Is Shakespeare A Feminist Persuasive Essay Example

Shakespeare is many different things but there is still one question that has not yet been answered. Is Shakespeare a feminist?, these are some reasons why Shakespeare is not a feminist: For example, in the book, he wrote “Taming of the Shrew” the women were only disciplined and didn’t get their happy ending, another thing is that Katerina was traded around like she was an object by her father and husband, and finally she lost all her courage to express any of her thoughts and opinions towards the end of the book due to the harsh conditions she faced. Those are some reasons why Shakespeare is not a feminist.

In Shakespeare's book, “Taming of the Shrew” he first introduces Kat as a brutal and insane woman known as a Shrew. But really what Katerina is doing is trying to express her thoughts and opinions without them being blocked out, she wants to speak her mind and for herself and people blocking these things out has caused her to act like a Shrew. She knew that women never had the mind to say their own thoughts and have their own opinions so she decided to stand up for herself and believe and say what she wants, even if it made her a Shrew. In the book “Taming if the Shrew” Katerina says “Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not? What, shall I be appointed hours as though, belike, I knew not what to take and what to leave, ha?” (Shakespeare 36). By her saying this, that indicates she does not like being told what to do by other people, she would rather do things for herself. This shows that by Kat expressing her very own thoughts and opinions, Shakespeare identifies her as a Shrew.

Another reason is that when Petruchio heard about Kat he went to baptista and claimed he would marry Kat for the money, not for love. In the book Petruchio says “Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as we Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife, As wealth is burden of my wooing dance, Be she as foul as was Florentius' love, As old as Sibyl and as curst and shrewd As Socrates' Xanthippe, or a worse, She moves me not, or not removes, at least, Affection's edge in me, were she as rough As are the swelling Adriatic seas: I come to wive it wealthily in Padua, If wealthily, then happily in Padua.” (Shakespeare 54). By Petruchio saying this it shows his true emotions about marrying Kat, he only wants to marry for the money and riches he will get from it. Kat never had a word in her marriage and was thrown around between her father and husband like an object. 

In addition, after the marriage Kat was put through harsh conditions because her husband believed that she would stop being the way she was and change if she was punished for it. Petchuchio says “Thus have I politicly begun my reign, And 'tis my hope to end successfully. My falcon now is sharp and passing empty; And till she stoop she must not be full-gorged, For then she never looks upon her lure. Another way I have to man my haggard, To make her come and know her keeper's call, That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites That bate and beat and will not be obedient. She eat no meat to-day, nor none shall eat; Last night she slept not, nor to-night she shall not; As with the meat, some undeserved fault I'll find about the making of the bed; And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster, This way the coverlet, another way the sheets: Ay, and amid this hurly I intend That all is done in reverend care of her; And in conclusion she shall watch all night: And if she chance to nod I'll rail and brawl And with the clamour keep her still awake. This is a way to kill a wife with kindness; And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour. He that knows better how to tame a shrew, Now let him speak: 'tis charity to show.” (Shakespeare 162). Petruchio planned to tame Kat by making her suffer. Eventually, Kat gave in and decided that whatever her husband said or believed it occurred to her to believe it too. She lost her voice in things and calmed down because she realized she would just suffer more if she continued.

As a result, these reasons show that Shakespeare is no feminist because in the book he wrote “Taming of the Shrew” Kat became more and more powerless and was identified as a horrible brutal woman just because of her want to express her thoughts and opinions openly. Therefore Shakespeare is not a feminist.