Compared to 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, show themselves to be idealized classical femininity. Instead, Beatrice and Kate play Shakespeare's depiction of the rebellious woman in such 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 contrasts the unruly behavior of their respective women. The endings of both plays contain some ambiguity in the future of these rebellious women; both had some blending 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 fully blending into their societies. To understand exactly how Beatrice and Kate fail to display model behavior throughout their works, it is imperative to discuss model behavior for women during the late medieval and Renaissance periods. An excellent source of 16th-century ideals comes from Giovanni Boccaccio's 14th-century collection of short stories, The Decameron. Specifically, “The Story of Griselda” by Boccaccio tells the story of a rich young gentleman who chooses Griselda, a low-class woman, as his wife. After four or five years of marriage, the young gentleman Gualtieri decides that he “needs to prove the patience of his beautiful wife. (Griselda 3)” Gualtieri tests Griselda's patience and obedience by sentencing their two children to death, “provoking her with abusive speeches, showing her fierce and frowning looks, (Griselda 3)” and many...... middle of paper ......or their unconventional courtship. Emphasizing their rebellious nature through wit and humor, both Beatrice and Kate behaved in ways that repelled any potential suitor. Beatrice and Kate used their words to attack and belittle men, which was absolutely not allowed for a traditional Shakespearean woman. Beatrice's wit was only allowed in the context where she was almost always funny, allowing others to justify her language. Kate's shrew role is rejected completely, as she neither uses humor nor can escape the fact that her fate is ultimately decided by her father. It is only when they meet mates with as much fire and ingenuity as them that both women allow themselves to marry, conforming to society's expectations. Both end up in relationships where they have more power than the average married woman would have, and neither ends up completely dominated.