The Taming of the Shrew | Petruchio (Character Analysis)

The traditional interpretation of the character of Petruchio sees him as a romantic and dashing figure, sweeping Katherina off her feet with his manly energy, intelligence, and determination. His displays of violence and bad temper are then presented as merely a ploy intended either to show Katherina the absurdity of her own violence and bad temper or to shock her out of her habitual contrariness. While this remains the most common dramatic interpretation of the role, more recently literary critics and some productions of the play have portrayed Petruchio as a less than ideal man. These...

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