The Taming of the Shrew Gremio Quotes

Gremio has no idea that the tutor he hired for Bianca is really Lucentio, a young man who has fallen in love Bianca. In the play, physical disguises are modes of deception that suggest all forms of transformation are temporary and not to be taken at face value.

We've mentioned this quote in the plot summary but we think it's worth discussing in more detail. Grumio mutters under his breath here when Baptista suggests he marry Kate instead of Bianca. Grumio famously utters that he would rather strap Kate to a cart and parade her around town as a form of public humiliation and punishment for being a shrew. (This was a common legal punishment for convicted "scolds.") Critics have pointed out the similarity between this moment and what actually happens to Kate in the play – she's punished by Petruchio in a very public way, as when he makes her a laughing stock at their marriage ceremony.

This isn't the first time a suitor complains that Baptista "mews up" or cages Bianca. Here, Gremio asserts that Baptista is punishing Bianca (by not letting her get engaged) for Katherine's sins (being a shrew, which prevents her from getting married). We can't really take Gremio seriously here – he speaks on behalf of his interests, not Bianca's. It's hard to imagine that in marrying Gremio, a man old enough to be her father, Bianca's life would be any different. Still, there's a lot of truth in the statement. Bianca is not free to marry or legally make her own decisions. She does find a way though – her eloping with Lucentio is an effective way around Baptista.