Taming of the Shrew 2

The play, Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s comedies. It portrays the humorous events regarding the suiting of Kate, a shrew dwelling in the city of Padua. It portrays many ideas about love and marriage that do not quite fit with our current views and what we know about relationships. It can be argued that the comedy of the play makes it universal, but it contains some themes that will not be …

…reason – to impress her husband (and his friends), and get what she wants. I feel that the undertones of the play and the themes presented are outdated, and put forth ideas that are not welcome to be influencing the current generations. Furthermore, the attitude of Petruchio shows blatant disrespect for both Kate and women in general. In my mind, these things overpower the universal appeal of the humor, making the comedy loose its universal appeal.