Blog 14: How Petruchio Tamed Kate

From the first time they met, Petruchio was overbearing of Kate, forcing her to do and say things she didn't want to at the time. His first step to taming the shrew was to get her father's permission to marry her, and making it seem as if she wanted to marry him by saying that, when it was just the two of them, Katherina hung on Petruchio's neck. Of course this was false, but it didn't stop Petruchio from getting his way. His determination and stubbornness throughout the whole process allowed for him to be successful. First, he showed up late to their wedding in order to show her who had the upper hand in the relationship. Embarassed and weeping, Katherina still married him once he did arrive, dressed poorly and unclean. Once she lived in his house, he didn't allow for her to be fed or rested, as he did with his falcons to train them. She begged for food and first began to respect Petruchio. He also was purposely demanding toward the help in front of Katherina, but later explained to them it was only an act for Katherina to look up to him. As the play went on, she became more and more willing to obey him, realizing that there was nothing more she could do. Finally, in Act V Scene ii, Katherina expressed her true feelings about marriage to her sister Bianca and the widow who was wife to Hortensio. When the two women did not obey their husbands, Katherina lectured them on how a good wife should act. Katherina and Petruchio's relationship reminds me of 

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's marriage. Petruchio would be Angelina while Katherina would be Brad. From an outsider's perspective, it seems as though Angelina has the upper hand in the relationship and forces respect. Of course no one will ever know what really goes on inside their home, but one can always wonder.