The Taming Of The Shrew Research Paper

The Common Theme of Love
Throughout many of Shakespeare’s works, love is a commonly used theme. Whether between family members or star crossed lovers, love is an apparent theme. In his works, Shakespeare uses his love as an overarching idea to create a sense of familiarity for the reader. In The Taming of the Shrew, we see a love that is not genuine between Katherine and Petruchio. Katherine, a shrew, is considered unlovable, crude, and ugly compared to her beautiful sister. Katherine’s only appeal is the wealth of her father that will be bestowed to her husband at marriage and the promise that after she is married, Bianca is able to wed. At the time period at which the play portrayed, women are supposed to behave in a civil manner and share the same values as their husband. Katherine’s defiance of this poses as a

Unlike Petruchio, Romeo instantly feels an attraction to Juliet the night of her family’s party. “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! / For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” (Romeo and Juliet 1.5.50-51) Romeo’s love for Juliet begins due to her beauty, but then becomes stronger because of her charming personality. The idea of wealth did not star-crossed lovers mins, in fact, they both came from affluent families. For example, the night Romeo observes Juliet from her balcony he hears her profess “Deny thy father and refuse thy name! / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.” (2.2.34-36) This line shows that Juliet’s love runs deeper than the surface, she is willing to give up her family and wealth to be with Romeo because he makes her truly happy. The love between Romeo and Juliet was more realistic in a sense, the feelings were real. Though their emotions were exaggerated to a certain degree, there was a mutual love felt for each other unlike Katherine and