Misogynistic Female Subjugation Quotes

In the story of “Taming of the Shrew,” Shakespeare does a fantastic job of humorously telling a tale involving a huge theme of misogynistic female subjugation. Misogynistic female subjugation deals with hate against women and the process of bringing women “under control.”

This comedy is about a girl named Katherine who is known as a shrew among all because she will not submit to men easily. No man has tried to win her love because they do not want a woman who will not submit to them. Unfortunate for her sister, Bianca, Kate must get married before any men may ask for Bianca’s hand in marriage. Bianca has many suitors, so the play takes many twists and turns that may be hard to comprehend without a strong understanding. In the end, a man name

Petruchio ends up “taming” Katherine, and Bianca is able to get married to Lucentio (one of her suitors). Shakespeare utilizes irony by changing Katherine’s ideology to the complete opposite, foreshadowing through quotes to convey the main plot, and metaphors comparing females to things instead of humans throughout “Taming of the Shrew” in order to show a comedic take on a serious issues such as misogynistic female subjugation.

Shakespeare’s use of irony involving Katherine’s ideology during this play works to convey the message that people can change their opinions on situations depending on their prior experiences. In the beginning of the play, Katherine, unlike her sister Bianca, would not easily submit to men. This is the main reason no man had tried to ask for her hand in marriage. This play is set in a time period where misogyny was very common, and men felt as if they owned women during marriages. Katherine however, was not originally a big fan of marriages at all. By the end of the story, Katherine submits to a man named Petruchio, which is extremely ironic because the whole story revolves around her not wanting to submit to a man. In the play she says, “Such duty as the subject owes the prince, wven such a woman oweth to her husband; and when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour, and not obedient to his honest will, what is

she but a foul contending rebel.” (Act 5. Scene 2. Line 171). In this quote, Katherine is comparing husbands and wives to princes and their subjects. She makes this comparison because she views marriages as an alpha-male commitment. She implies that women are like the subjects of their husband, who they should view as a prince. This quote shows how hierarchical marriages were viewed as at the time, which can later be seen through Kate’s marriage to Petruchio. This quote shows irony because at the time she recites this, she is already married to Petruchio, so in a sense she is describing her relationship. Petruchio, the man who ends up marrying and in a way “taming” Katherine, is very cocky about everything. The way Petruchio acts in the play is a reflection of how him and other men measure their manliness, which is by assessing their relationships with women. A quote that Petruchio reveals in one of the first parts of the play that supports this is, “Why came I hither but to that intent? Think you a little din can daunt mine ears? Have I not in my time heard lions roar? Have I not heard the sea, puffed up with winds, Rage like an angry boar chafed with sweat?” (Act 1. Scene 2. Line 201). While reciting this quote, he was trying to convey how “great” he thought he was, how he thought he could do anything, and how he feels about men and women hierarchical relationships. He believes that men should be in charge of everything that the women of the relationship does.
Shakespeare’s use of foreshadowing in “Taming of the Shrew” works to convey a hint to the readers of what is to come later in the story. In the beginning of the story, Katherine, the main character of the story, hates men and would never dream of submitting to one. As time in the play goes on and the plot further develops, the audience can tell that Katherine is starting to think more about her decisions involving men when she says “Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee tell, whom thou lov'st best. See thou dissemble not.” (Act 2. Scene 1. Line 8). This quote is directed towards Bianca and makes the audience question whether she will change her opinion on men in the future of the play. She says this when Bianca will not share details of her suitors with her, so it is apparent that Katherine is interested in the idea of marriage and may want to end up with a husband. Another quote involving Katherine that foreshadows the future of the play is said during a conversation with Petruchio. She says I will be angry: what hast thou to do, father, be quiet. He shall stay my leisure.” (Act 3. Scene 2. Line 221). She says this to Petruchio after he told her to stop being angry at Baptisa, her dad. Kate’s disrespectfulness for her dad foreshadows how she will act when she has a husband, which will be disobedient and disrespectful. These quotes contribute to the overall theme of misogynistic female subjugation because they foreshadow how the women will later be treated in the play.
Shakespeare’s use of metaphors of comparing women to property works to convey a message of gender dominance within the plot. The character who talks down to women and treats them like property the most within this play is Petruchio. Petruchio manipulates Kate throughout the story and treats her as if she is truly his property once they are married. Petruchio says, “Thus in plain terms: your father hath consented, That you shall be my wife, your dowry 'greed on, And, will you, nill you, I will marry you.” (Act 2. Scene 1. Line 284). In this quote, he is insisting that Katherine’s only choice is to marry him and that she is powerless. Petruchio and Baptisa have already made an agreement about Katherine’s engagement to Petruchio by this time in the play, so Katherine feels powerless at the least. In this instance, he is decreasing her say in anything and is treating her like a thing rather than a human being. Another quote that Petruchio says to Katherine comparing her to property is “She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, my household stuff, my field, my barn, my horse, my ox, my ass, my anything.
and here she stands, touch her whoever dare.” (Act 3. Scene 2. Line 235). This quote of scene 3 sets the stage for the rest of the play and implies that when Petruchio and Kate get married that she will be treated as his property. This also makes the audience view Petruchio as even more of an overbearing and dominant alpha-male. These quotes reveal the overall theme of misogynistic female subjugation because they show how Petruchio views Katherine in their marriage, and how he treats her. He treats her as if she is his property and not a human being.
Shakespeare utilizes literary elements such as irony, foreshadowing, and metaphors throughout his play “Taming of the Shrew” in order to convey an important message through a comedic and interesting take.

Misogynistic female subjugation is a very important concept that needs to be known by everyone because it is not appropriate to treat a woman like they are anything less than a human being with natural rights. In present day, misogynistic female subjugation is less common than at the time in the play. However, there are still people who believe women should be “owned” by men in a marriage. Shakespeare does a wonderful job of telling a story with a serious theme through different uses of literary elements, that make the play more thought-provoking to the

audience.