William Shakespeares Taming of the Shrew

Authors Avatar

“The Taming of the Shrew” is a play that shocked and entertained audiences in the Elizabethian era. The play was scripted by William Shakespeare, perhaps the most gifted writer that era had witnessed. William Shakespeare finalised the play in 1589 and it was thought to be one of his first plays.

The position woman had and played in the Elizabethan era was cruel and bitter. Woman had no rights in literally anything; hence they were regarded as totally inferior to men. They were forced to stay at home to clean the home, cook the food, and bear children. If they had servants they would just lend a hand. Girls weren’t permitted to attend school; subsequently they stayed at home entertaining themselves or helping their mothers ease their daily chores.

“The Taming of the Shrew” is a Shakespeare classic, which addresses the rights woman had. The play is about two contrasting daughters, on their individual paths to marriage. “Bianca", the younger of the two, is compared to an angel by many, whilst in contrast “Katharina” is portrayed as a “shrew”. “Bianca” yearns to marry, but only can, once her intractable sibling “Katharina” agrees to.

 The main male character “Petruchio” forces his way in to Katharina’s astringent heart, initially for the money he will receive, once they marry. The audience are aware that he has a huge battle ahead to win her love and respect and in doing so he also falls in love with her.

The first extract has a fundamental value in the play because it is the first time both Petruchio and Katharina meet each other face to face and have a conversation.

At the point when they both meet, the audience already have an indication of Katharina’s personality, as they have just witnessed Katharina’s unrestrained rebelliousness and frightful attitude towards Bianca and her music teacher, and for that matter just about everybody else.

The audience can already contemplate that Katharina is what the title portrays her as, namely the eponymous “shrew”. The tone in which she communes with people, especially and predominantly her father, is a reminder if any were needed, that it was considered rude for women to answer back men in the Elizabethan period, though these occurrences were rare.

 The Audience value Bianca’s frustration, as they are aware that Bianca may not marry under her fathers wish until Katharina has married off.

Katharina’s character being independent, loud and vile towards her relatives and community, could have traumatised Elizabethian audiences primarily men, but it tends to entertain a modern one with the obvious feminist viewpoints of Katerina..

Join now!

There is a lot of dramatic irony present in the play, like when Baptista and Petruchio make an arrangement that if Petruchio marries Katharina he would be awarded a sum of money.

At the beginning of the second scene Petruchio states the techniques he will exploit to “tame her”. He will contradict everything she has to say, aggravating her in the process, “say that she frowns, and ill say she looks as clear as morning roses”. Petruchio is utilizing reverse psychology by this approach towards her. Every time Katharina formulates an effort to be discourteous to him, he praises ...

This is a preview of the whole essay