Gender Roles In The Taming Of The Shrew

The play The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare tells the story of Bianca, an amiable girl who cannot marry until her unwilling sister, Katherine, is married. Eventually a young man visits the city to claim Katherine and tame her shrewish ways. Feminist criticism analyzes aspects of gender and the role it plays in society. William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew displays not only the gender stereotype and those that challenge it, but also creates a double standard that, while hidden under the Shakespearean norm, allows Petruchio to become manipulative, entirely changing Katherine’s demeanor. Feminist criticism is a type of criticism that focuses on gender in works of literature and reveals new perspectives of the story. Looking

In Act 4, Petruchio becomes even more irritable, hitting his servant, throwing food, and punishing Katherine (4.1.152). Katherine describes the situation by saying she is “starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep, with oaths kept waking and with brawling fed” (4.3.9-10). However, Petruchio’s actions were allowed due to his role as a man. In “The Household: Authority and Violence,” the author explains that “heads of household…” were able to “use force to secure obedience and to maintain order” (218). As time continues, Katherine begins to accept this treatment, though it changes her personality. When the couple journeys back to Katherine’s home, Petruchio initiates a debate. Previously, Katherine likely would have argued, but her demeanor has been altered through her treatment. To please him, she agrees, saying “be it the moon, or sun, or what you please,” (4.5.15). After arriving, Katherine completely abandons her typical actions, criticizing other women for acting as she once had, telling them to “Unknit that threat’ning unkind brow, and dart not scornful glances from those eyes,” (5.2.152-153). Petruchio’s treatment of Katherine has altered her into someone almost unrecognizable from Act 1. Penny Gay notes this change writing that, “The Taming of the Shrew argues that the cruel treatment is for the victim’s good, to enable her to become a compliant member of patriarchal society.” (qtd in Adney). To fix Katherine’s so-called shrewish ways, Petruchio used abusive tactics. He left her exhausted, starving, and manipulated her words, but because of Shakespearean gender roles, he was allowed to act as he wished to change