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Shakespeare the feminist? Taming of the shrew by Vegas Gas The taming of the shrew by william shakespeare is a play which is ahead of its time in its views toward gender roles within society. Katherine is a woman who is intelligent, and is not afraid to assert her views on any given situation. She is paired with another obstinate character in Petruchio. The Marriage formed between the two is a match made in heaveanfor two reasons. First Because Katherine is strong enough to assert her views, and more importantly, she realizes when she should assert them.
The second reason the bond survives is that Petruchio is strong enough to accept the fact that Katherine has a mind and, more importantly he love her for that reason. Petruchio clearly weaves the relationship into the framework of society without compromising the integrity of the relationship. Petruchio does this by comparing katherine's at title to repulsive clothing. Carefully and calculatingly, Petruchio forges a relationship that is envied by all who witness it.
Called cursed Kate throught the play, katherine is openly jealous of the attention he sister is recieving, whereas she, because she speaks her mind, is being bypassed and even avoided in the wooing process. Katherine reveals this attitude in act 2 scene 1, lines 31 - 35, nay, now i see she is your treasure, she must have a husband; i must dance barefoot on my wedding day, and for your love to her, lead the apes to hell. Talk not to me i will sit and weep! . This anger is not concealed, it serves to provide motivation as to why a rational person would rebuke petruchio so rudely upon first encountering him.
Katherine surely realizes that petruchio is is interested in her for ulterior motives other than love. Be it purse that the dowry will bring or the actions of an insincere lunatic who, woos a thousand yet never means to wed where he hath wooed (act 3 scene 2 lines 15 - 17). In any event, Kate is not easily won by the brash and brazen would suitor petruchio. She perceives (correctly) Petruchio's motivation to be false so she fights his advances vehemently. Unfortunately, though, Katherine carries the burden of havin a sister with a higher market value. Seconds after he learns that katherine is betrothed, Baptista wastes no time in auctioning off his younger daughter to the highest bidder.
now i play the merchants part, and venture madly on an open mart (A 2, s 1, l 319 - 320) In this light Katherine's resistance is justified. After a forced marriage, Petruchio sets about wooing Katherine in earnest. Petruchio realizes that there is more to his bonnie Kate then her weighty dowry. He begins to love and more importantly respect Katherine. Only when Katherine is sure that petruchio is neither mad nor greedy does she begin to fall for him.
Having mutual affection, thier problems are only partly solved. The problem lay in the structure of society. IN 16 th century society a dainty, subservient, tame woman posses the ideal qualities of her time. Petruchio real = ze's this point. He realizes that if he has a wife who clearly contradicts social norms, having a mind and expressing it, he would not be repeated by his peers. This realization series to explain the scenes dealing with attire throught the play, act III scene iii and Act Vscene ii, amongst others.
Petruchio begins manipulation Katherine as early as their wedding day. By choosing over absurd attire petruchio is making a point. He carries on this charade in Act IV = scene III, when the tailor is brought in. Petruchio secretly requests that a extremely elegant, beautiful dress be made.
when this dress is brought before Katherine, she processes it is the most beautiful she has ever seen. At this point Petruchio orders the dressmaker away, stating that the dress is abominable. Here is where the point is driven in most convincingly. we will unto your fathers even in these honest habiliments.
our purses proud, our garments poor, for it is the mind that makes the body rich. And so sun breaks through the darkest clouds so honor perth in the meanest habit. (A 4, sc, 3, lns, 167 - 173) An analogy is being made, and within this analogy is the point Shakespeare is trying to drive forth. If Katherine does not care if her behavior in public makes her appear like a fool, then why should she care if her clothes do the same but in a different manner. Both Petruchio and Katherine dress squalidly as long as Katherine's behavior is offensive. As her attitude subsides, the garments that adorn the couple also become more impressive. IN the last act of the play, Katherine finally is recognized when wager is placed by Petruchio counter Hortensio and Lucentio.
They wager as to which wife will respond most obediently to her husbands beckoning. Petruchio wins this wage because Katherine behaves as a gratis wife would. To further reiterate this point, petruchio symbolically commands Katherine to take off her hat and step on it. She again abides as a gratis wife of the 16 th century might. Ironically, Bianca, once once the vision of the perfect wife, not only disobeys her husband but she goes further and insults him in public.
The mutual respect of fot he relationship between Petruchio and Kate is contrasted with the superficial properness of the relationship of bianca and lucent. In this play as as any other, shakespeare proves to be a visionary. Petruchio achieves his goal through witty persuasion rather than resorting to beating his wireline many a man before him has done. Though shakespeare does not go as far as some feminists would like him to, Shakespeare does much fr the fight of equality of the sexes. Katherine is as strong, or stronger than any woman in shakespeare's plays. The amazing thing is that she achieves this without ulterior motives such as lady Macbeth.
She is an honest, bright independent woman. She is not underscored by her subservience to petruchio in public, for the sun breaks through the darkest cloud and so do Katherine's assets braek though the public visage of subordination to her husband. 361
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Research essay sample on 16 Th Century Taming Of The Shrew
