The social structure of the 16th century, the time in which this play is based, allowed for a daughter to be the respective property of their father until married, where they would become the property of their husband. Baptista fits into this stereotype and also treats his daughters as property (clearly seen when negotiating his daughters dowry’s) however he still has great love for his daughters, just as a modern day father would, he treats them civilly and wants the best for them. Even though this is the case, it is also noticeable that he favors Bianca over Kate, because of her submissive and gentle manor which is in stark contrast to Kate’s shrewishness. This favoritism can be seen at the start of Act2 when Baptista discovers his daughters fighting “Why, how now, dame, whence grows this insolence? Bianca, stand aside. Poor girl. She weeps. Go ply thy needle, meddle not with her. For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit. Why dost thou wrong her that did ne’er wrong thee? When did she cross thee with a bitter word?” This quote shows Baptista’s automatic assumption of Bianca’s innocence and ultimately his favor over her however after he says this and his children depart the room, he feels emotionally torn up inside saying “Was ever a gentleman thus grieved as I?”.
Baptista’s character is strong and fatherly and while he is not at all aggressive he usually manages to command the respect of those around him. This is probably as he in a position to demand it throughout much of the play and also because of the social structure of the time, with him being the master of his house and daughters. Even though he does show a biased favoritism towards Bianca, he is keen on getting what he thinks is best for both his daughters. By making sure that Kate would get married before Bianca he is thus saving Kate from the extreme social embarrassment of not being married before a younger sister, even though he is risking loosing Bianca’s suitors. And while negotiating with Bianca’s suitors and choosing the wealthiest he is trying to secure her future prosperity. This shows that he is concerned with the well-being of both his daughters and will not let them ruin their lives.
It is inevitable that contemporary reactions to Baptista will vary, depending on what train of thought the viewer takes. Personally, I saw Baptista as a fairly average father, comparable to a father in a modern day society. He wants what he feels is best for both his daughters and loves them both even if he does, seem to favor Bianca. Even though he treats his daughters as property and makes them marry, not out of love but out of wealth, society at the time permitted him too and I feel that this behavior, while not acceptable in our society was perfectly acceptable back in 16th century Europe and should therefore not be critically analyzed by a modern day audience. Others, however, will view these misogynistic qualities critically and their whole opinion of Baptista will change to mine. One thing that cannot be dismissed, however, is the importance of Baptista to the progression of the story and no matter how you view him, the play would not have been possible if he wasn’t there.
