Why is katherine a shrew

This is a big no-no for any girl living in 16th century. This is why the largest part of Petruchio's task to "tame" Kate is to control what does and does not come out of Kate's mouth — her speech.

After Kate marries Petruchio, her only means of expressing her anger and frustration over her limited social role is through language. Once married, women basically lost all legal rights and had no identity of their own. This is why Petruchio refers to Kate as his "goods" and his "chattels" after their marriage ceremony. I am no child, no babe. Your betters have endured me say my mind, And if you cannot, best you stop your ears. My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, Or else my heart concealing it will break, And rather than it shall, I will be free Even to the uttermost, as I please, in words.

Here, Kate suggests the act of speech can alleviate one's pain and suffering. She also says that her heart "will break" if she is silenced and unable to express her frustration about her lack of power and control over even her own wardrobe.

Rather than endure such suffering here, she implies that it causes a kind of physical pain that will literally destroy her on the inside , Kate refuses to keep her mouth shut.

So, what the heck happens between this moment and Kate's final and most puzzling speech at the wedding banquet 5. Well, we know that Kate finally breaks, or gives in to Petruchio's haranguing on the road to Padua 4.

It seems pretty clear that Kate decides then and there to play along with Petruchio's antics. Critics often point out that this is the moment Katherine becomes an actor — a woman capable of role playing she pretends the sun is really the "moon" and then pretends that an old man is really a "budding virgin" to make Petruchio happy.

This lends itself to the idea that Kate's last speech, where she calls Petruchio her king, is also just an act that ensures some kind of domestic tranquility. This is a far more appealing option than the idea that Kate is merely a broken-down, brain-washed woman at the play's end.

Still, it's important to remember that Kate is never given any other choice. Like Bartholomew in the Induction, Katherine is ordered by her "master" to act the part of "good wife. Also, if you want to see a bit of analysis of Kate's witty back and forth dialogue with Petruchio, go to " Writing Style.

Parents Home Homeschool College Resources. Study Guide. By William Shakespeare. Previous Next. The lovely Bianca proves herself the opposite of her sister, Kate, at the beginning of the play: she is soft-spoken, sweet, and unassuming. Because of her large dowry and her mild behavior, several men vie for her hand.

Baptista, however, will not let her marry until Kate is wed. Minola Baptista is one of the wealthiest men in Padua, and his daughters become the prey of many suitors due to the substantial dowries he can offer. He is good-natured, if a bit superficial. His absentmindedness increases when Kate shows her obstinate nature. Thus, at the opening of the play, he is already desperate to find her a suitor, having decided that she must marry before Bianca does.

By disguising himself as a classics instructor named Cambio, he convinces Gremio to offer him to Baptista as a tutor for Bianca. He wins her love, but his impersonation gets him into trouble when his father, Vincentio, visits Padua. Tranio accompanies Lucentio from Pisa. Two gentlemen of Padua. Though they are rivals, these older men also become friends during their mutual frustration with and rejection by Bianca. Why is Katherine a shrew? Category: family and relationships marriage and civil unions.

Katherine is the " shrew " of the play's title. Because she is stubborn, is sometimes ill-mannered, and does not allow herself to be ordered around by men, she is constantly insulted, made fun of, and otherwise denigrated by practically all the other characters in the play. Does Petruchio love Kate? Why does Katherine marry Petruchio? Why did Kate dance barefoot at Bianca's wedding? Is Bianca a shrew? How does Petruchio tame Katherine? Why does lucentio fall in love with Bianca?

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