ACT IV. SCENE I.
PETRUCHIO'S country house

Enter GRUMIO

  GRUMIO. Fie, fie on all tired jades, on all mad masters, and
all
    foul ways! Was ever man so beaten? Was ever man so ray'd? Was
    ever man so weary? I am sent before to make a fire, and they
are
    coming after to warm them. Now were not I a little pot and
soon
    hot, my very lips might freeze to my teeth, my tongue to the
roof
    of my mouth, my heart in my belly, ere I should come by a
fire to
    thaw me. But I with blowing the fire shall warm myself; for,
    considering the weather, a taller man than I will take cold.
    Holla, ho! Curtis!

                            Enter CURTIS

  CURTIS. Who is that calls so coldly?
  GRUMIO. A piece of ice. If thou doubt it, thou mayst slide from
my
    shoulder to my heel with no greater a run but my head and my
    neck. A fire, good Curtis.
  CURTIS. Is my master and his wife coming, Grumio?
  GRUMIO. O, ay, Curtis, ay; and therefore fire, fire; cast on no
    water.
  CURTIS. Is she so hot a shrew as she's reported?
  GRUMIO. She was, good Curtis, before this frost; but thou
know'st
    winter tames man, woman, and beast; for it hath tam'd my old
    master, and my new mistress, and myself, fellow Curtis.
  CURTIS. Away, you three-inch fool! I am no beast.
  GRUMIO. Am I but three inches? Why, thy horn is a foot, and so
long
    am I at the least. But wilt thou make a fire, or shall I
complain
    on thee to our mistress, whose hand- she being now at hand-
thou
    shalt soon feel, to thy cold comfort, for being slow in thy
hot
    office?
  CURTIS. I prithee, good Grumio, tell me how goes the world?
  GRUMIO. A cold world, Curtis, in every office but thine; and
    therefore fire. Do thy duty, and have thy duty, for my master
and
    mistress are almost frozen to death.
  CURTIS. There's fire ready; and therefore, good Grumio, the
news?
  GRUMIO. Why, 'Jack boy! ho, boy!' and as much news as thou
wilt.
  CURTIS. Come, you are so full of cony-catching!
  GRUMIO. Why, therefore, fire; for I have caught extreme cold.
    Where's the cook? Is supper ready, the house trimm'd, rushes
    strew'd, cobwebs swept, the serving-men in their new fustian,
    their white stockings, and every officer his wedding-garment
on?
    Be the jacks fair within, the jills fair without, the carpets
    laid, and everything in order?
  CURTIS. All ready; and therefore, I pray thee, news.
  GRUMIO. First know my horse is tired; my master and mistress
fall'n
    out.
  CURTIS. How?
  GRUMIO. Out of their saddles into the dirt; and thereby hangs a
    tale.
  CURTIS. Let's ha't, good Grumio.
  GRUMIO. Lend thine ear.
  CURTIS. Here.
  GRUMIO. There.                                  [Striking him]
  CURTIS. This 'tis to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.
  GRUMIO. And therefore 'tis call'd a sensible tale; and this
cuff
    was but to knock at your car and beseech list'ning. Now I
begin:
    Imprimis, we came down a foul hill, my master riding behind
my
    mistress-
  CURTIS. Both of one horse?
  GRUMIO. What's that to thee?
  CURTIS. Why, a horse.
  GRUMIO. Tell thou the tale. But hadst thou not cross'd me, thou
    shouldst have heard how her horse fell and she under her
horse;
    thou shouldst have heard in how miry a place, how she was
    bemoil'd, how he left her with the horse upon her, how he
beat me
    because her horse stumbled, how she waded through the dirt to
    pluck him off me, how he swore, how she pray'd that never
pray'd
    before, how I cried, how the horses ran away, how her bridle
was
    burst, how I lost my crupper- with many things of worthy
memory,
    which now shall die in oblivion, and thou return
unexperienc'd to
    thy grave.
  CURTIS. By this reck'ning he is more shrew than she.
  GRUMIO. Ay, and that thou and the proudest of you all shall
find
    when he comes home. But what talk I of this? Call forth
    Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas, Philip, Walter, Sugarsop, and
the
    rest; let their heads be sleekly comb'd, their blue coats
brush'd
    and their garters of an indifferent knit; let them curtsy
with
    their left legs, and not presume to touch a hair of my
mastcr's
    horse-tail till they kiss their hands. Are they all ready?
  CURTIS. They are.
  GRUMIO. Call them forth.
  CURTIS. Do you hear, ho? You must meet my master, to
countenance my
    mistress.
  GRUMIO. Why, she hath a face of her own.
  CURTIS. Who knows not that?
  GRUMIO. Thou, it seems, that calls for company to countenance
her.
  CURTIS. I call them forth to credit her.
  GRUMIO. Why, she comes to borrow nothing of them.

                     Enter four or five SERVINGMEN

  NATHANIEL. Welcome home, Grumio!
  PHILIP. How now, Grumio!
  JOSEPH. What, Grumio!
  NICHOLAS. Fellow Grumio!
  NATHANIEL. How now, old lad!
  GRUMIO. Welcome, you!- how now, you!- what, you!- fellow, you!-
and
    thus much for greeting. Now, my spruce companions, is all
ready,
    and all things neat?
  NATHANIEL. All things is ready. How near is our master?
  GRUMIO. E'en at hand, alighted by this; and therefore be not-
   Cock's passion, silence! I hear my master.

                     Enter PETRUCHIO and KATHERINA

  PETRUCHIO. Where be these knaves? What, no man at door
    To hold my stirrup nor to take my horse!
    Where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip?
  ALL SERVANTS. Here, here, sir; here, sir.
  PETRUCHIO. Here, sir! here, sir! here, sir! here, sir!
    You logger-headed and unpolish'd grooms!
    What, no attendance? no regard? no duty?
    Where is the foolish knave I sent before?
  GRUMIO. Here, sir; as foolish as I was before.
  PETRUCHIO. YOU peasant swain! you whoreson malt-horse drudge!
    Did I not bid thee meet me in the park
    And bring along these rascal knaves with thee?
  GRUMIO. Nathaniel's coat, sir, was not fully made,
    And Gabriel's pumps were all unpink'd i' th' heel;
    There was no link to colour Peter's hat,
    And Walter's dagger was not come from sheathing;
    There were none fine but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory;
    The rest were ragged, old, and beggarly;
    Yet, as they are, here are they come to meet you.
  PETRUCHIO. Go, rascals, go and fetch my supper in.
                                   Exeunt some of the SERVINGMEN

    [Sings]  Where is the life that late I led?
             Where are those-

    Sit down, Kate, and welcome. Soud, soud, soud, soud!

                 Re-enter SERVANTS with supper

    Why, when, I say? Nay, good sweet Kate, be merry.
    Off with my boots, you rogues! you villains, when?

    [Sings]  It was the friar of orders grey,
             As he forth walked on his way-

    Out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry;
    Take that, and mend the plucking off the other.
                                                   [Strikes him]
    Be merry, Kate. Some water, here, what, ho!

                      Enter one with water

    Where's my spaniel Troilus? Sirrah, get you hence,
    And bid my cousin Ferdinand come hither:
                                                 Exit SERVINGMAN
    One, Kate, that you must kiss and be acquainted with.
    Where are my slippers? Shall I have some water?
    Come, Kate, and wash, and welcome heartily.
    You whoreson villain! will you let it fall?    [Strikes him]
  KATHERINA. Patience, I pray you; 'twas a fault unwilling.
  PETRUCHIO. A whoreson, beetle-headed, flap-ear'd knave!
    Come, Kate, sit down; I know you have a stomach.
    Will you give thanks, sweet Kate, or else shall I?
    What's this? Mutton?
  FIRST SERVANT. Ay.
  PETRUCHIO. Who brought it?
  PETER. I.
  PETRUCHIO. 'Tis burnt; and so is all the meat.
    What dogs are these? Where is the rascal cook?
    How durst you villains bring it from the dresser
    And serve it thus to me that love it not?
    There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all;
                                [Throws the meat, etc., at them]
    You heedless joltheads and unmanner'd slaves!
    What, do you grumble? I'll be with you straight.
                                                 Exeunt SERVANTS
  KATHERINA. I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet;
    The meat was well, if you were so contented.
  PETRUCHIO. I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dried away,
    And I expressly am forbid to touch it;
    For it engenders choler, planteth anger;
    And better 'twere that both of us did fast,
    Since, of ourselves, ourselves are choleric,
    Than feed it with such over-roasted flesh.
    Be patient; to-morrow 't shall be mended.
    And for this night we'll fast for company.
    Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber.        Exeunt

                     Re-enter SERVANTS severally

  NATHANIEL. Peter, didst ever see the like?
  PETER. He kills her in her own humour.

                            Re-enter CURTIS

  GRUMIO. Where is he?
  CURTIS. In her chamber. Making a sermon of continency to her,
    And rails, and swears, and rates, that she, poor soul,
    Knows not which way to stand, to look, to speak.
    And sits as one new risen from a dream.
    Away, away! for he is coming hither.                  Exeunt

                       Re-enter PETRUCHIO

  PETRUCHIO. Thus have I politicly begun my reign,
    And 'tis my hope to end successfully.
    My falcon now is sharp and passing empty.
    And till she stoop she must not be full-gorg'd,
    For then she never looks upon her lure.
    Another way I have to man my haggard,
    To make her come, and know her keeper's call,
    That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites
    That bate and beat, and will not be obedient.
    She eat no meat to-day, nor none shall eat;
    Last night she slept not, nor to-night she shall not;
    As with the meat, some undeserved fault
    I'll find about the making of the bed;
    And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster,
    This way the coverlet, another way the sheets;
    Ay, and amid this hurly I intend
    That all is done in reverend care of her-
    And, in conclusion, she shall watch all night;
    And if she chance to nod I'll rail and brawl
    And with the clamour keep her still awake.
    This is a way to kill a wife with kindness,
    And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour.
    He that knows better how to tame a shrew,
    Now let him speak; 'tis charity to show.                Exit

Grumio enters Petruchio's country house, where Curtis and some other servants are prepping for the arrival of their master and his new wife. Grumio complains that he has been traveling from Padua with Petruchio and Kate and has been sent ahead to start a fire before they arrive. Curtis begs for news and gossip about the newly married couple, but Grumio picks a fight with Curtis and slaps him around a bit. Grumio says he's too mad at Curtis to describe what happened on the way home from Padua, but Grumio ends up narrating the entire thing by telling Curtis what he is not going to tell him. He says something like this: "If I wasn't mad at you, I'd tell you how Kate's horse stumbled and threw her off before it landed on top of her in the mud. I'd also tell you how Petruchio pounded me for what happened and how Kate tried to pull him off me but ended up getting even muddier. I'd also tell you how Petruchio swore like a sailor, Kate prayed, and I cried. But, I'm too mad so I'm not going to tell you anything." Curtis says that Petruchio is more of a "shrew" than Kate and Grumio says that Curtis ain't seen nothin' yet. Petruchio walks in and acts all wild. One moment he's calling his servants bastards and lackeys while kicking them around and the next minute he's telling Kate to relax and make herself at home. Petruchio claims that the servants burned dinner and flings some food and dishes around. Kate tries to talk him down. She doesn't yet know that he's messing with her head and, besides, the poor girl's hungry--she didn't even get a piece of wedding cake. Petruchio announces that they're going to bed without dinner and trots her off to her room. Peter says that Petruchio has put the kibosh on Kate's bad behavior by giving her a dose of her own medicine. Then Curtis tells us that Petruchio is in Kate's room lecturing her on self-control. Kate, of course, is dumbfounded, like someone who has just woken from a "dream." Petruchio enters and delivers a long speech about how his plan to tame Kate has begun. He compares himself to a falcon tamer and compares Kate to a wild bird that must be broken. He'll starve her, deprive her of sleep until she breaks. This, he says, is the best way to tame a shrew. Petruchio sort of puffs out his chest and challenges the audience to come up with a better way to get a shrewish woman in line.

The action switches to Petruchio's country house as the newlyweds approach. Grumio goes ahead to build a fire and, upon his arrival, tells Curtis, another of Petruchio's servants, of the adventures the couple has had while en route. Kate and Petruchio have been fighting the entire way, Grumio recounts. At one point, Katherine's horse stumbles and falls. She is thrown, and the horse lands on her. Petruchio, rather than assisting his bride, goes to Grumio and begins to beat him because Kate's horse stumbled. Katherine, covered in mud and mire, pulls Petruchio off Grumio, and the two begin to fight in earnest, scaring even the horses so much that they run away. When Kate and Petruchio arrive, the servants line up to greet them. Petruchio wastes no opportunity to rant and rave at his serving men. The couple proceeds to dinner. As Kate's washes, a serving man accidentally spills water and in return receives a sound beating from Petruchio. Kate, in the servant's defense, claims it was an accident. When the long-awaited dinner is presented to the couple, Petruchio finds fault with it, begins a tirade, and throws the food at the servants. A hungry Kate declares "the meat was well" . Petruchio retorts the meat was burnt and therefore bad for their health. An evening's fast will serve them much better, and so they head to the bedchamber where Petruchio continues to censure his new bride. Returning to the stage, Petruchio explains his plan: to keep Kate hungry and uncomfortable until he successfully tames her wild behavior.

Scene 1, when coupled with the wedding scene just prior, gives modern audiences a rather negative view of Petruchio. Elizabethan playgoers, on the other hand, would have had very little problem with the tactics Petruchio takes to tame his wife . For Elizabethans, few problems were worse than an unruly wife. A woman dominating a man was considered an affront to his masculinity, and therefore men were encouraged to keep women in tow by whatever means possible. Men, in fact, were sometimes punished for having an adulterous wife, for instance. As if her infidelity were not enough, the husband  would often be subjected to additional public humiliation for allowing his wife to be out of control. Although Petruchio's tactics seem strong to our modern sensibilities, they are nowhere near as forceful and unpleasant as some of the sermons and stories of Shakespeare's day suggest. The Taming of the Shrew, based in part on A Merry Jest of a Shrew and Curst Wife, Lapped in Morel's Skin, thankfully does not employ the same sort of punishment recommended in A Merry Jest .  In keeping with the farcical tradition in which The Taming of the Shrew belongs, Shakespeare fills Act IV, Scene 1 with Petruchio's comic taming tactics. We can only laugh as Grumio recounts how Kate's horse slipped in the mud, throwing her and, to make matters worse, landing on her. Petruchio, with a touch of reverse psychology, berates Grumio for letting Kate's horse slip rather than helping Kate. Later, he sends back her much-anticipated dinner, claiming it was burned and therefore would be bad for her . Again, he couches his remarks, appearing to be acting in her best interest. We later learn his plan is to continue to deprive her of food, rest, and other necessities, hoping to bring her to the breaking point. He admits, too, "That all is done in reverent care of her"  and that he'll "curb her mad and headstrong humor" by killing her with  kindness . Although Petruchio appears domineering and belligerent, we quickly see he is merely assuming a role. We know from our initial contact with Petruchio that he is a clever and generally good-spirited fellow whose greatest fault may be that he is out to win his fortune. What fortune can be made, we must ask ourselves, if his wife is brutally abused and tormented throughout their marriage? Very little can come from a long-term plan for abuse. We must suspect that he is, rather, assuming a role  until the desired goal  is achieved. Petruchio's final speech in this scene, in fact, confirms that is his plan. He assumes the role of tamer, treating Kate just as she has been treating those around her. He has "politicly begun  reign" , but we must wonder whether he will, in fact, be successful. In some regards, he seems to be gaining the upper hand, treating his wife no better than an animal, but by this point we know Kate well enough not to underestimate her. Shakespeare, in fact, continues to build our sympathy for Kate the Curst. The tacit endearment which began in earnest in Act III, Scene 2  continues in this scene. Much of the action is highly comic, but underneath it all remains a woman who is taken out of the only environment she has ever known and placed in an entirely foreign surrounding, married to a man who equates her in every way with his other worldly possessions. Baptista, although he may have favored Bianca, certainly never treated Katherine as she is now being treated. We cannot help but feel some emotion for a woman who is forced to endure humiliation and discomfort at her husband's hands. Of course, we may reason, as Petruchio does, that she deserves no special considerations because her behavior doesn't warrant it. Throughout all the commotion of Act IV, Scene 1, we can begin to see a glimmer of change in Katherine. She is beginning to mature and see the world from a perspective other than her own. Our first indication of her growth comes from Grumio's account of the journey. After her horse slipped and Petruchio began to beat Grumio for the horse's fall, Kate, seeing the foolhardy injustice of Petruchio's action, comes to Grumio's defense, wading "through the dirt to pluck  off " . Later, when one of the servants is excessively punished for spilling water as Kate washes for dinner, she is quick to come to the man's defense, claiming "@'twas a fault unwilling" . Clearly she is beginning, ever so slowly, to see the world differently than she did in the opening acts of the play. Although it is satisfying to see Katherine mature somewhat, her change leads us to raise one of the more perplexing questions surrounding this play: Did she have to change? Critics are divided on this issue and, unfortunately, the answer becomes less and less clear as the play continues . Glossary rayed  dirtied. coney-catching  cheating, trickery. fustian  a coarse cloth of cotton and linen. jacks  servingmen; also, drinking vessels. jills  maidservants; also "gills," drinking vessels. fallen out  quarreling. imprimis  in the first place. foul  muddy. miry  full of, or having the nature of, mire; swampy. bemoiled  dirtied with mire. countenance  to give support or sanction to; approve or tolerate. credit  pay respects to. cock's passion  by God's  suffering. drudge  a person who does hard, menial, or tedious work. unpinked  lacking in eyelets or in ornamental tracing in the leather. link  a torch made of tow and pitch. soud  a nonsense expression of impatience. unwilling  unintentional. dresser  the person who dresses or prepares the food. trenchers  wooden boards or platters on which to carve or serve meat. jolt-heads  blockheads. sermon of continency  lecture on self-restraint; moderation. "man my haggard"  "tame my wild  hawk." kites  any of various accipitrine birds with long, pointed wings and, usually, a forked tail: they prey especially on insects, reptiles, and small mammals. hurly  uproar; turmoil. humor  disposition or temperament.


SCENE II.
Padua. Before BAPTISTA'S house

Enter TRANIO as LUCENTIO, and HORTENSIO as LICIO

  TRANIO. Is 't possible, friend Licio, that Mistress Bianca
    Doth fancy any other but Lucentio?
    I tell you, sir, she bears me fair in hand.
  HORTENSIO. Sir, to satisfy you in what I have said,
    Stand by and mark the manner of his teaching.
                                              [They stand aside]

               Enter BIANCA, and LUCENTIO as CAMBIO

  LUCENTIO. Now, mistress, profit you in what you read?
  BIANCA. What, master, read you, First resolve me that.
  LUCENTIO. I read that I profess, 'The Art to Love.'
  BIANCA. And may you prove, sir, master of your art!
  LUCENTIO. While you, sweet dear, prove mistress of my heart.
                                                   [They retire]
  HORTENSIO. Quick proceeders, marry! Now tell me, I pray,
    You that durst swear that your Mistress Bianca
    Lov'd none in the world so well as Lucentio.
  TRANIO. O despiteful love! unconstant womankind!
    I tell thee, Licio, this is wonderful.
  HORTENSIO. Mistake no more; I am not Licio.
    Nor a musician as I seem to be;
    But one that scorn to live in this disguise
    For such a one as leaves a gentleman
    And makes a god of such a cullion.
    Know, sir, that I am call'd Hortensio.
  TRANIO. Signior Hortensio, I have often heard
    Of your entire affection to Bianca;
    And since mine eyes are witness of her lightness,
    I will with you, if you be so contented,
    Forswear Bianca and her love for ever.
  HORTENSIO. See, how they kiss and court! Signior Lucentio,
    Here is my hand, and here I firmly vow
    Never to woo her more, but do forswear her,
    As one unworthy all the former favours
    That I have fondly flatter'd her withal.
  TRANIO. And here I take the like unfeigned oath,
    Never to marry with her though she would entreat;
    Fie on her! See how beastly she doth court him!
  HORTENSIO. Would all the world but he had quite forsworn!
    For me, that I may surely keep mine oath,
    I will be married to a wealtlly widow
    Ere three days pass, which hath as long lov'd me
    As I have lov'd this proud disdainful haggard.
    And so farewell, Signior Lucentio.
    Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks,
    Shall win my love; and so I take my leave,
    In resolution as I swore before.                        Exit
  TRANIO. Mistress Bianca, bless you with such grace
    As 'longeth to a lover's blessed case!
    Nay, I have ta'en you napping, gentle love,
    And have forsworn you with Hortensio.
  BIANCA. Tranio, you jest; but have you both forsworn me?
  TRANIO. Mistress, we have.
  LUCENTIO. Then we are rid of Licio.
  TRANIO. I' faith, he'll have a lusty widow now,
    That shall be woo'd and wedded in a day.
  BIANCA. God give him joy!
  TRANIO. Ay, and he'll tame her.
  BIANCA. He says so, Tranio.
  TRANIO. Faith, he is gone unto the taming-school.
  BIANCA. The taming-school! What, is there such a place?
  TRANIO. Ay, mistress; and Petruchio is the master,
    That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty long,
    To tame a shrew and charm her chattering tongue.

                       Enter BIONDELLO

  BIONDELLO. O master, master I have watch'd so long
    That I am dog-weary; but at last I spied
    An ancient angel coming down the hill
    Will serve the turn.
  TRANIO. What is he, Biondello?
  BIONDELLO. Master, a mercatante or a pedant,
    I know not what; but formal in apparel,
    In gait and countenance surely like a father.
  LUCENTIO. And what of him, Tranio?
  TRANIO. If he be credulous and trust my tale,
    I'll make him glad to seem Vincentio,
    And give assurance to Baptista Minola
    As if he were the right Vincentio.
    Take in your love, and then let me alone.
                                      Exeunt LUCENTIO and BIANCA

                         Enter a PEDANT

  PEDANT. God save you, sir!
  TRANIO. And you, sir; you are welcome.
    Travel you far on, or are you at the farthest?
  PEDANT. Sir, at the farthest for a week or two;
    But then up farther, and as far as Rome;
    And so to Tripoli, if God lend me life.
  TRANIO. What countryman, I pray?
  PEDANT. Of Mantua.
  TRANIO. Of Mantua, sir? Marry, God forbid,
    And come to Padua, careless of your life!
  PEDANT. My life, sir! How, I pray? For that goes hard.
  TRANIO. 'Tis death for any one in Mantua
    To come to Padua. Know you not the cause?
    Your ships are stay'd at Venice; and the Duke,
    For private quarrel 'twixt your Duke and him,
    Hath publish'd and proclaim'd it openly.
    'Tis marvel- but that you are but newly come,
    You might have heard it else proclaim'd about.
  PEDANT. Alas, sir, it is worse for me than so!
    For I have bills for money by exchange
    From Florence, and must here deliver them.
  TRANIO. Well, sir, to do you courtesy,
    This will I do, and this I will advise you-
    First, tell me, have you ever been at Pisa?
  PEDANT. Ay, sir, in Pisa have I often been,
    Pisa renowned for grave citizens.
  TRANIO. Among them know you one Vincentio?
  PEDANT. I know him not, but I have heard of him,
    A merchant of incomparable wealth.
  TRANIO. He is my father, sir; and, sooth to say,
    In count'nance somewhat doth resemble you.
  BIONDELLO.  [Aside]  As much as an apple doth an oyster, and
all
    one.
  TRANIO. To save your life in this extremity,
    This favour will I do you for his sake;
    And think it not the worst of all your fortunes
    That you are like to Sir Vincentio.
    His name and credit shall you undertake,
    And in my house you shall be friendly lodg'd;
    Look that you take upon you as you should.
    You understand me, sir. So shall you stay
    Till you have done your business in the city.
    If this be court'sy, sir, accept of it.
  PEDANT. O, sir, I do; and will repute you ever
    The patron of my life and liberty.
  TRANIO. Then go with me to make the matter good.
    This, by the way, I let you understand:
    My father is here look'd for every day
    To pass assurance of a dow'r in marriage
    'Twixt me and one Baptista's daughter here.
    In all these circumstances I'll instruct you.
    Go with me to clothe you as becomes you.              Exeunt

Back in Padua, outside of Baptista's house, Tranio and Hortensio spy on Bianca and Lucentio as the pair flirt with each other. Hortensio thinks Bianca is acting improper, so he takes off his disguise. Tranio gets Hortensio to agree to give up his suit for Bianca and they both swear to each other that they will never marry her. Before he runs off, Hortensio says he's going to marry the rich Widow. Tranio, Lucentio, and Bianca get together and laugh at how they got rid of Hortensio so Bianca and Lucentio can run off to Vegas and get married. Tranio says that Hortensio has gone to Petruchio's "taming school" to learn how to tame his future wife, the Widow. Biondello rushes in and says that he found the perfect guy to play the role of Lucentio's dad. The Pedant arrives and says he's come from Mantua. Tranio lies and says the Pedant is up a creek without a paddle because the Duke of Padua executes all citizens of Mantua if they come within city limits. But, Tranio will help him out and let him pretend to be his father so he won't be harmed. The grateful Pedant agrees to meet with Baptista and says he will negotiate Lucentio's wedding dowry as if he were Lucentio's real father.

Hortensio, angered by what he has learned of Bianca's behavior, attempts to sour Lucentio against Bianca. Tranio feigns indignation at the situation, appearing unwilling to believe Bianca would love anyone but him. Before long, Tranio must admit Bianca exhibits more than a passing interest in Cambio . Hortensio, increasingly enraged, vows he will foreswear Bianca and gets Tranio to agree to reject her as well. Hortensio continues, pledging to marry a wealthy widow "Ere three days pass," resolving "Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks, / Shall win my love" . Lucentio, Bianca, and Tranio are overjoyed to hear Hortensio has abandoned his pursuit of Bianca. As they discuss their good fortune, Biondello enters with news: An old man approaches. Lucentio and Tranio are still looking for an old man to assume the role of Lucentio's father . Tranio, still masquerading as Lucentio, convinces the old man, a Mantuan schoolteacher, that his life is in peril if he is found in Padua . Tranio tells the old man that he may disguise himself as Vincentio of Pisa and thereby avoid risking his life. In return, the old man need only confirm the dower he offered Baptista for marrying Bianca.

Scene 2 returns us to Padua and the play's subplot. The scene, generally comic in nature, accomplishes two major things. First, it removes Hortensio from the love triangle and helps set up the marriage triad which is so crucial to Act V, Scene 2. Next, Lucentio and Tranio find an old man to impersonate Lucentio's father, Vincentio, and make the last part of their charade complete. Hortensio's quick and simple rejection of his beloved Bianca may strike us as curious, but his action contributes to Shakespeare's predominate themes of courtship and marriage. Hortensio is easily as fickle as any woman in his feelings for Bianca. Instead of gracefully removing himself from the love triangle, Hortensio removes himself with an unwarranted vengeance . He is quick to curse Bianca, but the joke really is on him, as the audience is well aware. Hortensio's somewhat cryptic line "Would all the world but he had quite forsworn!"  provides a clue as to his folly. He says, in essence, that he hopes everyone in the world will forsake Bianca except the poverty-stricken Cambio, leaving her with what she deserves -- nothing. In reality, though, Cambio is far from poor and is, in fact, quite a good catch. Through Hortensio's easy transference of affection, from Bianca to the unnamed widow, Shakespeare again directs our attention to the fleeting nature of supposed "love." As we have seen before, marriage is, for Hortensio as well as other male characters, merely a business transaction. Hortensio feels pressure to be married, so he shall be. He admits to selecting a potential spouse based on beauty , but when that doesn't work, he opts for selecting one based on "kindness" . We will see later, though, that Hortensio did not necessarily follow his own advice, opting instead to marry for financial reasons . Perhaps the character who comes off best in this scene is Tranio. We see he is as clever and capable as his master -- perhaps even more so. He is able to think on his feet easily and has no problem playing Hortensio like a lute. The only place where Tranio's behavior makes audiences take pause is when he claims Hortensio has "gone unto the taming-school," however . He could have had no indication such was the case unless Hortensio delivered the information off stage or in now lost lines. In addition to easily mastering Hortensio, Tranio succinctly maneuvers the Pedant into precisely the position he desires. Unlike Tranio, the Pedant is a flat, rather gullible character. He is quickly taken in by Tranio's fiction and, in fact, considers himself lucky to have found such a benefactor. Ironically, the Pedant is quite the opposite from Vincentio, the man he will impersonate. Biondello, in fact, says as much, when he mutters the two men are as like "as an apple doth an oyster" . Humorously, the poor unknowing Pedant will impersonate one of the richest and most well known men in Pisa while he, himself, is of much a much meaner background. Instead of riches, he delivers "bills for money by exchange" , or promissory notes. Glossary profit  reap an advantage or benefit. resolve  determine; answer. The Art of Love  Ovid's Ars Amatoria. proceeders  workers. despiteful  spiteful; malicious. wonderful  that causes wonder; amazing. cullion  a low, contemptible fellow. lightness  wantonness. fondly  foolishly. haggard  a wild hawk. "eleven-and-twenty long"  "right on the money"; allusion to the card game "one-and-thirty." marcantant  a merchant. pedant  a schoolmaster. "let me alone"  "count on me." stayed  stopped; halted. credit  the favorable estimate of a person's character; reputation; good name. "take upon you"  play your part. repute  regard. pass assurance  to give a legal guarantee. dower  that part of a man's property which his widow inherits for life.


SCENE III.
PETRUCHIO'S house

Enter KATHERINA and GRUMIO

  GRUMIO. No, no, forsooth; I dare not for my life.
  KATHERINA. The more my wrong, the more his spite appears.
    What, did he marry me to famish me?
    Beggars that come unto my father's door
    Upon entreaty have a present alms;
    If not, elsewhere they meet with charity;
    But I, who never knew how to entreat,
    Nor never needed that I should entreat,
    Am starv'd for meat, giddy for lack of sleep;
    With oaths kept waking, and with brawling fed;
    And that which spites me more than all these wants-
    He does it under name of perfect love;
    As who should say, if I should sleep or eat,
    'Twere deadly sickness or else present death.
    I prithee go and get me some repast;
    I care not what, so it be wholesome food.
  GRUMIO. What say you to a neat's foot?
  KATHERINA. 'Tis passing good; I prithee let me have it.
  GRUMIO. I fear it is too choleric a meat.
    How say you to a fat tripe finely broil'd?
  KATHERINA. I like it well; good Grumio, fetch it me.
  GRUMIO. I cannot tell; I fear 'tis choleric.
    What say you to a piece of beef and mustard?
  KATHERINA. A dish that I do love to feed upon.
  GRUMIO. Ay, but the mustard is too hot a little.
  KATHERINA. Why then the beef, and let the mustard rest.
  GRUMIO. Nay, then I will not; you shall have the mustard,
    Or else you get no beef of Grumio.
  KATHERINA. Then both, or one, or anything thou wilt.
  GRUMIO. Why then the mustard without the beef.
  KATHERINA. Go, get thee gone, thou false deluding slave,
                                                     [Beats him]
    That feed'st me with the very name of meat.
    Sorrow on thee and all the pack of you
    That triumph thus upon my misery!
    Go, get thee gone, I say.

               Enter PETRUCHIO, and HORTENSIO with meat

  PETRUCHIO. How fares my Kate? What, sweeting, all amort?
  HORTENSIO. Mistress, what cheer?
  KATHERINA. Faith, as cold as can be.
  PETRUCHIO. Pluck up thy spirits, look cheerfully upon me.
    Here, love, thou seest how diligent I am,
    To dress thy meat myself, and bring it thee.
    I am sure, sweet Kate, this kindness merits thanks.
    What, not a word? Nay, then thou lov'st it not,
    And all my pains is sorted to no proof.
    Here, take away this dish.
  KATHERINA. I pray you, let it stand.
  PETRUCHIO. The poorest service is repaid with thanks;
    And so shall mine, before you touch the meat.
  KATHERINA. I thank you, sir.
  HORTENSIO. Signior Petruchio, fie! you are to blame.
    Come, Mistress Kate, I'll bear you company.
  PETRUCHIO.  [Aside]  Eat it up all, Hortensio, if thou lovest
me.-
    Much good do it unto thy gentle heart!
    Kate, eat apace. And now, my honey love,
    Will we return unto thy father's house
    And revel it as bravely as the best,
    With silken coats and caps, and golden rings,
    With ruffs and cuffs and farthingales and things,
    With scarfs and fans and double change of brav'ry.
    With amber bracelets, beads, and all this knav'ry.
    What, hast thou din'd? The tailor stays thy leisure,
    To deck thy body with his ruffling treasure.

                          Enter TAILOR

    Come, tailor, let us see these ornaments;
    Lay forth the gown.

                        Enter HABERDASHER

    What news with you, sir?
  HABERDASHER. Here is the cap your worship did bespeak.
  PETRUCHIO. Why, this was moulded on a porringer;
    A velvet dish. Fie, fie! 'tis lewd and filthy;
    Why, 'tis a cockle or a walnut-shell,
    A knack, a toy, a trick, a baby's cap.
    Away with it. Come, let me have a bigger.
  KATHERINA. I'll have no bigger; this doth fit the time,
    And gentlewomen wear such caps as these.
  PETRUCHIO. When you are gentle, you shall have one too,
    And not till then.
  HORTENSIO.  [Aside]  That will not be in haste.
  KATHERINA. Why, sir, I trust I may have leave to speak;
    And speak I will. I am no child, no babe.
    Your betters have endur'd me say my mind,
    And if you cannot, best you stop your ears.
    My tongue will tell the anger of my heart,
    Or else my heart, concealing it, will break;
    And rather than it shall, I will be free
    Even to the uttermost, as I please, in words.
  PETRUCHIO. Why, thou say'st true; it is a paltry cap,
    A custard-coffin, a bauble, a silken pie;
    I love thee well in that thou lik'st it not.
  KATHERINA. Love me or love me not, I like the cap;
    And it I will have, or I will have none.    Exit HABERDASHER
  PETRUCHIO. Thy gown? Why, ay. Come, tailor, let us see't.
    O mercy, God! what masquing stuff is here?
    What's this? A sleeve? 'Tis like a demi-cannon.
    What, up and down, carv'd like an appletart?
    Here's snip and nip and cut and slish and slash,
    Like to a censer in a barber's shop.
    Why, what a devil's name, tailor, call'st thou this?
  HORTENSIO.  [Aside]  I see she's like to have neither cap nor
gown.
  TAILOR. You bid me make it orderly and well,
    According to the fashion and the time.
  PETRUCHIO. Marry, and did; but if you be rememb'red,
    I did not bid you mar it to the time.
    Go, hop me over every kennel home,
    For you shall hop without my custom, sir.
    I'll none of it; hence! make your best of it.
  KATHERINA. I never saw a better fashion'd gown,
    More quaint, more pleasing, nor more commendable;
    Belike you mean to make a puppet of me.
  PETRUCHIO. Why, true; he means to make a puppet of thee.
  TAILOR. She says your worship means to make a puppet of her.
  PETRUCHIO. O monstrous arrogance! Thou liest, thou thread, thou
      thimble,
    Thou yard, three-quarters, half-yard, quarter, nail,
    Thou flea, thou nit, thou winter-cricket thou-
    Brav'd in mine own house with a skein of thread!
    Away, thou rag, thou quantity, thou remnant;
    Or I shall so bemete thee with thy yard
    As thou shalt think on prating whilst thou liv'st!
    I tell thee, I, that thou hast marr'd her gown.
  TAILOR. Your worship is deceiv'd; the gown is made
    Just as my master had direction.
    Grumio gave order how it should be done.
  GRUMIO. I gave him no order; I gave him the stuff.
  TAILOR. But how did you desire it should be made?
  GRUMIO. Marry, sir, with needle and thread.
  TAILOR. But did you not request to have it cut?
  GRUMIO. Thou hast fac'd many things.
  TAILOR. I have.
  GRUMIO. Face not me. Thou hast brav'd many men; brave not me. I
    will neither be fac'd nor brav'd. I say unto thee, I bid thy
    master cut out the gown; but I did not bid him cut it to
pieces.
    Ergo, thou liest.
  TAILOR. Why, here is the note of the fashion to testify.
  PETRUCHIO. Read it.
  GRUMIO. The note lies in's throat, if he say I said so.
  TAILOR.  [Reads]  'Imprimis, a loose-bodied gown'-
  GRUMIO. Master, if ever I said loose-bodied gown, sew me in the
    skirts of it and beat me to death with a bottom of brown
bread; I
    said a gown.
  PETRUCHIO. Proceed.
  TAILOR.  [Reads]  'With a small compass'd cape'-
  GRUMIO. I confess the cape.
  TAILOR.  [Reads]  'With a trunk sleeve'-
  GRUMIO. I confess two sleeves.
  TAILOR.  [Reads]  'The sleeves curiously cut.'
  PETRUCHIO. Ay, there's the villainy.
  GRUMIO. Error i' th' bill, sir; error i' th' bill! I commanded
the
    sleeves should be cut out, and sew'd up again; and that I'll
    prove upon thee, though thy little finger be armed in a
thimble.
  TAILOR. This is true that I say; an I had thee in place where,
thou
    shouldst know it.
  GRUMIO. I am for thee straight; take thou the bill, give me thy
    meteyard, and spare not me.
  HORTENSIO. God-a-mercy, Grumio! Then he shall have no odds.
  PETRUCHIO. Well, sir, in brief, the gown is not for me.
  GRUMIO. You are i' th' right, sir; 'tis for my mistress.
  PETRUCHIO. Go, take it up unto thy master's use.
  GRUMIO. Villain, not for thy life! Take up my mistress' gown
for
    thy master's use!
  PETRUCHIO. Why, sir, what's your conceit in that?
  GRUMIO. O, sir, the conceit is deeper than you think for.
    Take up my mistress' gown to his master's use!
    O fie, fie, fie!
  PETRUCHIO.  [Aside]  Hortensio, say thou wilt see the tailor
paid.-
    Go take it hence; be gone, and say no more.
  HORTENSIO. Tailor, I'll pay thee for thy gown to-morrow;
    Take no unkindness of his hasty words.
    Away, I say; commend me to thy master.           Exit TAILOR
  PETRUCHIO. Well, come, my Kate; we will unto your father's
    Even in these honest mean habiliments;
    Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor;
    For 'tis the mind that makes the body rich;
    And as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds,
    So honour peereth in the meanest habit.
    What, is the jay more precious than the lark
    Because his feathers are more beautiful?
    Or is the adder better than the eel
    Because his painted skin contents the eye?
    O no, good Kate; neither art thou the worse
    For this poor furniture and mean array.
    If thou account'st it shame, lay it on me;
    And therefore frolic; we will hence forthwith
    To feast and sport us at thy father's house.
    Go call my men, and let us straight to him;
    And bring our horses unto Long-lane end;
    There will we mount, and thither walk on foot.
    Let's see; I think 'tis now some seven o'clock,
    And well we may come there by dinner-time.
  KATHERINA. I dare assure you, sir, 'tis almost two,
    And 'twill be supper-time ere you come there.
  PETRUCHIO. It shall be seven ere I go to horse.
    Look what I speak, or do, or think to do,
    You are still crossing it. Sirs, let 't alone;
    I will not go to-day; and ere I do,
    It shall be what o'clock I say it is.
  HORTENSIO. Why, so this gallant will command the sun.
                                                          Exeunt

Back at Petruchio's country house, Kate begs Grumio to make her something to eat because she's starving, sleep deprived, and has been verbally abused by Petruchio. Grumio taunts Kate with tasty treats like ox foot and tripe but ends up offering only mustard. Kate beats him and calls him a jerk. Petruchio and Hortensio show up with a plate full of meat but, when Petruchio sees that Kate is upset, he uses it as an excuse not to feed her. He orders the meat taken away until Kate apologizes for being ungrateful. Hortensio sticks up for Kate and Petruchio whispers in his ear to eat all the meat so Kate can't get any. Petruchio announces that they'll get dressed up in custom-made outfits and travel to Padua for Bianca's wedding. The Haberdasher and the Tailor enter and Petruchio yells at them and kicks them out after inspecting their so-called shoddy workmanship. Kate likes the clothes but Petruchio insists they wear old rags to the wedding. He whispers to Hortensio to run after the tailor and pay him for his work. Petruchio delivers a long speech about how clothes aren't important and says things that amount to "It's what's on the inside that really counts - we should just go to the wedding and have a good time." Petruchio then announces that it is 7am, so if they leave now they will arrive in Padua by noon. Kate points out that it's almost 2pm and they won't get there until close to 6 pm. Petruchio insists that it is whatever time he says and, unless Kate agrees, they're not going anywhere. Hortensio admires Petruchio and thinks that he's the ultimate shrew-taming champion.

Petruchio, Kate, and Hortensio are on their way to Baptista Minola's house in Padua. It is midday, yet Petruchio notes the moon shines brightly. When Kate contests his claim, insisting it is the sun which shines, Petruchio threatens to force the party to return to his home, insisting "It shall be moon, or star, or what I list / Or ere I journey to your father's house -- " . At this point, Katherine begins truly to understand the elaborate game Petruchio is playing. She learns that if she humors him, she will get something she wants, and so she agrees with whatever Petruchio says. Kate's willingness to compromise is quickly put to the test when old Vincentio, father to Lucentio, meets the travelers. Petruchio, as if testing his wife, asks her whether she has ever seen a "fresher gentlewoman." Kate, aware she is being tested, plays Petruchio's game with good-natured zeal, no matter how many times Petruchio changes his mind. Once the couple is through playing their game, Petruchio gets Vincentio to explain what brings him toward Padua. Vincentio notes that he is on his way to visit his son. Petruchio, now assuming the dignity and kindness which befits a man of his status, notes that Lucentio has married his wife's sister. He speaks well of Bianca but leaves Vincentio marveling at what he's just heard. Despite their earlier joking, Petruchio insists he speaks the truth. The party moves on, leaving Hortensio behind to marvel at the change he has just witnessed in Katherine. He ends the scene by suggesting that he will follow Petruchio's lead and tame his widow, if need be.

Although Act IV, Scene 5 is the shortest scene of the play, it is clearly the most important one so far. Here we see Kate coming to understand that, when she agrees to let Petruchio have his way, she reaps the benefits. It is not at all certain that Kate is tamed by her husband; rather through the situations he involves her in, she develops, moving from a selfish girl lashing out in defense against her father's favoritism, to a more mature woman who finally sees adult life is made of compromises. Many critics see Act IV, Scene 5 as marking the point of Kate's defeat. In reality, she is not defeated at all. The game which she has played expertly up until the time of her marriage  has changed and become far more sophisticated. Rather than succumbing to Petruchio's demands, she learns that marriage is built around give and take; it is a compromise. When she chooses to follow the rules, she is rewarded -- and so is Petruchio. By humoring Petruchio in his purposely outlandish demands that the sun is the moon, the moon is the sun, and that the old man a young woman, Kate's life runs much more smoothly. Petruchio, on the other hand, will gladly give Kate anything she desires, as long as she is willing to humor him. In some senses, perhaps, this game gives Petruchio power, but it is power he is willing to share with her. He, too, is glad to compromise once the initial rules are met. Further, he knows Kate has come to understand what he's up to; her good humored and elaborate replies clearly reveal she is willing to play his game and perhaps best him at it, too. Petruchio knows he has an especially wise wife who can match his wit and will if she so desires. In the end, Kate has not lost anything. Rather, a new world has opened to her -- an adult world with adult compromises and consequences. Her increased maturity is, in fact, quite becoming. Vincentio's arrival on the scene moves us toward the play's inevitable intertwining of the primary and secondary plots. With all the disguising which has occurred in the play, Vincentio's arrival isn't totally unexpected. As with all good comedies of mistaken identity, an outsider  is needed to reveal the masquerade and set the action toward the path of resolution. Interestingly, Vincentio is momentarily taken aback by the travelers' news, however, since they strike him more as a team of practical jokers than a powerful husband lording over his submissive wife . Finally, this scene, like the third scene in Act IV, makes a point of including Hortensio. There is, of course, no likely reason he would need to journey to Petruchio's house prior to wedding his widow, but his appearance here has two distinct effects. First, when Kate and Petruchio call Vincentio a "fair lovely maid"  and "Young, budding virgin, fair, and fresh, and sweet"  Hortensio frets "@'A will make the man mad, to make a woman of him." . The couple, though, continues in jest, signaling Hortensio is an outsider to their game. He worries about Vincentio taking offense, whereas Petruchio and Kate are caught up in their own world and are unconcerned with upsetting the old man. In short, through Hortensio's offhand remark, Shakespeare shows us how in this scene Petruchio and Kate come together as a team. Hortensio, through his comment at scene's end, also helps us see that Petruchio is admired for his accomplishment. Hortensio marvels: "Well, Petruchio, this has put me in heart. / Have to my widow! And if she be froward, / Then hast thou taught Hortensio to be untoward" . He is clearly impressed by Petruchio's ability to enact such a change in Katherine. He has come to realize that the feat which he thought impossible at the end of Act IV, Scene 3 has come to pass; Petruchio is able to command the sun. In keeping with his shallow nature, however, Hortensio recognizes little about what has unfolded before him. All he knows is that he wants to emulate Petruchio so as to get his wife to follow him as well as Kate follows Petruchio. Little does he realize that being "untoward" , or unmannerly, is only part of the trick. A firm foundation in sincere affection, as we shall see in Act V, is crucial as well. Glossary list  wish. or ere  before. "Where away?"  "Where are you going?" green  fresh; new. "by this"  "by this time." esteem  favorable opinion; high regard; respect. beseem  to be suitable or appropriate. "break a jest"  "play a joke." jealous  very watchful or careful in guarding or keeping. "put me in heart"  "encouraged me."


SCENE IV.
Padua. Before BAPTISTA'S house

Enter TRANIO as LUCENTIO, and the PEDANT dressed like VINCENTIO

  TRANIO. Sir, this is the house; please it you that I call?
  PEDANT. Ay, what else? And, but I be deceived,
    Signior Baptista may remember me
    Near twenty years ago in Genoa,
    Where we were lodgers at the Pegasus.
  TRANIO. 'Tis well; and hold your own, in any case,
    With such austerity as longeth to a father.

                       Enter BIONDELLO

  PEDANT. I warrant you. But, sir, here comes your boy;
    'Twere good he were school'd.
  TRANIO. Fear you not him. Sirrah Biondello,
    Now do your duty throughly, I advise you.
    Imagine 'twere the right Vincentio.
  BIONDELLO. Tut, fear not me.
  TRANIO. But hast thou done thy errand to Baptista?
  BIONDELLO. I told him that your father was at Venice,
    And that you look'd for him this day in Padua.
  TRANIO. Th'art a tall fellow; hold thee that to drink.
    Here comes Baptista. Set your countenance, sir.

                 Enter BAPTISTA, and LUCENTIO as CAMBIO

    Signior Baptista, you are happily met.
    [To To the PEDANT] Sir, this is the gentleman I told you of;
    I pray you stand good father to me now;
    Give me Bianca for my patrimony.
  PEDANT. Soft, son!
    Sir, by your leave: having come to Padua
    To gather in some debts, my son Lucentio
    Made me acquainted with a weighty cause
    Of love between your daughter and himself;
    And- for the good report I hear of you,
    And for the love he beareth to your daughter,
    And she to him- to stay him not too long,
    I am content, in a good father's care,
    To have him match'd; and, if you please to like
    No worse than I, upon some agreement
    Me shall you find ready and willing
    With one consent to have her so bestow'd;
    For curious I cannot be with you,
    Signior Baptista, of whom I hear so well.
  BAPTISTA. Sir, pardon me in what I have to say.
    Your plainness and your shortness please me well.
    Right true it is your son Lucentio here
    Doth love my daughter, and she loveth him,
    Or both dissemble deeply their affections;
    And therefore, if you say no more than this,
    That like a father you will deal with him,
    And pass my daughter a sufficient dower,
    The match is made, and all is done-
    Your son shall have my daughter with consent.
  TRANIO. I thank you, sir. Where then do you know best
    We be affied, and such assurance ta'en
    As shall with either part's agreement stand?
  BAPTISTA. Not in my house, Lucentio, for you know
    Pitchers have ears, and I have many servants;
    Besides, old Gremio is heark'ning still,
    And happily we might be interrupted.
  TRANIO. Then at my lodging, an it like you.
    There doth my father lie; and there this night
    We'll pass the business privately and well.
    Send for your daughter by your servant here;
    My boy shall fetch the scrivener presently.
    The worst is this, that at so slender warning
    You are like to have a thin and slender pittance.
  BAPTISTA. It likes me well. Cambio, hie you home,
    And bid Bianca make her ready straight;
    And, if you will, tell what hath happened-
    Lucentio's father is arriv'd in Padua,
    And how she's like to be Lucentio's wife.      Exit LUCENTIO
  BIONDELLO. I pray the gods she may, with all my heart.
  TRANIO. Dally not with the gods, but get thee gone.
                                                  Exit BIONDELLO
    Signior Baptista, shall I lead the way?
    Welcome! One mess is like to be your cheer;
    Come, sir; we will better it in Pisa.
  BAPTISTA. I follow you.                                 Exeunt

            Re-enter LUCENTIO as CAMBIO, and BIONDELLO

  BIONDELLO. Cambio.
  LUCENTIO. What say'st thou, Biondello?
  BIONDELLO. You saw my master wink and laugh upon you?
  LUCENTIO. Biondello, what of that?
  BIONDELLO. Faith, nothing; but has left me here behind to
expound
    the meaning or moral of his signs and tokens.
  LUCENTIO. I pray thee moralize them.
  BIONDELLO. Then thus: Baptista is safe, talking with the
deceiving
    father of a deceitful son.
  LUCENTIO. And what of him?
  BIONDELLO. His daughter is to be brought by you to the supper.
  LUCENTIO. And then?
  BIONDELLO. The old priest at Saint Luke's church is at your
command
    at all hours.
  LUCENTIO. And what of all this?
  BIONDELLO. I cannot tell, except they are busied about a
    counterfeit assurance. Take your assurance of her, cum
privilegio
    ad imprimendum solum; to th' church take the priest, clerk,
and
    some sufficient honest witnesses.
    If this be not that you look for, I have more to say,
    But bid Bianca farewell for ever and a day.
  LUCENTIO. Hear'st thou, Biondello?
  BIONDELLO. I cannot tarry. I knew a wench married in an
afternoon
    as she went to the garden for parsley to stuff a rabbit; and
so
    may you, sir; and so adieu, sir. My master hath appointed me
to
    go to Saint Luke's to bid the priest be ready to come against
you
    come with your appendix.
 Exit
  LUCENTIO. I may and will, if she be so contented.
    She will be pleas'd; then wherefore should I doubt?
    Hap what hap may, I'll roundly go about her;
    It shall go hard if Cambio go without her.              Exit

Back in Padua, Tranio and the Pedant wait for Baptista outside his house. The Pedant is introduced to Baptista as Vincentio and the two men seem pleased with one another and the kids' engagement. They all agree to go to Lucentio's place to settle their business and sign some contracts. Baptista sends "Cambio" to fetch Bianca and tell her the good news about her upcoming marriage to Lucentio. Instead of fetching Bianca and taking her to her dad, Lucentio catches up with Biondello, who brings him up to speed on the arrangements for his elopement with Bianca. While Baptista is kept busy signing fake contracts with Tranio and the Pedant , Bianca and Lucentio will go to St. Luke's church, where a priest is waiting. Biondello tells Lucentio to get to the church ASAP and to make sure he has some reliable witnesses to confirm the marriage. Lucentio runs off to find Bianca.

Lucentio and Bianca head to the church to be married while her father is busy making arrangements with Tranio and the Pedant. Petruchio, Kate, Vincentio, and Grumio arrive in Padua and stop at Lucentio's house. Vincentio insists his companions join him for a drink, but upon knocking at the door and announcing himself, he is surprised to find another man who claims to be Lucentio's father. When Biondello appears, Vincentio questions him. Biondello pretends not to recognize his master's father. When Tranio comes to investigate the commotion, he too pretends not to know Vincentio. When the Pedant defends Tranio, claiming he's Lucentio, Vincentio moans that Tranio must have murdered the real Lucentio and assumed his persona. Baptista, unwilling to put up with such wild behavior, orders Vincentio to prison. At this point the newlyweds, Lucentio and Bianca, return. Lucentio explains what has happened, why Tranio was masquerading as his master, and announces his marriage to Bianca. Baptista and Vincentio reconcile minimally and enter the house to untangle the situation in which they find themselves. Gremio, realizing he has no hope for a spouse, goes inside to join the wedding feast. Petruchio asks Kate for a kiss, and when she refuses, he threatens to return home again. Good humoredly, she kisses her husband before heading in to the feast.

Finally, in Act V, Scene 1, we arrive at the long awaited discovery scene. As wise connoisseurs of drama, we've known from the beginning that the disguising must be unraveled, and so it is, and in fine comic fashion. Of course, in keeping with comic tradition, little punishment is doled out, although Vincentio's feathers are certainly ruffled. After all, what gentleman wants to find out that not only has his identity been successfully stolen, but stolen by someone of a lower class, at that! Vincentio's arrival marks a return of order to the play. He is an outside force who is sober in judgment. Innocent of what has transpired in Padua since his son's arrival , he is unprepared for what he finds upon reaching Lucentio's house and has no reason not to be outraged. The Pedant has successfully assumed Vincentio's identity -- so fully, in fact, that he feels comfortable in disparaging the real Vincentio's wife, offering a backhanded slur about her reputation, stating Tranio is really Lucentio "so his mother says, if I may believe her" . Of course before the mistaken identities can be sorted out, confusion must reach its apex, and it does so with Biondello and then Tranio refusing to acknowledge they know Vincentio. What they're doing, in part, is attempting to buy time for their master, Lucentio, who has not yet returned from his secret marriage to Bianca. When Lucentio finally returns , Tranio, Biondello, and the Pedant all retreat "as fast as may be" , glad to extract themselves from a situation in which they were not likely to fare well. Baptista's and Vincentio's anger seems to be diffused upon the announcement that Lucentio and Bianca are married. Their response is, of course, the appropriate response given this is a comedy. In keeping with comic tradition, Shakespeare necessarily moves toward positive resolution and re-establishment of the proper social order, and how else could he do that, in this case, but have the two fathers pass over the wrongs done to them and celebrate their children's marriage. Note, however, that as the two patriarchs leave for the feast, Vincentio comments he will "be revenged for this villainy"  while Baptista vows "to sound the depth of this knavery" . Shakespeare is careful to keep all retribution off stage, as he does in all his comedies, so we are not distracted by punishment, but rather, invigorated by the successful marriages. As the scene ends, all but Petruchio and Kate have gone inside to the wedding feast. The last few lines are very telling and solidify the change in the couple  brought about in the prior scene. Kate begins their exchange this time, suggesting "Husband, let's follow, to see the end of this ado" . Surely she is not powerless since she is capable of suggesting the route of action they, as a couple, should take. Petruchio agrees to her suggestion, but desires a kiss first. Up until this point, we have seen no such display of affection, and Kate's initial refusal, we learn, is not because she doesn't want to kiss him, but that she doesn't want to kiss him in public. She relents and gives Petruchio a kiss, but again, it is under subtle threat  of having to return home and miss the feast. Petruchio, himself, seems genuinely pleased at the situation, wondering "Is not this well?" . The scene closes with Petruchio addressing his bride as "my sweet Kate" , a phrase which here assumes genuine sincerity as opposed to the ironic terms of endearment uttered in Act II. Just as much as Katherine has changed, so too has Petruchio. It seems the two have truly come to love each other. Glossary father's  father-in-law's. "You shall not choose but drink"  "I insist that you drink." flat  absolute; positive. cozen  to cheat; defraud. good shipping  bon voyage. crackhemp  rogue likely to end up being hanged. offer  dare. copintank  high-crowned, sugar-loaf shape. "good husband"  "good provider." 'cerns  concerns. maintain  afford. coney-catched  tricked. "wert best"  "might as well." haled  pulled forcibly; dragged; hauled. counterfeit supposes  suppositions; false appearances. packing  conspiracy. "My cake is dough"  "I'm out of luck." "Out of hope of all but"  "Having no hope except."


SCENE V.
A public road

Enter PETRUCHIO, KATHERINA, HORTENSIO, and SERVANTS

  PETRUCHIO. Come on, a God's name; once more toward our
father's.
    Good Lord, how bright and goodly shines the moon!
  KATHERINA. The moon? The sun! It is not moonlight now.
  PETRUCHIO. I say it is the moon that shines so bright.
  KATHERINA. I know it is the sun that shines so bright.
  PETRUCHIO. Now by my mother's son, and that's myself,
    It shall be moon, or star, or what I list,
    Or ere I journey to your father's house.
    Go on and fetch our horses back again.
    Evermore cross'd and cross'd; nothing but cross'd!
  HORTENSIO. Say as he says, or we shall never go.
  KATHERINA. Forward, I pray, since we have come so far,
    And be it moon, or sun, or what you please;
    And if you please to call it a rush-candle,
    Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
  PETRUCHIO. I say it is the moon.
  KATHERINA. I know it is the moon.
  PETRUCHIO. Nay, then you lie; it is the blessed sun.
  KATHERINA. Then, God be bless'd, it is the blessed sun;
    But sun it is not, when you say it is not;
    And the moon changes even as your mind.
    What you will have it nam'd, even that it is,
    And so it shall be so for Katherine.
  HORTENSIO. Petruchio, go thy ways, the field is won.
  PETRUCHIO. Well, forward, forward! thus the bowl should run,
    And not unluckily against the bias.
    But, soft! Company is coming here.

                            Enter VINCENTIO

    [To VINCENTIO]  Good-morrow, gentle mistress; where away?-
    Tell me, sweet Kate, and tell me truly too,
    Hast thou beheld a fresher gentlewoman?
    Such war of white and red within her cheeks!
    What stars do spangle heaven with such beauty
    As those two eyes become that heavenly face?
    Fair lovely maid, once more good day to thee.
    Sweet Kate, embrace her for her beauty's sake.
  HORTENSIO. 'A will make the man mad, to make a woman of him.
  KATHERINA. Young budding virgin, fair and fresh and sweet,
    Whither away, or where is thy abode?
    Happy the parents of so fair a child;
    Happier the man whom favourable stars
    Allots thee for his lovely bed-fellow.
  PETRUCHIO. Why, how now, Kate, I hope thou art not mad!
    This is a man, old, wrinkled, faded, withered,
    And not a maiden, as thou sayst he is.
  KATHERINA. Pardon, old father, my mistaking eyes,
    That have been so bedazzled with the sun
    That everything I look on seemeth green;
    Now I perceive thou art a reverend father.
    Pardon, I pray thee, for my mad mistaking.
  PETRUCHIO. Do, good old grandsire, and withal make known
    Which way thou travellest- if along with us,
    We shall be joyful of thy company.
  VINCENTIO. Fair sir, and you my merry mistress,
    That with your strange encounter much amaz'd me,
    My name is call'd Vincentio, my dwelling Pisa,
    And bound I am to Padua, there to visit
    A son of mine, which long I have not seen.
  PETRUCHIO. What is his name?
  VINCENTIO. Lucentio, gentle sir.
  PETRUCHIO. Happily met; the happier for thy son.
    And now by law, as well as reverend age,
    I may entitle thee my loving father:
    The sister to my wife, this gentlewoman,
    Thy son by this hath married. Wonder not,
    Nor be not grieved- she is of good esteem,
    Her dowry wealthy, and of worthy birth;
    Beside, so qualified as may beseem
    The spouse of any noble gentleman.
    Let me embrace with old Vincentio;
    And wander we to see thy honest son,
    Who will of thy arrival be full joyous.
  VINCENTIO. But is this true; or is it else your pleasure,
    Like pleasant travellers, to break a jest
    Upon the company you overtake?
  HORTENSIO. I do assure thee, father, so it is.
  PETRUCHIO. Come, go along, and see the truth hereof;
    For our first merriment hath made thee jealous.
                                        Exeunt all but HORTENSIO
  HORTENSIO. Well, Petruchio, this has put me in heart.
    Have to my widow; and if she be froward,
    Then hast thou taught Hortensio to be untoward.         Exit

On the road to Padua in the middle of the afternoon, Petruchio looks up at the sun and says the "moon" looks beautiful. Kate corrects him, but Petruchio says it's the moon or whatever else he says it is. Otherwise, nobody's going to the wedding, capice? Hortensio whispers to Kate to play along with Petruchio, so Kate says "OK, fine, it's the moon." "No," says Petruchio, "it's the sun." "OK," says Kate, "it's the sun or the moon, whatever you want it to be." They encounter an old man on the road to Padua and Petruchio pretends the guy is a young girl. Kate plays along this time and agrees with whatever Petruchio says. When the party learns that Vincentio is looking for his son Lucentio, Petruchio says he may as well be his father, too, since Lucentio is set to marry Kate's sister. They're one big happy family. Vincentio is surprised, but they assure him it's true and agree to take him to Lucentio's house. Petruchio, Kate, and Vincentio head off, but Hortensio stays behind. He says he's looking forward to his own marriage because he now knows how to deal with the widow if she gets mouthy and tries to act up.

In this final scene, all the characters come together to celebrate Bianca and Lucentio's wedding. Hortensio has arrived with his new wife, the Widow, and the three couples begin to converse. Petruchio notes how Hortensio appears to be afraid of his wife, with the Widow offering a few particularly nasty retorts. Kate and the Widow exchange words, and shortly thereafter the three women exit, leaving the men to their devices. The men decide to wager on who has the most obedient wife. They bet one hundred crowns and one by one send for their wives. Lucentio is immediately refused by Bianca. Hortensio is next to be refused, with his wife adding the command he should come to her. Finally Petruchio takes his turn, and all are surprised when Kate comes to do his bidding. Petruchio sends Kate to fetch the other women and, upon their arrival, tells Kate to destroy the hat she wears and then lecture the women on "What duty they do owe their lords and husbands" . After Kate delivers an elaborate speech about a woman's duty to her husband, the party-goers are left dumbfounded, and Petruchio and Kate leave the party, headed to bed.

Some critics regard this scene as one of the more enigmatic in Shakespearean comedy, but such a claim is really unwarranted. Oftentimes people are surprised at Kate's speech , but upon closer inspection it appears clear that her speech is in no way a concession; rather, it carries a much stronger message and brings the play to a clever resolution. Shakespeare gives us ample suggestions that audiences should not take Kate's soliloquy at face value but instead should look beyond the literal to the deeper meaning this passage contains. One of the first clues that Shakespeare intends Kate's speech not be taken literally is that the soliloquy comes in the context of an entertainment. Although Kate appears to speak earnestly, we must remember that she is playing a role in a game. The notion of husbands betting on their wives, in fact, is laughable and adds an air of merriment to the feast. After the women leave, the men are left to their devices. Petruchio clearly stands above all the other men in that he is gracious and dignified, offering a toast not only to the health of the newlyweds, but also "all that shot and missed" . The general consensus among the men, however, is that Petruchio has fared the worst of all, ending up with the woman Baptista himself calls "the veriest shrew of all" . Knowing the joke will be on the men, Petruchio calls for a wager. He even demands the ante be increased to an amount worthy of his wife. His willingness to wager on Kate is not mercenary or dehumanizing, as some critics might think, but rather, is a testament to his faith in her. He is, in essence, trusting her with his reputation. He's not the sort of man who would enter a contest so boldly if he weren't sure of winning. He is confident in his ability to understand Katherine, and she does not let him down. Lucentio begins the contest by summoning Bianca. Although just hours earlier she was demure and willing to do his bidding, Bianca is now headstrong. Her denial of Lucentio, in fact, serves as a hint of what's to come. Bianca, who's name means "white" and is associated with purity, is not at all pure of spirit. In fact, she has been disguised all along and after catching her husband, she is quick to abandon her false front. Hortensio takes up the challenge next, and after Bianca's refusal to appear, we are not at all surprised to find the Widow will not come when beckoned. In fact, the Widow insists "She will not come. She bids you come to her" . The Widow is no fool and is unwilling to give up even an ounce of her power. Why did she marry Hortensio, then? Most likely because of economic reasons. The tide is turned on Hortensio who thought he was gaining economic independence  by marrying the Widow. All eyes are on Petruchio when he calls his wife. He commands her presence  and Hortensio's entreating ), and much to everyone's surprise she appears. At this point, the crowd is flabbergasted, and their surprise provides Kate and Petruchio just the opportunity to get the best of all of them. Kate is aware Petruchio is not only staking his reputation on her, but he is giving her the opportunity to have power over all others present. By asking Kate to go get the other women, Petruchio gives her an opportunity to lord over the others. Later, in getting her to stomp on her hat, the couple works together to give the illusion of Petruchio having control, while in reality, they share power together and reap the mutual rewards . Kate's soliloquy on wifely obedience is, perhaps, the most important of the play. Throughout the play, Shakespeare has been careful to poke fun at the institution of marriage and here is no exception. Also, we know from the other comedies that Shakespeare is particularly empathetic to female characters. A truly anti-feminist reading would be unlikely, given what we know of other Shakespearean heroines. Further, this is the longest speech of the play -- Shakespeare wouldn't give Kate the final word unless we were to feel affection for her -- something that is not possible if you read her as being defeated and broken. Finally, facility with language is considered a masculine trait, and for Kate to exhibit such linguistic aptitude suggests that she has not totally abandoned her masculine ways. Exploring the language of Katherine's soliloquy shows, too, that she is having fun. Many of her expressions are hyperbolic, not unlike much of the rhetoric Petruchio used earlier on her. She repeats the sentiment of the time -- a sentiment she knows will please the ears of her listeners . She does make an interesting distinction, though, between obeying one's husband blindly and obeying with discretion. She claims that one should be "obedient to his honest will" , which has the implication that, when the husband's will is not honest, his will is not to be obeyed, an important distinction when considering whether Kate has been truly "tamed." After Kate finishes her speech, Petruchio asks again for a kiss, and this time Kate gladly complies. Petruchio then suggests they head off to bed, with the obvious implication of consummating their marriage, thereby making it official. Kate is glad to agree, and so the two exit together. All the others are left to ponder what they have just seen, while we can likely reason that Kate and Petruchio will live happily ever after, working together to dupe and gull the world around them, two players in a game only they understand. Glossary scapes  escapes. respecting  compared to. "Ha'to thee"  "Here's to thee." butt  to strike or bump against; to bump with the head. "Have at you for"  "Be on guard against." health  a wish for a person's health and happiness, as in drinking a toast. slipped  unleashed. gird  gibe; scoff; jeer. galled  injured or made sore by rubbing; chaffed sadness  seriousness. "I'll be your half"  "I'll cover half your bet ." "by my halidom"  "by my holiness." swinge  to punish with blows; beat; whip. aweful rule  authority commanding awe or respect. pass  state of affairs. "Confounds thy frame"  "Ruins your reputation." watch  spend or pass. simple  having or showing little sense or reasoning ability. "Unapt to"  "Unfit for." big  boastful; pompous; extravagant. "vail your stomachs"  "lower your pride." boot  profit, use. "go thy ways"  "well done." toward  obedient. sped  done for.


ACT V. SCENE I.
Padua. Before LUCENTIO'S house

Enter BIONDELLO, LUCENTIO, and BIANCA; GREMIO is out before

  BIONDELLO. Softly and swiftly, sir, for the priest is ready.
  LUCENTIO. I fly, Biondello; but they may chance to need the at
    home, therefore leave us.
  BIONDELLO. Nay, faith, I'll see the church a your back, and
then
    come back to my master's as soon as I can.
                          Exeunt LUCENTIO, BIANCA, and BIONDELLO
  GREMIO. I marvel Cambio comes not all this while.

           Enter PETRUCHIO, KATHERINA, VINCENTIO, GRUMIO,
                          and ATTENDANTS

  PETRUCHIO. Sir, here's the door; this is Lucentio's house;
    My father's bears more toward the market-place;
    Thither must I, and here I leave you, sir.
  VINCENTIO. You shall not choose but drink before you go;
    I think I shall command your welcome here,
    And by all likelihood some cheer is toward.         [Knocks]
  GREMIO. They're busy within; you were best knock louder.
                                [PEDANT looks out of the window]
  PEDANT. What's he that knocks as he would beat down the gate?
  VINCENTIO. Is Signior Lucentio within, sir?
  PEDANT. He's within, sir, but not to be spoken withal.
  VINCENTIO. What if a man bring him a hundred pound or two to
make
    merry withal?
  PEDANT. Keep your hundred pounds to yourself; he shall need
none so
    long as I live.
  PETRUCHIO. Nay, I told you your son was well beloved in Padua.
Do
    you hear, sir? To leave frivolous circumstances, I pray you
tell
    Signior Lucentio that his father is come from Pisa, and is
here
    at the door to speak with him.
  PEDANT. Thou liest: his father is come from Padua, and here
looking
    out at the window.
  VINCENTIO. Art thou his father?
  PEDANT. Ay, sir; so his mother says, if I may believe her.
  PETRUCHIO.  [To VINCENTIO]  Why, how now, gentleman!
    Why, this is flat knavery to take upon you another man's
name.
  PEDANT. Lay hands on the villain; I believe 'a means to cozen
    somebody in this city under my countenance.

                       Re-enter BIONDELLO

  BIONDELLO. I have seen them in the church together. God send
'em
    good shipping! But who is here? Mine old master, Vincentio!
Now we
    are undone and brought to nothing.
  VINCENTIO.  [Seeing BIONDELLO]  Come hither, crack-hemp.
  BIONDELLO. I hope I may choose, sir.
  VINCENTIO. Come hither, you rogue. What, have you forgot me?
  BIONDELLO. Forgot you! No, sir. I could not forget you, for I
never
    saw you before in all my life.
  VINCENTIO. What, you notorious villain, didst thou never see
thy
    master's father, Vincentio?
  BIONDELLO. What, my old worshipful old master? Yes, marry, sir;
see
    where he looks out of the window.
  VINCENTIO. Is't so, indeed?               [He beats BIONDELLO]
  BIONDELLO. Help, help, help! Here's a madman will murder me.
 Exit
  PEDANT. Help, son! help, Signior Baptista!     Exit from above
  PETRUCHIO. Prithee, Kate, let's stand aside and see the end of
this
    controversy.                              [They stand aside]

       Re-enter PEDANT below; BAPTISTA, TRANIO, and SERVANTS

  TRANIO. Sir, what are you that offer to beat my servant?
  VINCENTIO. What am I, sir? Nay, what are you, sir? O immortal
gods!
    O fine villain! A silken doublet, a velvet hose, a scarlet
cloak,
    and a copatain hat! O, I am undone! I am undone! While I play
the
    good husband at home, my son and my servant spend all at the
    university.
  TRANIO. How now! what's the matter?
  BAPTISTA. What, is the man lunatic?
  TRANIO. Sir, you seem a sober ancient gentleman by your habit,
but
    your words show you a madman. Why, sir, what 'cerns it you if
I
    wear pearl and gold? I thank my good father, I am able to
    maintain it.
  VINCENTIO. Thy father! O villain! he is a sailmaker in Bergamo.
  BAPTISTA. You mistake, sir; you mistake, sir. Pray, what do you

    think is his name?
  VINCENTIO. His name! As if I knew not his name! I have brought
him
    up ever since he was three years old, and his name is Tranio.
  PEDANT. Away, away, mad ass! His name is Lucentio; and he is
mine
    only son, and heir to the lands of me, Signior Vicentio.
  VINCENTIO. Lucentio! O, he hath murd'red his master! Lay hold
on
    him, I charge you, in the Duke's name. O, my son, my son!
Tell
    me, thou villain, where is my son, Lucentio?
  TRANIO. Call forth an officer.

                      Enter one with an OFFICER

    Carry this mad knave to the gaol. Father Baptista, I charge
you
    see that he be forthcoming.
  VINCENTIO. Carry me to the gaol!
  GREMIO. Stay, Officer; he shall not go to prison.
  BAPTISTA. Talk not, Signior Gremio; I say he shall go to
prison.
  GREMIO. Take heed, Signior Baptista, lest you be cony-catch'd
in
    this business; I dare swear this is the right Vincentio.
  PEDANT. Swear if thou dar'st.
  GREMIO. Nay, I dare not swear it.
  TRANIO. Then thou wert best say that I am not Lucentio.
  GREMIO. Yes, I know thee to be Signior Lucentio.
  BAPTISTA. Away with the dotard; to the gaol with him!
  VINCENTIO. Thus strangers may be hal'd and abus'd. O monstrous
    villain!

          Re-enter BIONDELLO, with LUCENTIO and BIANCA

  BIONDELLO. O, we are spoil'd; and yonder he is! Deny him,
forswear
    him, or else we are all undone.
         Exeunt BIONDELLO, TRANIO, and PEDANT, as fast as may be
  LUCENTIO.  [Kneeling]  Pardon, sweet father.
  VINCENTIO. Lives my sweet son?
  BIANCA. Pardon, dear father.
  BAPTISTA. How hast thou offended?
    Where is Lucentio?
  LUCENTIO. Here's Lucentio,
    Right son to the right Vincentio,
    That have by marriage made thy daughter mine,
    While counterfeit supposes blear'd thine eyne.
  GREMIO. Here's packing, with a witness, to deceive us all!
  VINCENTIO. Where is that damned villain, Tranio,
    That fac'd and brav'd me in this matter so?
  BAPTISTA. Why, tell me, is not this my Cambio?
  BIANCA. Cambio is chang'd into Lucentio.
  LUCENTIO. Love wrought these miracles. Bianca's love
    Made me exchange my state with Tranio,
    While he did bear my countenance in the town;
    And happily I have arrived at the last
    Unto the wished haven of my bliss.
    What Tranio did, myself enforc'd him to;
    Then pardon him, sweet father, for my sake.
  VINCENTIO. I'll slit the villain's nose that would have sent me
to
    the gaol.
  BAPTISTA.  [To LUCENTIO]  But do you hear, sir? Have you
married my
    daughter without asking my good will?
  VINCENTIO. Fear not, Baptista; we will content you, go to; but
I
    will in to be revenged for this villainy.               Exit
  BAPTISTA. And I to sound the depth of this knavery.       Exit
  LUCENTIO. Look not pale, Bianca; thy father will not frown.
                                      Exeunt LUCENTIO and BIANCA
  GREMIO. My cake is dough, but I'll in among the rest;
    Out of hope of all but my share of the feast.           Exit
  KATHERINA. Husband, let's follow to see the end of this ado.
  PETRUCHIO. First kiss me, Kate, and we will.
  KATHERINA. What, in the midst of the street?
  PETRUCHIO. What, art thou asham'd of me?
  KATHERINA. No, sir; God forbid; but asham'd to kiss.
  PETRUCHIO. Why, then, let's home again. Come, sirrah, let's
away.
  KATHERINA. Nay, I will give thee a kiss; now pray thee, love,
stay.
  PETRUCHIO. Is not this well? Come, my sweet Kate:
    Better once than never, for never too late.           Exeunt

Lucentio and Bianca run off to get married at St. Luke's church. Meanwhile, Petruchio, Kate, and Vincentio arrive at Lucentio's house, where the Pedant is pretending to be Lucentio's father while he hangs out with Baptista. The Pedant comes to the front door and faces the man he is impersonating. He insists that he is Lucentio's father and makes the real Vincentio look like a crazy imposter. When Biondello and Tranio see Vincentio and realize the jig is up, they deny knowing Vincentio to avoid the beating that's surely coming their way. Poor Vincentio thinks that Tranio has murdered his kid in order to assume Lucentio's identity, which makes him look even crazier. The cops are called and Vincentio is about to be carted off to the slammer when the newly married Lucentio shows up with his wife, Bianca. Lucentio immediately kneels at his father's feet and asks for forgiveness. Bianca thinks this is a pretty good idea and says what amounts to "sorry dad" while kneeling before Baptista, who has wandered out of the house to see what all the fuss is about. Baptista demands to know what the heck is going on. Lucentio comes clean, admitting that he's not really Cambio--he's actually Lucentio and he has just married Baptista's daughter. Apparently, Vincentio is a very forgiving and indulgent father because he comes to his son's defense and assures Baptista that they will make the marriage worth his while. Now that the whole mess is straightened out, the group heads inside to the wedding reception. Petruchio and Kate, who are normally the ones causing a spectacle, have been watching the whole scene unfold. Petruchio asks Kate for a little kiss. She hesitates but agrees to a little PDA anyway. They make out publicly and then follow the others inside for the wedding banquet.

The third scene of Act VI opens on Kate and Grumio at Petruchio's house. A very hungry and sleep-deprived Kate attempts to convince Grumio to bring her some nourishment. Not unlike Petruchio, Grumio taunts Kate with thoughts of food, only to claim he cannot produce any food because "@'tis choleric" and therefore not good for her. In exasperation, Kate orders Grumio away after having given him a beating for tormenting her so. Petruchio and Hortensio enter, and Petruchio offers Kate some food. Until she thanks him for providing it, however, she cannot have it. Reluctantly she gives in and receives her meal. Petruchio announces they will return to Baptista's house, dressed in the finest clothes money can by. As if to prove his intention, Petruchio calls forth a tailor with a gown and a haberdasher with a hat, both for Kate. He proceeds to berate the haberdasher's work, turning a deaf ear to his wife's declaration that the hat is perfect. After berating the work of the haberdasher, Petruchio turns to the work of the tailor, finding countless faults with the dress. In the end, the tailor is sent away with the gown . Petruchio turns to Kate, claiming they'll just travel in the clothes they have "For 'tis the mind that makes the body rich," not the clothes . He announces that it is currently 7 a.m. so they should be to Minola's around noon. Kate corrects him, stating it is almost 2 p.m. and they won't arrive until suppertime. Petruchio rants that the trip is off because his wife can't agree with what he says, and until she learns to do so, the awaited trip home is postponed.

This scene returns us to Petruchio's house and to a Kate who is beginning to break down under Petruchio's tactics. It's important to note, though, she still retains her edge. As the scene opens, we are greeted by a ravenous Kate desperately trying to get Grumio to bring her some food. Be sure, too, that although she is hungry, she is not starving. She has not been endangered or abused, but merely kept hungry and awake for a little while. How can we be sure? She has power and strength enough to beat Grumio when he plays his malicious game of food-naming with her . If Petruchio were abusing her, she would not be capable of the sorts of things she does in this scene. We must smile, in fact, at Kate's declaration she is Starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep,With oaths kept waking, and with brawling fed.And that which spites me more than all these wants,He does it under name of perfect love,As who should say, if I should sleep or eat'Twere deadly sickness or else present death.  Clearly Petruchio's claim that he deprives Katherine of meat and sleep because of his deep love for her is even making her think he's a bit mad. She is, of course, being treated with the same selfish, childish behavior she herself has precipitated for years -- only Petruchio is, if possible, even a bit more outlandish because his treatment comes under the guise of caring too much as opposed to not enough. Again, it would not seem that Kate could miss the mirror being held up to her. We see Kate in the process of changing in this scene, but her change is only the most superficial. When Petruchio brings her some food but is not thanked properly, he threatens to take it away. Kate realizes that, in order to get her meal, she will need to thank her provider because, as Petruchio notes, "The poorest service is repaid with thanks, / And so shall mine before you touch the meat" . At this point Kate offers "I thank you, sir"  but surly a less heartfelt offering of thanks could not be uttered. Although Kate is learning some of the rules of the game, she has a long way to go. Petruchio's declaration of a visit to Baptista's house immediately sets off alarms in the audience. It is seemingly out of character with the antics Petruchio has been orchestrating, especially when he announces they will "revel it as bravely as the best / With silken coats and caps and golden rings, / With ruffs, and cuffs, and farthingales, and things" . As suspected, Petruchio is using the situation as a teaching lesson. Should Kate understand the game at this point and behave in the manner he seeks, there is no doubt Petruchio would set out for Padua immediately. He knows his wife, however, and is quite certain of her headstrong ways. He is clever, too, in the tools he chooses for this lesson. Rather than food or sleep, essentials to every human, he opts to use luxuries to gain leverage. First, a trip to Padua is exactly what Kate wants. It gets her back to a place with which she is familiar and where she is accustomed to getting her own way. Petruchio combines that motivation with lovely clothes, appealing to her vanity, for extra punch. We know even more clearly by this point that Petruchio is genuinely good natured and is putting on a show for Kate. His hyperbolic ranting and raving at the haberdasher and the tailor is merely a spectacle to show Kate how ridiculous her own behavior has been. Notice how Petruchio is sure to draw Hortensio aside at line 159 and arrange for him to pay the tailor for his services.  Throughout the action of this scene, Hortensio remains a curious fellow. He has arrived at Petruchio's house en route to his widow. In one sense, he seems to provide a sort of validation to the scene. With Hortensio present, we can be assured Kate will not be maltreated. He provides a somewhat neutralizing effect to Petruchio's ravings. He also provides side commentary to the action. He comes across as a nervous fellow who can hardly believe what he's seeing before him . He also serves as an opposite to Petruchio. The two men are completely different, of course, but Hortensio is so flat and dull that Petruchio looks all the better. As the scene draws to a close, it is time for another lesson. It is after noon, yet Petruchio insists it is seven in the morning and so they will arrive at Minola's house around noon. Kate, knowing the day is over half gone, notes it is almost two in the afternoon, placing their arrival at supper, rather than the noon dinner. Her correction is most valid and not necessarily ill intended. It is merely a statement of fact. However, Petruchio uses the occasion to rail yet again, chastising Katherine that no matter "what I speak, or do, or think to do, / You are still crossing it . . . . / I will not go today, and ere I do, / It shall be what o'clock I say it is" . Kate is a very clever woman, and there can be little doubt that she is beginning to understand what her husband is up to. Hortensio, though, has seen the whole exchange and clearly has no idea of what's unfolding before him; he ends the scene incredulously marveling at how Petruchio thinks he will command the sun. Little does Hortensio realize just how likely that is! Glossary neat's foot  foot of a bovine animal . amort  dejected, disspirited. "sorted to no proof"  "proved to be to no purpose." bravely  splendidly dressed. bravery  finery. porringer  a bowl for porridge. cockle  cockleshell. trick  trifle. custard-coffin  pastry crust for a custard. demicannon  large cannon. censer  an ornamented container in which incense is burned. braved  defied. quantity  fragment. be-mete  measure; thrash. "think on prating"  "remember this thrashing." bottom  ball or skein. trunk  full; wide. "for thee straight"  ready for you immediately. mete yard  measuring stick; yardstick. odds  inequalities. furniture  furnishings, clothes.