How Is Katherine Presented In The Taming Of The Shrew

Inside and outside the world of literature, perspective can reveal an individual’s beliefs, ideals, and innermost desires. In The Taming of the Shrew, written by William Shakespeare, perception is fundamental in representing a character’s mentality, from their motifs to their values. Katherine, the eldest daughter of the wealthy Baptista, is seen as a “shrew,” which, in terms of the play, describes a sharp-tongued, ill-mannered, and discourteous woman. On the contrary, Katherine’s younger sibling, Bianca, appears to be soft-spoken and on the milder side compared to her sister. While the suitors, Hortensio, Gremio, and Lucientio, are infatuated with Bianca, Katherine is married off to Petruchio and taken away to be “tamed.” Lucientio,

During their wedding feast, Bianca reveals her true nature as dreadful and unsophisticated, while Katherine consecutively displays her uttermost obedience to her husband. The suitors demonstrate their ideals for a submissive and docile woman through their ironic rejection of Bianca and acceptance of Katherine at the end of the play. The suitors’ preference for a conventionally passive woman is evident when they initially see Katherine as a shrew undeserving of love while conversely harboring feelings for Bianca and her gentler demeanor. When Katherine expresses her frustration about being made a fool in front of the suitors, Hortensio snidely remarks that there would be no suitors for her “unless [she] were a gentler, milder mould.” (Shakespeare 1.1.60) The word “unless” has a constrictive note and suggests no option other than the one presented. Applying the controlling tone created by the word “unless,” Hortensio implies that it is an absolute must for Katherine to change herself. She would only find love on the condition that she improves her behavior to be what is considered acceptable, which according to

Lucentio takes note of Bianca’s mild behavior during the commotion and later pronounces his devotion to her to Tranio, claiming “sacred and sweet was all [he] saw in her.” (Shakespeare 1.1.173) The alliteration of “sacred” and “sweet” amplifies the sensational and enamored tone Lucientio used to describe Bianca. The inclusion of “saw,” besides aiding the flow of the sentence, solidifies that he primarily viewed Bianca in a favorable light. Rather than fixate his attention on Katherine’s tantrum, his unconscious choice to focus on the quiet and well-mannered daughter combined with the emphasis on his positive depictions of her subtly reveals Lucientio’s inclination for Bianca over Katherine as a love interest and the specific qualities he found attractive. After the father, Baptista, firmly announces that the decision for Katherine’s and Bianca’s hand in marriage is final, he tells Bianca to go back inside. In response, Gremio exclaims, “Why will you mew her up… for this fiend of hell?” (Shakespeare 1.1.88-89) Diction was used once more when the word “mew” was selected to describe Gremio’s thoughts on bringing Bianca back into the house. Created by Shakespeare,