Power Struggles and Gender Roles in 'The Taming of a Shrew'

The Taming of a Shrew displays the significant dilemma of whether or not a female should be seen as her husband’s property or whether she can be perceived as an important social figure without the aid of one’s partner. In this play, the audience is able to depict the obvious frustrations of power struggle between Petruchio and his newly wedded, Kate. Kate is a very dominant figure in ways females aren’t usually perceived in this time period. She is in a constant battle with Petruchio to see who will quiver first in their never-ending game.
Petruchio sees Kate as a competition where he must outlast and outwit her in order to receive her undivided cooperation. In order for him to do so, he treats Kate with much disrespect, acts very childish, and isn’t even ‘recognized’ by his servants. In his mind, he must truly seek to domineer over her because if he doesn’t he won’t be seen as a true ‘King’. A perfect example of this is when Petruchio says, “My falcon now is sharp and passing empty, and till she stoop she must not be full-gorged, for then she never looks upon her lure. (4.1. 179-181) This quote from Petruchio’s speech is very significant because it outlines how women were truly seen as property and the significance of obedience. Kate knows he is ‘playing games’ with her and she attempts to outwit him throughout the whole play. She may fail, at times, but she is always cautiously thinking of ways to undermine Petruchio. It’s difficult at times to understand why Petruchio would treat his

Kate is a very important figure in this play, but can also be seen as a role model for many young females. She overcomes the obstacles set in place by Petruchio and is still able to become victorious. Ultimately Kate was able to withstand Petruchio’s absurd actions and come out of the ‘competition’ as the