Manipulation in William Shakespeares The Taming of the...

Manipulation in William Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew In The Taming of the Shrew, the concept of love is a means of emotional manipulation, and manipulation is nothing more than a means of control between men and women. William Shakespeare critiques the patriarchal social structure by ironically employing the manipulative stance Petruchio takes towards winning Katherine as his wife by charming her with words and manipulating her psychologically, and then taming her after their marriage through legal, physical, financial, and psychological control and manipulation. Though Petruchio may think he yields power over his wife, Katherine uses obedience as a tool of manipulation and has the control of the household, as can be seen†¦show more content†¦If he can control the meaning of the words, he can also control the people who use those words. Petruchio also manipulates Kate psychologically by pivoting her thoughts in the direction of them being suited to each other for marriage. When he says â€Å"I am too young for you† (Act 2 Scene 1, 250), he starts making her feel old and unwanted. This comment makes her mad, and causes her to feel the need to prove that he is old, which she accomplishes in the next line by saying â€Å"Yet you are withered† (II, 1; 251). Thus she unconsciously admits that he is at least suited to her in age for marriage, if nothing else. By complimenting her, Petruchio is also able to play with her psychologically. He begins by saying she is beautiful, nice, and modest. Even though he may not mean it, and Kate probably suspects he is lying, it still has a positive effect on her. Complements boost her confidence and make her feel wanted, which is a new experience for her. Such complements eventually lead her to believe that he may actually love her, or that there is a poss ibility of love between them in the future. This method of manipulation does have its effects, because she only opposes their marriage once in front of her father, and after Petruchio announces that they have decided that she should â€Å"still be curst [to him] in company† (II, 1; 324), but they really love each other, she offers no counterarguments. After theShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Taming Of The Shrew889 Words   |  4 PagesIn many accounts, William Shakespeare’s Taming Of The Shrew, is often criticized for its seemingly misogynistic themes; such as the thought of â€Å"taming† a woman, thus making her completely submissive to her husband. While in the opening of the play, Katharine, ill-tempered but seemingly impenetrable, gets pulverized by Petruchio’s contradicting her words, and also saying disgusting jokes in an intense verbal arguement. 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