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Many critics accuse Shakespeare of being a misogynist by presenting silly, idiotic, and unintelligent women in his plays who are ultimately dominated by the strong, intelligent, and sensible male characters. At first glance of the shrewish subject of The Taming of the Shrew, Katherine, this supposition may in fact be worthy of consideration. Katherine while beautiful, is headstrong, obnoxious, and unwilling to fulfill her role as a dutiful daughter to Baptista. Her independence may be …

…wife must be obedient to his authority. In return, the husband must protect his wife and provide a good home, even if those methods are not as conventional or popular to the population as a whole. Throughout the play, Petruchio is the embodiment of these qualifications demanded of a successful marriage. In the end, his love for Katherine, not his mastership over her, is what leads to his happiness with her then, and presumably, forever.