Research Journal of Poetry and Story Currents in Contemporary Literature of Iran

Research Journal of Poetry and Story Currents in Contemporary Literature of Iran

An Analysis of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" Based on Grimace's Activist Model

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Soheila Falahatkar
Zohreh Sarmad
Fereshteh Naseri
Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Yadegar Imam Khomeini Branch, Shahr rey, Iran
10.22034/pmlj.2026.14715.1060
Abstract
Coherence of a narrative depends largely on the relationship between its structure The and its internal elements. A proper understanding of narrative structure and the relationships among characters helps reveal the artistic value of a literary work. Narrative structuralism has become an important theoretical approach in literary studies that attempts to provide systematic methods for the analysis of narrative texts. One of the most influential frameworks for explaining the structure of relationships among fictional characters is Greimas’ actantial model. This study examines the relationships among the characters in the play The Taming of the Shrew through a descriptive analytical approach and library research, using Greimas’ actantial model as its theoretical framework. According to this model, six actantial roles can be identified in the narrative: subject, object, sender, receiver, helper, and opponent. Applying this model to the story helps clarify the structural components of the narrative and facilitates a clearer understanding of the relationships between characters. The findings of this study indicate that in The Taming of the Shrew the subject is Petruchio and the object is his attempt to marry a wealthy woman. The sender of the action can be interpreted as the desire for wealth, which functions as an abstract motivating force. The helpers include the father of Katherina and Bianca, while Katherina acts as the opponent to Petruchio’s objective. The receivers of the action can be interpreted as Bianca’s suitors. The analysis shows that all six actantial roles proposed in Greimas’ model are present in the narrative structure of The Taming of the Shrew, indicating a clear correspondence between the story and the Greimas actantial framework.
Keywords
Story
Taming of the Unruly Woman
Grimace pattern
character.
Research Journal of Poetry and Story Currents in Contemporary Literature of Iran
Volume 3, Issue 2
March 2025
Pages 137-148