Dominance

One theme in The Taming Of The Shrew is that in a male dominated society, women become tamed due to their inferior status. One example would be when Bianca tries to talk to Hortensio and Gremio and her father, Baptista, tells her to be quiet. He obviously has power over her not only because he is her father but also because he is a male living in a male dominated society. Another example would be when Kate and Petruchio are talking about the moon and sun. Kate is convinced that the sun is out while Petruchio is convinced it is the moon. While they argue, Hortensio suggests for Kate to just give in to Petruchio because she won’t win. Kate agrees and goes along with Petruchio. This is an example because Hortensio and Petruchio are more dominant of Kate and they have more power, thus causing her to become “tamed”.