THE TAMING OF THE SHREW - ACT 4 SCENES 3, 4, AND 5 - WEEK 8

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW by William Shakespeare

Well, the end is in sight on TOTS! In fact next week I will cover ACT 5 and wrap up our play. Today I will announce in a separate post what our next book club pick is and lay out the details!  

If you remember from last time Petruchio is trying to bring Katherine under submission the same way he trains his falcons. Unfortunately we are about to see more of this behavior in action. It begins with Grumio, Petruchio's servant, teasing Katherine with different foods and then saying why they wouldn't be fit for her. She is starving and begs for something. Petruchio enters carrying some meat, but when she doesn't immediately thank him, he gives it to Hortensio to consume. Then the tailor enters with clothing he was ordered to make for Katherine to wear on a visit home. The clothing was constructed to the order, and Katherine is very pleased with them. Petruchio finds fault with everything and sends it all away. Katherine recognizes in the exchange that Petruchio is trying to make a "puppet" of her. The tailor leaves, and on his way out Hortensio tells him he will stop by tomorrow and pay him for the clothes. Petruchio tells Katherine they'll just go in their poor garments.

Meanwhile, Baptista and "Vincentio" (the merchant) are meeting. The merchant does his part and the two agree to the marriage and dower. Baptista sends Cambio (Lucentio) to tell Bianca that everything is finalized for her marriage to Lucentio. Actually, a plan of elopement is in the works for the real Lucentio and Bianca.

Back to Petruchio and Katherine who are traveling back to her family's home. On the way Petruchio is just awful. He calls the sun the moon. When Katherine corrects him, Hortensio quietly advises her to just agree with Petruchio or they will never get to her home. She then says it is the moon to which Petruchio tells her she is lying. On this goes until they run into an older man who is journeying to Padua. It is Lucentio's real father, Vincentio. (Uh-oh!!) Petruchio calls him a maiden to which Katherine corrects him and the circle begins again. They do invite him to journey with them. He accepts and tells them that he is going to visit his son. Petruchio tells him his son is about to marry his wife's sister. Vincentio shocked accuses him of essentially pulling his leg. Petruchio just urges him to come along and see.

Thoughts on Petruchio and Katherine's relationship especially considering how we view women's rights today? Anyone a little antsy with the real Vincentio on the scene and the poor merchant caught up in the thick of things? I wonder how the real Lucentio is going to explain himself to Baptista?