Baptista Minola in the Taming of the Shrew Is a Bad Father
Baptista Minola is a Bad Father
The Taming of the Shrew
Many people may have their own thoughts on what makes a good parent, what really determines whether or not you are a good mother or father? Well a good parent would treat all their children equally; care about their children’s thoughts and feelings, and finally a good parent would be able to solve conflicts properly. In the play The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare Baptista Minola, the father of the two daughters Kate and Bianca, shows that he is a poor father on several occasions. Baptisa favourites Bianca, does not care about Kate’s feelings, and can not solve a problem efficiently. Overall, one can see that Baptista Minola is a poor father.
Throughout the play Baptisa shows that he has certain views on his daughters. These views being negative for Kate and positive for Bianca and thus he favours Bianca. There are many scenes in the play where his feelings for each daughter are vivid. Firstly, Baptista sees Kate as everyone else does, a short tempered, wicked women. Baptista portrays such thoughts when Petruchio asks Baptista, “...Pray have you not a daughter called Katherina, fair and virtuous?” (2.1.42-43). Baptista then replies, “I have a daughter, sir, called Katherina.” (2.1.44). When Baptista says his line, he implies his negative thoughts for Kate. Petruchio gave Kate these positive adjectives, however, Baptista replies without such adjectives, implying that his daughter is neither fair nor virtuous. Next the favouritism that Baptista shows is clear during the quarrel between Kate and Bianca. When Baptista enters the room, he blames Kate right away and begins to yell at her, without asking for the full story. When Baptista enters he says,
“Why how now dame whence grows this insolence?
-Bianca, stand aside. Poor girl, she weeps.
Go ply thy needle. Meddle not with her.
For shame, thou hilding of a Devilish spirit,
Why dost thou wrong her that did ne’er wrong thee?
The Taming of the Shrew
Many people may have their own thoughts on what makes a good parent, what really determines whether or not you are a good mother or father? Well a good parent would treat all their children equally; care about their children’s thoughts and feelings, and finally a good parent would be able to solve conflicts properly. In the play The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare Baptista Minola, the father of the two daughters Kate and Bianca, shows that he is a poor father on several occasions. Baptisa favourites Bianca, does not care about Kate’s feelings, and can not solve a problem efficiently. Overall, one can see that Baptista Minola is a poor father.
Throughout the play Baptisa shows that he has certain views on his daughters. These views being negative for Kate and positive for Bianca and thus he favours Bianca. There are many scenes in the play where his feelings for each daughter are vivid. Firstly, Baptista sees Kate as everyone else does, a short tempered, wicked women. Baptista portrays such thoughts when Petruchio asks Baptista, “...Pray have you not a daughter called Katherina, fair and virtuous?” (2.1.42-43). Baptista then replies, “I have a daughter, sir, called Katherina.” (2.1.44). When Baptista says his line, he implies his negative thoughts for Kate. Petruchio gave Kate these positive adjectives, however, Baptista replies without such adjectives, implying that his daughter is neither fair nor virtuous. Next the favouritism that Baptista shows is clear during the quarrel between Kate and Bianca. When Baptista enters the room, he blames Kate right away and begins to yell at her, without asking for the full story. When Baptista enters he says,
“Why how now dame whence grows this insolence?
-Bianca, stand aside. Poor girl, she weeps.
Go ply thy needle. Meddle not with her.
For shame, thou hilding of a Devilish spirit,
Why dost thou wrong her that did ne’er wrong thee?