The Role Of Katherine In The Taming Of The Shrew

When being told a tale, perspective is key to developing thoughts and opinions about the story. Such an argument is often applied to the farcical play The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, where Petruchio takes the hand of the devilish Katherine in marriage. Although displayed as a figure unworthy of love, Katherine grows soft and humane through her marriage with Petruchio. In spite of that, some view Petruchio as a figure of force and suppression towards Katherine, who they see as a subservient character, due to their interpretation of his actions as inhumane and unfeeling. However, based upon the ends that these actions achieve, many readers believe otherwise. Rather, with a positive change in her use of language and the development of obedience through love, Katherine grows to accept and love her husband. Throughout the course of the play, Katherine learns to love Petruchio, as can be seen in the change in the nature of her words towards Petruchio. Initially, during their first encounter, she does not hold affectionate feelings for him and acts openly

Even though they change both partners for the better, Katherine in particular is influenced by these ideas. The results of these two qualities are shifts from negative to positive in terms of the speech and actions exhibited by Katherine throughout the play. Although some interpreters of the play hold their doubts, thinking that the loving obedience within the play is actually forceful obedience, their claims are proven otherwise by the characters themselves. However, both perspectives stem from reasonable sources, and putting the two together helps to provide a combined image to achieve a greater understanding of the play. Likewise, the same can be said for situations in everyday life, where the combination of perspectives is vital for truly being able to comprehend and appreciate