Taming of The Shrew Analysis Essay

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Possesing power over others in any context can potentially inflict negative

outcomes over others as power can be utilzed in order to corece, manipulate and
repress other people, establishing control over them. In his comedy “The Taming of
the Shrew”(1594) Shakespeare explores the variety of ways power can be gained over
others. He represents societal attitudes and values towards women, and presents the
posssibilty of women gaining power within a patriarchal society. In addition to
gender roles, Shakespeare also emphasizes the power that often accompanies wealth
and social class. Throughout the play, the utilization of power to gain control
over others is evident.

As the title of the play, “The Taming of the Shrew” sugests, the society presented
to us in the plot has rigid social constructs, wherein men hold power over women,
and the clever over those of weak character and mind. The scene at the begging of
the play is set in an Elizabethean society alehouse, which Shakespeare uses as a
framing device to a statement about the Elizabethan society’s patriarchal
standards, and to hint that the play is, in reality, a social commentary about 16th
century England, something which couldn’t be done outright without backlash.
Through the lense of scoety, the motif of gender roles is conveyed, which play a
significant part in the plot. Katherina is presented as a character who, unlike her
sister, is not timid or sweet, and refuses to completely hand over her power to
another person, which is why all of Padua looks down upon Katherine, and favors the
sister.The contrast between the 2 characters is quite significant, and noted by
those around them. This is best demonstrated by Gremio in Act 1, scene1 when he
says,”Why will you mew her (Bianca) up, Signor Baptista, for this fiend of hell,
and make her bear the penance of her tongue?”. The metaphor of “fiend of hell” when
speaking of Katherine in regards of Baptista’s condition uses vivid religous
imagery to convey that Katherina was downright evil for refusing to comply with the
submissive roles of women, which is exemplified with the strark contrast between
her and Bianca.This severely impacts Katherine, as she is constantly belittled
against Bianca, significantly increasing her own frustration, leading to anger
which in turn results in more disapproval. She was caught up in a vicous cycle, and
Petruchio recognizes this. He uses society’s expectations and Katherina’s own
craving for validation agaisnt her, repeatedly imposing both his power as a male
and his power over her mind. As can be seen in Act 4 scene 2, when Katherina
says-”Starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep, With oaths kept waking, and with
brawling fed. And that which spites me more than all these wants,He does it under
name of perfect love, As who should say, if I should sleep or eat 'Twere deadly
sickness or else present death.” She uses imagery to portray that she is indeed
being treated like livestock to be tamed, and not as an equal in marriage. This
sort of treatment allows Petruchio to make Katherina realize that her power lies in
surrendering to him. This also put foward the main message of the play to the
audience in displaying the power that Petruchio, a man, hold over Katherina, a
woman.

The power that accompanies class and wealth influences the “romance” of this play.
Unlike Shakepeare’s other romances, The Taming of the Shrew depicts marriage as a
business interaction, an act where both the wife and groom stand to gain economic
benefit, which was more important than actual affection between a couple. This
displays to the audience Petruchio’s intentions from the beggining, as they can see
that Petruchio made up his mind about marrying Bianca without so much as seeing
her, based on her wealth alone. Kate and Petruchio’s coupling was unorthodox for a
romantic play, while Bianca’s and Lucentio’s was more ideal. It is ironic that they
were able to get married only because Lucentio was able to prove to Baptista that
he was the wealthiest suitor. Bianca would otherwise have been married to Gremio,
regardless of who she loved. This was forehadowed by the Lord in the inductions, as
he was able to wield power over all others in that narrative due to his class power
alone, while being aware of it. Lucentio, much like the lord, is aware of his
power, and feels comfortable and confident in defying ethical standards to gain his
desires. The dramatic irony and tension is felt by the audience of today as society
is more fair, but at the time, it would have been normal for those of a higher
status to feel invincible, and feel comfortable controlling and mainpulating those
beneath them.

Manipulation allowed women in a patricarchal society to gain power by convincing


their superiiors (men) of their power. A skilled manipulator would let those
“above” her feel comfortable in their masculinity. The better she could make them
appear, the more power she stands to gain. Now ,no one enjoys feeling inferior
either. Therefore the greatest tactic a woman could deploy was to make men feel
like they could do as they please with her, while masking her ulterior motives as
no one would suspect she has any. The perfect example of this is scene with
Bianca. Deception allows her to appear as if she is sweet and innocent, and
evidently everyone thinks so as well. She is well liked as she allows herself to
appear meek and incapable, and is helped by victimizing herself in front of her
sister, in comparison to whom anyone could seem angelic. This is best shown in the
line “ Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself, To make a bondmaid and a
slave of me.That I disdain. But for these other goods—Unbind my hands, I’ll pull
them off myself,Yea, all my raiment to my petticoat, Or what you will command me
will I do, So well I know my duty to my elders.” Bianca again uses vivid imagery to
paint a picture for her audience, that she is a bondmaid, or slave to her sister.
This is symbolic as Bianca’s fate depends on the betrothal of her Katherine,
something that they weren’t optimistic about. Bianca’s power was evident to
Katherine alone, who scrambles for power the only way she knows to, by using
physical means. By the end of the play, however, the audience witnesses a drastic
change in the mannerisms of the previously shrewish Katherina Minola, which can be
interpreted as satire. In her monologue in act 5, Katherina preaches to her fellow
women, both in the play and the audience, of their debt and owed servitude to men.
It is ironic that she should say this after her previous sentiments and following
mistreatment from a man. The conclusion that can be drawn from this is that
Katherina finally realized the power she can wield if she outwardly complied to
society’s expectations.

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