Shakespeare's Play: The Taming of the Shrew and Its' Values

To maintain social social organization meant maintaining family structure, which depended on the submission of the charr to the man. We see, then, that the type of defiant and self-directed muliebrity Kate symbolized was a serious threat to the spiritual rebirth culture.

Shakespe ar, for altogether his genius, was not a revolutionary. It is not surprising, then, to find that Kate is severely punished for her defiance and independence, and is finally taught the lesson of surrender and compliance to her husband. Shakespeare first piles the deck against Kate. Certainly, if Shakespeare had wanted to create a sympathetic woman who was both endearing and independent, both defiant and respectful of men, he could adopt done so. But as a conversion man himself, Shakespeare apparently approved of the superior position of his gender and the inferior role of women, at least insofar as this hightail it is an indicator.

He portrays Kate as an obnoxious creature quotable of no sympathy from the audience. From the beginning we see Kate in her one-woman(prenominal) war with men, who, in turn, suck in nothing tho pass up and contempt for her.

Her father Baptista calls on the men to "court" her, but one refers to a form of punishment for women who defied community standards of behavior, dictum he might "cart her" (35). The insults fly back and away between Kate and the men, and she clearly can give as puff up as take. One man says she'll never find a husband until she becomes "gentler" and

"milder" (35). She threatens to "comb your noddle with a three-legged stool/ And paint [i.e., scratch] your face and use you similar a fool" (35).

Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Washington Square, 1992.

Again, there are numerous subplots involving many other characters, but compared to Kate and her storey, the rest of the play is far from compelling. It is no coincidence that the play is called The Taming of the Shrew. It is telling that the Renaissance era was one in which docile women were highly cute and strong, independent women were viewed with fear. Accordingly, Shakespeare's play focuses on the diminishment of the spirit of such a woman.

He was writing for audiences of men and women who adhered to the Renaissance ideals, and he was not about to drive them out of the theater with the story of a strong woman who remains strong. Such a story would have left his audience uneasy and threatened in their sexism. Women would have been confused seeing such a woman emerge victorious from the war between the sexes, and men would have felt that Shakespeare was a traitor to the gender.

Unless Kate is planning on butchery her husband after the play is over, Shakespeare has betrayed his character. It is not believable that she would be as pliant and, worse, as humorless as she is shown to have become in her last speech. After the breaking of Kate, Shakespeare has Hortensio assign "thou hast tamed a curst shrow," and Lucentio responds, "`Tis a wonder, by your leave, she will be tamed so" (221). This could be tell to imply that perhaps Kate is not truly tamed, or at least will not remain tamed long. This may be true, but it is small consolation for a reviewer who has come to appreciate Kate as the only character in that Renaissance portrait capable of thinking for herself and disdaining a ship's company based on sexist fear. If Shakespeare by his last line wants to hint that Kate is only pretending to have become a pliant Stepford Wife, he has b
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