Taming Of The Shrew Literary Analysis

Literary Essay- Taming of the Shrew There is a popular romantic saying that claims opposites attract, meaning that people who are very different will fall in love. However, that is not often the case in real life, nor is it as true as it may seem in Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew. The main couple, Katherina and Petruchio, experience countless conflicts in the beginning in the play. In the end, though, they are ultimately shown to be the ones with the best marriage, which wins them a lot of money. They are also quite similar, as they both are smart, like mocking people, and are aggressive. To begin, Katherina and Petruchio are similar as they share the trait of intelligence. This is shown when Petruchio says, “Instruct her fully in these sciences, whereof I know [Katherina] is not ignorant” (2.1.56-57). The fact that Petruchio admits Katherina is knowledgeable in science highlights how impressive her wit is, as women of the time had more of an emphasis on musical education. As well, Petruchio shows his cleverness with his plan to woo Katherina and confuse her into silence: “say that she rail, why then I’ll tell her plain she sings as sweetly as a nightingale” (2.1.169-170). His plan is made up in what appears to be an instant, yet works very

While another couple in the play also shares similar qualities, Lucentio and Bianca did not obtain the same happiness as Katherina and Petruchio. Perhaps Shakespeare intended to show the audience that there is no set equation for love, as what traits someone wants in a partner differ from person to person. If so, that message should be heard, especially now when people still stick by old stereotypes of what a couple should be. After all, no one can control who they fall in love with, and forcing expectations on them does little to change