The Taming of the Shrew Petruchio Quotes

We've talked at length about Petruchio's quest for a wealthy wife. On the one hand, this is a typical pursuit for a single, upper-middle-class guy in the 16th-century. On the other hand, we might wonder about Petruchio's true financial state. Is he, as he says earlier, really well off? If he's not, does our perception of him change? Is his sense of social inferiority what drives his behavior?

This overall passage is typically seen as a brilliant moment of comic relief. We think there's also something interesting about the fact that Petruchio has such a hard time controlling and communicating with his servant the first time we see him. How is it that Petruchio is able to control Kate (her behavior and her speech) but not Grumio?

This is one of the first things out of Petruchio's mouth when he catches up with his old pal, Hortensio. Fine. Sharing this kind of news with a friend makes sense. The thing is, Petruchio mentions his dead dad an awful lot throughout the play. Is he sentimental? Does he miss him? Or, is he callous? Glad his dad is gone so he can take charge of the family trust and be the boss? If you were a director, how would you suggest an actor deliver these lines?