Free Sample Essays > North American
Taming Of the Shrew
for katherina.
Now that katherina has a suitor tranio acting as a suitor and gremio start to inform Baptista of their riches, and tranios sum is better in the end.
This scene shows how dowry has an essential role in marriage. Baptista only managed to get katherina married because of the dowry that was offered. I think dowry could attract the wrong type of person who might only be marrying for the money such as petruchio: “…a man could light on them would take her with all faults and money enough.” I also feel that Baptista didn’t care about katherinas feelings of marriage and just wanted to get her married irrelevant of th efact that petruchio was a stranger.
This act also portrays how the behaviour of a women can bring her proposals, the ideal conduct would consist of calmness,modesty, gentleness etc like Bianca “... this young modest girl I must have.” And so Bianca received many proposals. The exact opposite is her sister who has a bad temper and vicious nature “ her silence flouts me and ill be revenged…” which shows her bad temper and “ … and with that word she struck me on theheadand and through the instrumentmy pate made way, and there I
Stood amazed for a while,…while she did call me rascal fiddler and twenty vile names,…”. Because katherina acts in this way she didn’t receive proposals.
To a more contempary audience katherinas actions would be thought of as ludicrously absurd, majority of the scene was also quite comical especially when katherina and petruchio were fighting as it was funny osee katherina being nwound up by petruchio: “ Who knows not were a wasp wears his sting? In his tail.” “In his tongue” “yours if you talk of tales; and so farewell.” “What! With my tongue in your tail? Nay come again good kat I am a gentlemen.”
The scen also shows how wealth makes a marriage in padua. Bianca had many suitors,to settle who would marry her the richest man would be chosen: “ …and he who can show my Bianca of greater dower wil, have my daughters love…” This proves that baptista didn’t care if Bianca married someone much older than her (Gremio) as long as shr had financial stability.
Act 3 Scene2 is basicly petruchio turning up late for his weddingand made a mockery of the ceremony by being attired in shabby clothes “… in an old jerkin; a pair of old breeches thrice turned;…”, after the quich wehdding pertruchio leaves with katherinawho goes unwillingly. This scene shows how petruchio has turned more dominantover katherinaand wont have her tell him what to do: “…if you love me stay.” “ Grumio get my horse.” Petruchio was setting an example that when he makes a decision nothing would persuade him to do otherwise.
In the last scene Act v Scene 2 it shows how katherinaKnown as the shrew has been tamedby petruchio. Lucentio, petruchio and Hortensio all make a bet that their wives are the most obedienrt and so make a plan [next page]