The role of women in the taming of the shrew and in Twelfth Night Many critics have castigated the female characters in Shakespeare's plays by calling them calling it two-dimensional and unrealistic depictions of submissive women. . Others have claimed that the role of women in his plays was important to the times and culture in which he lived. Two works, Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night, stand out particularly well when it comes to Shakespeare's use of female characters. After examining these two plays, it will be seen that Shakespeare, although conforming to contemporary attitudes towards women, circumvented them by creating strong-willed female characters with a strong sense of their identity. The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare's most famous plays and has stood the test of time. well into our modern era with adaptations in popular television series such as Moonlighting. For all the praise it has garnered over the centuries, it is curious that many have considered it one of his most controversial in its treatment of women. The taming of Katherine has been considered excessively cruel by many modern-day writers and critics. George Bernard Shaw himself insisted on its ban in the 19th century (Peralta). Katherine's submission has been called barbaric, antiquated and generally humiliating. The play centers on her and her lack of suitors. He establishes in the first act his surly attitude and its repercussions on his family. It is only with the introduction of the witty Petruchio as a suitor that we begin to see an evolution in his character. Through an elaborate charade of humiliating behavior, Petruchio humiliates her and by the end of the play she will instruct other women on the nature of being a good and devoted wife. In direct contrast to Shrew is Twelfth Night, whose main female protagonist is by far the strongest character in the play. The main character Viola has found herself stranded in a foreign country and adopts her brother's identity so she can live independently without a husband or guardian. She serves as a courtier to an amorous young nobleman named Orsino. Throughout the play, she plays the role of intermediary between him and the woman he loves. During his service, she falls in love with him. It is only at the end that she renounces her male identity and declares her love for him..