Taming Of The Shrew And The Merchant Of Venice - 1612 Words

The role of woman in the society has always been really controversial, whether it was 400 years ago or now. Shakespeares two very famous comedy plays, The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice challenge a very serious social issue, the role and importance of woman in society. We all know the stereotypical image of woman in the society but Shakespeare questions the society on these thoughts through his plays. While Shakespeare expresses his ideas in a very unique way in each of his plays, this issue is common in both plays and is portrayed very similarly. Whether it is the way woman are treated, portrayed or judged, Shakespeare repeats the same idea through difference acts and events between the two comedies. There are some†¦show more content†¦Also, another leading character in the Merchant of Venice was controlled by her father, Jessica. But she couldnt be controlled, she eventually did what she wanted and proved to be a modern woman. Similarly, in the Taming of th e Shrew, Kate is expected to marry the man her father, Baptista chooses and she has no freedom and choice of her own will. However, in the Taming of the Shrew, Kate is also being called property by her husband, Petruchio. Petruchio says that, She is my good, my chattels, she is my house, My household stuff, my field, my barn, My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything; Not only her father but her future husband doesnt respect her and calls her everything but his wife. Almost all of the woman in Shakespeares play were treated as property, here you can see Portia and Kate, this clearly means that Shakespeare also agrees with this type of behaviour towards woman and that is why he always shows this behaviour towards the main female protagonists of the play. This type of behaviour towards woman was very common and both these plays have similarly shown how. A woman is often defined by her appearance and her fortune and her whole life revolves around these two very important features. She is married to a man that likes her beauty and finds her wealthy. Two perfect examples of this are Kate and Petruchio from The Taming of the Shrew and Portia and Bassanio from The Merchant of Venice. Petruchio comes to wive itShow MoreRelated Comparing Women As Propriety In The Merchant Of Venice and The Taming Of the Shrew2870 Words   |  12 PagesWomen As Propriety In Shakespeares The Merchant Of Venice and The Taming Of the Shrew We may say that the dominant ideas in most societies are the ideas of the dominant sex, associated and mingled with those of dominant class. (Chedgzoy, pg.50) During the Elizabethan time men dominated society. Historically speaking males have always held more power then females in most cultures. Although a few cultures were Matriarchal societies. Yet even in these cultures women were notRead MoreHow Normal is a Person Based on Merchant of Venice and Taming of the Shrew1046 Words   |  4 Pagesmoney they make. What happens when society places value on how â€Å"normal† a person is? Using the texts of â€Å"Merchant of Venice† and â€Å"Taming of the Shrew†, I will argue that in dealing with difference, society often unintentionally annihilates it; but what remains in its wake is often far more disturbing. Religion is one of the most dividing forces in a society. At the time of â€Å"Merchant of Venice† Jews stood for everything that was an external threat to England’s national welfare. 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The light-heartedness of these romantic comedies contrasts sharply with the darker humor and deeper characterization of Shakespeare’sRead MoreSocieties Destructive Behavior around ‘Normal’1776 Words   |  7 Pagesmoney they make. What happens when society places value on how â€Å"normal† a person is? Using the texts of â€Å"Merchant of Venice† and â€Å"Taming of the Shrew† I will argue that in dealing with difference, society often unintentionally annihilates it; but what remains in its wake is often far more disturbing. Religion is one of the most dividing forces in a society. At the time of â€Å"Merchant of Venice† Jews were seen as everything that was an external threat to England’s national welfare. They were knownRead MoreFemale Characters Of William Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet2248 Words   |  9 Pagescharacters analyzed are Ophelia from Hamlet, Cordelia from King Lear, Katherine from The Taming of the Shrew, Goneril from King Lear and Lady Macbeth from Macbeth. Nevertheless, some female protagonists of Shakespeare’s work do not fall in to this category and exceed the limitations of others. Therefore this paper proposes alternative characters such as Juliet from Romeo and Juliet and Portia from The Merchant of Venice that are rather more complex and difficult to include in just one category. By doing