Petruchio and Kate
In the beginning of "The Taming of the Shrew", some say Shakespeare portrays Katherina as a very shrewish figure. Others may argue that she is not shrewish but just a very strong willed person. At the end of the play some people say she is transformed into a very kind and gentle person, while again others will argue that she is not "tamed" but just putting on an act to "show up" her younger sister Bianca, whom has always been more beautiful and charming. Kate is "like a wasp, like a foal, like foal that kicks from his halter; pert, quick and determined, but full of good heart." 1. This statement made by one author, shows clearly that he does not see her as shrew-like, even at the beginning of the play. The same author states that at the end of the play she has not really transformed, rather she has just fallen in love with Petruchio, in essence she is free from torment because she is no longer seen as the shrew. In the beginning of the play Kate is "consistently in opposition to everything around her"2, meanwhile "Bianca obeys so gently and with such sweet submission that it is obvious why she is Baptista's favorite daughter"2. In the end of the play, the roles switch and Katherina is submissive to every word of Petruch
Even on their wedding day Kate is still furious and does not want to marry Petruchio. She begins to declare that she will NOT marry him, but he cuts her off and gives her a kiss. Then he will not even let her stay for her own wedding dinner. I believe that this is all part of his plan to tame her. The other view, that she is not really tamed has its arguments as well. Some people see the end of the play as not a sign of obedience, but just change. It is thought that she still has control over what Petruchio does, but in a different, more mind manipulative way. She may be submissive to him, but at the same time, he is just as submissive to her. I think that he didn't only tame her, but she tamed and controls him by craft and not violence. Once she is finally tamed, she would do anything to please Petruchio. One author states "she would call the sun the moon, and address old Vincentio as a young girl"3. She is so tamed by this point that she would even kiss him on a public street at his command. An act like this would have been completely unthinkable at the beginning of the play. He even tries to kiss her in the beginning and she refuses so he must lie to Seignior Baptista to convince him he has done a good job at wooing her. He also says that she has a new-built virtue, that not only wins the wager but it convinces her father to raise her dowry by twenty thousand crowns. Katherina is not the only one in the play to undergo a transformation. Petruchio, in the beginning went to woo Katherina only for money. He was offered a dowry by Seignior Baptista to "get rid of" Kate so he could wed his younger daughter Bianca to one of her many suitors. By the end of the play, it is made clear that Petruchio too changed and had fallen in love with Kate. The relationsh
Some common words found in the essay are:
Katherine Petruchio, Seignior Baptista, Shrew Shakespeare, Petruchio Bianca, beginning play, fallen love, , seignior baptista, husband petruchio,
Approximate Word count = 1210
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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