Katherine in "The Taming of the Shrew": A Transformation from Stubborn to Obedient
Summary:
Through the course of William Shakespeare's play "The Taming of the Shrew," Katherine is transformed from a dynamic, stubborn character, who believes no one should control her, to an obedient, loyal, wife. Through this transformation, Shakespeare's portrays one's capacity to change, which is an important part of human nature.
In Shakespeare's play, The Taming of the Shrew, Katherine, a dynamic character, ends up being able to transform herself from being a stubborn shrew, to an obedient, loyal, wife. She is stubborn because she feels that nobody should be able to control her. However, after falling in love with Petruccio she becomes obedient.
Katherine shows her stubbornness when Petruccio decides that their wedding day will be on Sunday. Infuriated with being told what to do she replies "I'll see thee hanged on Sunday first" (Shakespeare 97). Katherine is not used to people telling her what to do in such a forceful manner as Petruccio does with her. She opposes this proposition for being wed and would rather see Petruccio hung before having them wed Sunday. Kate is too independent and intelligent to allow a man to tell her what to do, just because it is what society expects from her, hence why she is known as a shrew. Her thoughts on this matter are clearly expressed once again when Petruccio tries to tell her that they will leave early by affirming, "I see a woman may be made a fool / If she had not a spirit to resist" (Shakespeare 131). Kate is still in the mindset that she must not be controlled by a man and therefore acts accordingly so.
However, Petruccio does tame Katherine and ends up making her an obedient and loyal wife. Her obedience is tested when Petruccio says that the sun is the moon and that Vincentio is a young lady. Kate finally concedes, "What you will have it named, even that it is, / And so it shall be so for Katherine" (Shakespeare 187). She shows him that she will adhere to whatever he says, whether it be true or not. Katherine passes the last of obedience in the play, when Petruccio sends for her and she comes immediately. She then gives a long speech about how she has been tamed and goes on to tell the women listening to her to ."..place your hands below your husband's foot; / In token of which duty, if he please" (Shakespeare 221). Kate says that the wives must submit themselves to their husbands.
Throughout most of The Taming of the Shrew, Katherine is portrayed as a stubborn shrew that will never be tamed; however, Petruccio does end up taming her and making her obedient to him. Kate is at first stubborn to Petruccio's methods of "taming" her but soon obeys, thus becoming obedient to him. Katherine shows that though someone may seem to be a shrew, that they are really capable changing, an important part to human nature.
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