How Gender affects Power

One example of a theme within the book “Taming of the Shrew” is “Gender is always something to argue about, and no matter how much one tries to stand out through feminist ways or rebellion, one person will always believe themselves to be on top of another.” A perfect example from the text of this theme would be at the end of the book wear Petruchio makes a bet to see “whose wife is most obedient, to come at first when he doth send for her shall win the wager which we will propose.” (Act V, p.104, lines 66-68) This describes the theme because they are betting on their wives to see who is the most obedient, which is a way of proving who has more power over their wife or who is more scared to not be on time for their husband due to consequences. Another example of theme is when Petruchio gives a speech to his servants over why he is treating Kate like nothing is good enough for her, he explains “Thus politicly begun my reign, And ‘tis my hope to end successfully. My falcon now sharp and passing empty , and will she stoop she must not be full gorged, for then she never looks upon her lure.” This maintains the theme of Gender vs. Power by Petruchio saying through a metaphor that he is training Kate, as the falcon, is now tired and empty, and now she has to bow down to Petruchio because that is the only way she will ever get food, since he has begun his “reign.” One connection between this theme and another text is between Anthem and Taming of the Shrew. It is related through this text because, in Anthem, women are forced to work on the field, as well as conceive the child during the Mating. This conveys the theme because women are treated beneath the men, which can be inferred since men are never sent out into the hot sun, but work in the city instead, which shows that people still think themselves to be higher than others, especially between genders.

-Blake Ocampo