The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare - Act 5 Scene2 Katherina's speech

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  1. Ong Fung

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THE TAMING OF THE SHREW by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Re-read Katherina’s last speech in Act 5 Scene 2 and discuss its content. Does this speech mark the beginning of true happiness for her or has she learned to play her husband at his own game, or can we as readers, be offended by the assumption that males are superior?

In the play, ‘The Taming of The Shrew’, Shakespeare portrays males as being superior to women as in Elizabethan times, this was considered the case. Katherina always defied males, be it her father or suitors. The main focus of the play is Petruchio’s goal to tame Katherina in order to make her a respectable woman and wife. In Act 5 Scene 2, does Katherina show that she is tamed in her speech about how husbands should be treated or is this just an act of deception?

Katherina’s speech basically describes how a woman should act as a wife to her husband. The husband is often described to as, ‘Lord’ and ‘King’ as these are respected and are considered important people in society. By relating Petruchio to these people, it is emphasising the fact that he should be equally respected. She is positively describing him to reassure Petruchio that she is to be trusted. Katherina describes herself as ‘property’, Petruchio is ‘Thy life, thy keeper’, which demonstrates her utmost respect for Petruchio.

After starting off confidently, she describes how a wife should not act. In each comparison, she relates herself to something elegant, which puts emphasis on the contradictory comment after each description. ‘A woman ‘mov’d’ is like a fountain troubled’ is comparing an angry woman to a faulty fountain. Fountains are rarely faulty so this contradicts her behaviour. By relating a woman to the fountain emphasises the point that an angry women does not belong in society.  ‘Ill seeming’ and ‘bereft of beauty’ are negative comments to inform everyone that wives like that will not even attract suitors ‘so dry or thirsty’.  

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As the speech progresses, Katherina talks about how a husband, ‘painfully labour’ at ‘sea and land’ which demonstrates the extent of their work. Katherina realises that a wife is ‘too little payment for so great a debt’ to their husband which shows that she realises she is insignificant to him. This again, portrays the fact that Katherina is inferior and obedient to him.

Obedience is the key issue in this play. Katherina describes a wife disobedient to her husband a ‘foul contending rebel’. These are powerful words in Elizabethan times. Katherina states that wives should agree with their ...

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