Comparative Essay
Today saying that women are property of men would come as a shock in present times, but the gender roles that Petruchio and Torvald had in their time, it would be expected. In both The Taming of the Shrew and A Doll’s House, Petruchio and Torvald do an excellent job of showing the roles they had during their time. Petruchio and Torvald show the role of men during this time by gaining sovereignty, creating their perfect spouse, men’s misogynic attitudes toward women, and the result of the men gaining preeminence.
Gender norms is shown throughout both of these literary works. Petruchio and Torvald reveal this by the way they treat their spouses. Gender norms in both the 1500’s and 1800’s, when The Taming of the Shrew and …show more content…
Petruchio and Torvald create their perfect wife to show that they have the power. Petruchio creates a perfect wife from the result of the pain he puts her through from starving her to playing mind games with her. From his control he creates a wife that is loyal and obedient. He proves how much he has made the best wife by placing a bet with his friends to see which wife is the most obedient. He tells them “Nay, I will win my wager better yet, and show more sign of her obedience, her new-built virtue and obedience” (5. 2. 129-31) Kate is the first one to come showing her submission to Petruchio. A wife who is a shrew will over power the man which is looked down upon in the age of renaissance. Petruchio essentially tortures his wife to create a calm loving wife. This way he will have all the power without a boisterous women fighting him making her position more powerful. Torvald’s pet nicknames demonstrates that his view of his wife is a diminutive and powerless figure; what he sees as a good wife, one who is serving him. Nora describes her relationship as, “... I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls.” (Ibsen 74) Torvald controls his wife to make her feel like a doll. He is the puppet master in the household. He gets to control what she buys, eats, and spends. His overall idea of how a wife …show more content…
They are bluntly sexist and show it by how they treat their wives and by the words they say to them. Petruchio tells Katherina “I will be master of what is mine own. She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, my household stuff, my field, my barn, my horse, my ox, my ass, my anything. And here she stands, touch her whoever dare." (3.2. 235-39) This shows how Petruchio views Katherina as his procession like his house and farm. He views her as abject that he owns and gets to take control of. He continues to show this when he tells Katherina, "Look what I speak, or do, or think to do, you are still crossing it. Sirs, let 't alone. I will not go today, and, ere I do, it shall be what o 'clock I say it is." (4. 4.199-202) Petruchio continues to gain control in the relationship by making her agree to whatever he says. Katherina says that it is 2 o’clock but Petruchio in response says that its 7o’clock. Petruchio makes Katherina feel like she has to do what he says he controls every aspect of her life. By the second quote it shows that he thinks his opinion is the only one that matters. He ignores Katherina’s statements and shows that he disrespects her opinions. Lastly, in the end Petruchio makes a bet with his friends to see what wife responds the fastest. He tells Katherina to throw her hat on the ground and step on it. Once again this shows that Petruchio controls what she wears and her
Today saying that women are property of men would come as a shock in present times, but the gender roles that Petruchio and Torvald had in their time, it would be expected. In both The Taming of the Shrew and A Doll’s House, Petruchio and Torvald do an excellent job of showing the roles they had during their time. Petruchio and Torvald show the role of men during this time by gaining sovereignty, creating their perfect spouse, men’s misogynic attitudes toward women, and the result of the men gaining preeminence.
Gender norms is shown throughout both of these literary works. Petruchio and Torvald reveal this by the way they treat their spouses. Gender norms in both the 1500’s and 1800’s, when The Taming of the Shrew and …show more content…
Petruchio and Torvald create their perfect wife to show that they have the power. Petruchio creates a perfect wife from the result of the pain he puts her through from starving her to playing mind games with her. From his control he creates a wife that is loyal and obedient. He proves how much he has made the best wife by placing a bet with his friends to see which wife is the most obedient. He tells them “Nay, I will win my wager better yet, and show more sign of her obedience, her new-built virtue and obedience” (5. 2. 129-31) Kate is the first one to come showing her submission to Petruchio. A wife who is a shrew will over power the man which is looked down upon in the age of renaissance. Petruchio essentially tortures his wife to create a calm loving wife. This way he will have all the power without a boisterous women fighting him making her position more powerful. Torvald’s pet nicknames demonstrates that his view of his wife is a diminutive and powerless figure; what he sees as a good wife, one who is serving him. Nora describes her relationship as, “... I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls.” (Ibsen 74) Torvald controls his wife to make her feel like a doll. He is the puppet master in the household. He gets to control what she buys, eats, and spends. His overall idea of how a wife …show more content…
They are bluntly sexist and show it by how they treat their wives and by the words they say to them. Petruchio tells Katherina “I will be master of what is mine own. She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, my household stuff, my field, my barn, my horse, my ox, my ass, my anything. And here she stands, touch her whoever dare." (3.2. 235-39) This shows how Petruchio views Katherina as his procession like his house and farm. He views her as abject that he owns and gets to take control of. He continues to show this when he tells Katherina, "Look what I speak, or do, or think to do, you are still crossing it. Sirs, let 't alone. I will not go today, and, ere I do, it shall be what o 'clock I say it is." (4. 4.199-202) Petruchio continues to gain control in the relationship by making her agree to whatever he says. Katherina says that it is 2 o’clock but Petruchio in response says that its 7o’clock. Petruchio makes Katherina feel like she has to do what he says he controls every aspect of her life. By the second quote it shows that he thinks his opinion is the only one that matters. He ignores Katherina’s statements and shows that he disrespects her opinions. Lastly, in the end Petruchio makes a bet with his friends to see what wife responds the fastest. He tells Katherina to throw her hat on the ground and step on it. Once again this shows that Petruchio controls what she wears and her