I truly enjoyed writing the second response paper, and I think that I would like to examine the issue of whether or not Kate is truly "tamed" at the conclusion of The Taming of the Shrew in my research paper for this class. As mentioned in my response, I do not believe that Kate has truly been "tamed" by Petruchio; rather, I think that she is merely humoring him and allowing him to think that he has been successful. Doing so will render her life more enjoyable, and her husband need never be the wiser. Since divorce was for all intents and purposes not an option, Kate seems to be subscribing to the advice put forth by the contemporary Conduct Manuals and making the best of a bad situation.
I would like to examine some of the scholarship surrounding this play in order to see how others understand it, and I would like to research views of the ending in particular.
William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, Act IV,...
English: Christopher Sly and the Hostess from the ...
Petruchio forces Katherina to call the sun the moo...In addition, I would like to look at some film interpretations of the play to see how Hollywood interprets the play. Based upon what I have heard during our class discussions, it seems as though this question is hotly debated and largely unresolved. While I do not imagine that I will be able to prove definitively that Kate is not "tamed," I would like to see how scholars on both sides of this issue support their stance and incorporate that information into my own interpretation.
When thinking about this problem, I simply cannot get past the fact that Kate was so strong-willed and independent for so long. Truly, the play represents her character as a leopard who can not only change its spots but who can also put on stripes if that is in order. This just does...