Women should cook, clean, and care for children. Women should act sweet, submissive, and pure. These are all illustrations of how society expects women to behave. Incidentally, in Taming of the Shrew women are held to society’s standards: Bianca is supposed to always act submissive; however, when she strays from these expectations, she is chastised. Katharina is also expected to act in a submissive manner; when she complies, she is praised. In the Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, women are rewarded when they play into how society wants them to act.
Bianca’s two different natures throughout the Taming of the Shrew highlight society’s expectations and reactions as to how women act. Bianca is expected by society to be perfectly obedient. …show more content…
The shortness in his demand, “get you in”, illustrates that he feels as though there is no need to give Bianca an explanation on why she should do what he says; he knows that with her being both a woman and his good daughter, she will blindly follow his commands. Moreover, he feels as though he can tell her how to feel and how not to feel, because Bianca displays such obedience. However, when Bianca does not act docile and obedient like society wants her to, she is shamed. When Lucentio is angry that Bianca does not respond to his request, Bianca continues to enrage him and says “Fie, what a foolish duty call you this? ” (V. i. 134) Lucentio then responds “I would your duty were as foolish too; The wisdom of your duty, fair Bianca, Hath cost me a hundred crowns …show more content…
Society wants Katharina to act like an obedient, sweet lady. This is evident when Hortensio says, to Katharina, “no mates for you, unless you were of gentler, milder mould” (I.i.59-60). Since Hortensio thinks that to get an acceptable man to marry her, Katharina must be calm and pleasant. Instead of being able to express herself, being the outspoken person that she is, Katharina must restrain herself to fit society’s expectations and rules. Katharine is only rewarded when she complies to society’s standards. For instance, after winning the bet, Petruchio exclaims “Nay, I will win my wager better yet, And show more sign of her obedience, Her new-built virtue and obedience” (V.ii.125-128). Since Petruchio thinks that Katharina’s submission to him causes his win to be “better yet” and more spectacular, he illustrates how important and praised obedience is in their society. His claim of how obedience is related to “virtue” suggests that subservience is righteous and pure, leading him to praise and show Katharine off; thus, when women comply to what society expects of them, meek and docile, they will have benefit in all
Bianca’s two different natures throughout the Taming of the Shrew highlight society’s expectations and reactions as to how women act. Bianca is expected by society to be perfectly obedient. …show more content…
The shortness in his demand, “get you in”, illustrates that he feels as though there is no need to give Bianca an explanation on why she should do what he says; he knows that with her being both a woman and his good daughter, she will blindly follow his commands. Moreover, he feels as though he can tell her how to feel and how not to feel, because Bianca displays such obedience. However, when Bianca does not act docile and obedient like society wants her to, she is shamed. When Lucentio is angry that Bianca does not respond to his request, Bianca continues to enrage him and says “Fie, what a foolish duty call you this? ” (V. i. 134) Lucentio then responds “I would your duty were as foolish too; The wisdom of your duty, fair Bianca, Hath cost me a hundred crowns …show more content…
Society wants Katharina to act like an obedient, sweet lady. This is evident when Hortensio says, to Katharina, “no mates for you, unless you were of gentler, milder mould” (I.i.59-60). Since Hortensio thinks that to get an acceptable man to marry her, Katharina must be calm and pleasant. Instead of being able to express herself, being the outspoken person that she is, Katharina must restrain herself to fit society’s expectations and rules. Katharine is only rewarded when she complies to society’s standards. For instance, after winning the bet, Petruchio exclaims “Nay, I will win my wager better yet, And show more sign of her obedience, Her new-built virtue and obedience” (V.ii.125-128). Since Petruchio thinks that Katharina’s submission to him causes his win to be “better yet” and more spectacular, he illustrates how important and praised obedience is in their society. His claim of how obedience is related to “virtue” suggests that subservience is righteous and pure, leading him to praise and show Katharine off; thus, when women comply to what society expects of them, meek and docile, they will have benefit in all