Taming Of The Shrew: Male Domination Essay, Research Paper

The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare, trades with matrimony. The thoughts explored are chiefly shown through the characters of Petruchio and Katharina. We are introduced to the tests and trial & # 8217 ; s which present themselves in their mundane lives. The characters bring up a traditional construct of male domination. Through the drama we see the demand for domination through Petruchio, and the methods he uses to rule. While these thoughts of male domination have remained a changeless throughout the old ages, nevertheless late there has been a alteration toward equality.

Males continually want to be the best, being a distinguishable precedence in their lives. Knowing that they are the best Acts of the Apostless as a control valve in their life. This is best demonstrated in our ain society through athleticss. Work force trained to be barbarous “ slayers. ” When a athleticss calling is over work forces are left with a nothingness to vent defeat. This feature of today & # 8217 ; s society can besides be seen in Shakespeare & # 8217 ; s clip in the athletics of falconing.

Falconry is the athletics of chastening a wild falcon. The falcon & # 8217 ; s spirit has to be broken before the taming can happen. After the spirit is broken, the animate being can be tamed. Men & # 8217 ; s preparation in and enjoyment of falconry connects to their desire for laterality in a human relationship. This type of domination easy relates to spousal relationships. If a married woman acts disobediently and like a termagant so a demand for “ chastening ” can germinate. William Whately, writer of A Bride-Bush, justifies the occasions that a hubby can utilize force against his married woman. “ But yet if a married woman will set upon herself even servile conditions, if she will humiliate herself foolish, infantile, slavish behaviour, I see why the rod or staff or wand should non be for the sap & # 8217 ; s back in this instance besides. ( Whately, 224 ) ” Acting in “ foolish, infantile, slavish ” behaviour permits the hubby to learn the married woman unlawful making and hence chastening her non to be a termagant. This circumstance relates to that of a parent paddling a kid when subject is needed. The point is to learn non to make unlawful things. Men revert back to their demand to be the best, and to rule in a spousal relationship fills that nothingness.

Petruchio tames Katharina on several occasions. The first taming scene is during Petruchio and Katharina & # 8217 ; s nuptials. Petruchio shows up in “ a new chapeau and an old jerkin ; a brace of old knee pantss ( 3.2.41-42 ) . ” Petruchio & # 8217 ; s flooring garb behooves the fold and Katharina & # 8217 ; s astonishment. Petruchio & # 8217 ; s actions are his first stairss towards chastening Katharina. Puting Katharina in an awkward state of affairs by abashing himself, Petruchio shows the great lengths to which he will travel to chasten her. Testing her outlook to see what she & # 8217 ; s made of. This scene is his first effort to interrupt her abandon.

Starvation is another manner Petruchio attempts to chasten Katharina. “ Here take away this dish ( 4.3.44 ) . ” He does this to the point that Katharina will make anything for nutrient. “ The poorest service is repaid with thanks, And so shall mine before you touch the meat ( 4.3.45-46 ) . ” His petition is for her to thank him for the nutrient. Katharina has T

rouble understanding this petition because she does non understand why he is hungering her in the first topographic point. After a minute of argument, she gives in to her hungriness and thanks Petruchio. “ I thank you, sir ( 4.3.47 ) . ” Upon her thanking him we see the place of authorization he holds over her. He dominates her with this type of intervention, by non leting her to believe for herself. She is in the same place as a falcon being molded into the perfect pet. He clearly upholds his higher place in the relationship. These actions show how Petruchio fills his nothingness of domination, which is the manner he has been socially constructed. He is disputing himself and demoing off his male laterality through Katharina.

Many times the nothingness for domination is excessively great to be filled through chastening a married woman. If a relationship reaches the extent of physical force aid may be need. William Gouge, writer of Of Domestical Duties: Eight Treatises, sustains this apprehension. “ Because the Scripture hath so bountifully and peculiarly declared the several responsibilities of hubbies and married womans, and yet hath delivered nil refering a hubby & # 8217 ; s contact and crushing his married woman. ( Gouge, 226 ) ” Gouge asks what purpose a adult male has in crushing his married woman? Explaining that this lone infuriates the married woman more. “ She may be of so hideous a temperament as, but by force, she will non be kept in any compass ( 228 ) . ” When the degree of domination is changed from a instruction device physical crushing the control should be taken from the adult male. Such instances of maltreatment are frequently associated with other jobs such as Alcoholism and drug dependence. This maltreatment is normally referred to as domestic force, which has ever been a job in society. Today an increasing figure instances of domestic force are reported. This occurs because adult females have jointly taken a base against domestic force. Today, chastening a married woman by striking to learn a lesson is abuse. Women understand that maltreatment is a offense. Abused adult females learn to describe such a offense against their hubby, and because of this domestic force is taken more earnestly.

The ideals represented in Taming of the Shrew are out dated. We, as Americans, have come towards a construct of equality in relationships. Male dominant relationships were common thought out the mid-fortiess and 1950ss in the United States. Womans were deemed as homemakers, whose occupation was to clean and have dinner ready for their hubby & # 8217 ; s return from work. Imagining adult females in that type of position is hard to make in society. Families are non a topographic point for a dictatorship. Families are a beginning of love, non a topographic point to rule through order. Two people are surely jointly smarter than one individual.

Male ruling intervention towards adult females is difficult to grok. If one looks back on the stereotyped relationships of our grandparents during the mid-fortiess and 1950ss, the many alterations with today & # 8217 ; s coevals easy juxtapose. We see adult females with high paying occupations and powerful places in life. Single adult females raising households have become a recent tendency. A sense of how far we as a society have come since Shakespeare & # 8217 ; s clip to today verifies that male domination is deceasing out. We as a society have shifted towards equality.

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