The Taming of the Shrew Essays -- English Literature Essays

The Taming of the shrewExamine the different ways in which Shakespe atomic number 18 presents the attitude towards wedlock in the pretend, The Taming of the Shrew.The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeares earliest comedies, and it shares m both essential characteristics with his new(prenominal) romanticist comedies, such as Much Ado Ab expose vigor and A Midsummer Nights Dream. These characteristics include light-hearted and slapstick humour, disguises and invocation and a happy ending in which most of the characters come out satisfied. The play has been dated from as early as 1594 and as slow as 1598. (http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/context.html)The main themes in the play are love, marriage, domination, guild expectations, betting and money. Does love really exist in the play or is it just love for money.It seems that the key to a happy and successful marriage is money. This comedy written by Shakespeare uses disguises and that also is a key rive to the pla y. Although it is intended to be a comedy, on that point is sometimes a nigrify cloud hanging over it. For instance the way in which Katherina is tempered doesnt always seem to be funny quite it is preferably cruel and degrading. She eat no meat today, nor none shall eat run night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not. (Page 62, act 4 scene 1 pull in 182-183)Men saw marriage as a way to shell spicy love didnt even enter the equation. Padua is a rich area and therefore many suitors fled there in the hope of suitable wealthy. I come to wive it wealthily in Padua, says Petruchio. He asks outright, then(prenominal) tell me if I get your daughters love, what dowry shall I switch with her to wife? (Page 37, act 2 scene 1, line 119-120) The husbands were effrontery a dowry by the father of the daughter when they became married. Women didnt have any say in who they chose to marry instead the decision was inclined to the father. If a daughter was not married then they were l ooked shoddily upon at heart the nine. In this era e real woman was to be married otherwise they were frowned upon within the community. Further more without Katherina getting married, Bianca would also never marry. at heart a family the eldest daughter must be married send off first and in this play turned out to be a bonus. Her father keeps from all access of suitors and will not promise her to any man until her elder sister first be wed. This is the main an... .... She directly obeys what is asked of her by Petruchio like such as when she is told to lecture the other wives roughly how to be a good wife, Katherina, I charge thee, tell these heady women, what duty they do owe their lords and husbands. Without arguing and saying a intelligence operation against what is asked of her she gives her advice, Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee.Women in the Elizabethan era were presented as very obedient to their husban ds and respectful to them also. They had no power and no say, they were treated soberly and nothing would be done to stop the behaviour. In modern society most women have as much say as the men, they are not expected to stay at home and clean etc, and instead they go to work as well. Some women are like Katherina earlier she was supposedly tamed, very out spoken, yet inequality still exists. During the Elizabethan era marriage was like a business contract, if the money is there then so is the signature. Love was never a part of the play and this showed in both Hortensio and Petruchio, who Shakespeare uses to expose this superficial approach to the supposedly romantic notion of marriage.