Katherina, due to her bad temper and horrible reputation, is not loved by any man. A husband! A devil!” This upsets Katherina, so she rebels against her father and other people, such as Bianca. I believe Katherina is looking for someone to care about her, and this is why I think her love is true in the end of the play. She has finally realized that Petruchio has fallen in love with her, and she loves him too. Bianca is the perfect example of a young and virtuous girl. She is seen as the favorite in the play out of the two daughters and has many suitors. She uses this to her advantage.
Bianca comes across as very two-faced, which shows that she has gone behind her father’s back by marrying Lucentio in secret and living a lie. Despite her name meaning white” in Italian, the purest color, Bianca is not as pure and virtuous as she seems. In a recent production of “Taming of the Shrew” at the Salisbury Playhouse, it was clear that Bianca is bullied by her elder sister Katherina. In one scene, Katherina ties up Bianca and shouts at her. Fortunately, Bianca is eventually rescued by her father, Baptista.
Bianca has a very close relationship with her father. She is also obedient to his needs and wants. The main relationship that I am going to look at in ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ is between Katherina, the troublesome and foul-tempered shrew, and Petruchio, the kind and witty gentleman. From the first time they met, there was a sense of friction between them. Act 2, Scene 1 is where they meet, and the scene starts with Petruchio talking to the audience. His aim is clear from the start: he wants a wife, but he also wants to prove that he can tame the most untameable shrew in Italy.
When Katherina enters, Petruchio gives her no time to dismiss him. He starts to belittle her by calling her Kate.” However, Katherina does not leave after this mocking; she stands her ground and begins a conversation. This shows that she is interested in Petruchio. In a recent production of “The Taming of the Shrew” that I saw, it was portrayed that Petruchio, who was expecting Katherina to be ugly, was shocked by her beauty. They talk to each other by throwing insults, such as “If I be waspish, then best beware my sting.” Katherina says this to Petruchio.
Wasps do not die after stinging, but bees do. Katherina is the wasp, and Petruchio is the man who will pluck out her sting and tame her. This scene marks the beginning of the taming process, not only for Katherina but also for Petruchio. In this scene, Katherina tests Petruchio, showing her interest in him because every other suitor has been banished immediately. She engages in an intellectual conversation with Petruchio and appears to be winning.
Petruchio makes references to how women are only able to bear children and not to fight. This is reflected in Katherina’s final speech where she speaks to the widow about how tender women are. After Katherina and Petruchio are married, Petruchio takes Katherina away from her family, saying She is my goods, my chattels, she is my house, my household stuff, my barn, my horse, my ox, my ass, my anything, and here she stands. Touch her whoever dare!” This shows that Petruchio has fallen in love with her and is willing to protect her.
He is saying that she is his and that she is his property. Petruchio comes across as obsessed with Katherina. Bianca and Gremio pick up on this and say that Petruchio has met his match with Katherina. When Katherina and Petruchio are at his house, Petruchio becomes very picky over things. He shouts at the servants and demands better things, making Katherina feel uncomfortable. Petruchio acts like Katherina to show her that her behavior is inappropriate. He also deprives her of things such as food and sleep, weakening her more. This is another stage of the taming.
Petruchio is trying to mold Katherina into what he sees as the perfect woman. When he speaks to the audience, he becomes very full of himself. To tame Katherina even more, Petruchio tempts her with a skillfully made dress, but then he mocks the dress and complains to the tailor about it. Katherina is taken with the dress and is upset that Petruchio is being unreasonable to the tailor. On the way back to Baptista’s house and Katherina’s home, there is a defiant turning in Katherina’s attitude towards what Petruchio says. There is a debate over the moon and the sun.
