Explore the Ways in Which Shakespeare Presents Power in the Play

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Explore the Ways in Which Shakespeare Presents Power in the Play

Power is defined as ‘the ability to act or control,’ and it is evident from the title that a ‘shrew’ is going to be tamed, i.e. it will be controlled. The shrew turns out to be a woman called ‘Katherina.’ I think he reason Shakespeare has a women as the shrew is to prove that controlling women didn’t get very far. It was a male dominated world.

Whilst reading the play we come to learn that the shrew is a lady called Katherina, it is her rebellious and wild ways that get her this nickname. Katherina has more power than, I think, she realises. It is Katherina who is the eldest daughter of Baptista and so she has a significant amount of power over her younger sister Bianca. In act 2 scene 1, Katherina argues with Bianca and uses physical power to hit Bianca. Before this incident, Katherina is unintentionally given the power to determine when Bianca marries. Their father has said Bianca will not be married until he has “a husband for the elder.” This gives Katherina a kind of hold over Bianca, she knows there are a lot of potential suitors for Bianca and hardly any for herself because of her reputation and so as Bianca says in act 2 Katherina seems content in her sister’s discontent. Katherina uses violence and shouting to get her point across, this gives her power because even her father keeps out of her way. People are scared of her because she is unstable and unpredictable. This means that she has control over many things going on around her, and having control means having power. Again, whether or not she knows she has this power is unknown, but either way she uses her power as a dominating female to defend herself when her sister’s suitors, who are also her father’s friends, tease and insult her. She has a sharp tongue and is not afraid to use it along with violence. She even goes as far as hitting a lute over the lute teacher’s head, in act 2 scene 1. However, after she marries Petruchio, all of this changes.

The fact that Katherina is the eldest gives her a sense of authority and so when Petruchio arrives on the scene, in act 2, she finds it hard to get used to his domineering behaviour. Also whilst he is trying to woo her he tries to use his male dominance to frighten her by telling her he will “cuff” her but when she doesn’t seem afraid he tries again to sweet talk in his own arrogant kind of way. Petruchio makes known his power as a master in act 4 when he both physically and verbally abuses his servants. He calls them insulting names like “whoreson” and tells them they are “flap-ear’d” if they don’t do what he says as quickly as he wants it done. During his speech at the end of act 4 scene 1, Petruchio comes across as a very egotistical man who will assert his maleness to get what he wants. He enjoys having power over everything he possibly can, including his new bride. By the end of act 4 scene 1 he has already developed a master plan in which he likes Katherina to be a wild hawk. He says that he will use the same method to tame her. He will starve and “watch” her and make sure she responds to “her keepers call.”

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The new bride, Katherina, has no other choice but to succumb to her husband’s demands. When they marry, Petruchio treats Katherina very badly. He doesn’t let her eat or sleep, he refuses to buy her nice clothes that “gentlewomen” wear because he says she isn’t gentle and he plays with her mind. He tells her it is day when it is night and night when it is day, if she argues with him he threatens to cancel the trip back to Padua. This is his way of proving to Katherina that he wears the trousers in their relationship. Katherina tries ...

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