The Taming of the Shrew

Question Act V Scene II

In Katherine’s monologue, was Katherine tamed or was she just telling her husband what he wanted to hear? Explain.

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I think that the monologue must be taken within the context of the time. Kate has changed to the extent that she is able to accept the status quo of gender equality at the time but the audience senses that she is still Kate and will not be pushed around. Kate's speech can be read as an answer, from the woman's part, to Lucentio's own opening monologue. These lengthy chunks of speech serve as bookends to the drama. Both follow the mold of classical convention laid out in ancient Greek theater: the expositive salvo at the beginning and the moralistic coda at the end, in which the lessons learned are summarized and the meaning of the play is made clear.