The taming of the shrew - critical response essays

The taming of the shrew - critical response essays It is the intention of this Critical essay to consider the play The taming of the shrew By William Shakespeare. I will firstly offer a brief summary of events and then go on to consider the portrayal of Pertruchio and in particular the way in which he uses and manipulates language in order to meet the demands of any given situation. The play is technically a play within a play. In the outer framework we find a lord tricking a drunkard called Christopher Sly into believing that he is a rich lord with a beautiful wife (Page). A group of players then enter to perform for Sly and his wife. In the play we find Hortensio and Lucentio battling out their wits to win the sweet Bianca. Biancas father Baptista declines both until his elder daughter Kate is married. The only problem is that Kate is renowned for being a shrew. Pertruchio is a scholar who is visiting Padua. He wishes to find a rich wife. Hortensio is still after Bianca and hopes that Pertruchio will fall in love with Kate and then Bianca will be open to his proposals. Hortensio leads Pertruchio to Kate. Pertruchio marries Kate after finding out that her father has money. Pertruchio tames his shrewish wife into being obedient. Kate soon realises that she must agree with Pertruchio on everything, no matter how ridiculous. In Kates obedience speech she reflects what page told Sly in the beginning. Is Kate for real or is it all an act? It is significant that Pertruchio is portrayed as a man whose sole interest is money. Financial gain is his only concern in his martial plans. Pertruchio proves this when he states: Then tell me, if I get your daughters love, what dowry shall I have her to wive? The above section illustrates that Pertruchio is only after money because he has not even met Kate and he is asking how much he will get to marry her. He obviously does not care how she looks or acts as he just interested in ...