Katharina's Monologue Analysis

Katharina’s monologue in Act 5 has been interpreted in various and often drastically different ways that might cause the modern reader to either cringe at the misogynistic ‘taming,’ or to smile at the irony. However, I think there is some honesty in her speech despite the uncharacteristic words that Katharina chooses to use. She begins her speech by speaking from experience, that “to wound” “confounds thy fame” (5.2.139, 141). Katharina had, as shown in 1.1, the reputation of being “stark mad or wonderful froward” (1.1.69), one that she definitely does not enjoy, causing her to withdraw into herself and in turn lash out even more at others like an abused animal. She continues that her anger makes her unpleasant but her word choice of “mov’d”

Perhaps it implies Katharina’s desire for being kept in and ‘cherished’ in a sense; “Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not?” (1.1.102). The payment she offers in exchange is “love, fair looks, true obedience,” something she equalises with “duty” that the subject “owes the prince.” By suggesting that the husband is like a prince, she shows us that it is an inescapable situation just as how you can’t get rid of an aristocrat unless you commit treason because in a sense, you are bound to this person. This is a more era-specific concept but the idea of a ‘gold-digger’ or protection-for-looks is still quite relevant today. Perhaps it can also be interpreted that women can use their looks and sexuality in order to gain leverage and power in a relationship within a male-dominated society. However it is not to say that Katharina gave up her independence in exchange for ‘a man’s protection.’ In another way, the use of the word ‘prince’ suggests that Katharina is not simply fighting against her husband but the society in general and that society, in itself cannot be changed by her alone. Therefore, she must change in order to gain that power and her own