Marriage in “The Taming of the Shrew”

As a romantic comedy, The Taming of the Shrew focuses mainly on the romantic relationships between men and women as they develop from initial interest into marriage. In this respect, the play is a typical romantic comedy. However, unlike other Shakespearean comedies, The Taming of the Shrew does not conclude its examination of love and marriage with the wedding. Instead it offers a significant glimpse into the future lives of married couples, one that serves to round out its exploration of the social dimension of love. In the conclusion of the play, we leave with three newly married couples all adjusting to married life, and some adjusting better than others. There are numerous things we can assume from the courtships of these marriages; including economic motives, the differences between Lucentio’s poetic love for Bianca and Petruccio’s aggressive love for Kate, and the comic marriage of Hortensio and the Widow.
Inner emotional desire plays only a secondary role in The ...