Women In The Taming Of The Shrew

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In the play The Taming of the Shrew written by William Shakespeare, we see a well illustration of how much men would do to attain what they want. Throughout the play, we also see how women are seen, particularly as “possessions” to men. Because these two positions are deeply seen throughout the play, a major question arises. That question being the following: Was Shakespeare telling the reader that women should be “possessions” or that a man’s dominance and need for control is too extreme? Having read The Taming of the Shrew I believe Shakespeare was trying to tell the reader that women should be “possessions”. There were many times women were compared to animals and properties throughout the play, which we can see in the case of …show more content…
Bianca and the Widow seeing this, thinks it’s completely foolish of Katherine obeying every command Petruchio orders her. Which is when Katherine gives her motivating speech to the “girls”, whom I believe Shakespeare didn’t necessarily mean as Bianca and the Widow only, but to the women in the audience as well. In her speech, Katherine states, “I am ashamed that women are so foolish as to declare war when they should plead on their knees for peace, that they seek authority, supremacy, and power when they are under an obligation to serve, love, and obey” (Crowther). She then adds on to state, “Humble your pride, then, since it’s useless, and place your hand beneath your husband’s foot” (Crowther). In other words, women shall obey all of the commands their husbands order, as a sign of loyalty, and women shall have no opinion in any situation. A woman should be devoted to their husband completely, which is certainly showing that men have full control over