Through the many days in life people are repeatedly changing themselves in order to gain satisfaction for themselves. In William Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew Katherine, the shrew, is seemingly tamed through her interactions with Petruchio; however, the taming is merely a facade used by Katherine to gain what she has always desired. The reader, along with other characters, is left thinking that Katherine has experienced a change when in reality the new Katherine is merely an illusion.
Katherine is not a shrew, she just wants to attain certain things and goes through a change trying to do so. She likes Petruchio, but just doesn't want to get hurt. That is why Petruchio would appear to have an effect on her, making a reader believe she was tamed. However in reality it her outward appearance that changes in order to gain attention and to also gain Petruchio.
In the play Katherine's little sister receives a lot of attention. Many more of the desirable things Katherine would like revolve around the sister than Katherine herself. More guys flock to the sister and she is always with at least one guy during the duration of the play. The father treats the sister far better than Katherine as well. At one point in the beginning it appears that Petruchio takes an interest in the sister instead of Katherine. The fact that Katherine receives less attention than her sister causes Katherine to feel less caring of herself.
Katherine thinks that acting like a shrew will get her the things she wants. Throughout the play a change happens to Katherine the effects how she acts on the outside. She sees how her sister gains a lot of attention and figures out that her acting like a shrew is the reason that she does not receive the many pleasures her sister does. This makes Katherine calm down and act somewhat like her sister; acting as is she has been tamed. In order for Katherine to receive a comfortable lifestyle, changes need to be made.
