How are male characters portrayed in the Taming of the Shrew?
How are male characters portrayed in the Taming of the Shrew? Male characters in the "Taming of the Shrew" play a significant role in the play as women in fact without the male characters one can say that the male characters wouldn't react in the manner they do. The characters I have selected are Tranio, Hortensio, Lucentio and Petruchio because I feel they play more significant roles in the play then any of the other male characters due to the fact that three of them are suitors and that one dramatically influences how the play develops. I will do this via textual analysis (by selecting relevant segments of text and giving my detailed opinion on what Shakespeare's intentions are in relation to utilising the text and what ideas he might be trying to convey. Tranio is the most significant servant character in the in the play. If it were not for his wise plotting and scheming Lucentio would be unable to win Bianca or "Achieve" as he puts in act 1 scene 1 line 156. Tranio possesses an impressive arsenal of wit and character. He possesses a persuasive tongue and furthermore has the ability to transform into other personas at any time he sees fit. Although Tranio is a servant he appears to be well educated even more so then his own master Lucentio. This is made evident throughout Act 1 scene1. One can argue this is due to the fact that he is easily able to replicate Lucentio
These ideas can be contrasted and compared between the 1500 Elizabethan time of Shakespeare's play 'The Taming of the Shrew' and the present contemporary period of teenage movie '10 Thing I Hate About You'.
'The Power of Love' is portrayed in various themes throughout both. Some of which depict superficial love, motivation by money and love-at-first-sight. These ideas can be contrasted and compared between the 1500 Elizabethan time of Shakespeare's play 'The Taming of the Shrew' and the present contemporary period of teenage movie '10 Thing I Hate About You'. The motif of motivation by money in love is a frequently suggested theme in both texts: - 'Taming of the Shrew' and '10 Things I Hate About You'. In 'The Taming of the Shrew' Petruchio is motivated by dowry money that he would receive if he married the shrewd and foul-tongued Katherina. Petruchio:'I come to wive it wealthily in Padua; if wealthily then happily in Padua.' Petruchio explains that the only way to a happy lifestyle is to marry a wealthy wife in Padua. His theory is that money will make him happy, although in contemporary society that hypothesis has been challenged. Gremio: 'You shall have me assisting you in all. But will you woo1 this wildcat?' Petruchio: Will I live?...Think you a little din can daunt mine ears? Have I not in my time heard lions roar? Have I not heard the sea, puffed up with winds...and heavens artillery thunder in the skies?...And you do tell me of a woman's tongue, that gives not half so great a blow to heard.' Petruchio boasts taming Katherina will not be difficult as he has
Explore the Ways in which Shakespeare presents the theme of falconry in The Taming of the Shrew
Explore the Ways in which Shakespeare presents the theme of falconry in The Taming of the Shrew Shakespeare's play, The Taming of the Shrew, contains many themes that raise questions within the audience's mind. The theme that I will focus on is the theme of falconry. The image of falconry is used in the play as a metaphor for the characters Petruchio and Katherina, who are the two characters that are focused on the most in the play. This shows us as the audience that the image of falconry is an important aspect in the play. The theme of falconry is first introduced in the induction scenes. In these scenes, the character Christopher Sly is being made to believe that he is a lord when he is in fact just a pitiable, drunken man. This relates to the rest of the play as Sly is being tamed just as Katherina is. The way in which the other characters convince Sly that he is lord is to dress him like a lord and treat him like a lord. They ask him, 'Dost thou love hawking?' which shows us as the audience that hawking would be a sport of a wealthy and noble gentleman. The character Sly is successfully convinced that he is a Lord, we can see this from the quotation, 'Upon my life, I am a lord indeed,' which foreshadows to the result of the taming of Katherina's character. As we have been shown in the induction scene, falconry is seen as being the sport of kings and
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare - Act 5 Scene2 Katherina's speech
31-01-02 Ong Fung GCSE COURSEWORK 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
The taming of the shrew - Exploring Shakespeare's development of the relationship between Petruchio and Katherina
The Taming of the Shrew Coursework Exploring Shakespeare's development of the relationship between Petruchio and Katherina II i, III ii, IV iii, V ii In this play, the main characters are Petruchio, an arrogant and chauvinist male, and Katherina, a feisty and hostile female, or in other words, the shrew. The theme throughout the play is Petruchio trying to change Katherina from being quick tempered, to being a better wife who responds to his authority, and by doing this he does things such as starving her, and playing psychological games with her. Some may see this as a game of his to see if he can break her, and a way of adding another triumph and achievement to increase his ego. However although in some ways this could be the case, I believe that he winds her up in this way to release her anger so that he can assert his authority over her, and over time, as it is seen in the play, she does in fact respond to his power, and this is where we see the huge development between Petruchio and Katherina's relationship, going from disliking each other to having huge respect for one another. In Act II Scene i, Petruchio and Katherina meet for the first time. Even after Hortensio comes in bleeding from being hit over the head by an instrument by Katherina, Petruchio is still unfazed by Katherina's boisterous behaviour. From lines 165-176 Petruchio has a monologue in which he decides
The Wooing of Katherina vs. the wooing of Bianca - Up to Act 4
The Wooing of Katherina vs. the wooing of Bianca - Up to Act 4 Katherina is seen essentially as an uncouth, shrewish devil in the first three acts of the play. Petrucio wooing of her is virtually non-existent, and, is seen more as a taming process rather than an act of courtly wooing. In contrast with this Bianca's wooing is the very picture of a romantic love affair - a lonely maiden, imprisoned by her greedy father at the insistence of her devilish sister. A classic fairy tale. Katherina's wooing, or rather, her taming is portrayed through many scenes. The initial "sale" of Katherina by Baptista reflects and foreshadows how she is treated by all - a burden. This is until Pertucio come along; he does not see her as a burden. However, nether does he see her as an ideal wife or woman. Instead, he looks upon her as a source of wealth, and, like all great fortunes, she can only be achieved with some suffering, thus resulting in the 'taming'/'wooing'. Up to, and including act 3, the closest thing to which Petrucio came of wooing is the first conversation which he has with Katherina. Here, Katherina is clearly hostile. However, Pertucio correspond to her taunts and takes opposites of exactly what she means, thus degrading her, as well as making her submissive. Another example of the wooing process is when Pertucio arrives, late and dressed in rags, for his wedding day. This
The Taming of the Shrew: The Degrading of Women
In the 16th century, one of the last things anyone wants to be is a female. Throughout the play, it is evident that the role of a woman is burdensome. There is a set perception of a "perfect woman", and only those depicting these characteristics are accepted by society. In The Taming of the Shrew era, a woman's opinion is never valued, there is a "class gap" between males and females - men are born with a higher rank -, and women are often seen, and are treated, as pieces of property. A woman's opinion is not valued in the least and others always make decisions for her against her will. Throughout the male society, there are mental "expectations" as to how a woman should behave. These standards, although not written in concrete, are expected of all women. Not only is the male society aware of these expectations, but the females are as well, and they often live to meet these expectations. In the play, Katherina vocalizes the basis of these expectations: "...they are bound to serve, love, and obey" (V, II, 164). In this quote, "they" refers to women, and "bound" is a very interesting word to use in this context. This is only one example of the thousands on how a woman's opinion is not acknowledged. A woman is not only deprived of making her opinions heard, but they are "bound" to listen to, accept, and to honour a man's beliefs. In this case, the male's viewpoint
Petruchio demonstrates cruelty through his actions, but sensibility through his intentions
All actions are initiated with a specific intention in mind. For the most part, a positive, kind act stems from a good intention. However, what may appear to be hurtful, malicious acts may be motivated by good intentions. This last case is applicable to Petruchio in "The Taming of the Shrew." Petruchio demonstrates cruelty through his actions, but sensibility through his intentions. Petruchio develops a clever plan to change Kate first by stifling her personality, then by eliminating her dignity and finally by torturing her, rendering Kate docile. From the outset of Petruchio's appearance in "The Taming of the Shrew," he demonstrates cruelty through his actions towards Kate. During Petruchio's first encounter with Kate, he frustrates her with his "goodly speech" (2.1.255) and quick wit, rather than being a gentleman and showing politeness. He shows no effort to woo her or follow proper etiquette of the time but rather is intent on establishing his domineering attitude in the very first moments of his time with her. At first, it seems as if this is a harmless bickering between Petruchio and Kate, however tensions escalate and Petruchio threatens to "cuff [Kate] if [she] strikes again" (2.1.217). This demonstrates a strong potential for physical cruelty, even though he restrains himself, the threat still remains. Petruchio's cruelty persists, this time in a possessive manner
What Aspects of 'The Taming of the Shrew' identify the play as a comedy?
What Aspects of 'The Taming of the Shrew' identify the play as a comedy? Shakespeare - a well known playwright throughout the 16th Century - wrote many comedies and tragedy plays to entertain Elizabethan audiences. The plays were aimed at all classes and ages, after being performed in front of Queen Elizabeth, and approved of. Queen Elizabeth was very feministic and 'The Taming of the Shrew' faired well with the monarch. One of the leading characters, Katherina, is very feisty and classes herself as better or at least equal to men, something unheard of in Elizabethan society. Men were seen as the superior sex, where as women were expected to be sub-dominant and weak. Their role was not to challenge the husband, but to support him; also women were seen as an asset to a married man. Reasons for this philosophy perhaps resided in The Great Chain of Being, a concept accepted and followed by society at the time. These stereotypical views of women were challenged by 'The Taming of the Shrew'. The play revolves around four main characters and a whole host of involved background characters. There are two love stories running through-out, which become tangled and more complicated as the plot thickens and emotions run wild. One of the most complicated aspects of the play is that characters repeatedly dress up as each other - a concept taken from Commedia dell'Arte. Amusement is also
"Explore Shakespeare's presentation of women in the following scenes of the Taming of the Shrew: Act II, scene I, Act III, scene I, Act III, scene II, lines 1-26 and lines 183-238, Act IV, scene V, Act V, scene II
The Taming of the Shrew "Explore Shakespeare's presentation of women in the following scenes of the Taming of the Shrew: ==> Act II, scene I ==> Act III, scene I ==> Act III, scene II, lines 1-26 and lines 183-238 ==> Act IV, scene V ==> Act V, scene II" "The Taming of the Shrew" is a play written by William Shakespeare which comments on the role of Woman in the Renaissance period. Woman were expected to act as a moral support for their husbands whilst running the domestic sphere, and were not expected to voice there opinions or behave in an unsavory manner. If they did, they would be considered a "Shrew". The plot of "the Taming of the Shrew" sees a loud and unwanted "Shrew", Kate (also referred to as Katharina), being wed to a man named Petruchio. Petruchio seemingly just craves the large dowry offered by Kate's father. To ensure that Kate will marry him, Petruchio must tame his wife into obedience, as to discontinue the shrewish behavior. During the play, Shakespeare cleverly incorporates two simultaneous notions to allow the audience to question the role of woman in his play, and to develop their own opinions. The most obvious idea is that Kate, the labeled "Shrew", had her spirit broken by the ruthlessness of Petruchio's taming tactics. The second idea suggested by Shakespeare is that Kate's submission is totally ironic and false. Rather than accepting the role she