Katherine and Petruchio: Transformed or Transgressed?

The relationship between Katherine and Petruchio in Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew has long been contested. Critics struggle to make sense of the intended message of the play, particularly Katherine’s lengthy ending monologue, which does not at all align with her character type from the beginning of the play. After Petruchio’s harsh “taming” strategies, one is left wondering if the outspoken and outrageous Katherine has actually been tamed. The answer to this seems to be that Katherine’s taming is dependent on Petruchio’s taming of his outlandish and roguish ways; therefore, the play becomes an exaggerated comedy about relationships and the physiology of love, and we must redefine what “taming” actually means.

Although Katherine’s final speech has often been read as tragic and the play criticized for misogynism, this is a modern reading and probably not Shakespeare’s actual intention. Instead, it can be read as a comedy about the taming powers of love and the chaos inherent in romantic relationships. We don’t expect Katherine’s wild ways to ever be tamed and are therefore confused when she comes across as such a subordinate to her husband Petruchio, advocating for the proper behavior of a dutiful wife. This is indeed a huge departure from her original demeanor, but her change is more of a transformation dependent on giving in to love, not necessarily giving in to Petruchio than it is a taming of her shrewdness. The reading of the play in this way is also dependent on one’s belief in the genuine transformation of Petruchio. There is a lot of emphasis on Katherine’s original outlandish ways, but Petruchio, too, was an over the top character who we wouldn’t predict to be a loving husband by the end of the play.

Petruchio’s “taming” of Katherine comes across as harsh and degrading when he refuses her food or sleep. At this point in the play, the two have not yet realized they will both be tamed, in a sense, by their love for one another and therefore this is simply a comical, extreme display of chaos by two characters that do not fit within expectations or societal norms. Many characters in the play, i.e. the boy who pretends to be a princess and Bianca, simply tell people things they want to hear. When this is juxtaposed with Katherine’s speech at the end, the effect is very different. Katherine is not simply saying what she is supposed to; she has been genuinely and unexpectedly transformed as has her husband Petruchio.

The irony of this play by Shakespeare lies in the fact that the most unexpected characters are those who end up having the most successful relationship. When Katherine and Petruchio give up their selfish ways and resistance to romantic relationships, regardless of their individual motives to enter into marriage, they are rewarded by achieving marital bliss. The outlook for the other characters, ironically, is less than certain by the end of the play and Shakespeare's tendency to implore melancholic elements is uncharacteristically missing. 

Resistance to societal norms and accepted behaviors are the common ground for Katherine and Petruchio. At the end of the play, Katherine’s speech shocks the reader and the characters in the play that expects the old Katherine to come out and act disobediently. It is difficult to believe that her speech is genuine and that she has been tamed by her less than ideal marriage circumstances, but if we read this play as a commentary on relationships, it suggests that those who believe in fairytale romances and courtships that go by the book don’t always end up with a picture-perfect ending. Katherine and Petruchio have met their match in each other and that is what finally creates balance in their lives and ultimately in their relationship.