Shakespeares Presentation of Power in the The Taming of...

Shakespeares Presentation of Power in the The Taming of the Shrew Power is defined as ‘the ability to act or control,’ and it is evident from the title that a ‘shrew’ is going to be tamed, i.e. it will be controlled. The shrew turns out to be a woman called ‘Katherina.’ I think he reason Shakespeare has a women as the shrew is to prove that controlling women didn’t get very far. It was a male dominated world. Whilst reading the play we come to learn that the shrew is a lady called Katherina, it is her rebellious and wild ways that get her this nickname. Katherina has more power than, I think, she realises. It is Katherina who is the eldest daughter of Baptista and so she has a significant amount†¦show more content†¦She has a sharp tongue and is not afraid to use it along with violence. She even goes as far as hitting a lute over the lute teacher’s head, in act 2 scene 1. However, after she marries Petruchio, all of this changes. The fact that Katherina is the eldest gives her a sense of authority and so when Petruchio arrives on the scene, in act 2, she finds it hard to get used to his domineering behaviour. Also whilst he is trying to woo her he tries to use his male dominance to frighten her by telling her he will â€Å"cuff† her but when she doesn’t seem afraid he tries again to sweet talk in his own arrogant kind of way. Petruchio makes known his power as a master in act 4 when he both physically and verbally abuses his servants. He calls them insulting names like â€Å"whoreson† and tells them they are â€Å"flap-ear’d† if they don’t do what he says as quickly as he wants it done. During his speech at the end of act 4 scene 1, Petruchio comes across as a very egotistical man who will assert his maleness to get what he wants. He enjoys having power over everything he possibly can, including his new bride. By the end of act 4 scene 1 he has already developed a master plan in which he likes Katherina to be a wild hawk. He says that he will use the same method to tame her. He will starve and â€Å"watch† her and make sure she responds to â€Å"her keepers call.† The new bride,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Taming of the Shrew677 Words   |  3 PagesA principal theme throughout Shakespeares Taming of the Shrew is the battle of the sexes. The battle primarily focuses on the relationship between Petruchio and Katherine, otherwise known as Kate. They each struggle for supremacy in a classic confrontation between male and female until Kate succumbs to Petruchios dominance for the first time during Act IV, Scene V when she states What you will have it named, even that it is. And so it shall be so for Katherine. In this first act of deferenceRead MoreEssay on William Shakespeares Authenticity3166 Words   |  13 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Authenticity Over the past several centuries, many scholars have been debating the authenticity of Shakespeare and his works. Many books have even been published questioning if the legendary playwright from Stratford is the author of his many plays and poems. This theory still remains as a possibility today and much of the evidence stems from Shakespeare’s great literary achievements, his humble beginnings, his inadequate education and the missing chapters in his lifeRead MoreEssay on Biography of William Shakespeare2736 Words   |  11 Pageshis fathers shop so that he could be taught everything his father knew and soon take over the business. But instead he was the apprentice to a butcher because of the trouble in his fathers financial situation. Just what happened to alter John Shakespeares financial and social position after the mid 1570s is not clear. Shakespeare was still allowed a lot of free time when he was young. This was suggested by historians that his plays show more ideas of hunting and hawking than do those of other playRead Morewisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 PagesChesterton, Niebuhr, and Auden 27 Conclusion 34 Copyright  © 2011 by Walter G. Moss WISDOM, HUMOR, AND FAITH: A HISTORICAL VIEW â€Å"And frame your mind to mirth and merriment, / Which bars a thousand harms and lengthens life.† Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, Induction, Scene 2. â€Å"Laughter without a tinge of philosophy is but a sneeze of humor. Genuine humor is replete with wisdom.† Mark Twain, quoted in Opie Percival Read, Mark Twain and I (1940), 17. â€Å"Humor offers both a form of wisdom and