How to Tame your Shrew

In The Taming Of The Shrew, by Shakespeare a major theme of the text is: Women should give power to their husband, and are meant to be controled by the husband. Shakespeare shows this in the general feel of the play, and especially in Kate's final speech and the contest of the wives. When the widdow and Bianca do not come at thier husband's command, but the "shrew" Kate does, then it is displayed how the husbands feel about their wives. During Kates final speech at the end of the play, she states "thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper... such duty as the subject owes to the prince, even such a woman oweth to her husband." this statement shows that shakespeare meant this to be a theme. When the text is Juxtaposed with annother text, Antigone, the difference is large. Antigone's theme is more of a: Woman can have power to change the makups of entire countries. This theme contrsts with the Taming of the Shrew theme because it gives power to women instead of taking it from them. The themes are similiar because they both reflect on women compared to men. The Taming of the Shrew's theme takes power from the women in the story, showing the feeling toward women at the period in history.