Baptista In The Taming Of The Shrew

During the Elizabethan Era, women were treated as objects and rarely received the respect they deserved. In Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew, Baptista, the father of Bianca and Katharina, succeed at giving away both daughters within a week. Baptista favors one daughter over the other due to her obedience and lack of opinions. Katharina is portrayed to freely express herself, and has a hot temper. As a woman and a daughter in the 1500’s, Katharina is treated poorly, thus, the relationship between her and her father is degrading. Most women’s feelings in the 16th century were neither cared about nor taken seriously. Men cared solely about controlling their wives. A disobedient wife was considered an insult, and a man was looked upon

Instead of asking more questions to find out what kind of man Petruchio is and how he will treat Katharina, Baptista agrees to give his daughters hand in marriage to Petruchio. On the day of the wedding, the groom is hours late and heavily intoxicated. Baptista witnesses the humiliation his daughter feels but instead of comforting her declares, “Cannot blame thee now to weep, for such an injury would vex a very saint, much more a shrew of thy impatient humor” (III.ii. ). Baptista comprehends why she is distraught, but explains the injury, or embarrassment, is worse for Katharina due to her fiery temper. Any woman would feel offended if they were stood up, but Baptista expresses, due to Katharina’s insubordinate behavior and how she treats people, she feels more humiliation than any normal, obedient woman. Most fathers would comfort their daughters with love and compassion, but Baptista sympathizes by insulting her. By calling Katharina a shrew with impatient humor he describes his daughter as a short-tempered and aggressive and makes the crowd question who would want to marry such a woman. Therefore, he gives Petruchio an excuse and portrays understanding of Petruchio’s tardiness. Since women’s feelings did not matter, Baptista feels his response is acceptable, but calling his daughter names on the day of her wedding is

When Petruchio and Katharina arrive at Baptista’s house and everyone is mingling over Bianca’s marriage, the men place bets on which wife is the most obedient. When Petruchio wins the bet, Baptista exclaims, “Another dowry to another daughter, for she is changed as she had never been” (V.ii. ). Baptista is thrilled at how the shrew he considred for a daughter has changed to do whatever Petruchio requests. Already having paid the dowry for Katharina, Baptista says he will give a second dowry due to his daughter being a much different and a better woman. In order for the eldest daughter to survive she was forced to change, consequently she is a different person. For taming Katharina into a respectable wife, Petruchio is looked upon as an amazing man and Baptista cares more that his daughter is quiet than her welfare. Seeing Katharina’s behavior is subservient, Baptista is pleased. Though, he should be worried as to how quickly and why Katharina felt the dire need to