The Taming of the Shrew Marriage Quotes Page 4
Citations follow this format: (Act.Scene.Line). Line numbers correspond to the Norton edition.
| Quote #10 I will be master of what is mine own: |
Petruchio's words may be delivered when he plays the "role" of a domineering husband (as a part of his wife taming scheme) but his insistence that Kate is his property echoes the very real circumstance of all Elizabethan women regardless of their husband's attitudes – once married, women had no legal rights of their own.
| Quote #11 Come, Kate, we'll to bed. |
Petruchio's final words in the play and his insistence that he and Kate "got to bed" is emblematic of the way comedies always end in marriage and consummation. Presumably, order has been restored to the world. Yet, Petruchio's excessive bragging before he exits may also hint that Kate's final speech was delivered ironically, leaving Petruchio a bit off-balance and feeling the need to validate his masculinity and control.
