How Is Katherine Presented In Taming Of The Shrew

In Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, Petruccio employs several methods to attempt to tame the shrewish Katherine. Petruccio and Katherine’s various encounters throughout the play illuminate their struggle to maintain power and control. At a certain point, the audience is convinced that Katherine has truly been tamed by Petruccio. However, the audience’s perception of Katherine changes during her final monologue in the comedy which evinces that, despite Petruccio’s attempt to tame her, Katherine still maintains aspects of her shrewishness. Shakespeare utilizes complex dialogue in order to outwardly portray Katherine as tamed, but upon closer inspection, still highlights her individuality. By analyzing Katherine’s final monologue in Act 5 scene 2, it is evident that she is still not tamed despite Petruccio’s sustained

efforts throughout their interactions.

When Katherine is first introduced to the audience during her meeting with Petruccio, she is an uncontrollable, sharp-witted shrew. Katherine is angered that her father Baptista is desperate to wed her to any man who will accept the challenge. Petruccio is eager to woo Katherine and tame her shrewish spirit. He is attracted to Katherine’s lively nature and professes that his attraction has multiplied greatly after getting a glimpse of how much of a spitfire Katherine is. During their first encounter, Petruccio seeks to demonstrate his wit and power in an attempt to control Katherine’s spirit. When he informally addresses Katherine as her nickname Kate she sharply puts him in his place by responding “Well have you heard, but something hard of hearing: They call me Katherine that do talk of me” (Shrew 2.1.182-3). She insults him as

being deaf because she does not let anyone speak of her as Kate. Petruccio employs re-framing in an attempt to annoy Katherine and overwhelm her. He counters with a lengthy response that utilizes her nickname “Kate” in nine different ways. However, Katherine is not swayed and sharply replies “Moved, in good time. Let him that moved you hither remove you hence. I knew you at the first you were a moveable” (2.1.195-7). She insults him by saying that she recognizes that she can easily be rid of him. Their banter spans nearly one hundred lines and Katherine responds to Petruccio’s advances with sharp wit, insults and intelligent puns. The lengthy exchange reveals to the audience the extent of Katherine’s shrewishness and provides insight to how difficult it will be for Petruccio to try to tame her. She maintains composure and does not allow Petruccio to undermine her.
During their marriage, Katherine is subjected to Petruccio’s methods of taming and, instead of succumbing, she placates him to get him to leave her be. Petruccio employs harsh methods of starvation, sleep deprivation, and psychological manipulation in order to gain control over Katherine. He likens his marriage to a king’s reign and utilizes an extended metaphor of falconry to depict his methods of taming Katherine. However, during an exchange between Petruccio and Katherine about the sun, it is revealed to the audience that Katherine may not truly be submitting to Petruccio’s will. The exchange between the husband and wife is laced with sarcasm and annoyance. Petruccio comments on how brightly the moon shines and Katherine replies “I know it is the sun that shines so bright” (4.6.5). At this point in the play, the audience can still see that Katherine clearly resists Petruccio’s control. She further takes a stand against Petruccio and when he insists that it is the sun she replies “And be it moon, or sun, or what you please. And if you please to call it a rush candle, henceforth I vow it shall be so for me” (4.6.13-5). Despite Katherine’s sudden outward submission to Petruccio’s will, it is apparent to the audience that she is not completely conceding to him. Katherine recognizes that Petruccio is challenging to test her and see how far she is willing to follow along with his ploys. She is carefully observing Petruccio to determine what he desires from her.
At the end of the exchange, Petruccio changes his mind about it, claiming it is actually daytime and Katherine wittily replies “Then God be blessed, it is the blessèd sun. But sun it is not when you say it is not, and the moon changes even as your mind. What you will have it named, even that it is, and so shall be so for Katherine” (4.6.20-4). She placates him to satisfy his need for her submission, but it is evident that she does not truly believe what he tells her. Katherine’s sarcastic response admitting that she will agree to whatever Petruccio says provides insight into her thoughts for the audience. Her allusion to the moon and how Petruccio’s mind changes with it is a covert insult to Petruccio and accuses him of being crazy. Katherine seeks to maintain her shrewish qualities throughout Petruccio’s taming process but only to get him to leave her alone. She progressively learns what she needs to do in order to satisfy Petruccio’s demands. While it may appear to the audience that she is starting to lose her battle to Petruccio, by closely analyzing her dialogue it can be seen that she is not being tamed.