"O monstrous beast, how like a swine he lies!
Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image!
Sirs, I will practice on this drunken man."
In this quotation, the Lord decides to punish Sly for his unsavory nature. Here, he compares Sly to a "beast" that must then be uplifted to a more noble status. This transformation foreshadows and frames the transformation that Kate will undergo at the hands of Petruchio, from a rebellious shrew to an obedient wife.
"Husht, master, here's some good pastime toward"
Here, Tranio quiets Lucentio to engage in a "pastime," noticing that Kate is causing a scene among her father, Bianca, and Bianca's suitors. Tranio here delights in the power of observation and watching, making meta-theatrical commentary on the joy of being a passive onlooker (or, in this case, audience member to the events of the play).
"I'll tell you what,
sir, an she stand him but a little, he will throw a
figure in her face and so disfigure her with it that
she shall have no more eyes to see withal than a cat.
You know him not, sir."
In this passage, Grumio assures Hortensio that Petruchio is more skilled in language than Kate, implying that he will win the battle of wits between them. However, the metaphor he uses to describe Petruchio's triumph is markedly gruesome, as he compares Kate to someone who is disfigured by "acid" (figuratively, the acerbic nature of Petruchio's words). Once again, the play foreshadows Kate's transformation into an obedient wife by exaggerating the effects of Petruchio's ability to change and "tame" her.
"And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,
That gives not half so great a blow to hear
As will a chestnut in a farmer's fire?
Tush, tush, fear boys with bugs!"
When others express doubt over Petruchio's ability to "tame" Kate, he launches into elaborate speech detailing his past (mostly physical) triumphs. This speech showcases the misogynistic perspective held by most male characters in the play: that a man's value, and very masculinity, is dependent on his ability to control women.
"The more my wrong, the more his spite appears.
What, did he marry me to famish me?
Beggars, that come unto my father's door
Upon entreaty have a present alms.
If not, elsewhere they meet with charity."
In this quotation, Kate laments her position as Petruchio's wife as he cruelly starves her and deprives her of sleep. She compares her own state to those of beggars who had previously appeared at her father's house. Kate suggests that she is both desperate for food and sleep and at the same time, powerless to achieve either of these things. She therefore suggests that women, beholden to their husbands, are perceived as second-class citizens, even despite her father's wealth.
"First kiss me, Kate, and we will."
At the end of the play, when Kate wants to follow Bianca and Lucentio to the wedding banquet, Petruchio demands that she kiss him first. This seemingly innocent exchange is important because it shows how dedicated Petruchio is to continually testing Kate's obedience, while also showcasing Petruchio's desire to make his "triumph" over his wife a public affair.
"Now fair befall thee, good Petruchio!
The wager thou hast won, and I will add
Unto their losses twenty thousand crowns,
Another dowry to another daughter,
For she is changed, as she had never been."
Here, Baptista praises Petruchio for his ability to successfully "tame" his daughter, Kate. Baptista remarks that Kate is changed indelibly, that she has transformed so thoroughly she is virtually unrecognizable. However, audiences are likely aware that Baptista was never in tune with his daughter's personality to begin with, and indeed judges everyone based on outward behavior alone.
"Lord, let me never have a cause to sigh
Till I be brought to such a silly pass."
This quotation is significant because it comes from a widow (referred to as such even after she remarries). Here, the widow mocks her new husband for his perception that he could ever "tame" her as Petruchio did Kate. Historical context is important for interpreting this quotation, as widows held a surprising amount of power in early modern England (they often inherited and managed their late husbands' estates, and were under no obligation to remarry). That the widow is the only female character who can speak frankly about her wants and desires is notable because as a widow, she is closer in social status to a man than an unwed woman.
"Well, I say no. And therefore, for assurance
Let's each one send unto his wife,
And he whose wife is most obedient
To come at first when he doth send for her
Shall win the wager which we will propose."
At the end of the play, Petruchio challenges Hortensio by wagering that Kate will be more obedient than his new wife, the Widow. This wager showcases how the men in the play view women as transactional objects. That Kate and the Widow fight in the next scene emphasizes the distinct lack of female friendship in the play, suggesting that (for the male characters) women are tools to be used at their own disposal and that men benefit from pitting women against one another.
"Such duty as the subject owes the prince
Even such a woman oweth to her husband;
And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,
And not obedient to his honest will,
What is she but a foul contending rebel."
In a demonstration of her "obedience," Kate compares husbands and wives to the relationship between sovereign and subject. Because England was a monarchy at the time the play was performed, this quotation appears to bolster the notion that kings and queens maintain absolute power of their subjects. However, because the play has already raised the question of whether Kate's transformation is genuine, this quotation complicates the political metaphor, ultimately suggesting that leaders pedaling notions of absolutism may actually be tyrants.
