Gender Roles In Taming Of The Shrew

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Women have been objectified for centuries, told how to walk, talk, and even eat. There has always been some standard to hold them to. These standards do not only stop at women though. Men have also been subjected to some sort of standard, always being masculine, being strong, and controlling a woman. Taming of a Shrew is a play in which Shakespeare criticizes the strict belief of gender roles during the late 1500’s, such as the sexist assumptions of women and male masculinity, to prove that women can not be conformed into the specific categories pushed onto them by society. The stereotypical women of this time was one who always looked her best when going out, did not speak unless spoken to, and of course obeys a man. “the obedience expected …show more content…
She did not speak unless spoken to, she appeared to be talented (from the conversation), and of course she was very beautiful. Lucentio, along with two other men, Gremio and Hortensio, begin to battle for Biancaś hand in marriage, going through ridiculous lengths such as pretending to be teachers, without ever trying to actually get to know her personality. Lucentio ends up winning this ¨battle” and marrying Bianca, without knowing her in the slightest. Shakespeare uses this irony to show that women will not be conformed into the ¨idea wife¨ which Lucentio realizes after he is married to …show more content…
Each male has had the mindset of controlling a woman, which happens to be Bianca due to the fact that she seemed the easiest to handle. Katherine and Bianca are both equally beautiful, so it wasn’t looks that disqualified Katherine. The one reason for choosing Bianca over Katherine was because they happen to think that Bianca would be more obedient. “To do this he must publically bow to his society’s ideas of what a normal relationship between a husband and wife should be.” Abigail R. Marsch states. Katherine is definitely not society’s ideal model wife. “Thinkest thou, Horentisio, though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?” (Shakespeare, 1997) The hell in this case, is Katherine due to her shrewish behavior. To be considered masculine, or a “man” in general, it is necessary to have a woman under their control. The men in this play even go as far as to bet who has the more obedient wife, which oddly enough turned out to be
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