The Relationship Between Katherine and Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew

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The Relationship Between Katherine and Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew

William Shakespeare is considered the greatest playwright of all time. His gift for developing characters is one major aspect that accounts for this lofty acknowledgement. Shakespeare created various characters from drunks and fools to kings and generals. The characters are so human and so real that the audience can see aspects of their own personalities represented on stage for better or worse. Inadvertently, Shakespeare's ability to characterize any type of person demonstrates his holistic education and knowledge of everything from military strategy and open sea sailing to music and religion. As a result of Shakespeare's true-to-life characters, the relationship between Katherine and Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew is completely realistic, reflective of every aspect of the ever-present phenomenon of sibling rivalry.

Some people believe that sibling rivalry is nothing more than a series of petty disputes between hyperactive adolescents, a childhood trauma that most people outgrow. However, sibling rivalry also encompasses much more serious cases, like the permanent enmity between adult siblings. This phenomenon was studied extensively in the nineteenth century, when Charles Darwin presented his theory of evolution. At that time, he said that one of the major causes of sibling rivalry is natural, and it occurs in nature when the competition is usually for food. Specifically, whenever two individuals that consume the same type of food co-exist in the same area, they fight with each other until one of them manages to kill or drive the other out, leaving the winner with the exclusive use of the food resources a...

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...es and further contributing to Shakespeare's reputation as the greatest dramatist and finest poet that the world has ever known.

Works cited:

Barton, Ann. "The Taming of the Shrew." The Riverside Shakespeare 2nd ed. Ed. Dean Johnson et al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. 138-141.

Daniel, David. "Shakespeare and the Role of Women." The Cambridge Companion to

Shakespeare Studies. Ed. Stanley Wells. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1987.

Darwin, Charles. Descent of Man. New York: Prometheus Books, December 1997.

Fox, Levi, ed. The Shakespeare Handbook. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1987.

Newman, Joan. "Conflict and Friendship in Sibling Relationships: A Review." Child Study Journal, 1994: 119-143.

Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Simon and Schuster Trade, April 1991.

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