Written in the 1590's, The Taming of the Shrew is rooted in the dramatic conflict prevalent to Shakespeare's time; a patriarchal society where laws and practice deprived women of any measure of equality or power. The play raises a number of issues that interchange conflict and misunderstanding. We make the assumption that the characters in this play have a problem, and then strategically solve it. But what causes this conflict to occur? In this play, we look at the way conflict and misunderstanding work together in the lives of these characters. A mere misunderstanding between two people can cause an entire conflict that can change the course of a play or in these cases, their lives.
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The most predominant conflict in this entire play must be Petruchio's relationship wit Kate. Obviously, the conflict arises when Petruchio repeatedly attempts to tame Kate. As a shrew, Kate is hot tempered; sharp tongued and constantly insults the men around her, making it increasingly difficult for her father to find her a suitor. Enter Petruchio, who at first only desires Kate for her money, and has misunderstood her nature towards men, thinking he will just endure it and that it can never be changed. As time goes on, Petruchio actually believes he can change Kate because he has fallen in love with her, and this is where the conflict is at its peak. He starves her of food and sleep, hoping to tame her and make her fall in love with him as well. At the end of the play, we figure that Kate has been tamed, but evidence in various quotes suggests that she is only playing a part. .
"Then God be blessed, it is the blessed sun,.
But sun it is not when you say it is not,.
And the moon changes even as your mind.
What you will have it named, even that it is,.
And so it shall be still for Katherine." .
(Pg 187, A4 S2, lines 21-25).
There is a gross misunderstanding of Kate's nature and personality when Petruchio believes he has tamed Kate.
