It is widely believed among men that women need to be tamed to achieve a more harmonious relationship. The concept of domination prevails in Shakespeare's works Much Ado and Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew. Katherina and Beatrice in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and Much Ado About Nothing (respectively) respond differently to men in a chauvinistic society. Katherina initially presents herself as the quintessential shrew, causing the desperation of other men who want to woo the already tamed Bianca. Her cleverly witty speech, degrading treatment, and disposition towards men can be interpreted as a method of weeding out weak men from strong men or as a means of showing the independent nature that women can choose to employ. Undeniably, towards the end of the play, he appears to adopt a more docile demeanor, perhaps the result of Petruchio's unorthodox taming methods. In Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice advances the idea that going against the passive role society demands of women produces better consequences. He seems to have a better and more trusting relationship with Benedick than Hero has with Claudio; However, at the end of the play, it is unclear what authentic emotions lie beneath the surface: Is she really in love? Although Katherina and Beatrice are fundamentally similar, through analysis of their initial reaction to their future husbands and analysis of events in the plays' plots, Beatrice establishes greater control over her husband. Beatrice's dialogue with Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing establishes her control over him, unlike the speech between Catherine and Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew. Beatrice's first lines reveal a lot about her attraction to Benedick. “Please, Mr. Moun… is in the middle of the card… a combination of both and to no avail. A more mature aspect to Beatrice's personality is that she recognizes her love for Benedick and tries not to fight it. Katherina does not recognize her love or admiration for Petruchio, making his taming more difficult. While Beatrice engages in a battle of wits with Benedick and results in Benedick's renunciation, Katherina is the one who gives in to Petruchio's advances and becomes his wife. This dichotomous outcome illustrates Beatrice's initial control over Benedick. This control is further illustrated in the plot of the work. By having Benedick challenge him and perhaps kill his best friend, Beatrice shows her power and control over him. In Katherina's case the opposite is true. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The bank of the Shakespeare River. Ed G. Blakemore Evans, et al. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.