safely at his house, a church and priest have been arranged so that he may elope with Bianca.
ACT 4 SCENE 3
Petruchio asserts his will over Katherina by forcing her to agree with him and refusing to continue the journey to Baptista’s unless she does so, despite asserting deliberate and contradictory untruths, such as the brightness of the moon in bright daylight. Katherina is forced to agree that it is the moon, even though she says, “I know it is the sun,” and thus contradicts Petruchio’s earlier assertions concerning appearance and identity, as he denies Katherina external expression of her internal self and her personal conviction. Hortensio comments that Petruchio has “won,” but Katherina is tested once more when they meet the real Vincentio and Petruchio makes her greet him as if he were a young girl. Vincentio tells them that he isgoing to visit his son, Lucentio, in Padua, and Petruchio congratulates him on the marriage of his son to Bianca. Hortensio leaves to woo his widow, vowing to use the techniques he has learned from Petruchio.
ACT 4 SCENE 4
Lines 1–50: Lucentio and Bianca leave for the church as Petruchio and Katherina arrive with Vincentio. They knock at Lucentio’s door and the Pedant looks out the window, demanding to know who is there. Petruchio says that it is Lucentio’s father, but the Pedant claims that he is Vincentio. When Biondello arrives he exclaims that they are “undone,” but denies recognizing the real Vincentio. Petruchio draws Katherina aside to watch, forming another onstage “audience.”
Lines 51–129: Baptista, Tranio, and the Pedant arrive, and Vincentio sees through Tranio’s disguise. Enraged when Tranio refuses to recognize him, he concludes that Lucentio has been murdered by his servants. Tranio calls for Vincentio to be taken to prison, but Lucentio and Bianca arrive, and Tranio, Biondello, and the Pedant run away. Lucentio begs his father’s pardon, reveals his true identity to Baptista, and announces his marriage to Bianca. Vincentio promises to “content” Baptista, but both fathers vow revenge on Tranio. Before they follow the others, Petruchio demands that Kate kiss him. At first she refuses, but then complies in a romantic exchange contrasting with their previous encounters.
ACT 5 SCENE 1
At the wedding feast, a public ceremony marking a return to order, Hortensio’s “lusty widow” suggests that Petruchio is “troubled with a shrew” as a wife. Katherina retaliates, but they are encouraged to withdraw by Bianca. Once the women are gone, the men discuss their wives, employing hunting imagery once more as Tranio suggests that Petruchio’s “deer” holds him “at a bay.” Petruchio proposes a wager: “he whose wife is most obedient / To come at firstwhen he doth send for her,” will win. One hundred crowns is agreed on, and Biondello is sent to fetch Bianca, the Widow and Katherina in turn. Bianca and the Widow both refuse their husbands’ commands, but Katherina obeys, much to everyone’s surprise. Petruchio sends her to fetch the other two women and, again, she does as she is told. When she returns with Bianca and the Widow, Petruchio orders Katherina to remove her cap and “throw it underfoot.” She obeys and the other women claim that she is “silly” and “foolish.” Lucentio expresses a wish that Bianca would be more “foolish,” as her disobedience has cost him one hundred crowns, but in a manner more associated with Katherina at the beginning of the play, she tells him that he is the fool. Petruchio instructs Katherina to tell the other women “What duty they do owe their lords and husbands.” She gives a speech asserting that “Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, / Thy head, thy sovereign.” This presents a problematic end to the play and the audience are left to decide for themselves whether Katherina has really changed or whether she is simply playing along with Petruchio.
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
IN
ACT 4 SCENE 3
Petruchio asserts his will over Katherina by forcing her to agree with him and refusing to continue the journey to Baptista’s unless she does so, despite asserting deliberate and contradictory untruths, such as the brightness of the moon in bright daylight. Katherina is forced to agree that it is the moon, even though she says, “I know it is the sun,” and thus contradicts Petruchio’s earlier assertions concerning appearance and identity, as he denies Katherina external expression of her internal self and her personal conviction. Hortensio comments that Petruchio has “won,” but Katherina is tested once more when they meet the real Vincentio and Petruchio makes her greet him as if he were a young girl. Vincentio tells them that he isgoing to visit his son, Lucentio, in Padua, and Petruchio congratulates him on the marriage of his son to Bianca. Hortensio leaves to woo his widow, vowing to use the techniques he has learned from Petruchio.
ACT 4 SCENE 4
Lines 1–50: Lucentio and Bianca leave for the church as Petruchio and Katherina arrive with Vincentio. They knock at Lucentio’s door and the Pedant looks out the window, demanding to know who is there. Petruchio says that it is Lucentio’s father, but the Pedant claims that he is Vincentio. When Biondello arrives he exclaims that they are “undone,” but denies recognizing the real Vincentio. Petruchio draws Katherina aside to watch, forming another onstage “audience.”
Lines 51–129: Baptista, Tranio, and the Pedant arrive, and Vincentio sees through Tranio’s disguise. Enraged when Tranio refuses to recognize him, he concludes that Lucentio has been murdered by his servants. Tranio calls for Vincentio to be taken to prison, but Lucentio and Bianca arrive, and Tranio, Biondello, and the Pedant run away. Lucentio begs his father’s pardon, reveals his true identity to Baptista, and announces his marriage to Bianca. Vincentio promises to “content” Baptista, but both fathers vow revenge on Tranio. Before they follow the others, Petruchio demands that Kate kiss him. At first she refuses, but then complies in a romantic exchange contrasting with their previous encounters.
ACT 5 SCENE 1
At the wedding feast, a public ceremony marking a return to order, Hortensio’s “lusty widow” suggests that Petruchio is “troubled with a shrew” as a wife. Katherina retaliates, but they are encouraged to withdraw by Bianca. Once the women are gone, the men discuss their wives, employing hunting imagery once more as Tranio suggests that Petruchio’s “deer” holds him “at a bay.” Petruchio proposes a wager: “he whose wife is most obedient / To come at firstwhen he doth send for her,” will win. One hundred crowns is agreed on, and Biondello is sent to fetch Bianca, the Widow and Katherina in turn. Bianca and the Widow both refuse their husbands’ commands, but Katherina obeys, much to everyone’s surprise. Petruchio sends her to fetch the other two women and, again, she does as she is told. When she returns with Bianca and the Widow, Petruchio orders Katherina to remove her cap and “throw it underfoot.” She obeys and the other women claim that she is “silly” and “foolish.” Lucentio expresses a wish that Bianca would be more “foolish,” as her disobedience has cost him one hundred crowns, but in a manner more associated with Katherina at the beginning of the play, she tells him that he is the fool. Petruchio instructs Katherina to tell the other women “What duty they do owe their lords and husbands.” She gives a speech asserting that “Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, / Thy head, thy sovereign.” This presents a problematic end to the play and the audience are left to decide for themselves whether Katherina has really changed or whether she is simply playing along with Petruchio.
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
IN
Similar Books
