All Day I Dream About Shrews

Submissiveness, passiveness, weakness; women with these characteristics are strongly desired by the sixteenth century men who are the primary characters in The Taming of the Shrew. The simplistic playgoer could take the view that Shakespeare simply reflected the societal values of his era in the characters of his play, but this does not fit the mould of a typical Shakespearian play. Rather he tended to subtly challenge convention through a thin veneer of outward conformity.
Before the audience meets Katherine, they are exposed only to Gremio’s view of her. One could reasonably expect from Gremio’s introduction that she breathes fire and munches on infants for breakfast. Gremio believes that Katherine treats men so poorly that she should be publicly shamed “To cart her, rather. She’s too rough for me.” However, in the first scene, Katherine responds with a biting comment only after the first insult has been thrown. The audience is left to wonder if Katherine is truly as malicious as was first presented.
This alludes to the hidden contrary nature of The Taming of the Shrew; the docile women are outwardly presented as more desirable, yet Katherine is the woman who the audience likes best. Shakespeare creates a woman who is sharp, witty, and intelligent; but other, somewhat dislikeable, characters then tell the audience to despise her. Whom will the audience choose to believe, their own feelings or the statements of these characters?
The final two acts of the play make Shakespeare’s intentions clear, the new “tamed” Katherine, who is presented with pride by Petruccioto first his servants and then her family, no longer has those characteristics that originally made her vibrant and dynamic. Rather, she has become a Stepford Wife, a dull automaton, with Bianca suddenly appearing vibrant by comparison. Shakespeare demonstrates that the “taming” of one’s wife is ultimately counterproductive as it strips her of all the originally made her unique.