Taming of the Shrew One

¶ … Taming of the Shrew One theme in William Shakespeare's the Taming of the Shrew explores the economic considerations that often accompany the factors that go in to making a marriage. During the course of the play Petruchio marries Katherine, Lucentio marries Biancia and Hortensio marries a widow. In this paper we will look at the monetary motivations and events surrounding these unions.

When Petruchio and Grumio come to Hortensio's house in Act I scene II the audience is already aware that Baptist, has declared "That is, not bestow my youngest daughter / Before I have a husband for the elder," (Act I, Scene I, Lines 53-54), and that Gremmie and Hortensio have a pack to find a husband for the ill tempered Katharina so that each may court Bianca. When Hortensio asks Petruchio why he has come to Padua from Verona, Petruchio tells him he has come to find a wealthy wife.

With the line "As wealth is burden of my wooing dance," (Act I, Scene II, Line 65) Petruchio lets us know that he is poor.

Hortensio lets Petruchio know that he can help, but there are drawbacks: "I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife With wealth enough and young and beauteous, Brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman: Her only fault, and that is faults enough, Is that she is intolerable curst And shrewd and forward, so beyond all measure That, were my state far worser than it is, I would not wed her for a mine of gold." (Act I, Scene II, Lines 79-87) Though fairly forewarned, Petruchio replies, "Hortensio, peace! Thou know'st not gold effect." (Act I, Scene II, Line 88).

Furthermore, Hortensio and Gremmie promise to "…be contributors / and bear his charging of wooing, whatsoe'er," (Act I, Scene II, Lines 200-201). Petruchio's motivation for initiating a courtship with Katherine is to secure a large dowry from Baptist, and ironically he's being paid to do so. Petruchio asks Baptist, "Then tell me, if I get your daughter's love / What dowry shall I have with her to wife?" (Act II, Scene I, Lines 125-126).

Baptist tells him, "After my death the one half of my lands, / and in possession twenty thousand crowns." (Act II, Scene I, Lines 127-128). Soon thereafter Petruchio refers to Baptist as "father," Act II, Scene I, Line 136), and beings his campaign to wed Katherine. Conversely, Lucentio is smitten with Bianca at first sight. He tells his servant, "Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio, / if I achieve not this young girl." (Act I, Scene II, Lines 157-158).

Lucentio and Tranio plot to switch places so that Lucentio can procure the position of tutor to Bianca and secretly woo her. Hortensio also plots to become a tutor for Bianca. Baptist is aware that there are multiple suitors for the hand of his youngest daughter, Bianca, and proclaims to Gremmie and Lucentio "Faith gentleman, now I play a merchant's part, / and venture madly on a desperate mart." (Act II, Scene I, Lines 339-340).

He tells them: "Tis deeds must win the prize; and he of both That can assure my daughter greatest dower Shall have my Bianca's love." (Act II, Scene I, Lines 356-358) Gremmie and Tranio (Lucentio) proclaim their wealth and Gremmie is "…out-vied." (Act II, Scene I, Line 398). Baptist accepts Tranio's (Lucenio's) offer provided his father, Vincentio, can assure that if he dies before his father Bianca still receives her dower, tells them that he can marry her the week after Petruchio and Katherine are married.

If not than Germio can have her hand. This presents a problem so Tranio, being a faithful servant, decides to get "…a father call'd 'supposed Vincentio," (Act II, Scene I, Line 422) to make the promise. It is interesting to note that while Baptist needed no such promise for the hand of Katherine he viewed Bianca as a commodity to be bargained for. He viewed Bianca's hand in marriage as an asset, and Katherine's hand, because of her nature, as a liability.

On the other Petruchio views Katherine as an asset to be protected and fought for if necessary: "I will be master of what is mine own: She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, My household stuff, my field, my barn, My horse, my ox, my ass, my any thing;" (Act III, Scene II, Lines 429-432) When Hortensio finds that he has lost the hand of Bianca to Lucentio, his rival tutor, he decides to take advantage.