As Taming of The Shrew begins, the Lord convinces a poor beggar, Christopher Sly, that he is royalty. The Lord then forces his page to act as Christopher’s wife. While the page is disguised as Christopher’s wife he says: “My husband and my lord, my lord and husband, I am your wife in all obedience” (In.2.101-102). These lines by the page are spoken to convince Christopher that he is a lord. The wife of a lord is expected to be obedient and conform to the every wish her husband.
In Act One, it becomes very apparent that Shakespeare wants his …show more content…
Shakespeare includes passages that can be interpreted to be degrading and objectifying women. The way that the male characters in Taming of The Shrew act towards the female character, leads me to believe that Shakespeare himself may have believed that women are meant to be submissive and obedient. There was no powerful female role within the story, and when women tried to be treated with respect, they were made fun of and put down. Women were even treated as possessions, by basically being sold to a husband. A marriage was more of an auction in which the highest bidder won. Women had no say in how they would live and act. They were expected by society to be gentle and nurturing. If they did not conform to society perfectly, they risked being abandoned by those they cared