ipl-logo

Taming Of The Shrew Feminist Analysis

1169 Words5 Pages

As one of the most controversial works of all time, “Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare can be interpreted in many different ways. This play has many layers and meanings behind it as is commonly referred to as one of the first feminist pieces to be written. But with so many differing viewpoints on this play, can we be sure that feminism was the basis of this piece? Although “Taming of the Shrew” can be interpreted to have a strong feminist tone, it is very clear that the play itself is actually about the toxicity that spurs from too much power in relationships.
Throughout the play, we see multiple relationships, not all romantic, that result in unhealthy interaction between those that are involved. For example, the play starts off …show more content…

In holding this power Petruchio degrades and humiliates his wife in hopes to tame his “shrew”. Petruchio must use tactics such as starving her, not allowing her to sleep and blatantly talking down to her in attempt to change her into someone he can bare to spend the rest of his life with in order to reap the benefits of having a wife with a rich family. When meeting Petruchio, we learn that from the very start of his relationship with her, he already does not show her any respect as he continues to refer to her as “plain Kate, And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst, But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom, Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate—For dainties are all Kates” (2.1.179-183) after being asked specifically to refer to her as “Katherine”. This rough start to their relationship contradicts the Elizabethan era’s ideals of courtship. In this way, their relationship is unconventional and should be looked down upon in society’s eyes” (Keene). This relationship is immensely toxic from the very beginning and only goes downhill from there. The power that Petruchio has over Katherine causes her to have to endure incredibly harsh treatment from a significant other that she wanted nothing to do with in the first place. Katherine and Petruchio are seemingly the perfect couple at the end of the play making some readers believe that their relationship is a display of how success in a relationship sparks from compromise when in reality this relationship is built off of dehumanization of a wife by her

Show More
Related

Taming Of The Shrew And 10 Things Analysis

793 Words | 4 Pages

Modern day communication and relationships were vastly different but, the movie really portrayed the “lovey-dovey” aspect of The Taming of the Shrew. The movies atmosphere and era helped with that portrayal. Seeing as women were not just property but more leaning towards as actual human beings and “almost” equal in standards to men. Leading into my final subject the role of women in these

Read More

Taming Of The Shrew Misogynist Essay

510 Words | 3 Pages

Katherine’s final speech in The Taming of the Shrew is misogynistic. William Shakespeare's brilliant play, The Taming of the Shrew, has led to heated debates over its exhibition of gender roles and the treatment of women. At the root of this controversy lies Katherine's concluding speech, a sexist monologue that has left audiences divided. However, an analysis exposes sexism woven throughout the entirety of the play, extending way beyond Katherine's controversial speech. Katherine's final speech stands as a perfect example of the play's misogynistic undertones.

Read More

Taming Of The Shrew Misogynist

297 Words | 2 Pages

Misogynism in Taming of the Shrew ` A misogynist is a person who repels, dislikes, or mistrusts women. There’s been several debates about this topic in Shakespeare’s comedy, Taming of the Shrew. Some believe that his play is quite sexist, and feminist have been on top of that, and the others believe that people are just comparing his play to modern times, and women were treated like that back then. The two sides each have a point, just depends in what point of view you see it at. Let’s look at it through the eyes of the people who believe the play is misogynistic.

Read More

Petruchio's Deception In Taming Of The Shrew

809 Words | 4 Pages

Petruchio and Katherine are two characters in Shakespeare ’s play “Taming of the Shrew”. Petruchio was a single man with money running out looking for a rich wife. There was a situation between Katherine and her sister Bianca. Bianca couldn’t get married until Katherine did.

Read More

Taming Of The Shrew Misogynist

491 Words | 2 Pages

Katherine’s final speech in The Taming of the Shrew is misogynistic. William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is a famous play, known for its brilliant writing. However, it is filled with sexist ideas, especially shown in Katherine's final speech, where she supports male dominance over women. Though The Taming of the Shrew is an iconic play delivered by a genius writer, it should be canceled due to its ongoing sexist themes. The Taming of the Shrew is sexist because it demonstrates women as inferior to men and supports old-fashioned gender roles.

Read More

Women's Sovereignty In The Taming Of The Shrew

613 Words | 3 Pages

Women’s Sovereignty Women do not exactly play a large role in any of William Shakespeare’s major works. Taking all factors into consideration, like time period and assumed gender roles, women did not play a significant role in society. During the sixteenth century, at which Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew was written, it was natural for women to be confined to a lifestyle that allowed no independence.

Read More

Taming Of The Shrew Conventions

1257 Words | 6 Pages

“The Taming of the Shrew” is a comedic play composed by Shakespeare. The play is centred around the Elizabethan conventions that were relevant during Shakespeare's time. The ‘Taming of the Shrew’ is based around the story of two young damsels who are sisters, but very different from one another. Bianca is the youngest sister and is praised for being a submissive and beautiful girl, a true manifestation of the male fantasy, while Katherina, the oldest sister is notoriously known for being shrewish and rough. The conventions portrayed in the play are patriarchal dominance and female subordination between Petruchio and Katherina, courtship and dating whilst showing the power imbalance between women and men throughout the Elizabethan era, and finally

Read More

Petruchio's The Taming Of The Shrew

614 Words | 3 Pages

Katherine begins to exhibit typical gender roles when she obeys and leaves with him. “She is suppose to be silent, according to everyone else’s rules,” says Dusinberre, Juliet. So, this quote proves her actions are normal. Petruchio continues to let it be known that he will have the upper hand until her obedience becomes

Read More

Taming Of The Shrew Deception

1199 Words | 5 Pages

Shakespeare’s ‘Taming of the Shrew’ is a controversial play as it includes ideas which do not correspond with the norms of the era in which it was written. It even goes as far as to mock the traditional views on marriage and gender roles in society. There are many enduring themes that are explored throughout the play, but the most significant the theme of deception and the idea that the truth eventually is revealed. The most prominent dramatic techniques in Shakespearean plays are language as there are no stage directions available, therefore as the lack of it, it is the directors’ actions which determine how the characters are interpreted. Shakespeare is often seen contradicting himself, as the play goes on, this reveals the thinking process

Read More

Women In The Taming Of The Shrew

971 Words | 4 Pages

The role of women in The Taming of the Shrew Throughout history, women have had very different experiences at different times. Some past societies had women who were warriors, powerful priestesses, and political leaders. At other times strict expectations have been placed on women, with (male) writers portraying them as inferior to men (McKeown, 2017). The role of women nowadays is completely different to what it used to be in medieval times.

Read More

Taming Of The Shrew Sexism Analysis

815 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

Gender Roles In The Taming Of The Shrew

212 Words | 1 Pages

The taming of the shrew act 4 essay question By johnathen worthing Gender roles play a huge role in this play because in this time a woman was supposed to fill the “role” and be quiet and listen to whatever the man says. The part of gender roles also plays a big part in this play because the women have no choice in who they marry they marry who their father says. Most of the men have a very strict way of thinking when it comes to women's behavior and yes it does extend to all women because they all treat women the same they all think that they should be kind and nice and mindful of men most of the women go along with the roles for them set by men but some like kate have a harder time accepting such roles but eventually come to terms with

Read More

Women In The Taming Of The Shrew

264 Words | 2 Pages

William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew uses the theme of the predisposed roles of women based on attributes of modesty and beauty to convey the message that given characteristics can pave the path for differing lifestyles. In the Elizabethan Era, Bianca portrays the ideal wife containing characteristics of prudence and beauty. Contrary to Bianca, Katherina is a problematic individual with a boisterous voice resulting in disinterest among suitors. Baptista, the father of Bianca and Katherina, has a bias opinion of how a woman should be.

Read More

Women's Power In The Taming Of The Shrew

936 Words | 4 Pages

Mary Wollstonecraft once said “I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves. In The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, the objective of the males in the story and also in this time period is to get married and to acquire money and power. In doing this, the women of the story are often mistreated and overlooked. William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is subversive toward the patriarchal system in highlighting the unfair position women held in society. One way that Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is subversive that in the play, women’s voices and thoughts are able to be heard.

Read More

Gender Roles In Shakespeare's Taming Of The Shr

465 Words | 2 Pages

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.

Read More

More about Taming Of The Shrew Feminist Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document