Taming Of The Shrew Master And Servant Relationship

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In Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” the upper-class, and their servants made up for the most normal theme in the play. The servant and master relationship was a general theme in this story. Shakespeare showed two kinds of master-servant relationships in the story. The first relationship is an unusual one where the master treats the servant with courtesies and fairness. The other is a traditional relationship that most readers are familiar with, the master abusing the servants and treating them as property. Shakespeare inspects the relationships and duties of the master and servant. Shakespeare brings up questions of the social status by reversing the servant- master roles. In Dennis Romano “The Regulation of Domestic Service …show more content…

Lucentio who is a master treats his servant Tranio with respect. Tranio’s and Lucentio’s relationship was not the traditional master servant relationship. Tranio despite obeying his master, and being subject to his will, had a friendship with his master. Similarly, to the other two relationships, Tranio and Lucentio’s relationship was forbidden. The relationship between Lucentio and Tranio was viewed as unusual because masters did not treat servants as friends. Lucentio regarded Tranio as his friend or as his relative. Lucentio notes, “Tranio, since for the great desire I had To see fair Padua, nursery of arts, I am arrived for fruitful Lombardy, The pleasant garden of great Italy, And by my father’s love and leave am armed With his good will and thy good company. My trusty servant well approved in all” (Shakespeare 1.1.9). In this quote, Lucentio expresses his love and happiness for Triano. Lucentio conveys his gratitude to Tranio for being his servant and a friend. Traino notes, “Mi perdonato gentle master mine. I am in all affected as yourself, Glad that you thus continue your resolve To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy. Only, good master, while we do admire This virtue, and this moral discipline, Let’s be no stoics, nor no stocks I pray, Or so devote to Aristotle’s checks As Ovid” (Shakespeare 1.1.25). In this quote, Traino expresses altruism towards Lucentio calling him a gentle, kind man. Tranino saw Lucentio beyond his servant and treated him as a person. Lucentio was willing to trade places with Tranio in order to persuade Bianca to marry him, seen in this quote, “For I have it full. We have not yet been seen in any house, Nor can we be distinguished by our faces, For man or master. Then it follows thus: Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead, Keep house, and port, and servants, as I should” (Shakespeare 1.1.195). The

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