What is the result of a society that encourages women to conform to a mold in order to be considered valuable? This question is examined in Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew and Ella Wheeler’s poem, Woman. Both authors have differing views on women’s independence ultimately, Wilcox utilizes her poem to express her view that women should be self sufficient and equal. Shakespeare contrasts this through his development of the character Katherine, who must pretend to adhere to society's expectations in order to be respected and obtain power; both of these ideas are examined in their works. While Wilcox believes that women should be independent and treated as such, Shakespeare believes that women should pretend to adhere to societal expectations…show more content… After Petruchio and Katherine have a disagreement about whether the moon or the sun is showing, Katherine states, “But sun it is not, when you say it is not, / And the moon changes even as your mind (4.5. 20-21).” Katherine would never exclaim that the moon changes with Petruchio’s mind due to the absurdity of such a statement. Katherine is almost making fun of Petruchio since he possesses the gullibility to believe that she is being sincere. When Katherine states “And the moon changes even as your mind” this represents the idea that in order to fit in with the society and get any respect a women must act as though everything a man thinks or says is correct. Katherine would never have said this in the beginning of the play due to the fact that she was not yet forced to obey in order to obtain leverage. At the end of Katherine’s long speech she states, “And place your hand below your husband’s foot: / In token of which duty if he please / My hand is ready may it do him ease (5.2. 187-189).” After saying this long speech about the importance of obeying one's husband, Katherine does the ultimate act of submission and obedience which is placing her hand beneath her husband’s foot. This act of submission shows that Petruchio has literal power over Katherine, since she is sinking to the floor in order for him to be able to put his foot over her. In this situation,
