April
05-24-2005, 06:07 PM
I believe Shakespeare was a feminist. Many women of our day find Shakespeare's 'Taming of the Shrew' an insult when infact if you read between the lines it is quite a compliment and credits women. The play focuses on a number of different issues all revolving around the relationships faced by men and women. Katherina is considered a Shrew by her peers and her father is unable to marry her off. When Petruchio takes on the 'challenge' and weds Kate he aims to tame her. In the end it appears that he has succeeded when really Kate has simply decided to scheme and go along with his silly antics just so she can live a comfortable, relaxed life and get all she desires from him. In her final speech Kate describes how the women sit at home all day, relaxing and resting their delicate bodies whilst their husbands are out working on the land and sea for them; it is as if they are serving women. Although Kate seems to be defending snd siding with her husband and all men she is saying how lucky women are and how basically men serve us! I think Shakespeare was trying to voice his opinion through this play.<br>That is my theory anyway!!