ipl-logo

Taming Of The Shrew Research Paper

866 Words4 Pages

Not Your Average Love Story

What is love? Love is "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person" (dictionary). Yet William Shakespeare presents The Taming of the Shrew as a love story, but the two "lovers", Katherina and Petruchio, do not present passionate or affectionate love for one another at all. How could this play ever represent a love story when the couple's marriage was forced, based on money, and is about controlling Kate's independence?

Katherina and Petruchio’s arranged marriage greatly impacts how you see the kind of “love” presented between them. First, Baptista (the father of his two daughters Katherina and Bianca) forces the marriage of Katherina and Petruchio. This is because in the Elizabethan time, people were forced to marry whomever their parents chose, and they were expected to respect their decision. As shown, their marriage …show more content…

The time period they were in influences a lot in their marriage. In the Elizabethan time, everyone was required to marry within their class, so an upperclassman could not marry a woman with lower class than himself. This is one of the reasons why Petruchio wanted to marry Kate as his father recently died, with all his money passed on to Petruchio, and so he wanted an equally rich wife (Katherina). This also shows that Petruchio wasn’t marrying for love, he was marrying for money. In his own words “Antonio my father is deceas’d/ and I have thrust myself into this maze/ happily to wive and thrive as best I may” (1.2.51-53). By saying this, Petruchio makes it clear that he’s simply going to get married for money and that he’s going for the “best” (1.2.53). To verify his intentions, Petruchio asks about the money (also known as dowry) involved in his marriage with Katherina before they even meet. This is yet another reason why Kate and Petruchio are not really in

Show More
Related

  • Petruchio In A Taming Of The Shrew

    1124 Words  | 5 Pages

    A Taming Of The Shrew, an interesting title that portrays the storyline that involves Katerina and Petruchio mainly. Their love story is not so straight forward, there 's certain sides that portray separate feelings and the play depicts how Katerina takes on her newly wedded man. understanding their tangled mess Shakespeare wrote, people of all different academic levels try and understand the hidden meanings, although there will never be a final conclusion to what he portrayed. Consequently, the side most students and professors side with is Katerina finally broke her mindset that she is the queen of all queens, that she is on top and no one can back her down, until she met her match Petruchio. As most people side with, Katerina met her match,

    Read More

  • How Does Petruchio Change In The Taming Of The Shrew

    1199 Words  | 5 Pages

    The father is trying to marry off his daughters, and one of them, Katherine, is considered a shrew by the people in the Padua, Italy. His other daughter, Bianca, is the younger sister, and the people of Padua, see her as sweet and kind, and many people such as Lucentio, Hortensio, and Gremio want to marry her, but her father does not allow her to marry until Katherine gets married. Lucentio then comes up with an idea and tries to convince his friend Petruchio to marry Katherine. Petruchio agrees because he is out money and he needs to a marry a rich woman. Later, Petruchio marries Katherine, and she changes the way she acts at the end of the play.

    Read More

  • Why Does Petruchio Deserve To Live?

    610 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is why I do not agree for Petruchio to remain standing. Kate does not deserve to live because of her ill-mannered being. Firstly, her mistreatment towards others is the reason why people loathe her. She retaliates by striking men who perceive her as a vicious woman. Although we both have shared the life without our mother, there is no reason for her to become so heartless.

    Read More

  • Baptista's 'Shrew And Bianca In The Play'

    937 Words  | 4 Pages

    Baptista is an extremely wealthy man who lives in Padua and has raised his two daughters, Katherina and Bianca. He has done whatever he could do to bring up his daughters to take an appropriate place in their society and has given both his girls an education. In the beginning of the play, Katherina is viewed as a “shrew” and Bianca is viewed as the “prize.” Baptista will not allow Bianca to get married first for two reasons: first, during the time, it was custom for the older sister to be married first, which makes sense why he wouldn’t want Bianca to be married first and second, he wanted Katherina to move out of his house and believed it would be difficult for her to find a husband because of her “shrewish” behavior, so he thought that if he made it forbidden for

    Read More

  • Petruchio Punish Sly Analysis

    367 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Lord's decision to punish Sly, is by making a great change of him from a "violent animal" to a "person of high birth," will anticipate the way Petruchio will force Kate to change from a "shrew" to a "doing what is ordered married woman. " Both of these great and forced changes lifted up Kate and Sly to become more of a say yes person. Shakespeare calls into questions whether these changes will stay the same forever or even be what it seems or is said to be. When Grumio says without doubt to Hortensio that Petruchio will beat Kate in a words-related fight. He suggests that Petruchio's words, or his "noted representatives" of talk, have the power to physically change Kate's appearance.

    Read More

  • The Taming Of The Shrew Dialectical Journal

    685 Words  | 3 Pages

    Baptista wants Petruchio to dress properly, behave in a good manner also to be early for our marriage rather Petruchio doesn’t mind what he says and said he could do as he pleases, be here when he wants to be, on that he was

    Read More

  • Taming Of The Shrew Sexism Analysis

    815 Words  | 4 Pages

    From Sexism to Social Reformation Many actions and ideologies of the characters in The Taming of the Shrew create an overarching conflict between comedy and sexism for most readers. Specifically, the relationships between the men and women introduce controversial topics such as obedience and love which must be questioned thoroughly. The conditions of Petruchio and Katherine’s marriage was more “traditional” in the sense that it was primarily patriarchal, and that Kate was expected to be subservient and obedient. While this is sexist, on the surface, this was not the intended meaning behind the works.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Deception In Taming Of The Shrew

    1215 Words  | 5 Pages

    Posing as a tutor allows him to not only grow close to Bianca, but also to Baptista. Earning Baptista’s trust is essential to him gaining Bianca’s hand in marriage and her dowry. Although Bianca is highly sought after, Baptista favors her over her sister, Katherine, and thus shields her from potential suitors. Lucentio not only uses his disguise to deceive Bianca, but he is deceived. Lucentio attempts to be clever in order to “win” Bianca, but Bianca is not what she seems to be. All the suitors want to marry Bianca because she is beautiful and

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In The Taming Of The Shrew

    760 Words  | 4 Pages

    Petruchio tamed her by giving and taking away things and making her technically beg for it. Petruchio fought smartly to first, convince Baptista that he is the right,strongest,richest man to marry her , and of course he did put her in check. Bianca on the other hand seemed as if she had it easy with all the men wanting her and Kate getting

    Read More

  • Ten Things I Hate About You Analysis

    956 Words  | 4 Pages

    This is represented in the movie by the books she reads, music she likes, and the college she wants to attend. Money plays a big role in the plot of both the play and the movie. Petruchio and Patrick both at first only pursue Kate and Kat for the money. Petruchio is interested in Kate for his own benefit so he can have the dowry and property of Kate's father which comes along with marriage.

    Read More

  • Petruchio's Motivation In The Taming Of The Shrew

    386 Words  | 2 Pages

    Through his incentive, he is very determined to marry Kate even though she comes with money, marriage, and a malicious attitude. In addition, Petruchio does not care if his wife is a shrew or foul, he just asks "...if thou know one rich enough to be Petruchio's wife" (1.2.68). Not to mention, after Hortensio tells him of Kate, Petruchio only says to "...tell [him] her father's name, and tis enough" (1.2.95). Petruchio understands that Kate has a "...scolding tongue" (1.2.101) even though Hortensio warms him. Due to his incentive to cure Kate of her shrew-ish ways and to get Baptista's money.

    Read More

  • Enduring Love Act 2 Analysis

    555 Words  | 3 Pages

    So many guys want Bianca, and she is loving the competition for her hand in marriage. Bianca has been showing Lucentio more interest, so because Bianca isn’t being faithful to Hortensio, he decides to not be faithful either. Next day Kate and Petruchio wedding day arrives, but he showed up super late, and the first time ever Baptista showed sympathy for Kate. He finally showed up but wearing the ugliest wedding outfit ever, embarrassing Kate even more.

    Read More

  • Petruchio's Deception In Taming Of The Shrew

    809 Words  | 4 Pages

    Petruchio and Katherine are two characters in Shakespeare ’s play “Taming of the Shrew”. Petruchio was a single man with money running out looking for a rich wife. There was a situation between Katherine and her sister Bianca. Bianca couldn’t get married until Katherine did.

    Read More

  • Taming Of The Shrew Research Paper

    642 Words  | 3 Pages

    I argue that Kate’s shrewish behavior is the product of the treatment of her sister, Bianca, and father, Baptista. Kate’s final speech functions as a recognition to her need to attain comfortable compromise and closure to the untrue shrewish behavior. First, Baptista dishonors her in public. For example, when Baptista, Kate’s father, notifies Bianca’s suitors, Tranio and Lucentio, in public that he will not allow either of them to marry his younger daughter until a husband is found for Kate; he openly announces the fact he first wants to have Kate off his back. He then offers her to either of Bianca’s suitors.

    Read More

  • Taming Of The Shrew Play Analysis

    1044 Words  | 5 Pages

    Baptista Minola. Hateful, bad-tempered, and sharp tongued is how she is described. The play portrays Kate as someone that is jealous of her younger sister, Bianca, because Bianca is the apple of everyone's eyes. There was a scene in act one where Kate had tied Bianca's hands behind her back and was questioning Bianca about which one of Bianca's suitors she loved. Bianca responded by asking if Kate was doing this because Kate was envious.

    Read More

More about Taming Of The Shrew Research Paper

Open Document