When considering Katherine’s famous final monologue in The Taming of the Shrew, a closer analysis of William Shakespeare’s choice of diction reveals a comment being made on institutional religion and blind obedience. At a cursory glance, Katherine’s monologue, which is by far the longest in the whole play, appears to be nothing more than a lengthy allocution outlining the duty a proper wife has to her husband. After all, Katherine has begun to exhibit blind obedience towards Petruchio: she does whatever he asks without question or protest. However, Katherine beings line 155 by referring to a woman’s husband as her “lord.” This subtle choice of diction hints at religious undertones which suggest that Katherine is not obeying Petruchio because he is her husband, but rather because she has some sort of religious obligation to worship him. Although the play is firmly rooted in Christianity (since the setting is Italy many years ago), the sentiments expressed by Katherine in her monologue actually exhibit certain notable parallels with those of Islam-- namely that because it is a husband’s duty to provide for the protection, happiness, and well-being of his wife, he has been given some degree of divine power over her. According to Allah in the Qur’an, "Men are the maintainers of women, because Allah has made some of them to excel others...” (4:34). Allah also says, "And women have rights similar to the rights of men in a just manner, and the men have a degree (of advantage) over them..." (2:228).

While Petruchio’s “advantage” over Katherine primarily manifests itself emotionally, it manifests itself physically, as well. Towards the end of the monologue, Katherine is actually observed kneeling at the feet of her husband with her hand outstretched. This does not serve merely as a pose of wifely deference on the part of Katherine (although it is that, too), but also as one often taken by religious subjects during prayer. It seems here that Shakespeare is suggesting that the sort of unquestioning obedience that Katherine has assumed towards Petruchio is not all that different from those who deprive women of control over their bodies in the name of Christianity or kill in the name of Islam. In The Taming of the Shrew, Katherine represents those afflicted by the oppressive nature of institutional religion.