Women may shake their heads at the behavior of Kate, who has changed for the sake of her husband. The opposite view is revealed by a more detailed reading of Petruchio’s methods for taming Kate. Does Petruchio have a choice in how he treats Kate? What other approaches could he have taken to Kate’s temper? Kate’s demands are evidently reflected in his method, which is tailored to be unique. The unique method that Petruchio chose is perfect not only for “taming Kate”, it also shows his love for her.
The first time Kate is mentioned by Petruchio, he shows a desire to challenge himself. He mentions that he wants to marry a rich woman as one of his first statements. Hortensio says, perhaps realizing Petruchio wants to be challenged and to get a chance at Bianca. He also plays on Petruchio wanting to impress. He would never have mentioned Kate as an option if he didn’t want to recommend her. Petruchio however demands: “If thou knowest / One rich and able to become Petruchio’s spouse – / […] / Whether or not she’s as bad as Florentius’s love, / old and shrewd as Socrates’ Xanthippe / or worse, / / She doesn’t move me or, at the very least, removes / Affection from me.” (1.2.64-7 Petruchio does not want any other woman than Kate. Petruchio longs to have Kate. In his Soliloquy Petruchio describes this method. He makes her sleepless and hungry, while making it seem like he cares about her. He finds fault with the sheets and meat that they will be eating (4.1.188). He says, “This is a way of killing a wife by kindness. / […] curtail her crazy and headstrong comedy” (4.1.197-8). In an attempt to appear overprotective and indulgent, he will frustrate her until she obeys. Kate is not a person who is easily influenced by criticism and is therefore a perfect candidate for this approach.
Kate initially does not like this approach. She becomes angry with him and this only encourages him to be more kind. He calls her “pleasant and gamesome” (2.1.246-7). She responds with sarcastic remarks. He leaves her with no choice but to walk away stating they would marry on Sunday. As if she had consented (2.1.325), he walks off. He appears in old clothes at their wedding and swears even to the priest. (3.2.155-63) After the ceremony, she challenges him by declaring that she’ll stay behind to celebrate the marriage at her dad’s house while he heads home. She is not allowed to stay and he curses the servant when he lets her fall on her. Even his servants begin to wonder if he’s not more shrewd than she is (4.1.76). She realizes quickly that her anger and defiance won’t help. She realizes she has to accept everything he tells, even though she knows it is not true.
Some may ask if Kate’s only acting like a submissive woman to get what they want. It is almost certain that this was her intention. She knows that she can’t continue this way after she has tried to resist and be defiant. In order to please her father, she decides to accept his proposal. She undergoes a transformation on the way to her dad’s home. After a short dispute about whether the Sun or Moon is out she states “henceforth” that it will be the case for her if Petruchio declares it to be the case, even if its the Moon (4.5.15). She understands that if she agrees with him or pretends to agree, he will be much nicer.
It may seem that Petruchio is cruel to Kate, but this is probably an act. He is surprised by his servants, who are shocked to see him act in this way. Nathaniel says, “Peter have you ever seen such?” Peter replies that he has. (4.1.169-171). He tests the newfound submissiveness of her by telling that man on their journey to her fathers’ house is actually a young woman. She mocks her man by complimenting his feminine features.
Although the method may seem cruel, it could be his only choice. Kate might not have ever responded to another method. First, being beaten by an abuser usually makes the victim fearful and timid. Kate would hate Petruchio for beating her and she would never have become the woman Petruchio knew and wanted her. Kate showed that she was not like other people and could not be trained. Hortensio tells her that if she teaches her music, Kate will be a more effective soldier. Hortensio answers her father’s question:
Tell her I was wrong, but that she mistook the frets
It was a bowed hand that taught her fingering.
With a devilishly impatient spirit,
She responded, “I will fume alongside them.”
And she hit me with the word, […]
She called me a rascal and a fiddler.
The vile words of twenty (2.1.150)
This experience shows that she is not a person who can learn the way the average person does. Even though many hoped that her shrewdness would fade, she wouldn’t have changed. She has become so out-of-control that her father doesn’t know what to do. He warns Petruchio that his rebellious child will have “some unpleasant words” (2.1.140). It becomes obvious that Petruchio’s method would be the only way to get Kate to listen.
Bianca is not Petruchio’s model for Kate. Bianca’s conniving is her own style and she is not the submissive woman Petruchio would like Kate to become. Bianca is a fake student, just as she pretends when she says to her father: “My books shall be my companion, / I will look at them and practice alone” (1.1.82-3). One can’t be certain if she intends to study or not, but it could be argued that she agrees only to make her Father happy. Lucentio, who is now “teaching” the girl, tells his true identity and says that he does not consider himself a professor. Hortensio is unable to tell her that she’s not interested, as Kate would do. So she lets him continue to try to play the instrument. She reads out loud his note scale, in which each note is an acronym that proves his love for her (3.1.72-7). Again, she cannot tell him that another is her favorite, but simply says she dislikes the improved scales.
It is clear that Petruchio’s plan has worked, but Kate has also won her battle. Kate is submissive, and he believes his plan has worked. She encourages Bianca to follow her example and “place their hands under [their] [husband’s] boot” to demonstrate submissiveness (5.2.183). She then degrades herself and asks,
Why is our body soft, weak and smooth?
Unaccustomed to the rigors of life,
Our hearts and soft conditions
Should we not agree with the external parts of our company? […]
My mind has been bigger than yours.
My heart is great, but my reason is even greater.
To bandy words for words and frowns for frowns (5.2.171-8).
She tells the women that although she used to fight, she now realizes that “our lances are but straws, / Our strength as weak, our weakness beyond comparison, / That seeming to be most which we actually least are” (5.1.179-81). She tells these women that even though she used a fight to change the status quo, she has now realized that “our lances have become straws. Our strength is weak and our weakness is past comparison. We seem to be what we are not” (5.1.179-81). It is only when women submit to men, accept themselves, and let their husbands take care of them that they can find freedom. Petruchio seems to be pleased with the speech she gave, which he didn’t force on her. He invites his wife to bed (5.2.190). Her submissiveness appears to be a draw for her husband. This impresses the father enough to agree to Petruchio’s request to receive a second or altered daughter as a dowry.
Petruchio shows his love and respect for Kate by taming her. If he doesn’t love Kate, he won’t change her behaviour. If his only motive is to make her more socially acceptable, he should lock her away in the house. He does not beat her to submission. However, he still respects and loves her. He does not make her kiss him (5.2.134-7). He again invites her into bed. He calls his marriage with Kate a marriage, while the other two marriages – Bianca’s and Lucentio’s and the widow’s and Hortensios – are failing marriages due to the lack of submission by the women (5.2.191). Kate reciprocates by showing respect and love for him.
While Petruchio’s “taming of Kate” may appear cruel, his true intentions are to do what is best for her. He helps Kate reach her full potential. Kate tries to change her circumstances for a long time before she finally realizes that she can’t. But if she accepts that she is the submissive woman, her husband will respect her and provide for her. Kate is shown to be a changed woman in the last part of her speech. She shows respect for her husband, and she appreciates him. The fact that Petruchio’s plan was designed so precisely and clearly with Kate in mind shows that he really loves Kate.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. The Complete Pelican Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Orgel, A.R. Braunmuller. The Penguin Group, 2002, published in New York. 147-180.
