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A paragraph of analysis on the taming of the shrew
The status of women in Elizabethan society
Women in the renaissance era
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Characters Mask Their Character Shakespeare develops a lot of themes in The Taming of the Shrew, one is manipulation of characters. Meaning that the actor/actresses change their demeanour and attitude/behaviour to match their chosen status. Various personalities show distinct identities which change by the end of the play. It leaves the reader a lesson, which is not to be confused with the idea of appearance and reality.
When it comes to the way modern society functions, somebody’s gender can influence the amount of respect given to them. This exact structure of power based on gender was in place during the English Renaissance era. This is when English poet and playwright, William Shakespeare, created his most famous works, where these ideologies of gender superiority are evident. He uses his plays to critique society and its flaws. In The Taming of The Shrew, the complex character of Katherine and her arranged marriage with Pertruichio makes a mockery of her true identity and develops the plot as well as the theme that misogyny and gender roles defined humanity in the English Renaissance era.
Nakira Edwards Ms.Rodgers English IV 25 January 2023 Daily Life During the Elizabethan Era, daily life and custom living were very important and unique. In their daily life during the Elizabethan Era, men's and women’s living conditions were going to determine how their lifestyle was going to be. If you were not considered an upper-classmen, then life for you was challenging. Men and women had distinctive dress codes; however, women had to wear clothes that had to cover their bodies and men's had to wear clothes that pertained to what positions they were in.
Throughout history, men have always dominated. They never let a woman rise to power or have the same rights. This sexism has been ingrained in society for thousands of years, so much so that it has defined some of the most famous works of literature, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This play was written during the Elizabethan Era, an era in which a woman had all the power imaginable (Queen Elizabeth), and yet, women were still severely discriminated against. Women had no say whatsoever in their society; they were not allowed to vote and they had very few legal rights (Papp, Joseph, Kirkland).
The Taming of the Shrew is a romantic comedy. If comedic devices were not there The Taming of the Shrew would be just a normal romance. Comedic devices do work to develop the plot in The Taming of the Shrew. The are several comedic devices in this story: unexpected plot twists, witty language, disguises or costumes, young love with a struggle, and unity and harmony. These all contribute different comedic aspects to the plot and push the plot forward.
Throughout William Shakespeare’s time during the Elizabethan Era in the late 1500s, societal standards and gender roles were not like how they are in most of the world today. Women in the Elizabethan Era were raised to believe that they were inferior to men. The Church enforced this, quoting from the bible to ensure that this principle was widely followed. Women were to obey not only their parents but any other male relatives of their family. Disobedience was seen as a crime against their religion.
From Sexism to Social Reformation Many actions and ideologies of the characters in The Taming of the Shrew create an overarching conflict between comedy and sexism for most readers. Specifically, the relationships between the men and women introduce controversial topics such as obedience and love which must be questioned thoroughly. The conditions of Petruchio and Katherine’s marriage was more “traditional” in the sense that it was primarily patriarchal, and that Kate was expected to be subservient and obedient. While this is sexist, on the surface, this was not the intended meaning behind the works.
The roles of women are immanently transcending as society continues to alter their perception of the female race. Since the misogynistic Elizabethan era, women exceed the expectations of encompassing subservient and docile characteristics to becoming respectable individuals capable of embracing their own beliefs rather than a man’s. However, equality for women’s rights only began with the recognition of society’s unequal treatment towards women. The Taming of the Shrew in its own sense stands as small step of recognition towards the early fight for the rights of women. Shakespeare uses this piece of literature to essentially reveal and criticize the manner in which male-dominated societies treat women as animals that are to be tamed.
In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Maria’s role is a gentlewoman to Olivia whose main purpose is to serve and follow orders. However, Maria shows great significance to the play as she proves her intelligence plotting revenge against Malvolio, She takes control of her actions and decision that she gives orders to Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Fabian to spy on Malvolio. Thus, Maria challenges the gender roles to illustrate her strength and ability to control others. For that reason, Maria uses her role as gentlewoman to her advantage, in which Malvolio would not think that Maria could fool him. In other words, Maria is clever with her motives; she creates humour by mocking Malvoilo.
Katherina Minola, the main character of William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, is not a shrew; she is simply a woman who has opinions. In the setting of Shakespeare’s time, the patriarchy is absolutely monstrous. Any woman who speaks her mind is out of line, and menfolk know what’s best. As clearly shown in the play, society as a whole does not care what Kate thinks. The way the townspeople and her family have treated her throughout her life forced her into a more outspoken, aggressive nature.
Ever wonder about gender roles in Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew? In Taming of the Shrew, the gender roles affect the characters in a rather negative way, and when they surface in the play, it’s rather shocking. This essay will discuss how gender roles affect the characters in what I believe is a negative way, and how they surface in the play. In this play, the men appear to have a particular idea on how all women should behave.
The Elizabethan Era was a time where men were in charge and women and children were expected to obey. Nowadays, men and women have equal roles in society and one gender is not better or smarter than the other. During the Elizabethan Era, men, women, and children all had specific and defining roles. Men had a dominant role in society during the Elizabethan Era. Men could do many things that women were not allowed to do.
Shakespeare 's use of language through prose and verse highlights the connections between the issues addressed by the play’s premise and those of its lively times. One of the keys to understanding vernacular in The Taming of the Shrew is about relevance that is given to the power and strength that it had when artfully executed. Mutually, influenced and received by Elizabethan unfavorable realities of roles of women and men social constructs. The situation of women during Elizabethan era also known as the epoch within the Tudor period are moments that celebrated basic qualities of a subordinate female as an expected cultural affair. Openly, impacted and predisposed by the domestic or relationship-based hierarchies of the period.
The three social classes during the time of the Renaissance were comprised of people who lived very different lives. The wealthy class were the people with most control. Men would be abusive towards their servants, and wives, however the only reason they would act this way, was because they wanted to give off the appearance that they were the ones with the money, the power, and no one was allowed to tell them otherwise. The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare revolves around the wealthy, such as Petruchio, Petruchio was abusive towards his servants, and his wife Katherine, he also made it his priority to find a way to “tame” his wife, thus having control. The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare celebrates male dominance in marital and social hierarchies and encourages abusive behaviors towards people of a low status.
In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the female characters' desire to question the law of Athens and select their own husbands drives most of the conflict in the play. In a way, Hermia, Helena, and Titania are the protagonists of the play because each of their desires are being thwarted by the patriarchal structure of the society in which they live. The way the women try to overcome such hurdles does not sit well with the men. Accordingly, the men get on edge when their patriarchy is disrupted, so they make strict laws to try and keep the women under their control.
