The Taming Of The Shrew: Kate’s Soliloquy Essay, Research Paper

The Taming of the Shrew: Kate’s Soliloquy

Kate’s soliloquy bring about a joyous conclusion to The Taming of the

Shrew. The audience leaves the theatre with a pleasant feeling, glad that such

a shrew could be tamed so well. Kate herself realised the error of her ways,

making the men feel confident while making the women feel safe. Moreover, the

audience found the speech to be very sound and sensible, as the views expressed

in the play were extremely popular at that point in time.

Kate, in realising her iniquitous ways, made the men feel extremely

confident of their status in Elizabethan society, and effectively reinforced

their beliefs about their own strength. Also, Shakespeare succeeds in creating

a feeling of safety for the female audience, as well as in making them feel as

through they are accepted for their kindness to men, and in the norm. Women,

not having a strong role in society at that time, enjoyed receiving praise and

encouragement for their purpose in society. Furthermore, they felt vindicated

as Kate solemnly insulted the disobedient women (Bianca and the Widow), telling

them to “Come, come, you froward and unable worms!”. It may also be said that

this play, as well as similar plays of the Elizabethan era, assisted in

contributing to the oppression of females in society for an innumerable amount

of years.

After the conclusion of The Taming of the Shrew, including Kate’s

soliloquy, the audience is left with a proud feeling – proud of the fact that

Petruchio tamed such a shrew so well. The men of the audience are about with

feeling of satisfaction and justification. Shakespeare skillfully catered

towards both sexes by using Petruchio much like the stereotypical action figure

of today; a character who does the unbelievable effortlessly and leaves the

audience in awe. In the play Petruchio, short after the inception of his

skillful wooing, begins a plan “to kill a wife with kindness”. Craftily he gives

her anything that she pleases, only to swipe it away when he finds a flaw in the

item. he also resorts to keeping Kate as a prisoner in his home, until she

slowly becomes subservient and submissive to him. Petruchio deftly puts all on

the line with his wager, “And he whose wife is most obedient … Shall win the

wager which we will propose.” Kate’s soliloquy serves as final, unarguable

proof of Petruchio’s grand victory and creates a cheerful mood throughout the

audience.

Shakespeare, as a playwright during the Elizabethan era, had the

difficult task of writing plays which reflected the moral values of that time

period, in addition to writing them with humor and wit. With all of the

unorthodox events in the centre of the play, the ending is wrapped up very well;

in a way that makes the audience feel very satisfied. the audience found Kate’s

soliloquy very sound and sensible; likewise, they discovered Kate herself to be

quite the same. For instance the statement, “Thy husband is thy lord, thy life,

thy keeper, … Thy head, thy sovereign; …” from Kate’s soliloquy made it

obvious to the audience that Kate had become a much better woman, according to

the standards of the Elizabethan era.

In conclusion, Kate’s soliloquy was most likely found by the audience to

be extremely sound and sensible. Also, Kate herself realised the error of her

ways, making the women feel sheltered and making the men feel self assured about

their dominant position in society. The audience presumable went home contented,

because such a shrew was tamed, and could be tamed so well. Kate’s soliloquy

reinforced the moral values of the Elizabethan era, making the conclusion of the

play more enjoyable and entertaining.