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Theme Of Money And Love In The Taming Of The Shrew

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Money or Love?

Economic considerations are high for all characters involved in the play “The Taming of the Shrew”. Lucentio is only allowed to marry bianca after he proposes his father can provide a larger dowry than Hortensio’s father. When Hortensio jokes that he knows a rich shrew, Petruchio jumps at the given opportunity to woo Katherine. Petruccio swears to only marry woman with a large dowry. In what ways is money and status more important than true love? Marrying for power, land and money was of concern for most of society during this period. This era was classified the Elizabethan era. The man generally asked a woman's father for permission to court his daughter,woman possessed very little right in choosing her husband. The matrimony was arranged in order for the benefits of both sides of the family. Marriage was a simple transaction involving the transfer of money. After falling for Lucentio’s heart, Bianca is restricted permission to marry him, till Lucentio is able to convince Baptista that he is fabulously rich. Have Hortensio offered more money, Bianca would have had no choice but to marry him regardless her love for Lucentio. Many laws of this time and era disallowed woman to have the same opportunities as men. Women belonged to their fathers, and then to their husbands. If a woman came from wealth, often were allowed to marry from the starting age of 12. A reason Queen Elizabeth never married was so she wouldn't lose her power to man. Women were

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