In comparison with Griselda, model of femininity and eponym of patience and obedience, neither Beatrice, from Much Ado About Nothing, nor Kate, from The Taming of the Shrew, display an idealized image. classic femininity. Instead, Beatrice and Kate interpret Shakespeare's depiction of the unruly woman in a way that goes directly against everything a woman should be. This causes Beatrice and Kate's respective suitors, Benedick and Petruchio, to display their masculinity in a way that counters the behavior of their respective unruly wives. The ending of both plays contains some ambiguity regarding the future of these unruly women; both experienced some fusion between their initial unruly behavior and their new stereotypical gender roles. Although this fusion brings the women closer to normal society, they retain a fundamental trait of rebellion that prevents them from completely blending into their society. In order to understand exactly how Beatrice and Kate fail to display model behavior throughout their plays, it is imperative to discuss the model behavior of women in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. An excellent source of 16th-century ideals comes from Giovanni Boccaccio's 14th-century collection of short stories, The Decameron. Specifically, Boccaccio's "The Story of Griselda" tells the story of a young, wealthy lord who chooses Griselda, a lower-class woman, to be his wife. After four or five years of marriage, the young lord Gualtieri decided that “he would have to show the patience of his beautiful wife. (Griselda 3) » Gualtieri tests Griselda's patience and obedience by condemning their two children to death, "by provoking her with insulting speeches, by showing her fierce and sullen looks, (Griselda 3)" and much more. others...... middle of paper ......o their unconventional courting. Highlighting their rebellious nature through wit and humor, Beatrice and Kate both behaved in a way that rejected any potential suitors. Beatrice and Kate used their words to attack and demean men, which is absolutely not allowed in a traditional Shakespearean woman. Beatrice's wit was only allowed in the context where it was almost always humorous, allowing others to justify her language. Kate's role as a shrew is flatly rejected, as she does not use humor and cannot escape the fact that her fate is ultimately decided by her father. It is only when they meet partners as fiery and intelligent as themselves that either woman allows herself to marry, in accordance with society's expectations. Both find themselves in relationships in which they have more power than an average married woman would have, and neither finds themselves completely dominated..