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Taming Of The Shrew Misogynist Essay

510 Words3 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. In her words, on line x, page x, "Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, / Thy head, thy sovereign," she stands up for a submissive, subservient role for women in marriage. Katherine's speech goes against today's ideas of men …show more content…

Besides Katherine's speech, the play has lots of misogynistic themes and moments. Petruchio's behavior toward Katherine highlights this through his harsh "taming" methods. He deprives her of food and sleep, messes with her sense of reality, and manipulates her emotions. Petruchio acts this way because he deeply believes that women should see them as lords and as someone to obey. For instance, when he proclaims on page x, line x, "I am he born to tame you." This text underscores Petruchio's belief that it is his purpose to control and tame Katherine. He sees Kate not as an equal human being, but as a wild creature meant to be put in her place by a male superior. Petruchio's treatment of Katherine as less than human and his need to be in control of her reinforces the sexist concepts within the play, bringing attention to just how accepted the oppression of women was in the cultural attitudes and beliefs of that era. Additionally, the drastic change in Katherine's character from a bold, fiercely independent woman to a “perfect”, obedient wife is concerning in terms of how the play shows gender

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