The Taming Of The Shrew Essay Thesis Example For Students

The Taming Of The Shrew Essay Thesis The Taming Of The Shrew by William Shakespeare is probably one of Shakespeares earliest comedies. Its plot is derived from the popular war of the sexes theme in which males and females are pitted against one another for dominance in marriage. The play begins with an induction in which a drunkard, Christopher Sly, is fooled into believing he is a king and has a play performed for him. The play he watches is what constitutes the main body of The Taming Of The Shrew. In it, a wealthy land owner, Baptista Minola, attempts to have his two daughters married. One is very shrewish, Katherine, while the other is the beautiful and gentle Bianca. In order to ensure Katherine is married, Baptista disallows Bianca to be espoused until Katherine is wed, forcing the many suitors to Bianca to find a mate for Katherine in order for them to vie for Biancas love. Many critics of the play condemn it for the blatant sexist attitude it has toward women but closer examination of the play and the intricacie s of its structure reveal that it is not merely a story of how men should put women in their place. The play is, in fact, a comedy about an assertive woman coping with how she is expected to act in the society of the late sixteenth century and of how one must obey the unwritten rules of a society to be accepted in it. Although the play ends with her outwardly conforming to the norms of society, this is in action only, not in mind. Although she assumes the role of the obedient wife, inwardly she still retains her assertiveness. We will write a custom essay on The Taming Of The Shrew Thesis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Most of the plays humour comes from the way in which characters create false realities by disguising themselves as other people, a device first introduced in the induction. Initially this is accomplished by having Christopher Sly believe he is someone he is not and then by having the main play performed for him. By putting The Taming Of The Shrew in a play within a play structure, Shakespeare immediately lets the audience know that the play is not real thus making all events in the play false realities. Almost all characters in the play take on identities other than their own at some point of time during the play. Sly as a king, Tranio as Lucentio, Lucentio as Cambio, Hortensio as Litio and the pedant as Vicentio are all examples of this. Another example of this is Katherine as an obedient wife. In The Taming Of The Shrew, courtship and marriage are not so much the result of love but rather an institution of society that people are expected to take part in. As a result of the removal of romance from marriage, suitors are judged, not by their love for a woman, but by how well they can provide for her. All suitors compare the dowry each can bring to the marriage and the one with the most to offer wins the womans hand in marriage. This competition for marriage is like a game to the characters of the play. While discussing the courtship of Bianca with Gremio, Hortensio says He that runs fastest gets The ring (Act I, scene i, l. 140-141) likening receiving permission to wed Bianca to winning a race. In the game, however, women are treated like objects that can be bought and sold rather than as human beings. This is expected since the society is a patriarchal one. For example, Lucentio, Tranio and Petruchio are all defined with reference to their fathers and all the elderly author ity figures, like Baptista and Vicentio, are men. The taming of Katherine is not a womens shrewishness being cured as much as it is a woman being taught the rules of the patriarchal game. Katherine has learned how to be assertive and with this knowledge is able to control men, and a woman controlling a man is considered against the rules of the game. .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c , .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c .postImageUrl , .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c , .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c:hover , .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c:visited , .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c:active { border:0!important; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c:active , .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2b0790fec991043d9206ea423985ec3c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Medical Marijuana EssayThe play ends with Katherine proving that she is truly cured of her shrewishness and is the most obedient of the three newlywed wives at the end of the play. This is demonstrated in her soliloquy when she lectures the other wives on the proper way in which a woman should behave:I am ashamed that women are so simpleTo offer war where they should kneel for peace,Or seek rule, supremacy, and sway,When they are bound to serve, love, and obey. (Act V, scene ii, l. 161 164)Although most critics interpret the play as being that of a woman finally acting the way in which she is supposed to act, it is difficult to believe that a character as vibrant and strong-willed as Katherine is changed so easily. Following with the device of false realities that Shakespeare set in place so early in the play, it would seem more logical that Katherine would simply be acting the part of the obedient wife in order to be accepted in the society in which she lives. Katherine can play a part very well and can even enjoy doing it. This is shown on the road to Padua from Petruchios house when Kate is forced to address Vincentio as a woman and says, Young budding virgin, fair and fresh and sweet (Act IV, scene v, l. 37). The Taming Of The Shrew is a light-hearted comedy that is better seen than read. This is especially true since a lot of the humour in it is physical or slapstick humour which is possible only on stage. The complexity of the play is refreshing, as many of the modern plays of today are quite linear and do little to keep a readers attention. Another favourable aspect of it is the subplot involving Lucentio and Bianca which lends itself as the basis for many humourous moments, most notably between Lucentio, Hortensio and Bianca. The obvious sexist attitude of the play does not hinder it because of the reasons stated above. One must also take into account the attitudes of sixteenth century England and the fact that the play is a comedy and is not meant to be taken seriously.

Free Essays on Hughes

What was the dream that brought our ancestors to America? It was rebirth, the craving for men to be born again, the yearning for a second chance. With all of these ideas comes the true American dream- freedom. This is the condition in which a man feels like a human being. It is the purpose and consequence of rebirth. Langston Hughes a famous writer and poet, presented ideas in his works that helped to define his perception of the American dream. In beginning, â€Å"Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri.†(The collected poems) His father was James Nathaniel Hughes, a man who studied law but was unable to take the examination for the bar because he was black. His mother was Carrie Hughes, a woman who studied at the University of Kansas in an ongoing struggle to earn a living outside of domestic labor. Langston’s father left home to live in Cuba and then Mexico to free himself from the Jim Crow laws and segregation. Langston Hughes then went to live with his grandmother in Lawrence, Kansas until he was thirteen. His grandmother, Mary Sampson Patterson Leary Langston, was very prominent in the African American community of Lawrence. Unfortunately, she was unable to give Langston the attention he needed and his feelings of hurt and rejection by both his mother and father fueled his growing insecurities. In the second grade Langston was introduced to books and soon became fascinated with literature. He was able to escape his world into the wonderful world created by authors. At the age of thirteen Hughes went to live with his mother in Lincoln, Illinois and then Cleveland, Ohio where he went to high school. It was in Lincoln that Hughes wrote his first poem after being elected class poet by his fellow classmates. Hughes, the only black student at his school, said that the only reason for his election was that his peers felt that he must have a good sense of rhythm because of the color of his skin. This positio... Free Essays on Hughes Free Essays on Hughes What was the dream that brought our ancestors to America? It was rebirth, the craving for men to be born again, the yearning for a second chance. With all of these ideas comes the true American dream- freedom. This is the condition in which a man feels like a human being. It is the purpose and consequence of rebirth. Langston Hughes a famous writer and poet, presented ideas in his works that helped to define his perception of the American dream. In beginning, â€Å"Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri.†(The collected poems) His father was James Nathaniel Hughes, a man who studied law but was unable to take the examination for the bar because he was black. His mother was Carrie Hughes, a woman who studied at the University of Kansas in an ongoing struggle to earn a living outside of domestic labor. Langston’s father left home to live in Cuba and then Mexico to free himself from the Jim Crow laws and segregation. Langston Hughes then went to live with his grandmother in Lawrence, Kansas until he was thirteen. His grandmother, Mary Sampson Patterson Leary Langston, was very prominent in the African American community of Lawrence. Unfortunately, she was unable to give Langston the attention he needed and his feelings of hurt and rejection by both his mother and father fueled his growing insecurities. In the second grade Langston was introduced to books and soon became fascinated with literature. He was able to escape his world into the wonderful world created by authors. At the age of thirteen Hughes went to live with his mother in Lincoln, Illinois and then Cleveland, Ohio where he went to high school. It was in Lincoln that Hughes wrote his first poem after being elected class poet by his fellow classmates. Hughes, the only black student at his school, said that the only reason for his election was that his peers felt that he must have a good sense of rhythm because of the color of his skin. This positio...

Adapted Physical Education in Behavioral Disabilities Essay

Adapted Physical Education in Behavioral Disabilities - Essay Example In the case of education children suffering from behavioral disorders cannot be accommodated with other students in a class room, because they may develop the disruptive attitude on other students also. Thus, the matters relating to the classrooms cannot be brought under control by the concerned class teachers. Hence, teaching them together with other students and making them understand the matter is really a task. The curriculum in general schools are not sufficient to train and teach these students. Hence to educate such students the need of a special school aroused all over. The curriculum designed for such special schools are sufficient to contain the amazing behavioral nature of the students. The common behavioral disorders found among children are Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Conduct Disorders (CD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The common features exhibiting by children having Oppositional Defiant Disorders are as follows. Children having this type of disability exhibit aggressive nature towards others. They also develop threatening behavior. Certain times they prefer to disturb others physically and try to destroy properties belong to others. Occasionally their mental nature will not be in a position to develop empathy. At this juncture their behavior is as if they are not concerned about others feelings, wellbeing and wishes. Altogether their behavioral nature made others to consider that this guy is hard hearted having severe guilty mentalities. Self esteem will be negligible or almost nil. Moreover they also exhibit the tendency to blame others for all their mischievous behavior. In all these cases if the parents are tried to tame these children they always try to refuse them in all respects. As far as children suffering from Conduct Disorders are concerned others consider them as ‘bad kids’ on account of their denial nature towards all matters. About five percent of children around the age group of ten