Last week, we questioned whether Katherina (the “shrew”) spoke her mind when she advised women to treat their husbands as “Thy head, thy sovereign.” Well— Fun Fact: Katherina’s speech was strikingly similar to that of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s wife in real life. Since Shakespeare’s audience knew Parr never turned fully tame, they inferred Katherina wouldn’t either. And an untamed Katherina would not believe herself inferior to her husband. Confused or curious? Let’s explor

In honor of Women’s Equality Day, we’re taking a peek at Katherina’s final speech in The Taming of the Shrew. Viewed today as troublesome & antifeminist, it instructs women to be subservient to their husbands. Was this Katherina’s true intention - to promote the inferiority of women to men? Was it Shakespeare’s too? Let’s discuss. For reference, a copy of Katherina’s speech is provided below the article. An Introduction to Shakespeare’s Character Design Shakespeare and his au