tamed shrews and twelfth nights the role of women in sh~12d

Tamed Shrews and Twelfth Nights: The Role of Women In Shakespeare
It is curious to note the role of women in Shakespearean
literature. Many critics have lambasted the female characters in
his plays as two-dimensional and unrealistic portrayals of subservient
women. Others have asserted that the roles of women in his
plays were prominent for the time and culture that he lived in. That such
contrasting views could be held in regards to the same topic
is academic. It is only with close examination of his works that we are
able to suppose his intent in creating characters that inspire
so much controversy. Two works, Taming of the Shrew, and Twelfth
Night, stand out particularly well in regards to Shakespeare’s
use of female characters. After examining these two plays, one will see
that Shakespeare, though conforming to contemporary
attitudes of women, circumvented them by creating resolute female
characters with a strong sense of self. The Taming of
the Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, and has
weathered well into our modern era with adaptations into
popular television series such as Moonlighting. For all the praises it has
garnered throughout the centuries, it is curious to note that
many have considered it to be one of his most controversial in his
treatment of women. The “taming” of Katherine has been
contended as being excessively cruel by many writers and critics of the
modern era. George Bernard Shaw himself pressed for its
banning during the 19th century (Peralta). The subservience of Katherine
has been labeled as barbaric, antiquated, and generally
demeaning. The play centers on her and her lack of suitors. It
establishes in the first act her shrewish demeanor and its repercussions
on her family. It is only with the introduction of the witty
Petruchio as her suitor, that one begins to see an evolution in her
character. Through an elaborate charade of humiliating
behavior, Petruchio humbles her and by the end of the play, she will

instruct other women on the nature of being a good and
dutiful wife. In direct contrast to Shrew, is Twelfth Night,
whose main female protagonist is by far the strongest character in the
play. The main character Viola, has been stranded in a
foreign land and adopts the identity of her brother so that she might live
independently without a husband or guardian. She serves as a
courtier to a young, lovesick nobleman named Orsino.
Throughout the play she plays as a go-between for him to the woman he
loves. In the course of her service, she falls in love with him.
Only at the end, does she renounce her male identity and declares her
love for him. Both plays portray female characters unwilling to
accept the female role of passivity. Katherine rebels against this
stereotype by becoming a “shrew”, a violently tempered and belligerent
woman. Viola disguises herself as a man for most of the play
in order to preserve her state of free will. Katherine endures reprimands,
chiding, and humiliation in the course of her chosen rebellion.
Viola enjoys life and position as a man, and does not reveal who she is
until the last scene of the play. Curiously enough, both
women voluntarily accept the roles that society would impose on them
again at the close of the plays. It is important to note though,
that they freely resume these roles, and that they do so out of their own
sense of self. For each woman, it is a personal choice based
on their desires. In the case of Katherine, she realizes that propriety is
as much a signature of self-respect as respect for others, and
she has a husband whom she need prove nothing to because
he already respects her. In the case of Viola, she is in love with the young
Orsino. Having found the man she would be willing to wed,
the pretense of her male identity is no longer necessary, as she desires
to be his wife. Having seen the similarities between Viola and
Katherine, one should take notice that they do have different

circumstances regarding their behavior. The reason for Katherine’s
shrewish demeanor is never given in the play, though many
directors have interpreted it as an act to discourage suitors, much like
Hamlet’s feigned madness. Others have attributed it to sibling
rivalry between Katherine and her sister Bianca. In any case, no clear
rationale is given to the audience as to the reason for
Katherine’s behavior. It is enough to say that the actions of her father and
sister do not relieve the situation as well. Throughout the
whole of the play, her father treats her as a commodity to be bargained
away to whoever is willing to take her. Granted that he
doesn’t view Bianca as anything more than a commodity as well, but he
clearly favors her over Katherine as unspoiled merchandise.
Bianca has a rather small role to play in the whole of things.
She seems to be the archetypal young lady of quality. Her lack of
understanding for her sister causes them to quarrel and
results in Bianca taking the physical worst of it, whilst Katherine is blamed
for her belligerent nature. The entire presence of family in the
play gives Katherine her motivation and explains much of the whole
situation in the dialogue. Contrast this with the isolated Viola.
She is shipwrecked and has no one to connect with at all. Her situation is
implicitly understood by the Shakespearean audience as
being an awkward one for a young woman. Lacking anyone to provide for
her, she is forced to take measures to protect herself and her
estate. The understood reason for her deception is to insure for herself,
and it is clearly stated by Viola at the end of Act I .Scene 3.
Obviously, the two women are very different individuals. Yet they
share the same characteristics that Shakespeare imparted
onto many of his heroines. Each is resolute and knows her own mind.
Though society demands certain behavior from them, they
each chose to undertake a different path to deny that behavior. The self

is promoted over the public image. Yet, each is not averse to
returning to society’s established roles if it serves their needs and wants.
The entire concept of choice and free-will, of which
Shakespeare was so fond of, applies as equally to his feminine
characters as to his masculine. It is this very important point
which establishes the conclusion that Shakespeare did indeed create
realistic and meaningful female characters.
Sources Cited Peralta, T. “The Taming of the Shrew.”
English 28: Shakespeare’s Plays. Cerritos College.
Norwalk, CA, Fall semester 1996.