Escape Of A Prisoner? Essay, Research Paper

The Taming of a Shrew or The Escape of a Prisoner?

The female characters of Shakespearian literature inspire much contention over their functions. Many critics assert the female characters are depicted as unreal portraitures of inactive adult females. Other critics argue that the functions portrayed were considered normal for the period in which they took topographic point. During the period of the Enlightenment, many societal norms changed and evolved. One such norm was the place of adult females in society. Queen Elizabeth was a controversial female in power during Shakespeare? s life and challenged all traditional thought. In The Taming of the Shrew, Katherine ( Kate ) is the controversial female character. The comedy is about Kate, a strong-minded adult female, whom is expected to conform to the unwritten regulations of the late sixteenth century society. There are many facets of her character that can be interpreted in more than one-way, such as her attitude, visual aspect, and actions. Many critique the true motive for Kate? s actions. Kate is non tamed within the drama but liberated, taught to love, and taught how to bask life.

Kate is obstinate, rough, and cruel at the beginning of the drama. When Hortensio describes her to Petruccio he calls her shrewd, ill-favored, an intolerable-curst, and a froward ( I.2.ll. 57, 85-86 ) . It is questionable nevertheless that all these names are true. Hortensio holds pretences against Kate for she stands between her sister, Bianca, and any suer. Such a doll intrigues Petruccio that she may offer him a challenge, and she is affluent. Kate? s actions and attitude have ne’er been challenged before she met Petruccio. Everyone she knows has ever been afraid of her and the lone manner she knows to acquire attending is to move out, against the position quo. When Kate and Petruccio foremost meet, they are both challenged. Kate realizes she has no manner out of the matrimony agreement and this scares her. Petruccio and Kate contend in a verbal war with each other. This is the first conversation Kate has with a head of similar humor. In the advancing relationship Kate has with Petruccio she starts to bask herself. They both have skill with word games and true humor coming out of their fingers. Petruccio? s actions give Kate no pick but to obey an orderly, structured agenda. This is something Kate has ne’er had to cover with. It is in this mode that critics may reason she was tamed, but really she is liberated from her old, deadening life. Petruccio opens her eyes to a life where she does non hold to be average and nagging. He gives her the chance to be her true ego without snuff outing her inner spirit and fire. Petruccio? s challenge of? chastening the termagant? helps Kate to the full go herself.

The verbal games played between Kate and Petruccio are similar to intense chat uping when they foremost meet. Petruccio slathers on all the regards and makes sexual insinuations that astonish Kate. Kate has ne’er known love in her life. She has ever been the also-ran in a competition with her sister. Bianca fits the position quo of the epoch absolutely hence stand foring the contrast of Kate. Their male parent, Baptista cherishes Bianca for this fact. Kate confronts her male parent about this great unfairness when she argues with Bianca and Baptista stairss in.

? What will you non endure me? Nay, now I see

She is your hoarded wealth, she must hold a hubby.

I must dance barefoot on her nuptials twenty-four hours,

And for your love to her lead aped in snake pit.

Talk non to me. I will travel sit and weep

Till I can happen an juncture of retaliation? ( II.1.ll. 31-36 ) .

Petruccio is the first individual to truly treat Kate reasonably. He is the first individual who even tries to understand her and love her. Kate becomes highly confused with Petruccio because she does non cognize how to respond to a sort individual. No 1 has of all time shown involvement in her before. Petruccio Teachs Kate she must open her bosom, if of all time to genuinely be happy. Petruccio accomplishes this end by physically striping Kate of nutrient and slumber. Petruccio understands that one time Kate is to weak to contend, he will be her savior by caring for her.

? This is a manner to kill a married woman with kindness,

& lt ;< br />

And therefore I? ll kerb her mad and headstrong temper? ( IV.1.ll. 189-190 ) .

Petruccio Teachs Kate to wish him and love him by handling her like a queen after he has? broken? her. He has made her feel safe and respected. It is really apparent that his method has worked at the terminal of the drama. Kate speaks about the responsibilities of a married woman to the other married womans.

? Thy hubby is thy Godhead, thy life, thy keeper,

Thy caput, thy crowned head ; one that cares for thee,

And for thy care commits his organic structure

To painful labour both by sea and land,

To watch the dark in storms, the twenty-four hours in cold,

Whilst 1000 liest warm at place, secure and safe ;

And craves no other testimonial at thy custodies

But love, just expressions and true obeisance ;

Excessively small payment for so great a debt? ( V.2.ll.150-158 ) .

Kate has non been tamed but taught to love and esteem Petruccio.

In the same mode Petruccio taught Kate to love, he taught her how to populate. It is through feelings and actions that people genuinely live. When Petruccio opened Kate? s bosom to him, he besides opened it to the remainder of the universe she had been losing. Before Kate was focused on disputing the position quo and feeling sorry for herself. Petruccio took both those ideas from her caput and threw them out the window. He taught her that every bit long as she was happy, she shouldn? T attention what other people think of her. It is when Kate realizes that Petruccio is altering her for her ain good, every bit good as his, that she falls profoundly in love with him. He proves to Kate she has no ground to experience sorry for herself any longer. She can hold anything her bosom desires with Petruccio for a hubby. She besides has more than most adult females of the late sixteenth century, because she has love and regard for and from her hubby. Kate takes pride in her new life and eventually can bask it. Petruccio explains the new Kate to Lucentio and Hortensio by stating she is happy and has no concerns.

? Marry, peace it bodes, and love, and quiet life ;

An aweful regulation and right domination,

And, to be short, what non that? s Sweet and happy? ( V.2.ll.112-114 ) .

By opening her bosom to love, Kate opened it to the exhilaration of life.

Petruccio did non chasten Kate in this drama but liberated her, taught her to love, and taught her to populate. He rescued her from a life in the shadow of her sister and disgust of her male parent. Petruccio showed her fondness, love, and regard, which before were all foreign to Kate. He last but non least, opened Kate? s eyes to the wonders of life, and how sweet it is to bask life. Overall, Kate and Petruccio make a fantastic twosome. Kate learned to utilize her strong-will to both of their advantages. Because they are so much alike, Kate took really rapidly to Petruccio? s game of words and sarcasm. Some critics say that Kate and Petruccio? s foremost encounter with each other is a realistic signifier of? love at first sight? ? when matched marbless meet. Kate develops into a adult female during the class of the drama. She becomes to the full cognizant of her new attitude and life. She is ready to demo it off for all the people who had no religion in or clip for her. Kate? s true individuality is eventually revealed and able to reflect brilliantly with Petruccio by her side. Many of Shakespeare? s female characters are similar to Kate. They all choose to take a different way than the one society expects of them. Many of the females are like this because of the period in which Shakespeare lived. The age of Enlightenment was really much dedicated to the constructs of pick and free will. In Shakespearian literature the ego is promoted instead than public image in both male and female characters. Shakespeare made Kate the manner the audience wanted her to be. The people came to dramas to get away day-to-day life, desiring to be pulled into the misrepresentation of the theater. They wanted to bury their jobs and conceive of being one of the characters onstage. Kate was a character that showed bravery, assertiveness, and passion. These are all traits possessed by really few adult females of the epoch. Kate? s character and Queen Elizabeth herself enticed adult females to go the unexpected and dispute the position quo.

36b