Gender Roles in "The Taming of the Shrew"

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the Elizabethan society of Shakespeare's time where the women were no more than possessions of the men, with no power or freedom of their own. The paper examines the roles of Katharina (Kate) and Petruchio in Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" and shows how the man waged wars and made a fortune, while the woman had to be the servant of her husband, her only duty being to obey him completely.

From the Paper:

"William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is probably the play which is most liable to feminist interpretations among the writer's works. The main heroine of the play, the 'shrew' is Katharina, a young, unmarried woman who is well known for her ill temper and her shrill tongue. Katharina is also the elder sister of Bianca, a much more gentle and temperate character who is wooed by no less than three men at the same time. The old Baptista Minola, the father of the two young women, refuses to consent to the marriage of his younger daughter before Katharina herself finds a husband."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Oxford University Press, 1972.

More papers on Gender Roles in "The Taming of the Shrew":

• Book Review # 75726 : "Gender Themes in 'The Taming of the Shrew'"
• Book Review # 105632 : "Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew"
• Comparison Essay # 116947 : "Taming of the Shrew"

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