Male Domination

Mrs. Hendricks

Pre IB English 9\2A

Caitlyn Nelson

Male Domination

                In Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew has one theme is the “effect of male domination on the woman figure” in which the women are made or tamed into what the men see fit a true obedient woman.  After Petruchio married Katherine he deprived her of everything she desired and inspired her to become less independent and follow orders. In a way she has become his personal servant and abides by his every wish.  When they were at the dinner and the men bet money on whose wife would come first. Hortensio and Lucentio both called their wives and they said they were busy and could not come but when Petruchio called for his wife she was the only one who came. He not only taught her and changed her ways but also made her a “proper” woman.  As I explored this play and other texts I found the Tiger’s Bride had a comparable theme.  In this story he licks her skin off and underneath is her gorgeous fur which in this his pursued his desire therefore putting pressure on her to show herself. She finds herself actually in love with the beast and decides to give in to him because she knows it will never stop but after being left to that decision over and over.  So then the male gets what he wants once again because of consistency and determination to dominate that situation. In The Taming of the Shrew Bianca and Hortensio’s wife have not been as controlled as Kate and in that situation the women are more in control of actually saying no to their husbands wishes and orders.  So it may appear that the women are in control but actually the women in that time were only viewed as assets to the men’s lives.  So the effect of male domination on the woman figure is only because of the control the male feels over the woman and making the female feel less and less needed in life to wear she will only find comfort and need by the orders of the male figure.  All the men want women to have is to feel needed not really by them but what they ask the women to do.