The Taming of the Shrew Grumio Quotes

Grumio's insistence that being labeled a shrew is the "worst" fate a woman can suffer is odd – we're used to hearing that being labeled a "whore" is the worst reputation for a woman in Elizabethan comedy.

When Grumio (who is supposed to be an Italian character like the rest of the cast) thinks that Hortensio and Petruchio have greeting each other in Latin (they actually spoke in Italian), he reveals his lack of formal education. Makes sense, he's a servant, not an upper-middle-class character. This little joke is also directed at Shakespeare's audience, many of whom also didn't know the difference between Latin and Italian.

Grumio (Petruchio's servant) remarks disdainfully that Gremio (an older suitor of Bianca) is inappropriate in his quest to wed Bianca. The play and the characters take a lot of pleasure in duping Gremio as punishment for his desire for a much, much younger woman.