In Act 3, Scene 2, Petruchio shows up his own wedding late, and in ugly ragged clothing. Why does he do this? I think that Petruchio tries to make a scene at his wedding to try to embarrass Katherina. Since Katherina has already agreed to marry him, she cannot really back out. He is trying to make a statement. Petruchio wants Katherina to know that he is in charge, and because she is the woman, she is superior and has to obey him. He wants to prove a point to her that he is the the powerful figure in their marriage such as in the quote where he says, “I will be the master of what is mine own.---She is my goods, my chattels, she is my house…” (III.ii.235-236). I think that Petruchio somewhat enjoys seeing Katherina embarrassed because it shows that she is not as strong as she portrays herself to be.
I was also wondering why he showed up to the wedding the way he did, and your interpretation was similar to mine. Katherine sees Petruchio as a con artist, and as a man that doesn't follow through with things and at this point she is worried that he left her. But if she did not want to marry someone in the first place why is it such a big deal to her now?
I feel like anyone would be embarrassed if their groom did not show up to their wedding, regardless of whether or not they want to marry. But something that was interesting to me was that she wept instead of being mad and breaking things and being the 'shrew' we thought she was. It shows us that she is not as fiery and tough as she depict herself as.
I think she is developing affection for Petruchio even though she wishes not to tell anyone and is unexpectedly hurt with the realization that her groom may have considered it all a joke and might not even bother showing up to the wedding. She is confused by her own emotions as she tries to juggle them and make sense of them.
Another aspect that came up in his reasoning (although not true to him) was that he wanted people to judge him by himself not by his clothes. Even though this wasnt his true meaning, it is a good point.
In Act 3, Scene 1, Bianca begins to form a preference between Lucentio and Hortensio. In the line, "(to HORTENSIO) You take your instrument and play awhile. He’ll be finished with his lecture before you’ve even tuned it." (III.i.23-24) During her Latin lesson Lucentio conveys his intentions to Bianca through a mock translation of a Latin paragraph. Meanwhile, Hortensio tries to break in at times, but Bianca sends him off to tune his instrument again, until her lesson was finished. I found this interesting and amusing that they are both in disguise in order to woo Bianca, yet they do not know that they both are suitors of hers. How do you think the situation would be different if Lucentio and Hortensio were not in disguise?
I agree with your analysis of Bianca's intentions towards Lucentio and Hortensio. As Mrs. Ballard talked about it class, we know that Hortensio is more of a gawky, awkward type of person while Lucentio seems to have more self-assurance. If they weren't in disguises, I think their personalities would shine through more, but Bianca would make the same preference.
Bianca: "I am no breeching scholar in the schools. I'll not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times But learn my lessons as I please myself." (III.i.18-20)
In this passage, the sudience sees Bianca stand up for herself for the first time in the play. It is interesting that this change in character comes so quickly after it is announced that Katherina will be married to Petrucio. Now that Bianca knows that she is free to marry, she realises that she must manipulate her situation so that she ends up with the best life that she possibly can. This further demonstrates Bianca's manipulative nature, and illustrates that she is not as sweet and innocent as she appears. It is also interesting to note that Bianca is becoming increasingly akin to Katherine. This goes to show that as much as the two sisters clash, perhaps Bianca admires Katherine's spirit, even if she doesn't realise it. It also demonstrates the bond that sisters have and how they are inherently similar in demeanor.
Yes, I noticed the same thing when Bianca developes a more sassy personality when she is with her two suitors. She shows her opinions more often and is less quiet and innocent than she was before. Bianca makes her choice more obvious at this point of time that she's preferring Lucentio over the other suitors. It seems like she's evolving to an attitude like her sister's because she has a stronger desire to be independent when she said "But learn my lessons as I please myself".
I agree with you and Mi. I think that it is good that Bianca develops the sassy attitude. No one expected to be like that and I think that people feel like they could order her around because she would not stick up for herself. The choice was for a obvious reason and I am sure her sister has played a role in the sassiness. It will be interesting to see how her character develops within the rest of the play.
I definitely agree with Bianca finally showing that she is not that innocent quit girl everybody things she is. As I said before, Bianca is a very clever girl, and knows when to manipulate the moment to please herself. Now that she knows that Katherine will get married, it's a wake up call for her to start showing who she really is, slowly but not as harsh as her sister Katherine did. Another thing that changed my thinking of Bianca is that she does want to get marry. At first I thought she didn't, but now I know she does because If she wouldn't want to get married she would just act as crazy as her sister so that no one would marry her. But as all of you said, she does become sassy to show that she is not weak but not as crazy as her sister to still have someone that would want to marry her.
I think that scenes two and three of this act gives the reader a lot of insight to the character of Petruchio. The first thing that really stood out to me was the way he dressed to the wedding. Biondello describes him as, "Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, a pair of boots that have been candle cases, one buckled, another laced;" (III.ii. 43-46). Anybody in their right mind would want to dress nice to their own wedding and not wearing an old pair of breeches, "thrice," turned. But Petruchio didn't really care about that and only wanted to show his dominance over Kate. Later in the Act he embarrasses her even more by acting a fool at the altar and then making her leave the party without letting her say goodbye. He did all of these things to show her that he had complete power over her and to, "tame," her (hence the title). All of these actions show how selfish of a person Petruchio is and also shows the gap in gender equality during that time.
I completely agree with your analysis of Petruchio. It shows how in Shakespearean society it was okay for a man to act this way but not a women. The range of acceptability of behavior greatly differed between men and women. In what other ways do you think Shakespeare shows this throughout the play?
Something that stood out to me in scene one was how Bianca reacted to each of her suitors. Lucentio(Cambio) 'translates' lines into Latin while telling her his identity, and Bianca responds with her own explanation while telling him to "despair not". Whereas, when Hortensio(Litio) implies his message through music notes. "' A re, to plead Hortensio’s passion; B mi, Bianca, take him for thy lord, C fa ut, that loves with all affection; D sol re, one clef, two notes have I; E la mi, show pity, or I die.” Call you this “gamut”? Tut, I like it not. Old fashions please me best. I am not so nice To change true rules for old inventions."(3.i. 68-75). Hortensio's words are clear, concise and to the point, which causes his words to seem really needy. Especially when he wrote, 'show pity, or I die'. Additionally he never reveals himself, just his intention. Bianca obviously does not enjoy this and shows how she prefers Lucentio (Cambio). Hortensio(Lito) not reveling himself could also play a role in Bianca not choosing him. He did not think about how he is portraying himself as someone with a lower social status. It is interesting to compare the two sisters, Petruchio had to work more to gain Katharina's affection, whereas Lucentio(Cambio) almost effortlessly won Bianca over.
That's a really interesting interpretation and I believe that Bianca's character definitely plays a role in Luciento's attempt to gain her affection. Personally, I think that Bianca is really easily pleased and she's not as complex as her sister. Throughout the book, Bianca doesn't express any controversial opinions like Kate does; She tends to go along with what's planned for her by her father. On the other hand, Kate is a much more controversial character because of her headstrong beliefs of a faulty society and expectations. She will not let herself be 'captivated' by any man that could potentially marry her. The only one that could impress Kate is Petruchio because he isn't afraid to go to great lengths of craziness to put her in her place. Also, his persistence plays a key role in the 'taming' process.
In Act III, Katharina's emotions towards Petruchio continue to be presented in interesting ways. I personally am starting to sense a slight transformation in her character as the reader picks up on clues that suggest Katharina is slowly developing affection for Petruchio. When there is doubt regarding Petruchio's arrival and attendance at the wedding, she claims to her father,
"No shame but mine: I must, forsooth, be forced To give my hand, opposed against my heart, Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen; Who woo'd in haste and means to wed at leisure. I told you, I, he was a frantic fool, Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behaviour: And, to be noted for a merry man, He’ll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage, Make friends, invite, and proclaim the banns; Yet never means to wed where he hath woo'd. Now must the world point at poor Katharine, And say, “Lo, there is mad Petruchio’s wife, If it would please him come and marry her!” (III.ii.8-20).
Here, an angry tone is evident, but the more important component is the underlying accompanying tone of hurt, which acts as the foundation and fuel for her frustration and rant. I think her own emotions for Petruchio are confusing her because they are both unexpected and unknown to her. Perhaps she is falling for him, but because of her independent and strong-willed demeanor that everyone knows her for, including herself, she does not want to admit she may be falling in love. The possibility of being stood up at the altar makes Katharina reflect on the reality of the situation and "catch" herself. The warmth she has in her heart that has finally emerged is quickly overshadowed by anger and hurt. She does not want to allow herself to become a fool at the hands of a man. Katharina says, "Would Katherine had never seen him, though!" (III.ii.26) demonstrating how Petruchio left some kind of impression on her and has affected her in some way so as to make her wish she had never laid eyes on him. Her inner conflict, which seems to not yet be recognized by other characters, is one in which she battles emotions she cannot control (infatuation/love) with ones she can (anger/hatred).
Whoa, nice analysis of the tone and mood of Katharina's rant. I had mainly noticed the rage, but after reading your observations, I can see the undertones of hurt. Perhaps, in addition to her pain and anger, she's also feeling scared - fear of her being wrong about Petruchio and what that error may bring upon her. If that were to take place, she would face the horror of having her own headstrong and independent appearances being undermined because of the exposure of her more tender feelings.
In Act III scene ii, Petruchio arrives to his wedding late, and not the most appropriate of garm. He strategically creates this stir of chaos during the wedding to impose hiss dominance over Katherina. When he finally arrives at the wedding late, he's already created some mayhem among the wedding party, but when he appears dressed in "a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, [and] a pair of boots that have been candle cases, one buckled, another laced" the frenzy only continues (III.ii. 43-46). There was nothing accidental about his arrival, by doing this Petruchio was putting Katherina in her place, effectively "taming" the "shrew". He continues his tirade by acting a fool at the alter in front of the congregation. As if it was not obvious before, Petruchio expresses how little regard he holds for Katherina and her family. He truly is only after the money that comes along with the marriage.
I agree with what you said, that Petrucio is soley after money. This seems to be a common theme throughout the play, and often times money is shown to be values higher than actual people. This really gives insight to the corrupted nature of society and how destructive money can be.
What's most interesting in Act 3 is Petruchio's attitude towards Kate and her family. When he shows up late at the wedding dressed inappropriately, others immediately ask about his whereabouts and circumstances that led to his silly outfit. He replies unashamedly, "Were it better I should rush in thus- But where is Kate? Where is my lovely bride? How does my father? Gentles, methinks you frown"(III.ii.85-87). In this passage, the tone is very light and at ease despite the fact that Petruchio is extremely late for his wedding and his soon-to-be wife is heartbroken from the thought of him not showing up at the special wedding. Petruchio's easygoing character is displayed as he could care less about his outrageous outfit that everyone is overreacting over; he is focused more on his wife, Kate. His first question upon his arrival is: "Where is Kate?". His bride is the most important component of his thoughts as he is worried most about his sweet Kate. Personally, I find his worry very cute and romantic as Kate is his most important priority, to the point that he could care less about his appearance and others' opinions. Besides Kate, Petruchio expresses interest in his father-in-law's health as he makes sure to also check up on him. Therefore, it is appropriate to state that Petruchio cares about Kate's family more than the fact that her family is wealthy. His motifs change throughout the book as he initially agrees to marry Kate because of her wealth, but he eventually starts to genuinely care about her well-being and family. What do you guys think?
I do agree that the most likely reason for his arrival in such appalling clothing is that he intends to show that his felling for Kate outweigh his need to be well dressed but could it also be part of his plan to "tame" Kate? He planned to dress in poor clothing to embarrass Kate further and make her feel that her emotions are controlled by his actions. It is obvious that Kate is what Petruchio thinks about most but is it in a loving or a controlling way?
Katherine’s relationship with her father is very much unchanged from Act II to Act III. In previous acts, Katherine received little to no sympathy from her father. He was much more interested in his younger daughter, which is also still the case in Act III. Even though Katherine is in grave danger of having her groom fail to show up to her wedding, her father offers very little help and insults her by saying, “Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep; For such an injury would vex a very saint, Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour.”(III.ii.27-29). Though he does show so acceptance of Kate’s emotions, he juxtaposes Kate to a saint to even further diminish her image by comparison. His comforting words even begin to seem sarcastic when afterwards he directly calls her a “shrew”(III.ii.29). He seems to say that Kate brought this upon herself with her personality. Once Baptista learns of Petruchio's arrival and his garments he says, “I am glad he’s come, howsoe’er he comes.”(III.ii.66). He still does not care about Katherine’s image or emotions. He only wants her to leave as soon as possible. It is clearly shown that Baptista’s feelings toward Katherine have not changed based on the disrespectful circumstances and he feels no sympathy for his daughter.
I liked your idea of the juxtaposition of the Saint and Katherine to highlight their differences. I also thought that it was interesting how Bapista did not care that Petruchio was coming to his own wedding extremely late. Most fathers would question if this man had the right intentions and really wanted go marry their daughters, but not Bapista. He is just happy that she is getting married at all and shows how little he really cares for her feelings.
So Katherina has really changed herself for the wedding. She has put on this beautiful dress and actually agreed to it. Why do you think that she does not react to her fathers comments like she may of earlier in the play? Also what effect do you think Baptisa's comments have on Katherina? This is her wedding, which is suppose to be a magical day and he is calling her a shrew like everyone else seems to be saying in this section also.
Baptista's favoritism of Bianca is often pointed out and is especially easy to see in the beginning of the play. However his less obvious, yet still significant care and worry for his eldest daughter, Katharina, becomes increasingly evident throughout the progression of this piece. This is more noticeable when he attempts to console Katharina when she burst into tears at the thought of Petruchio not coming to wed her. "Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep; For such an injury would vex a very saint, Much more a shrew of thy impatient humor" (III.i.5-7). Although Baptista calls Katharina a shrew, I find it actually portray his sympathy further. He says that even a character who is extremely calm would be offended at this snub, so a person such as she must be even more deeply hurt. His understanding of her personality and her pain, though not very obvious, shows just how much he cares for Katharina, despite having been aloof with her previously.
When Baptista went to console Katharina, I was shocked and read it again to make sure I was reading correctly. I definitely agree that Baptista still had a fatherly love for Katharina even if it was not of a significant value. Baptista is willing to scorn his family but he doesn't want them to be torn apart and destroyed
In act three of Taming of the Shrew, I find it interesting when Trainio and Gremio argue the level of crazy between Petruchio and Katharina. Their insults show that although Petruchio did them a fair deed, they are unappreciative. Tranio and Gremio converse,
“ GRE. A bridegroom say you? t’is a groom indeed, A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find. TRA. Curster than she? why, t’is impossible. GRE. Why he’s a devil, a devil, a very fiend. TRA. Why, she’s a devil, a devil, the devil’s dam. GRE. Tut, she’s a lamb, a dove, a fool to him!” (III.ii.125-130)
This conversation is viewed as a comedic joking amongst Gremio and Trainio however the repetition of the word, “devil”, instills a sinister tone which reflects the the bad nature of Trainio and Gremio even though they are describing Petruchio and Katharina. It is interesting how Gremio, who initially wanted Petruchio to be the man to marry the “devil” Katharina, now refers to Petruchio by that title which shows Gremio’s characteristic of deeming someone of being evil for simply acting out of manner. I think it is bad how Gremio is acting towards his friend Petruchio however it reminds me how much our society acts in the same way towards each other.
By the time Tranio puts on his disguise as Lucentio, I noticed that he becomes more good-natured and enthusiastic. One of his way of showing generosity was when he assured Katharine and Baptista when Pertruchio didn't show up for the wedding: "Patience, good Katharine, and Baptista, too./ Upon my life, Petruchio means but well,/ Whatever fortune stays him from his word:/ Though he be blunt. I know him passing wise; Though he be merry, yet withal he's honest" (lll.ii. 20-25). After I read this quote, I assumed that Tranio is feeling pity for Kate and Baptista's anxiety and tries to make them feel better. Usually, Kate is used to the men making fun of her and calling her names. But Tranio assured her, not for the purpose of wooing her, but to make her feel less anxious, which none of the men did. However, I was astounded when Tranio later said to Lucentio "That by degrees we mean to look into,/ And watch our vantage in this business:/ We'll over-reach the greybeard, Gremio,/ The narrow-prying father, Minola,/ The quaint musician, amorous Litio;/ All for my master's sake, Lucentio" (lll.ii. 43-48). Tranio's use of dictions to describe Bianca's suitors produces an extremely disrespectful tone. Tranio sounds like he's looking down on them and views them as Lucentio's obstacles to marrying Bianca. This shows Tranio's other side, which the only person who is exposed to his negative side is Lucentio. During his disguise as Lucentio, Tranio had been acting good-natured in front of the suitors and the Minolas to show them how noble he is. Not only Tranio is physically disguised as Lucentio, he also pretends to act like a noble person when in the inside, he is disgusted at the suitors and annoyed with Baptista.
Bianca: “Now let me see if I can conster it. Hic ibat Simois, I know you not, hic est Sigeia tellus, I trust you not, Hic steterat Priami, take heed hear us not, regia, presume not, celsa Senis, despair not.” (III.i.40-44)
I found this passage to be rather interesting because of its cleverness and the way it characterizes Bianca. These lines are very clever because Bianca played along with Lucentio’s banter and retorted it with a contradicting statement. I interpreted this passage as Bianca really saying; I don’t know you, I don’t trust you, I hope he doesn’t hear us, don’t presume “us” will happen, but also don’t lose hope. This clearly is contradicting and witty of her to say. This also portrays Bianca as a flirtatious girl who wants to keep her suitors at bay but giving them enough hope so they stick around. I think Bianca loves the attention it brings and is smart when acting upon her suitors because she is smart and doesn’t buy into their deceitful tricks like Katherine does in this Act when she marries Petruchio.
Throughout the first 3 acts, you can see that Bapista Minola's priorities are not always straight. He does not always seem to have the best interest of both of his daughters in mind at all times. He favors Bianca over Katherine and he cares little whether or not Katherine is happy with her husband. Also, when picking a spouse for Bianca, he picks the one who is richer, and this shows how superficial he is and again how he doesn't truely care what his daughters are feeling. At the wedding, he says "“Why, sir, you know this is your wedding-day:/ First were we sad, fearing you would not come;/ Now sadder, that you come so unprovided/“Fie! doff this habit, shame to your estate,/“An eye-sore to our solemn festival” (III.ii. 94-97). This shows that Katherine's dad is much more unhappy about how Petruchio looks at the wedding than when he showed up. He said its a "shame to his estate" because it does not express how rich he is, and that seems to be the only thing that Bapista cares about. He is much more concerned with the outside appearance of Petruchio than what's in the inside, and how much Katherine actually likes him.
I don't necessarily think that Baptista only cares about the money. I think that he is more mad at Petruchio for making Kate sad. Although he prefers Bianca, Kate is still his daughter and he still cares for her.
In scene to two of act three it brought a TON of Petruchio’s true character out. Not only does he show up to his own wedding late, he shows up in old, baggy clothes and seems to not care at all. He states, “To me she’s married, not unto my clothes” (III.ii. 111). Now that Katherine has agreed to marry him his true image comes out and he tries to completely control her. I think that he is being very immature and ignorant. He tries to contradict her every chance he gets. Petruchio embarrasses her at any second, by dressing ridiculous to their wedding, and the outburst exit, and takes all of her dignity. I have noticed a bit of a temper from Petruchio. He has random outburst of anger and takes them out on anyone around him. He also mentions that Katherine is his property and possessions. “She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, My household stuff, my field, my barn, My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything” (III.ii.225-227) I could see how readers could find this offensive towards women especially by getting this yelled about you in front of a crown of people. Petruchio is being selfish and full of himself. He tells his wedding party that he and Katherine have to leave but to enjoy the reception or leave. He doesn’t care either way. Does anyone have any opinions on why this happens?
i think that there is some method behind why Petruchio acts this way, it is not just because that is who he is. Petruchio actually seems like a very clever character, and his actions have become part of his scheme for "taming the shrew". although this probably was not the best way of doing it, his actions to embarrass Kate were to break her and make her realize her "place".
Yes, I agree with Megan. As seen before in the first meeting between Kate and Petruchio, Petruchio is well able to keep up with Kate's snide comments and witty remarks; he is obviously smart and clever. I don't believe Petruchio is acting careless, I believe that this is all part of his master plan of 'taming' Kate.
One part that stood out to me in act three scene one was when Lucentio and Bianca had left Hortensio alone. He says to himself; "But I have cause to pry into this pedant./ Methinks he looks as though he were in love./ Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca. be humble/ To cast thy wand'ring eyes on every stale,/ Seize thee that list. If once I find thee ranging,/ Hortensio will be quit thee by changing." (III.i. 85-90)First of all, the tone of this passage indicates that Hortensio is hurt by Bianca's interest in Lucentio, as if he never would have thought she could be interested in anyone but himself. When he says "cast thy wand'ring eyes on every stale", he is implying that Bianca is only distractyed by other men because she falls for everyone. Hortensio says this to further justify his belief that he is superior to the other suitors. When Hortensio says "if once I find thee ranging,/ Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing", he is saying that if Bianca is taken by someone else, he will give up on her by changing women and finding someone else to woo. This whole sentence is very dramatic, as Bianca never liked him in the first place. The viewer learns here how inflated Hortensio's views of himself really are, and especially if he refers to himself in third person, like he does in this passage. Hortensio thinks a lot more of himself than he really is.
Something that I found interesting in Act three was other peoples perspective on Kate and Petruchio's marriage. Gremio describes Petruchio as " Why he's a devil, a devil, a fiend." (III.ii.150) I found this interestin because many other characters in the story describe Kate as a devil too. i think that this shows how they are actually a very good couple. While at first it seemed like neither on of them was truly in it, now they may both have grown feelings for one another. It also shows that they are both "mad" in the perspective of the public. Perhaps Kate just needed someone equally as poorly behaved as her to make her happy. And while she is not happy now, maybe the two are slowly growing together.
I completely agree with you! Petruchio is a greedy man that only wanted money out of their marriage and Kate is a shrewish women therefore making them perfect for each other. I think even the other characters such as Gremio and Kate's father see that they truly are a good match because of their flaws.
One thing that really interested me, which I talked about it on Hannah's comment, is that Bianca actually wants to get married. At first I believed that she didn't want to get married, and she was just pretending that it actually hurt her for not being able to get married. Although, in act 3, we see a new side of Bianca, from being the nice and quiet one, to having demands and showing that she is not weak. I always new since the beginning of the play that she wasn't that quiet little girl that everyone thought she was, that there was more in her, and she proves me right when she says, "I am no breaching scholar in the schools;/ I'll not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times,/ But learn my lessons as I please myself." (III.i. 18-20). When Bianca says, "I'll not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times," it says that she will not be ordered around or be told what to do. This really changes the readers thoughts of Bianca, and make them question if Bianca will turn out to be something else, and I believe that the characters in the play would also had feel the same way as the readers if they had heard what this quiet pretty girl said. This really shows the difference from the Bianca we saw in the first act, to the Bianca that is in the 3rd act, I believe that we will get to see more out Bianca as the play goes on.
In act three, Petruchio's views of Kate as a shrew and as a woman are conveyed in the following passage,"I will be master of what is mine own./ She [Kate] is my goods, my chattels, she is my house, my household stuff, my field, my barn,/ my horse, my ox, my ass, my any thing..." (III.ii.229-232). One of the most controversial verses in this play, Petruchio blatantly states that Kate is nothing more than property to him. This is a part of his plan to tame Kate as he must teach her that she is his and must obey him. This highly misogynistic belief held common at the time, illustrates the strict gender roles during Shakespeare's time. They believed that a woman's job was to remain at home (doing housework) and carrying children. Yet, this verse is so deliberately controversial that one cannot help but feel shocked by the bluntness at which Petruchio says these words. Yet on an interesting note, Petruchio also says that. "to me she's [Kate] married, not unto my clothes." (III.ii.217). Here, it seems like almost the exact opposite of what Petruchio said said about Kate being property. Instead of viewing his relationship to Kate as materialistic, he idealizes his 'loving; relationship with Kate as one grounded on morals and faith. This is very ironic and poses two extremes to Petruchio's perspective on his relationship with Kate.
Yeah, I also think that the two passages you pointed out are very ironic. When Petruchio compares Kate to objects, it seems very like Petruchio to say something like that. For the second quote, even though Petruchio may come across rude and says whatever he has in mind, deep inside, he loves Kate and her strong personality.
PER: " Good sooth, even thus. Therefore, ha' done with words: To me she’s married, not unto my clothes. Could I repair what she will wear in me As I can change these poor accoutrements, 'Twere well for Kate and better for myself." (III.ii.89-94)
Petruchio shows up to the wedding looking like a hooligan and just in a worse state than before. Baptista asks him to change or else he will not be able to marry his daughter. That's where Pertruchio comes in talking about how she is not being married to his clothes and then talks about how Katherina will wear him out faster than his clothes and that's good for him. So that part of her wearing him out shows that he is trying to get this reaction out of her. He knows that she is already most likely very upset that he is hours late and that he is dressed like this. This could be a foreshadow and showing her is trying to wear her out or "tame her". Also the clothes that he is wearing could just be a representation of her and what he thinks of her. Although she is wearing a gorgeous gown, she is all wore out and "ugly on the inside and he thinks that is what she deserves. Which is a completely horrible thought to wish but that could definitely be what Shakespeare was trying to convey. The message Shakespeare is trying to show that Katherina although she is being seen as the perfect bride on this day she is also just the same fierce woman that she is. There are a lot of disguises in this play and this is just another one of them.
In Act III scene i, we see how Bianca's suitors, Lucentio and Hortensio, woo Bianca. Lucentio and Hortensio both try to win Bianca's favor by "teaching" her, but Bianca only seems to be interested in Lucentio. The process of Lucentio wooing Bianca was short and didn't require much effort by Lucentio. He began teaching her Latin while disclosing who he was, and at the end of the short lesson, Bianca says "despair not" (III.i.43). Compared to the time and effort Petruchio took to woo Katherine, this was nothing. Petruchio experienced a lot of tension between him and Katherine in thier first encounter, and gradually got Katherine to tolerate him and stop "battling" with him. They were still not on good terms at the wedding. As for Bianca and Lucentio, there was no bickering involved, as Bianca was seen as the quiet and calm daughter, which automatically meant that she's likeable, and for the wooing process, Bianca essentially accepted Lucentio after Lucentio's first attempt to woo Bianca. This foreshadows how both of the marriages will turn out in the end. Lucentio's efforts to win Bianca were simple and fast, but during the bet at the end of the play, Bianca didn't listen to Lucentio's order. As for Petruchio, he fought a long process to marry and tame Katherine, and even though it didn't seem like a healthy relationship, all those experiences made an impact, and Katherine listened to Petruchio's command at the end of the play. Shakespeare is trying to show that even though not everything is going right at the moment, in the end, the outcome will be desirable. The marriages also emphasize the striking differences of the sisters.
In act 3 of Taming of The Shrew, Petruchio comes to the wedding wearing ridiculous clothing, not fit for a wedding. This is interesting because it shows that the wedding really doesn't mean anything to him, just like it doesn't mean anything to Katharina. This thought is proved when Katharina says, “Now, if you love me, stay.” and Petruchio replies, “Grumio, my horse.” This implies that he is going to leave, basically saying he does not love her. The thing that I find interesting in this section is the response of Katharina. Why would she want him to stay if she equally does not want the marriage? One could think that she might actually care about the wedding, or just her reputation amongst the people. Either way, I think shakespeare uses the characterization and response of Katarina to show that there is a deeper connection with Katharina and Petruchio than the play originally comes to show.
"Nay, then, Do what thou canst, I will not go today, No, nor tomorrow, not till I please myself. The door is open, sir. There lies your way." (III.ii.213-216)
This is the sassy side of Katharina that shows just after Petruchio doesn't stay at the reception with her and the rest of the guests. Throughout the wedding there were contradictions to their relationship as if Katharina was beginning to love Petruchio or if Petruchio was caring less about the relationship to reach her level of interest during their first interactions. Now, we see her attempt at standing her ground and ordering Petruchio to leave as he wished, but by himself. I believe this passage shows how Katharina hasn't evolved as some had thought, but just remained composed during the ceremony because she knew her opinion wouldn't change anything. Petruchio is still in charge of the "relationship" and will let her words against him float through one ear and out the other. Shakespeare could have possibly used this reception scene to explain the suspicious behavior of the couple before and during the wedding and shed light on Kate and Petruchio's real views and feelings about the event.
There are various ways to interpret Petruchio showing up to the wedding dressed the way he was. We can see it as a dominant move over Kate : "See not your bride in these unreverent robes/Go to my chamber put on clothes of mine" "Not I, believe me: thus I'll visit her." (lll.ii.112-114) a social statement: "To me she's married, not unto my clothes" (lll.ii.117), or a mark of his worry and love for Kate because he rushed to her, even though he was dressed as he was: "Were it better, I should rush in thus./But where is Kate? where is my lovely bride?" (lll.ii.91-92). These different interpretations reveal different things about Petruchio. For him to feel the need to make "tame" Kate when they have not already married shows that he is clever, and will take every opportunity he finds to further his own progress to the eventual goal of a tame Katherine. Petruchio doesn't seem to even consider that she may reject him, but that is because Katharine can't, not as the bride. This is such a huge difference from modern day gender roles that it is an interesting contrast. To say that Petruchio is making a social statement, is plausible, but not very probable. During the play, he makes no other commentaries on other social issues, and doesn't seem to have the personality to be an activist. More likely, Petruchio was simply using the guise of making a social statement, to thoroughly embarrass Katharine. The same goes for the theory of Petruchio being in such a rush to see his beautiful bride that he grabbed whatever he had handy to put on and was on his way, a proper knight in shining armor. This is definitely not what happened. If this was what happened, Petruchio would not have chosen the most diseased horse, the most jarring of clothing, and the longest way to get to the wedding in order to be 4 hours late. If Petruchio was choosing to show his love for Katharine, he would have changed clothes, and immediately gone to see her not only to "seal the title with a lovely kiss" (lll.ii.123) but just to see her. This shows that Petruchio is, again, looking to further his own progress, and by acting the fool in a mad rush to see his bride, is trying to justify his actions.
BAPTISTA (to TRANIO) Signior Lucentio, this is the 'pointed day That Katherine and Petruchio should be married, And yet we hear not of our son-in-law. What will be said? What mockery will it be, To want the bridegroom when the priest attends To speak the ceremonial rites of marriage? What says Lucentio to this shame of ours?(page 115-116)
KATHERINE No shame but mine. I must, forsooth, be forced To give my hand, opposed against my heart, Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen, Who wooed in haste and means to wed at leisure. I told you, I, he was a frantic fool, Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behavior, And, to be noted for a merry man, He’ll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage, Make friends, invite, and proclaim the banns, Yet never means to wed where he hath wooed. Now must the world point at poor Katherine And say, “Lo, there is mad Petruchio’s wife, If it would please him come and marry her!”
I find this section to be quite funny. Baptista does not care how his daughter feels. Baptitsta only cares about what the public the say and if this will tarnish his public image. This extends my last blog post about Baptista continuing to not care about Katherine through out the play. It is funny in a sad way. You want Baptitsta to care about his daughter, yet he does not. Katherine then talks about how Petruchio is a conman, and a good for nothing loser. She has the right to be embarrassed and yet gets no comfort by her father.
Act III starts off with Lucentio and Hortensio arguing/ bantering over Bianca and who should get to tutor her first. But we already know that she is very desirable. Why do we need to see again that she is being fought for (Other than the fact that we get to see she isn't nearly as bright as her sister who understands manipulation and is intelligent.) I would argue that it's main purpose is what comes later when Hortensio tells Bianca about his feelings for her, she doesn’t completely shut him out, she gives him hope by saying "In time I may believe " which shows she may be interested in him. This is nice for the reader to start to see a developing relationship that wasn’t one sided. At some point we need to see more than people hating Kate and loving Bianca, this gives the play a desperately needed twist. Clearly the wedding was a large part of the act III however I feel that even though that deservers to be analyzed we cant miss what is happening with Bianca during all of this.
In Act 3, Scene 2, Petruchio shows up his own wedding late, and in ugly ragged clothing. Why does he do this? I think that Petruchio tries to make a scene at his wedding to try to embarrass Katherina. Since Katherina has already agreed to marry him, she cannot really back out. He is trying to make a statement. Petruchio wants Katherina to know that he is in charge, and because she is the woman, she is superior and has to obey him. He wants to prove a point to her that he is the the powerful figure in their marriage such as in the quote where he says, “I will be the master of what is mine own.---She is my goods, my chattels, she is my house…” (III.ii.235-236). I think that Petruchio somewhat enjoys seeing Katherina embarrassed because it shows that she is not as strong as she portrays herself to be.
ReplyDeleteI was also wondering why he showed up to the wedding the way he did, and your interpretation was similar to mine. Katherine sees Petruchio as a con artist, and as a man that doesn't follow through with things and at this point she is worried that he left her. But if she did not want to marry someone in the first place why is it such a big deal to her now?
DeleteI feel like anyone would be embarrassed if their groom did not show up to their wedding, regardless of whether or not they want to marry. But something that was interesting to me was that she wept instead of being mad and breaking things and being the 'shrew' we thought she was. It shows us that she is not as fiery and tough as she depict herself as.
DeleteI think she is developing affection for Petruchio even though she wishes not to tell anyone and is unexpectedly hurt with the realization that her groom may have considered it all a joke and might not even bother showing up to the wedding. She is confused by her own emotions as she tries to juggle them and make sense of them.
DeleteAnother aspect that came up in his reasoning (although not true to him) was that he wanted people to judge him by himself not by his clothes. Even though this wasnt his true meaning, it is a good point.
DeleteIn Act 3, Scene 1, Bianca begins to form a preference between Lucentio and Hortensio. In the line, "(to HORTENSIO) You take your instrument and play awhile. He’ll be finished with his lecture before you’ve even tuned it." (III.i.23-24) During her Latin lesson Lucentio conveys his intentions to Bianca through a mock translation of a Latin paragraph. Meanwhile, Hortensio tries to break in at times, but Bianca sends him off to tune his instrument again, until her lesson was finished. I found this interesting and amusing that they are both in disguise in order to woo Bianca, yet they do not know that they both are suitors of hers. How do you think the situation would be different if Lucentio and Hortensio were not in disguise?
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis of Bianca's intentions towards Lucentio and Hortensio. As Mrs. Ballard talked about it class, we know that Hortensio is more of a gawky, awkward type of person while Lucentio seems to have more self-assurance. If they weren't in disguises, I think their personalities would shine through more, but Bianca would make the same preference.
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ReplyDeleteBianca:
ReplyDelete"I am no breeching scholar in the schools.
I'll not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times
But learn my lessons as I please myself." (III.i.18-20)
In this passage, the sudience sees Bianca stand up for herself for the first time in the play. It is interesting that this change in character comes so quickly after it is announced that Katherina will be married to Petrucio. Now that Bianca knows that she is free to marry, she realises that she must manipulate her situation so that she ends up with the best life that she possibly can. This further demonstrates Bianca's manipulative nature, and illustrates that she is not as sweet and innocent as she appears. It is also interesting to note that Bianca is becoming increasingly akin to Katherine. This goes to show that as much as the two sisters clash, perhaps Bianca admires Katherine's spirit, even if she doesn't realise it. It also demonstrates the bond that sisters have and how they are inherently similar in demeanor.
Yes, I noticed the same thing when Bianca developes a more sassy personality when she is with her two suitors. She shows her opinions more often and is less quiet and innocent than she was before. Bianca makes her choice more obvious at this point of time that she's preferring Lucentio over the other suitors. It seems like she's evolving to an attitude like her sister's because she has a stronger desire to be independent when she said "But learn my lessons as I please myself".
DeleteI agree with you and Mi. I think that it is good that Bianca develops the sassy attitude. No one expected to be like that and I think that people feel like they could order her around because she would not stick up for herself. The choice was for a obvious reason and I am sure her sister has played a role in the sassiness. It will be interesting to see how her character develops within the rest of the play.
DeleteI definitely agree with Bianca finally showing that she is not that innocent quit girl everybody things she is. As I said before, Bianca is a very clever girl, and knows when to manipulate the moment to please herself. Now that she knows that Katherine will get married, it's a wake up call for her to start showing who she really is, slowly but not as harsh as her sister Katherine did. Another thing that changed my thinking of Bianca is that she does want to get marry. At first I thought she didn't, but now I know she does because If she wouldn't want to get married she would just act as crazy as her sister so that no one would marry her. But as all of you said, she does become sassy to show that she is not weak but not as crazy as her sister to still have someone that would want to marry her.
DeleteI think that scenes two and three of this act gives the reader a lot of insight to the character of Petruchio. The first thing that really stood out to me was the way he dressed to the wedding. Biondello describes him as, "Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, a pair of boots that have been candle cases, one buckled, another laced;" (III.ii. 43-46). Anybody in their right mind would want to dress nice to their own wedding and not wearing an old pair of breeches, "thrice," turned. But Petruchio didn't really care about that and only wanted to show his dominance over Kate. Later in the Act he embarrasses her even more by acting a fool at the altar and then making her leave the party without letting her say goodbye. He did all of these things to show her that he had complete power over her and to, "tame," her (hence the title). All of these actions show how selfish of a person Petruchio is and also shows the gap in gender equality during that time.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your analysis of Petruchio. It shows how in Shakespearean society it was okay for a man to act this way but not a women. The range of acceptability of behavior greatly differed between men and women. In what other ways do you think Shakespeare shows this throughout the play?
DeleteSomething that stood out to me in scene one was how Bianca reacted to each of her suitors. Lucentio(Cambio) 'translates' lines into Latin while telling her his identity, and Bianca responds with her own explanation while telling him to "despair not". Whereas, when Hortensio(Litio) implies his message through music notes. "' A re, to plead Hortensio’s passion; B mi, Bianca, take him for thy lord, C fa ut, that loves with all affection; D sol re, one clef, two notes have I; E la mi, show pity, or I die.” Call you this “gamut”? Tut, I like it not. Old fashions please me best. I am not so nice To change true rules for old inventions."(3.i. 68-75). Hortensio's words are clear, concise and to the point, which causes his words to seem really needy. Especially when he wrote, 'show pity, or I die'. Additionally he never reveals himself, just his intention. Bianca obviously does not enjoy this and shows how she prefers Lucentio (Cambio). Hortensio(Lito) not reveling himself could also play a role in Bianca not choosing him. He did not think about how he is portraying himself as someone with a lower social status. It is interesting to compare the two sisters, Petruchio had to work more to gain Katharina's affection, whereas Lucentio(Cambio) almost effortlessly won Bianca over.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really interesting interpretation and I believe that Bianca's character definitely plays a role in Luciento's attempt to gain her affection. Personally, I think that Bianca is really easily pleased and she's not as complex as her sister. Throughout the book, Bianca doesn't express any controversial opinions like Kate does; She tends to go along with what's planned for her by her father. On the other hand, Kate is a much more controversial character because of her headstrong beliefs of a faulty society and expectations. She will not let herself be 'captivated' by any man that could potentially marry her. The only one that could impress Kate is Petruchio because he isn't afraid to go to great lengths of craziness to put her in her place. Also, his persistence plays a key role in the 'taming' process.
DeleteIn Act III, Katharina's emotions towards Petruchio continue to be presented in interesting ways. I personally am starting to sense a slight transformation in her character as the reader picks up on clues that suggest Katharina is slowly developing affection for Petruchio. When there is doubt regarding Petruchio's arrival and attendance at the wedding, she claims to her father,
ReplyDelete"No shame but mine: I must, forsooth, be forced
To give my hand, opposed against my heart,
Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen;
Who woo'd in haste and means to wed at leisure.
I told you, I, he was a frantic fool,
Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behaviour:
And, to be noted for a merry man,
He’ll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage,
Make friends, invite, and proclaim the banns;
Yet never means to wed where he hath woo'd.
Now must the world point at poor Katharine,
And say, “Lo, there is mad Petruchio’s wife,
If it would please him come and marry her!” (III.ii.8-20).
Here, an angry tone is evident, but the more important component is the underlying accompanying tone of hurt, which acts as the foundation and fuel for her frustration and rant. I think her own emotions for Petruchio are confusing her because they are both unexpected and unknown to her. Perhaps she is falling for him, but because of her independent and strong-willed demeanor that everyone knows her for, including herself, she does not want to admit she may be falling in love. The possibility of being stood up at the altar makes Katharina reflect on the reality of the situation and "catch" herself. The warmth she has in her heart that has finally emerged is quickly overshadowed by anger and hurt. She does not want to allow herself to become a fool at the hands of a man. Katharina says, "Would Katherine had never seen him, though!" (III.ii.26) demonstrating how Petruchio left some kind of impression on her and has affected her in some way so as to make her wish she had never laid eyes on him. Her inner conflict, which seems to not yet be recognized by other characters, is one in which she battles emotions she cannot control (infatuation/love) with ones she can (anger/hatred).
Whoa, nice analysis of the tone and mood of Katharina's rant. I had mainly noticed the rage, but after reading your observations, I can see the undertones of hurt. Perhaps, in addition to her pain and anger, she's also feeling scared - fear of her being wrong about Petruchio and what that error may bring upon her. If that were to take place, she would face the horror of having her own headstrong and independent appearances being undermined because of the exposure of her more tender feelings.
DeleteIn Act III scene ii, Petruchio arrives to his wedding late, and not the most appropriate of garm. He strategically creates this stir of chaos during the wedding to impose hiss dominance over Katherina. When he finally arrives at the wedding late, he's already created some mayhem among the wedding party, but when he appears dressed in "a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, [and] a pair of boots that have been candle cases, one buckled, another laced" the frenzy only continues (III.ii. 43-46). There was nothing accidental about his arrival, by doing this Petruchio was putting Katherina in her place, effectively "taming" the "shrew". He continues his tirade by acting a fool at the alter in front of the congregation. As if it was not obvious before, Petruchio expresses how little regard he holds for Katherina and her family. He truly is only after the money that comes along with the marriage.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said, that Petrucio is soley after money. This seems to be a common theme throughout the play, and often times money is shown to be values higher than actual people. This really gives insight to the corrupted nature of society and how destructive money can be.
DeleteWhat's most interesting in Act 3 is Petruchio's attitude towards Kate and her family. When he shows up late at the wedding dressed inappropriately, others immediately ask about his whereabouts and circumstances that led to his silly outfit. He replies unashamedly,
ReplyDelete"Were it better I should rush in thus-
But where is Kate? Where is my lovely bride?
How does my father? Gentles, methinks you frown"(III.ii.85-87).
In this passage, the tone is very light and at ease despite the fact that Petruchio is extremely late for his wedding and his soon-to-be wife is heartbroken from the thought of him not showing up at the special wedding. Petruchio's easygoing character is displayed as he could care less about his outrageous outfit that everyone is overreacting over; he is focused more on his wife, Kate. His first question upon his arrival is: "Where is Kate?". His bride is the most important component of his thoughts as he is worried most about his sweet Kate. Personally, I find his worry very cute and romantic as Kate is his most important priority, to the point that he could care less about his appearance and others' opinions. Besides Kate, Petruchio expresses interest in his father-in-law's health as he makes sure to also check up on him. Therefore, it is appropriate to state that Petruchio cares about Kate's family more than the fact that her family is wealthy. His motifs change throughout the book as he initially agrees to marry Kate because of her wealth, but he eventually starts to genuinely care about her well-being and family. What do you guys think?
I do agree that the most likely reason for his arrival in such appalling clothing is that he intends to show that his felling for Kate outweigh his need to be well dressed but could it also be part of his plan to "tame" Kate? He planned to dress in poor clothing to embarrass Kate further and make her feel that her emotions are controlled by his actions. It is obvious that Kate is what Petruchio thinks about most but is it in a loving or a controlling way?
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ReplyDeleteKatherine’s relationship with her father is very much unchanged from Act II to Act III. In previous acts, Katherine received little to no sympathy from her father. He was much more interested in his younger daughter, which is also still the case in Act III. Even though Katherine is in grave danger of having her groom fail to show up to her wedding, her father offers very little help and insults her by saying, “Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep; For such an injury would vex a very saint, Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour.”(III.ii.27-29). Though he does show so acceptance of Kate’s emotions, he juxtaposes Kate to a saint to even further diminish her image by comparison. His comforting words even begin to seem sarcastic when afterwards he directly calls her a “shrew”(III.ii.29). He seems to say that Kate brought this upon herself with her personality. Once Baptista learns of Petruchio's arrival and his garments he says, “I am glad he’s come, howsoe’er he comes.”(III.ii.66). He still does not care about Katherine’s image or emotions. He only wants her to leave as soon as possible. It is clearly shown that Baptista’s feelings toward Katherine have not changed based on the disrespectful circumstances and he feels no sympathy for his daughter.
ReplyDeleteI liked your idea of the juxtaposition of the Saint and Katherine to highlight their differences. I also thought that it was interesting how Bapista did not care that Petruchio was coming to his own wedding extremely late. Most fathers would question if this man had the right intentions and really wanted go marry their daughters, but not Bapista. He is just happy that she is getting married at all and shows how little he really cares for her feelings.
DeleteSo Katherina has really changed herself for the wedding. She has put on this beautiful dress and actually agreed to it. Why do you think that she does not react to her fathers comments like she may of earlier in the play? Also what effect do you think Baptisa's comments have on Katherina? This is her wedding, which is suppose to be a magical day and he is calling her a shrew like everyone else seems to be saying in this section also.
DeleteBaptista's favoritism of Bianca is often pointed out and is especially easy to see in the beginning of the play. However his less obvious, yet still significant care and worry for his eldest daughter, Katharina, becomes increasingly evident throughout the progression of this piece. This is more noticeable when he attempts to console Katharina when she burst into tears at the thought of Petruchio not coming to wed her. "Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep; For such an injury would vex a very saint, Much more a shrew of thy impatient humor" (III.i.5-7). Although Baptista calls Katharina a shrew, I find it actually portray his sympathy further. He says that even a character who is extremely calm would be offended at this snub, so a person such as she must be even more deeply hurt. His understanding of her personality and her pain, though not very obvious, shows just how much he cares for Katharina, despite having been aloof with her previously.
ReplyDeleteWhen Baptista went to console Katharina, I was shocked and read it again to make sure I was reading correctly. I definitely agree that Baptista still had a fatherly love for Katharina even if it was not of a significant value. Baptista is willing to scorn his family but he doesn't want them to be torn apart and destroyed
DeleteIn act three of Taming of the Shrew, I find it interesting when Trainio and Gremio argue the level of crazy between Petruchio and Katharina. Their insults show that although Petruchio did them a fair deed, they are unappreciative. Tranio and Gremio converse,
ReplyDelete“ GRE. A bridegroom say you? t’is a groom indeed, A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find.
TRA. Curster than she? why, t’is impossible.
GRE. Why he’s a devil, a devil, a very fiend.
TRA. Why, she’s a devil, a devil, the devil’s dam.
GRE. Tut, she’s a lamb, a dove, a fool to him!” (III.ii.125-130)
This conversation is viewed as a comedic joking amongst Gremio and Trainio however the repetition of the word, “devil”, instills a sinister tone which reflects the the bad nature of Trainio and Gremio even though they are describing Petruchio and Katharina. It is interesting how Gremio, who initially wanted Petruchio to be the man to marry the “devil” Katharina, now refers to Petruchio by that title which shows Gremio’s characteristic of deeming someone of being evil for simply acting out of manner. I think it is bad how Gremio is acting towards his friend Petruchio however it reminds me how much our society acts in the same way towards each other.
By the time Tranio puts on his disguise as Lucentio, I noticed that he becomes more good-natured and enthusiastic. One of his way of showing generosity was when he assured Katharine and Baptista when Pertruchio didn't show up for the wedding: "Patience, good Katharine, and Baptista, too./ Upon my life, Petruchio means but well,/ Whatever fortune stays him from his word:/ Though he be blunt. I know him passing wise; Though he be merry, yet withal he's honest" (lll.ii. 20-25). After I read this quote, I assumed that Tranio is feeling pity for Kate and Baptista's anxiety and tries to make them feel better. Usually, Kate is used to the men making fun of her and calling her names. But Tranio assured her, not for the purpose of wooing her, but to make her feel less anxious, which none of the men did. However, I was astounded when Tranio later said to Lucentio "That by degrees we mean to look into,/ And watch our vantage in this business:/ We'll over-reach the greybeard, Gremio,/ The narrow-prying father, Minola,/ The quaint musician, amorous Litio;/ All for my master's sake, Lucentio" (lll.ii. 43-48). Tranio's use of dictions to describe Bianca's suitors produces an extremely disrespectful tone. Tranio sounds like he's looking down on them and views them as Lucentio's obstacles to marrying Bianca. This shows Tranio's other side, which the only person who is exposed to his negative side is Lucentio. During his disguise as Lucentio, Tranio had been acting good-natured in front of the suitors and the Minolas to show them how noble he is. Not only Tranio is physically disguised as Lucentio, he also pretends to act like a noble person when in the inside, he is disgusted at the suitors and annoyed with Baptista.
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ReplyDeleteBianca: “Now let me see if I can conster it. Hic ibat Simois, I know
ReplyDeleteyou not, hic est Sigeia tellus, I trust you not, Hic steterat
Priami, take heed hear us not, regia, presume not, celsa
Senis, despair not.” (III.i.40-44)
I found this passage to be rather interesting because of its cleverness and the way it characterizes Bianca. These lines are very clever because Bianca played along with Lucentio’s banter and retorted it with a contradicting statement. I interpreted this passage as Bianca really saying; I don’t know you, I don’t trust you, I hope he doesn’t hear us, don’t presume “us” will happen, but also don’t lose hope. This clearly is contradicting and witty of her to say. This also portrays Bianca as a flirtatious girl who wants to keep her suitors at bay but giving them enough hope so they stick around. I think Bianca loves the attention it brings and is smart when acting upon her suitors because she is smart and doesn’t buy into their deceitful tricks like Katherine does in this Act when she marries Petruchio.
Throughout the first 3 acts, you can see that Bapista Minola's priorities are not always straight. He does not always seem to have the best interest of both of his daughters in mind at all times. He favors Bianca over Katherine and he cares little whether or not Katherine is happy with her husband. Also, when picking a spouse for Bianca, he picks the one who is richer, and this shows how superficial he is and again how he doesn't truely care what his daughters are feeling. At the wedding, he says "“Why, sir, you know this is your wedding-day:/
ReplyDeleteFirst were we sad, fearing you would not come;/
Now sadder, that you come so unprovided/“Fie! doff this habit, shame to your estate,/“An eye-sore to our solemn festival” (III.ii. 94-97). This shows that Katherine's dad is much more unhappy about how Petruchio looks at the wedding than when he showed up. He said its a "shame to his estate" because it does not express how rich he is, and that seems to be the only thing that Bapista cares about. He is much more concerned with the outside appearance of Petruchio than what's in the inside, and how much Katherine actually likes him.
I don't necessarily think that Baptista only cares about the money. I think that he is more mad at Petruchio for making Kate sad. Although he prefers Bianca, Kate is still his daughter and he still cares for her.
DeleteIn scene to two of act three it brought a TON of Petruchio’s true character out. Not only does he show up to his own wedding late, he shows up in old, baggy clothes and seems to not care at all. He states, “To me she’s married, not unto my clothes” (III.ii. 111). Now that Katherine has agreed to marry him his true image comes out and he tries to completely control her. I think that he is being very immature and ignorant. He tries to contradict her every chance he gets. Petruchio embarrasses her at any second, by dressing ridiculous to their wedding, and the outburst exit, and takes all of her dignity. I have noticed a bit of a temper from Petruchio. He has random outburst of anger and takes them out on anyone around him. He also mentions that Katherine is his property and possessions.
ReplyDelete“She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,
My household stuff, my field, my barn,
My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything” (III.ii.225-227)
I could see how readers could find this offensive towards women especially by getting this yelled about you in front of a crown of people. Petruchio is being selfish and full of himself. He tells his wedding party that he and Katherine have to leave but to enjoy the reception or leave. He doesn’t care either way. Does anyone have any opinions on why this happens?
i think that there is some method behind why Petruchio acts this way, it is not just because that is who he is. Petruchio actually seems like a very clever character, and his actions have become part of his scheme for "taming the shrew". although this probably was not the best way of doing it, his actions to embarrass Kate were to break her and make her realize her "place".
DeleteYes, I agree with Megan. As seen before in the first meeting between Kate and Petruchio, Petruchio is well able to keep up with Kate's snide comments and witty remarks; he is obviously smart and clever. I don't believe Petruchio is acting careless, I believe that this is all part of his master plan of 'taming' Kate.
DeleteOne part that stood out to me in act three scene one was when Lucentio and Bianca had left Hortensio alone. He says to himself; "But I have cause to pry into this pedant./ Methinks he looks as though he were in love./ Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca. be humble/ To cast thy wand'ring eyes on every stale,/ Seize thee that list. If once I find thee ranging,/ Hortensio will be quit thee by changing." (III.i. 85-90)First of all, the tone of this passage indicates that Hortensio is hurt by Bianca's interest in Lucentio, as if he never would have thought she could be interested in anyone but himself. When he says "cast thy wand'ring eyes on every stale", he is implying that Bianca is only distractyed by other men because she falls for everyone. Hortensio says this to further justify his belief that he is superior to the other suitors. When Hortensio says "if once I find thee ranging,/ Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing", he is saying that if Bianca is taken by someone else, he will give up on her by changing women and finding someone else to woo. This whole sentence is very dramatic, as Bianca never liked him in the first place. The viewer learns here how inflated Hortensio's views of himself really are, and especially if he refers to himself in third person, like he does in this passage. Hortensio thinks a lot more of himself than he really is.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I found interesting in Act three was other peoples perspective on Kate and Petruchio's marriage. Gremio describes Petruchio as " Why he's a devil, a devil, a fiend." (III.ii.150) I found this interestin because many other characters in the story describe Kate as a devil too. i think that this shows how they are actually a very good couple. While at first it seemed like neither on of them was truly in it, now they may both have grown feelings for one another. It also shows that they are both "mad" in the perspective of the public. Perhaps Kate just needed someone equally as poorly behaved as her to make her happy. And while she is not happy now, maybe the two are slowly growing together.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! Petruchio is a greedy man that only wanted money out of their marriage and Kate is a shrewish women therefore making them perfect for each other. I think even the other characters such as Gremio and Kate's father see that they truly are a good match because of their flaws.
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ReplyDeleteOne thing that really interested me, which I talked about it on Hannah's comment, is that Bianca actually wants to get married. At first I believed that she didn't want to get married, and she was just pretending that it actually hurt her for not being able to get married. Although, in act 3, we see a new side of Bianca, from being the nice and quiet one, to having demands and showing that she is not weak. I always new since the beginning of the play that she wasn't that quiet little girl that everyone thought she was, that there was more in her, and she proves me right when she says, "I am no breaching scholar in the schools;/ I'll not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times,/ But learn my lessons as I please myself." (III.i. 18-20). When Bianca says, "I'll not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times," it says that she will not be ordered around or be told what to do. This really changes the readers thoughts of Bianca, and make them question if Bianca will turn out to be something else, and I believe that the characters in the play would also had feel the same way as the readers if they had heard what this quiet pretty girl said. This really shows the difference from the Bianca we saw in the first act, to the Bianca that is in the 3rd act, I believe that we will get to see more out Bianca as the play goes on.
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ReplyDeleteIn act three, Petruchio's views of Kate as a shrew and as a woman are conveyed in the following passage,"I will be master of what is mine own./ She [Kate] is my goods, my chattels, she is my house, my household stuff, my field, my barn,/ my horse, my ox, my ass, my any thing..." (III.ii.229-232). One of the most controversial verses in this play, Petruchio blatantly states that Kate is nothing more than property to him. This is a part of his plan to tame Kate as he must teach her that she is his and must obey him. This highly misogynistic belief held common at the time, illustrates the strict gender roles during Shakespeare's time. They believed that a woman's job was to remain at home (doing housework) and carrying children. Yet, this verse is so deliberately controversial that one cannot help but feel shocked by the bluntness at which Petruchio says these words. Yet on an interesting note, Petruchio also says that. "to me she's [Kate] married, not unto my clothes." (III.ii.217). Here, it seems like almost the exact opposite of what Petruchio said said about Kate being property. Instead of viewing his relationship to Kate as materialistic, he idealizes his 'loving; relationship with Kate as one grounded on morals and faith. This is very ironic and poses two extremes to Petruchio's perspective on his relationship with Kate.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I also think that the two passages you pointed out are very ironic. When Petruchio compares Kate to objects, it seems very like Petruchio to say something like that. For the second quote, even though Petruchio may come across rude and says whatever he has in mind, deep inside, he loves Kate and her strong personality.
DeletePER: " Good sooth, even thus. Therefore, ha' done with words:
ReplyDeleteTo me she’s married, not unto my clothes.
Could I repair what she will wear in me
As I can change these poor accoutrements,
'Twere well for Kate and better for myself." (III.ii.89-94)
Petruchio shows up to the wedding looking like a hooligan and just in a worse state than before. Baptista asks him to change or else he will not be able to marry his daughter. That's where Pertruchio comes in talking about how she is not being married to his clothes and then talks about how Katherina will wear him out faster than his clothes and that's good for him. So that part of her wearing him out shows that he is trying to get this reaction out of her. He knows that she is already most likely very upset that he is hours late and that he is dressed like this. This could be a foreshadow and showing her is trying to wear her out or "tame her". Also the clothes that he is wearing could just be a representation of her and what he thinks of her. Although she is wearing a gorgeous gown, she is all wore out and "ugly on the inside and he thinks that is what she deserves. Which is a completely horrible thought to wish but that could definitely be what Shakespeare was trying to convey. The message Shakespeare is trying to show that Katherina although she is being seen as the perfect bride on this day she is also just the same fierce woman that she is. There are a lot of disguises in this play and this is just another one of them.
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ReplyDeleteIn Act III scene i, we see how Bianca's suitors, Lucentio and Hortensio, woo Bianca. Lucentio and Hortensio both try to win Bianca's favor by "teaching" her, but Bianca only seems to be interested in Lucentio. The process of Lucentio wooing Bianca was short and didn't require much effort by Lucentio. He began teaching her Latin while disclosing who he was, and at the end of the short lesson, Bianca says "despair not" (III.i.43). Compared to the time and effort Petruchio took to woo Katherine, this was nothing. Petruchio experienced a lot of tension between him and Katherine in thier first encounter, and gradually got Katherine to tolerate him and stop "battling" with him. They were still not on good terms at the wedding. As for Bianca and Lucentio, there was no bickering involved, as Bianca was seen as the quiet and calm daughter, which automatically meant that she's likeable, and for the wooing process, Bianca essentially accepted Lucentio after Lucentio's first attempt to woo Bianca. This foreshadows how both of the marriages will turn out in the end. Lucentio's efforts to win Bianca were simple and fast, but during the bet at the end of the play, Bianca didn't listen to Lucentio's order. As for Petruchio, he fought a long process to marry and tame Katherine, and even though it didn't seem like a healthy relationship, all those experiences made an impact, and Katherine listened to Petruchio's command at the end of the play. Shakespeare is trying to show that even though not everything is going right at the moment, in the end, the outcome will be desirable. The marriages also emphasize the striking differences of the sisters.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIn act 3 of Taming of The Shrew, Petruchio comes to the wedding wearing ridiculous clothing, not fit for a wedding. This is interesting because it shows that the wedding really doesn't mean anything to him, just like it doesn't mean anything to Katharina. This thought is proved when Katharina says, “Now, if you love me, stay.” and Petruchio replies, “Grumio, my horse.” This implies that he is going to leave, basically saying he does not love her. The thing that I find interesting in this section is the response of Katharina. Why would she want him to stay if she equally does not want the marriage? One could think that she might actually care about the wedding, or just her reputation amongst the people. Either way, I think shakespeare uses the characterization and response of Katarina to show that there is a deeper connection with Katharina and Petruchio than the play originally comes to show.
"Nay, then,
ReplyDeleteDo what thou canst, I will not go today,
No, nor tomorrow, not till I please myself.
The door is open, sir. There lies your way." (III.ii.213-216)
This is the sassy side of Katharina that shows just after Petruchio doesn't stay at the reception with her and the rest of the guests. Throughout the wedding there were contradictions to their relationship as if Katharina was beginning to love Petruchio or if Petruchio was caring less about the relationship to reach her level of interest during their first interactions. Now, we see her attempt at standing her ground and ordering Petruchio to leave as he wished, but by himself. I believe this passage shows how Katharina hasn't evolved as some had thought, but just remained composed during the ceremony because she knew her opinion wouldn't change anything. Petruchio is still in charge of the "relationship" and will let her words against him float through one ear and out the other. Shakespeare could have possibly used this reception scene to explain the suspicious behavior of the couple before and during the wedding and shed light on Kate and Petruchio's real views and feelings about the event.
There are various ways to interpret Petruchio showing up to the wedding dressed the way he was. We can see it as a dominant move over Kate : "See not your bride in these unreverent robes/Go to my chamber put on clothes of mine" "Not I, believe me: thus I'll visit her." (lll.ii.112-114) a social statement: "To me she's married, not unto my clothes" (lll.ii.117), or a mark of his worry and love for Kate because he rushed to her, even though he was dressed as he was: "Were it better, I should rush in thus./But where is Kate? where is my lovely bride?" (lll.ii.91-92). These different interpretations reveal different things about Petruchio. For him to feel the need to make "tame" Kate when they have not already married shows that he is clever, and will take every opportunity he finds to further his own progress to the eventual goal of a tame Katherine. Petruchio doesn't seem to even consider that she may reject him, but that is because Katharine can't, not as the bride. This is such a huge difference from modern day gender roles that it is an interesting contrast. To say that Petruchio is making a social statement, is plausible, but not very probable. During the play, he makes no other commentaries on other social issues, and doesn't seem to have the personality to be an activist. More likely, Petruchio was simply using the guise of making a social statement, to thoroughly embarrass Katharine. The same goes for the theory of Petruchio being in such a rush to see his beautiful bride that he grabbed whatever he had handy to put on and was on his way, a proper knight in shining armor. This is definitely not what happened. If this was what happened, Petruchio would not have chosen the most diseased horse, the most jarring of clothing, and the longest way to get to the wedding in order to be 4 hours late. If Petruchio was choosing to show his love for Katharine, he would have changed clothes, and immediately gone to see her not only to "seal the title with a lovely kiss" (lll.ii.123) but just to see her. This shows that Petruchio is, again, looking to further his own progress, and by acting the fool in a mad rush to see his bride, is trying to justify his actions.
ReplyDeleteBAPTISTA
ReplyDelete(to TRANIO) Signior Lucentio, this is the 'pointed day
That Katherine and Petruchio should be married,
And yet we hear not of our son-in-law.
What will be said? What mockery will it be,
To want the bridegroom when the priest attends
To speak the ceremonial rites of marriage?
What says Lucentio to this shame of ours?(page 115-116)
KATHERINE
No shame but mine. I must, forsooth, be forced
To give my hand, opposed against my heart,
Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen,
Who wooed in haste and means to wed at leisure.
I told you, I, he was a frantic fool,
Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behavior,
And, to be noted for a merry man,
He’ll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage,
Make friends, invite, and proclaim the banns,
Yet never means to wed where he hath wooed.
Now must the world point at poor Katherine
And say, “Lo, there is mad Petruchio’s wife,
If it would please him come and marry her!”
I find this section to be quite funny. Baptista does not care how his daughter feels. Baptitsta only cares about what the public the say and if this will tarnish his public image. This extends my last blog post about Baptista continuing to not care about Katherine through out the play. It is funny in a sad way. You want Baptitsta to care about his daughter, yet he does not. Katherine then talks about how Petruchio is a conman, and a good for nothing loser. She has the right to be embarrassed and yet gets no comfort by her father.
Act III starts off with Lucentio and Hortensio arguing/ bantering over Bianca and who should get to tutor her first.
ReplyDeleteBut we already know that she is very desirable. Why do we need to see again that she is being fought for (Other than the fact that we get to see she isn't nearly as bright as her sister who understands manipulation and is intelligent.) I would argue that it's main purpose is what comes later when Hortensio tells Bianca about his feelings for her, she doesn’t completely shut him out, she gives him hope by saying "In time I may believe " which shows she may be interested in him. This is nice for the reader to start to see a developing relationship that wasn’t one sided.
At some point we need to see more than people hating Kate and loving Bianca, this gives the play a desperately needed twist. Clearly the wedding was a large part of the act III however I feel that even though that deservers to be analyzed we cant miss what is happening with Bianca during all of this.