Essay on Desire in The Taming of the Shrew, by William...

People have always gone out of their way to obtain what they desire in their life. Whether this obsession is out of greed or true necessity, a person will go to great lengths to achieve it. In the novel, The Taming of the Shrew, written by William Shakespeare, we find this trait present within the characters: Lucentio, Hortensio, Gremio, Petruchio, and Katherine. Each of these characters has their own motivation behind their actions in this story. Hortensio and Lucentio each wish to woo Bianca and take her as their bride. Hortensio, in an effort to secretly pursue the young woman, dons the appearance of a music teacher who goes by the name of Litio. After having shared information with Petruchio about Katherine, he†¦show more content†¦To accomplish this he marries the shrew, Katherine, in hopes of receiving a wealthy dowry from her father. Despite the numerous warnings Hortensio gives him, Petruchio casts them aside saying â€Å"thou know’st not gold’s effect † (1.2.94). Again desire prevails over necessity. Here is a man whose desire for wealth eclipses the possible chance of happiness being found within his new wife. The greed does not end there, however, Petruchio goes so far as to tame Katherine to acquire even more funds through a bet made with Hortensio and Lucentio in the end. The three men get into a minor argument, each claiming their wife to be the most obedient. To settle this dispute, Petruchio proposes â€Å"Let’s each one send unto his wife, /And he whose wife is most obedient/To come at first when he doth send for her/Shall win the wager which we will propose† (5.2.68-71). The men then settle on an amount of one hundred crowns after some negotiation. While Petruchio is quick to win the bet, as Katherine is the first to arrive, his greed has provided him even more money at the cost of abusing a woman in attempts to break her independence. Quite often, desire has the ability to blind someone from thinking logically. For Gremio, his affection for Bianca put him in this situation. Early on, Hortensio formulates a plan to find a man to marry Katherine, allowing Bianca to be available for marriage. He expresses this plan toShow MoreRelatedSexism in The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare Essay example1104 Words   |  5 PagesSexism in The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare The Taming Of The Shrew by William Shakespeare is an introduction in the everpresent battle of women to be loving and caring wives, while at the same time holding on to our independence. Its plot is derived from the popular war of the sexes theme in which males and females are pitted against one another for dominance in marriage. The play begins with an induction in which a drunkard, Christopher Sly, is fooled into believing he is a kingRead MoreTaming of the Shrew Paper1102 Words   |  5 Pages12.2.12 Taming of the Shrew Paper Gender roles have normally been dominated by men, with women unwillingly submitting to them. 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