Taming Of The Shrew Play Analysis

Or not. Katherine the main character, is labeled as a shrew by the whole town for the fact that she would rather speak her mind then be put down by others. Grade A comedy. If the roles were to be reversed and Katherine was the one to tame Petruchio this would no longer be a comedy of this era but a controversial portrayal of women being superior to men in a way. *Gasps* Who would do such a thing?

Lawrence’s bitter and mocking tone questions the popularity and admiration Hester Prynne receives. Lawrence believes that Hester does not deserve the esteem she acquires because of her adultery. Instead, he thinks her character should be lambasted for the unrighteous crime she commits. His resentful tone expresses this belief by insulting women as a way of mocking Hester. For instance, Lawrence comments “the greatest triumph a woman can have, especially an American woman, is the triumph of seducing a man, especially if he is pure,” (Lawrence).

We are also aware that Hamlet has trouble with his own happiness and this probably reflects on the way we feels towards people mostly women. Hamlet thinks that the reason real love does not exist is because of the female gender. Hamlet blames both his mother Gertrude and Ophelia for portraying men as monsters. Hamlet does not value Ophelia 's feelings he belittles her. In Hamlets defense this is the way he was brought up to treat women, during that time this was a common way to treat a women.

In the play, the females are commonly referred to as untrustworthy objects, things that are put on the shelf when men become bored of them. In the beginning of the play, Claudio asks Benedick on his personal opinion of Hero, the conversation very quickly turns to the act of buying her and whether she is worthy of Claudio’s hand in marriage. Benedick valued Hero’s beauty and obedience so highly that she was deemed worthy. The fact that men objectify the women makes it clear that the men believe the women have no real voice in any matter; women’s only purpose in life was the serve the man, they are there for the taking and meant to be submissive. This author believes that men in the Elizabethan era viewed women as untrustworthy and unfaithful by nature due to the frequent joking of cheating and cuckolding.

Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights depicts the various ways love can be distorted or wrongfully defined through unreal expectations, revenge, and possession. Often times unfair expectations are placed upon people who have a hard time conforming to society. In the novel Catherine Earnshaw must choose between her adolescent love Heathcliff and the man trying to court her, Edgar Linton. Bronte illustrates this struggle on page 78 where Catherine cries, “I’ve no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven; and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn’t have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he’s handsome Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am.” Catherine ends up choosing to marry Edgar Linton because it would be considered forbidden to marry outside of her social class; nevertheless she would be doing so if she had gone off with Heathcliff.

Loquacious, insubordinate, independent women were regarded with interest and suspicion. Comedy was a way of exploring such anxieties and diffusing them with laughter. In the patriarchal society of Much Ado conventional codes of honour, camaraderie and a sense of superiority to women regulate masculine loyalties. Although female inconstancy is presumed, Balthasar’s song deconstructs it and the fraud of men is dramatised in Claudio’s ruthless treatment of Hero. Beatrice disrupts the conventional gender polarities, urging Hero to defy her father and putting Benedick on his mettle, although her role is ambiguous as she also yearns to exercise male power to avenge Hero.

Shakespeare also exemplifies this action by people in his play Othello by portraying it through his characters. In Othello, Othello shows this fear clearly when talking to Iago about the supposed affair committed by his wife. Othello states, “A man who’s been cheated on isn’t a real man. He’s subhuman, like an animal.” (Crowther). This statement depicts the nature of people because Othello believes people see him as a weak man and he wants to find a way to change that, rather than look for actual facts to see if the rumor is true in the first place.

Polonius is the father of Ophelia and he treats her as though she had no mind and own free will. Polonius speaks to Ophelia and says, “Marry, I‟ll teach you. Think yourself a baby…Running it thus—you‟ll tender me a fool,” (Hamlet 47) this mean that Polonius sees Ophelia as a foolish little baby dude to her choosing to believe the offers that Hamlet offered her. In addition, Polonius displayed sexism towards women by acknowledging them as foolish children that make the wrong decision if they are not made for them a man. Polonius goes on to add that Ophelia’s action in choosing and make her own choice will cause her to bring shame and embarrassment, resulting in him being a “laughing-stock.” This would state male figures in Hamlet sought women as an object that would bring shame to them in public eyes if they spoke for themselves.

. .to speak of horrors, he comes before me” (2.1.87-94). Sexual rejection not only keeps Hamlet in a state of madness but also Ophelia. Since both are “honest” they are suppressing the primal instinct that would help keep them socially and mentally functional. The maid qualities affect Hamlet much greater then it affects Ophelia and leaves him “castrated of power”; both of the revenge he has to face in Denmark’s hierarchy and his personal intimacy with Ophelia (Hunt).

A man (her father) told her what to do and then attempted to blame her as if it was all her idea. Men as her father are at fault. Only men are the ones who are depriving Ophelia from any true thought. And this shows that there is sexism going on throughout the span of the play. After being told to do something they expect her to do as she told and have created a diluted image in their heads that a women should be well behaved and should act upon request.