Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living… in Padua, by way of Verona. After the death of his father, Petruchio is intent on enjoying life, and he soon sets his eyes on marrying rich. Once he secures Katherina’s hand, he sets about making his household the site of her “taming” – by making her life a living hell. Cloaking his domination in words of love, Petruchio refuses her food and clothing while criticizing her cooking and clothes.
Profession… a suitor intent on marrying, primarily for money. For Petruchio, Katherina's personality is completely incidental to her wealth, as he’s convinced he could change her to his liking. As he tells her friend Hortensio, it would not matter if his wife was "as foul as was Florentius’ love/As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd/As Socrates’ Xanthippe or worse" – as long as she was rich.
Interests... being wealthy and taming Kate. Because he sees himself as an upstanding member of society, Petruchio insists that his lady conform to the same standards. Not only is Petruchio confident he can change Katherina, he’s so sure of it that he bets the other suitors that she will be the most obedient of all their wives – a wager that he is prepared to win.
Relationship Status... married to Katherina, whom he sees as a shrew who must be tamed. A manipulative and conniving suitor, Petruchio uses reverse psychology to change Katherina, wooing her by pretending every harsh thing she says is kind and pleasant, then disagreeing with and mercilessly criticizing her once they're married. While Petruchio initially got into the marriage for money, he’s now in it to prove a point.
Challenge… making Kate a model wife and getting his way. Petruchio takes a one-minded approach to marrying Katherina and securing her father’s fortune, letting her know that she will be his whether she likes it or not. As he tells her, "I am he am born to tame you, Kate/And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate/Conformable as other household Kates."
Personality… selfish and cunning, but completely honest about it. Petruchio is materialistic and domineering, but he is completely open about his motivations for marrying Katherina. There may also be some altruism in Petruchio’s determination to tame Katherina, as he realizes a domestic life would at least release her from a vicious cycle of anger and alienation, but any kindness of the sort is buried underneath his sexism and mental abuse.
Get to Know him in...
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Baptista, a rich Paduan merchant, announces that his fair young daughter, Bianca, will remain unwed until her older sister, Katharina, a hellish shrew, has wed. Lucentio, a student and the son of a wealthy Pisan merchant, has fallen in love with Bianca. He poses as a tutor of music and poetry to gain entrance to the Baptista household and to be near Bianca. Meanwhile, Petruchio, a fortune-hunting scoundrel from Verona, arrives in Padua, hoping to capture a wealthy wife. Hortensio, another suitor of Bianca, directs Petruchio's attention to Katharina. When Hortensio warns him about Katharina's scolding tongue and fiery temper, Petruchio is challenged and resolves to capture her love. Hortensio and another suitor of Bianca, Gremio, agree to cover Petruchio's costs as he pursues Katharina.
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The acclaimed Pelican Shakespeare series, now in a dazzling new series design
This edition of The Taming of the Shrew is edited with an introduction and notes by series editor Stephen Orgel and was recently repackaged with cover art by Manuja Waldia. Waldia received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for the Pelican Shakespeare series. Cover artist Manuja Waldia received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for the Pelican Shakespeare series.
The legendary Pelican Shakespeare series features authoritative and meticulously researched texts paired with scholarship by renowned Shakespeareans. Each book includes an essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare’s time, an introduction to the individual play, and a detailed note on the text used. Updated by general editors Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller, these easy-to-read editions incorporate over thirty years of Shakespeare scholarship undertaken since the original series, edited by Alfred Harbage, appeared between 1956 and 1967. With stunning new covers, definitive texts, and illuminating essays, the Pelican Shakespeare will remain a valued resource for students, teachers, and theater professionals for many years to come.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
