so by depriving her of food and sleep because he claims that neither the food from the kitchen nor the bed is good enough for her. Petruchio puts on a show of bad temper towards his servants for every fault, showing Kate what it is like to live with a bad-tempered person. For the first time in her life, Kate finds herself trying to get someone else to control their anger. Petruchio also shows Kate that she will get the things she wants when she learns to agree with what her husband says. By treating Kate in this manner, Petruchio seems cruel, but there is a reason for it. If he were truly interested only in money, he could have left Kate at home and gone out on his own. In the end, his efforts to improve his wife have worked. He improves Kate’s life, so that she does not continue to live an unhappy life. Because of Petruchio, Katherina the shrew is happily married in the end, and comes to be a good example to

In addition, Kate’s final monologue, also in Act 5, scene 2, tells the audience a lot; about the play itself, as well as the society in Shakespeare’s era. On face value, Kate’s final monologue seems to be a long lecture about serving your husband, no questions asked. “Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot, / And place your hands below your husband’s foot” (v, ii, lines 92-3, page 221). However, Shakespeare gave Kate the last word in the play, a sign of her consistent power and control. As well, her monologue can be perceived as quite ironic. Kate is aware of the beliefs about how women in the household should act and, as clearly portrayed throughout the entire play, the role Petruchio has been trying to get her to fill. By playing along fullheartedly with society’s expectations, in front of the large audience of guests, Kate becomes “truly tamed” - or just incredibly

Ironically, they prove to be perfect for one another. Though Katharina seems heartless and unemotional, her one true fear is losing Petruchio. " It is surely worth remarking that Kate has only one true moment of agony, when Petruchio's deliberately tardy arrival for their wedding makes her feel jilted" (Bloom 30-31). Their mutual roughness seems to be their way of flirtation. Though Katharina feels that Petruchio is "a mad rudesby full of spleen," she realizes that she is truly in love and is lucky to have any husband at all, and will not, as the villagers say, "lead apes to hell" (Draper 95). The ironic counterpoint of their relationship is that while Katharina is easily tamed, Bianca, who needs no taming, is difficult for Lucentio to tolerate.

Last but not least, she closes the passage with the rhetorical appeal of pathos; “Then vail your stomachs for it is no boot, and place your hands below your husband’s foot: In token of which duty, if he please, my hand is ready; may it do him ease.” (5.2.41-44). As she says this, she is fully clarifying that she is a changed woman who is no longer a woman with attitude. She is stating that she is now submissive to Petruchio and respects the ground her husband walks on. She is ready to be a

Petruchio may have been mean to her in order to tame her but by the end; he shows how he truly loves her. “Come, my sweet Kate/Better once than never, for never too late” (Shakespeare Vi 149-150). Kat’s sonnet about her feelings towards Patrick show that she has accepted that she can be in love. This is her version of being “tamed” because she can rely on someone other than herself. Patrick uses the money he made dating her to buy her a guitar and beg for her forgiveness. He has fallen for her though that was no his original intention. “I thought you could use it. You know, when you start your band. Besides, I had some extra cash, you know. Some asshole paid me to take out a really great girl but I screwed up. I fell for her” (10 Things I Hate About You). Besides the story, the filmmakers have used several exact lines from the play in the movie. Cameron echoes Lucentio’s line, “I burn, I pine, I perish”(Shakespeare Ii 155) when he sees Bianca for the first time. Kat, like Kate, tells her sister “You don't always have to be who they want you to be” (10 Things I Hate About You). The filmmakers kept Shakespeare’s story of love and deceit intact in the modernization.

Catherine is determined that no matter what she is definitely going to get out of having to marry the horrible Shaggy Beard. Catherine says, "I'll find a way out" (123). This quote also shows that she is not allowed to choose who she wants to marry. Another thing this shows is she wishes that

The next change seen in Kate is how obedient she has become when Petruchio and her are heading to Bianca’s wedding. Petruchio says that the moon is out, when in actuality it is daytime. Petruchio and Kate have a brief disagreement until she finally rolls over and says “Forward, I pray, since we have come so far, And be it moon, or sun, or what you please. An if you please to call it a rush candle, Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me”(IV.iv.206). This shows that she is obedient and even if what Petruchio is saying is completely false she will obey and agree.

In contrast to this, Kate is very angry and frustrated by the Petruchio, and immediately becomes "shrewish," resorting to insults, 'A joint stool,' and violence. This gives the effect of Kate being much less in control of what is going on, and perhaps reflects the direction their relationship is going to take, that Petruchio will be the one in charge, and Kate will not have any control. This could however also demonstrate Kate's intelligence and wit, that she is able to keep up and match Petruchio's wordplay. However Kate feels the need to resort to violence, again demonstrating Petruchio's intelligent wordplay and calm attitude, as he does not react violently towards Kate, but simply

Kates cruelty was psychological. Kate, while on the brink of death would lie and use her body to manipulate to try and get what she wanted. On page 170 Kate decides her only way to live is to make Miro love her. On the bottom paragraph she says, “...but to have him regard her as a human being again, someone whose life was precious...so that he might just hesitate.” She liese to him about being interested in him. Kate is just like Artkin in that she tries to manipulate to get what she wants.

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). "

Katherine continues to tell them that any women who does not obey and follow their husbands then they are 'foul contending rebels'. Katherine’s speech is full of love and respect for Petruchio. Right from the moment she met Petruchio, it is unmistakable that she was intrigued by him, it could even have been love at first sight. They are very similar characters and they express their emotions by arguing and insulting each other but deep down they are in love. There are two explanations for Katherine’s final speech. One explanation is that Kate could be filled with so much love and affection for Petruchio that she will withstand his harsh treatments and cruel tests just to be with him. Another explanation is that Kate has admitted defeat by Petruchio and that she respects him and understands that he is now master. Kate always wanted to be married and at last she has, she is no longer the controller but has a strong husband to look after her and keep her in a her place. Finally the shrew has been tamed and at last she is married, and so it is a happy ending for

Wonder, for a moment, what Shakespeare means when he uses the word “love”, if it really does exist in any of the relationships in this play, particularly between Petruccio and Katherine. Is love not a certainty?

Kate is venting her anger that Bianca should be able to get suitors while she remains alone. Kate knows that she is a smart and fiery woman and wouldn't be satisfied with such wimpy men as Gremio and Hortensio. She needs a strong man to go with her own strong and powerful personality. When Baptista enters and comes to Bianca's rescue, we find out what is really the cause of Kate's behavior: She's angry that Baptista likes her younger sister better than her. Kate tells her father, that Bianca is his "treasure" and "must have a husband" while she, embarrassed, dances "barefoot on her wedding day" and leads "apes in hell" (II.1, 31–36).

Their arranged marriage, based on the agreement between Katherine’s father and Petruccio, bonds in the extreme sense. During the arrangement Katherine was present, but had no input in the matter. The fact that Katherine denies Petruccio to be her husband and they are wed anyways, suggests that it did not matter as much when a woman opposed her marriage to a man. In this time period a woman’s input was overlooked, especially living in a patriarchal society. From a 21st century perspective, having an arranged marriage seems to not make for a happy life, even in the time period of Shakespeare. At Katherine and Petruccio’s wedding, Petruccio arrived very poorly dressed, almost homely looking, he deprived Katherine of food, clothes, and sleep, and argued with her until she agreed with him. All of these circumstances do not call for a happy marriage. However, in the fifth act of TOS, Katherine brings hope to light that she can be happy, even in her situation of an arranged marriage. When she gives the speech to her sister, Bianca, and the widow, the reader gets the sense that she is now “tamed.” Although, the marriage was arranged and Katherine does not seem happy, she leaves the reader thinking that there can be hope for happiness when you meet in the middle. Petruccio has the pleasure of having an obedient wife while Katherine gets to keep her witty