The Woman's Prize

by John Fletcher

Start Free Trial

Examination of Gender Roles

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

The Woman's Prize, or the Tamer Tamed is a play by John Fletcher that was originally written as a response to William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The comedy's primary theme is the examination of gender roles in society, especially during the time of the play's publication (1647).

Gender roles—in terms of social perceptions on the male-female balance of power—are reversed. Petruchio is an alpha-male and head of a household. However, his wife Maria "tames" Petruchio, the "tamer," and thus the power of the household shifts to Maria, or that the social power had always belonged to her. In this vein, The Woman's Prize is similar to Aristophanes's play Lysistrata.

Female Empowerment

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

In a subplot of the play, the character of Livia also illustrates the major theme of female empowerment by joining the other women in protest. This is a reaction to an unwanted arranged marriage to a man she does not like. The act shows that choiceless-ness can be eradicated by simply choosing, or by exerting one's will.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Previous

Characters

Next

Critical Essays

Loading...