Essay/Term paper: The taming of the shrew: kate's soliloquy

Essay, term paper, research paper:  The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew: Kate's Soliloquy


Kate's soliloquy bring about a joyous conclusion to The Taming of the
Shrew. The audience leaves the theatre with a pleasant feeling, glad that such
a shrew could be tamed so well. Kate herself realised the error of her ways,
making the men feel confident while making the women feel safe. Moreover, the
audience found the speech to be very sound and sensible, as the views expressed
in the play were extremely popular at that point in time.
Kate, in realising her iniquitous ways, made the men feel extremely
confident of their status in Elizabethan society, and effectively reinforced
their beliefs about their own strength. Also, Shakespeare succeeds in creating
a feeling of safety for the female audience, as well as in making them feel as
through they are accepted for their kindness to men, and in the norm. Women,
not having a strong role in society at that time, enjoyed receiving praise and
encouragement for their purpose in society. Furthermore, they felt vindicated
as Kate solemnly insulted the disobedient women (Bianca and the Widow), telling
them to "Come, come, you froward and unable worms!". It may also be said that
this play, as well as similar plays of the Elizabethan era, assisted in
contributing to the oppression of females in society for an innumerable amount
of years.
After the conclusion of The Taming of the Shrew, including Kate's
soliloquy, the audience is left with a proud feeling - proud of the fact that
Petruchio tamed such a shrew so well. The men of the audience are about with
feeling of satisfaction and justification. Shakespeare skillfully catered
towards both sexes by using Petruchio much like the stereotypical action figure
of today; a character who does the unbelievable effortlessly and leaves the
audience in awe. In the play Petruchio, short after the inception of his
skillful wooing, begins a plan "to kill a wife with kindness". Craftily he gives
her anything that she pleases, only to swipe it away when he finds a flaw in the
item. he also resorts to keeping Kate as a prisoner in his home, until she
slowly becomes subservient and submissive to him. Petruchio deftly puts all on
the line with his wager, "And he whose wife is most obedient ... Shall win the
wager which we will propose." Kate's soliloquy serves as final, unarguable
proof of Petruchio's grand victory and creates a cheerful mood throughout the
audience.
Shakespeare, as a playwright during the Elizabethan era, had the
difficult task of writing plays which reflected the moral values of that time
period, in addition to writing them with humor and wit. With all of the
unorthodox events in the centre of the play, the ending is wrapped up very well;
in a way that makes the audience feel very satisfied. the audience found Kate's
soliloquy very sound and sensible; likewise, they discovered Kate herself to be
quite the same. For instance the statement, "Thy husband is thy lord, thy life,
thy keeper, ... Thy head, thy sovereign; ..." from Kate's soliloquy made it
obvious to the audience that Kate had become a much better woman, according to
the standards of the Elizabethan era.
In conclusion, Kate's soliloquy was most likely found by the audience to
be extremely sound and sensible. Also, Kate herself realised the error of her
ways, making the women feel sheltered and making the men feel self assured about
their dominant position in society. The audience presumable went home contented,
because such a shrew was tamed, and could be tamed so well. Kate's soliloquy
reinforced the moral values of the Elizabethan era, making the conclusion of the
play more enjoyable and entertaining.