Role Of Marriage In Taming Of The Shrew

The Economics of Marriage for suitors, fathers, and women In The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare, the main motive to marry for suitors, fathers, and women is the economic benefits. The play was written in 1593. The primary purpose of marriage in the 16th century for people, more specifically, to the upper class, was to transfer property, and extend family networks. This is seen in how marriage was handled in the play. Marriage in The Taming of the Shrew involved three parties who all benefited in some sort of way. The suitors were acquiring goods in the form of their brides, the father has control over the dowry he receives, and the women gain the status of the men and their finances. It is in these three ways that the economics

When he finds Katherine she is seen to him as a large dowry. He speaks of Katherine as an object, a sum of money. Katherine is chosen by Petruchio not because he is in love with her personality rather he wants all the money her family has. Petruchio even says upon entering Padua that his main objective is to find a wealthy family, it just happens to be that Katherine was there for him and needed to be married "I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;/If wealthily, then happily in Padua." (1.2.76-77) It is clear that the main objective of marriage for men is to aggrandize their

In the time of the play, women often lacked a substantial place in society, besides a wife or maiden. Often when reading The Taming of the Shrew it seems that Katherina, and especially Bianca, don't actually have an economic benefit, but they do. By them being courted by a man they were given the ability to enter society as respectable women, who have to please Baptista with a large dowry. Lucentio says, "Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,/ If I achieve not this young modest girl!" (1.1.130-131). Since in this quote, it seem that Lucentio is declaring that he needs Bianca, this is actually beneficial to the women. As the women are desired goods and being that men pine after them. Although there are very few times when Katherine or Bianca exclaim that they wish to be married, by examining this quote it is clear that men wanted Bianca passionately. Had they not wanted her she would have no longer had a purpose, nor a reason to act tame. For women to exist and be accepted in society, she has to be tamed and controlled by a man. If they didn't find the right man you have a situation similar to Katherines in which she is completely subservient to the man because no one else would take her. Women had expected social roles, so most women wanted a fate of marriage and tamed life. It offered them much needed opportunities, because when they were married, they were also accepted as well as having all