Gender Roles In Taming Of The Shrew

William Shakespeare’s Comedy, Taming of the Shrew is a play that takes place in Padua where Lucentio, a student Begins chasing a girl he is interested in, Bianca. As Bianca already has two suitors, who neither seem to catch her interest, a couple men on Lucentio’s ‘team’ start to develop a plan to be able to woo Katherina, the older sister, so then lucentio can gain the rights to Bianca. After this all works out, Petruchio is going to embarrass Kate, and quickly teach her that he is in charge. Petruchio and his servants deny her food and sleep. Kate is treated horribly, until she eventually obeys him. Taming of the Shrew provides an in-depth look at the social and political lifestyle in the early 1600’s. Many of the messages gathered from this play is a shocking surprise at the gender roles and the change that has taken place over a few hundred years. Men made sure they remained complete seniority over the household. They were perceived as only good for household chores, making food, and their families property. Marital arrangements in the 17th century were not about love, happiness, and comfort, but rather social reputation, money, and property.

Many men saw marriages as a business transaction, where women are treated like animals, with the possibility to be traded for property or some type of currency. Marriage was never about love, “As such marriage was a business contract having nothing to do with love. That was what affairs were for”(Marriage & family…). Marriage was only purposeful if one of three aspirations were met, to produce heirs, to obtain money or property, or obtaining a title. Love in marriage was never a thought, in fact it was unworldly. It was not necessarily a problem if the two spouses got along, or if they agreed with each other, love wasn’t a foremost necessity. Each relationship had a specific purpose, usually depicted on social status