Taming of the Shrew- AO3: Act 2

Question 1

How is the role of women shown in Act 2?

Answer 1

• In Act 2 the role of women is made perfectly clear, there is first the expectation of women to act more like Bianca, and less shrewish like Kate, and additionally the expectation of women to bear.
• These are the social expectations shown in this act. There is also the role of women in their decisions to marry, with both Kate and Bianca not present in these decisions and Kate’s desire not to marry Petruchio but her father allows it anyway, shows the amount of control women really had in this time period.

Question 2

How is Elizabethan views on marriage shown in Act 2?

Answer 2

The idea of who offers more for Bianca out of Gremio and Tranio shows what the view was on marriage, despite the fact Bianca may not want to marry any of these, because one offered more goods, like crowns, it is decided by her father.