The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare is a play that was ahead of its time in its vision of gender roles within society. Katherine is an intelligent woman and is not afraid to state her opinions in any situation. He is paired with another stubborn character, Pertuchio. The marriage formed between the two is a marriage made in heaven for two reasons. First, because Katherine is strong enough to assert her opinions and, more importantly, understands when she should assert them. The second reason the bond survives is that Petruchio is strong enough to accept the fact that Katherine has a mind and, more importantly, he loves her for that reason. Petruchio skillfully weaves the relationship into the framework of society without compromising the integrity of the relationship. Petruchio does this by confronting Katherine's attitude towards repulsive clothing. Carefully and calculatedly, Petruchio creates a relationship that is the envy of all who witness it. Called "damn Kate" throughout the play, Katherine is openly jealous of the attention her sister is receiving, while she, because she speaks her mind, is bypassed. and even avoided in the courtship process. Katherine reveals this attitude in Act 2 Scene 1, lines 31-35, "no, now I see she is your darling, she must have a husband; I must dance barefoot on my wedding day and, for your love towards her, lead the monkeys to the devil. Don't talk to me, I will sit and cry!...." This anger is not hidden, it serves to provide motivation as to why a rational person would scold Petruchio so rudely upon first meeting with him. Katherine certainly realizes that Petruchio is interested in her for ulterior motives other than love. Whether it is the bag that will carry the dowry or the shares of a... paper medium... between Petruchio and Kate contrasts the superficial correctness of the relationship between Bianca and Lucentio. In this play as in any other, Shakespeare reveals himself to be a visionary. Petruchio achieves his goal through witty persuasion rather than resorting to beating his wife as many men before him have done. Although Shakespeare does not go as far as some feminists would like, Shakespeare does a lot for the fight for gender equality. Katherine is as strong, or stronger, than any woman in Shakespeare's plays. The surprising thing is that she succeeds without ulterior motives, like Lady Macbeth. She is an honest, brilliant and independent woman. She is not underlined by her submission to Petruchio in public, for "the sun breaks through the darkest cloud" and so Katherine's possessions shatter the public face of subservience to her husband..