Gender Roles In The Taming Of The Shrew

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During the book, The Taming of the Shrew, the gender roles for women are very different than the roles of women today. Also throughout the book, Katherine’s roles as a wife and woman changed drastically from the beginning of the book to the end. She became more obedient in many ways and she stopped acting like her usual self. Overall, Katherine’s attitude and obedience changed a lot from the beginning of the book to the end. Katherine’s attitude changed a lot from the start of the book. In the beginning, she was very outspoken and outgoing. She always talked back and was very snotty. During act two: scene one, Petruchio states, “Marry, so I mean, sweet Katherine, in the bed. And therefore, setting all this chat aside, thus in plain terms; your father hath consented that you shall be my wife, your dowry ‘greed on, and you will, nill’ you, I will marry you. Now, Kate, I am husband for your turn, for, by this light, whereby I see thy beauty; thy beauty …show more content…
She starts to agree with him more often, even though the things he tells her to agree with are very absurd. The turning point that you start to notice a change in Kate is when her husband began to starve and sleep deprive her. Petruchio states “I tell thee, Kate, ‘twas burnt and dried away, and I expressly am forbid to touch it, for it endangers choler, planteth anger, and better ‘twere that both of us did fast; since of ourselves, ourselves are choleric; than feed it with such over roasted flesh. Be patient. Tomorrow’t shall be mended, and for this night we’ll fast for company. Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber.” (pg. 72). This shows how Petruchio plans to tame Katherine throughout the book. After she becomes hungry and sleepy, he takes advantage of her and begins to manipulate her so she agrees and listens to him. This plan does work, and Katherine becomes more obedient towards the middle to end of the