How Is Katherina Different From The Taming Of The Shrew

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Katherine Minola from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is, in my opinion, one of the most dynamic characters in the production and her changes are brilliantly represented in Franco Zeffirelli’s movie adaptation from 1967. Portrayed by the lovely Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine’s character in this movie is given the depth and intelligence needed to fully understand Katherine’s seemingly irrational personality. In the beginning of the movie, Katherine is introduced as the oldest daughter of Baptista Minola, a rich merchant. While she is very beautiful, she is also well-known by the townspeople for being a shrew and her infamous temper has diminished her chances of being wed. Her sister Bianca, on the other hand, has two suitors and many admirers and Katherina cannot stand how much her sister is liked. To me, her shrewish ways are a result of being so jealous of her younger sister. Katherine’s distaste for her sister is perfectly displayed in the movie when she is shown chasing her sister around, practically beating her, demanding Bianca to tell her which suitor she likes the most, acting as if she would marry the one that Bianca …show more content…

Only concerned with money, Petruchio confidently wins Baptista’s approval and forces Kate to agree to marry him. He chases Katherine all about her father’s home, even the roof, trying to make her agree to marry him. Finally he literally twists her arm and she announces they will be married, though it is clear to everyone he is forcing her. However, even after telling Petruchio that she would rather die than marry him, she is seen in the same scene peering through a window at him and she smiles. This small act shows the first glimpse at her humanity and shows that even though she doesn’t want to be forced to marry him, she is glad that someone is interested in her and that she will finally be

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