For the sixteenth century "The Taming of the Shrew" was extremely controversial. It portrays an independent young woman who falls in love with the only man she does not scare. For women to voice such strong opinions was considered extremely crude. Today we recognize it as wrong to stop anyone- regardless of their religion, race or gender- from speaking their piece. "The Taming of the Shrew" should be taught in schools to show how society has changed it's opinion about women in the last four hundred and some years.
Katherina and Petruchio's marriage is based on interdependency. Kate was forced to marry Petruchio as most women were forced into marriages in those days. A man had to have money to marry a rich girl, that or a noble name. Petruchio doesn't seem to have either
Bianca is sweet and portrays all that a woman of the sixteenth century should be. Kate is rude and everything a woman of that time shouldn't be. She is however what most woman are today, open, expressive and independent. "The Taming of the Shrew" shows how much respect women have gained since the fifteen hundreds. Maybe it even had something to do with it.
Kate's independence is overwhelming for the sixteenth century. Shakespeare had a very wild imagination, he creates a woman who would be respected today but is so extroverted that in it's day and age it was almost unbelievable. To contradict you're father or husband was unimaginable. Kate not only talks back to her father but to everyone. She deserved a dose of her own medicine but Petruchio went a bit overboard. Shak
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