Petruchio And Kate's Wedding Chaos

In Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, the wedding of Petruchio and Kate is a chaotic affair. The groom arrives late, dressed in bizarre, mismatched clothing, and riding an old, diseased horse—a deliberate ploy to irritate and disorientate his headstrong bride, Kate. Petruchio's unconventional attire and behaviour serve as a reflection of his disregard for social decorum and his willingness to go against convention. During the ceremony, he strikes the priest and swears loudly. At the wedding feast, he abruptly announces his departure, refusing to let Kate enjoy the traditional celebration. He asserts his dominance over her, referring to her as his property, and they leave together, shocking and amusing the guests. Petruchio's actions at the wedding mark the beginning of his attempts to tame Kate and establish his authority over her.

Petruchio arrives late, dressed in bizarre attire

In Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew', the wedding day of Petruchio and Kate arrives, and everyone is in place—except for Petruchio. As the wedding party waits for the tardy groom, they become uneasy. Kate, believing she is being stood up at the altar, refuses to be humiliated publicly and leaves. Biondello then approaches and announces that Petruchio is on his way, dressed in bizarre attire.

Petruchio's attire is described as worn, mismatched, and ridiculous. He is said to be wearing two mismatched boots and riding an old, diseased horse, with his servant Grumio travelling alongside him in similar clothing. Petruchio's strange clothing can be seen as a costume, as he performs the role of a madman to irritate and tame Kate. His attire also exposes the importance of appearances in signalling social status and identity, as he seems to care little about presenting himself as a noble groom.

When Petruchio finally arrives, he acts as if nothing is strange about his attire and asks for Kate's whereabouts. Baptista, offended by Petruchio's lateness and clothing, begs him to change into something more fashionable before marrying Kate, to avoid public humiliation. However, Petruchio refuses, stating that Kate will be married to him and not his clothes. He insists that he will not change his attire to suit social norms and rides off to find Kate at the church, with most of the crowd following in fascination and horror.

Petruchio's late arrival and bizarre attire serve as a deliberate strategy to disorient and wear down Kate's resistance. By flouting conventions and social expectations, Petruchio aims to mirror Kate's headstrong behaviour and show her the error of her ways. He is willing to put his reputation on the line and act outrageously to drive home his point and establish his dominance in the relationship.

Kate is upset and leaves before the ceremony

In Shakespeare's play "The Taming of the Shrew", Kate and Petruchio's wedding day arrives, and everyone is in place—except for Petruchio. As the wedding party waits for the tardy groom, Kate, believing she is being stood up at the altar, becomes upset and leaves before the ceremony. She complains that she is being married off against her will, that Petruchio is mad, and that he probably doesn't even intend to marry her. She exits, crying.

Biondello soon arrives and announces that Petruchio is on his way, but he is dressed in bizarre, mismatched, and shabby clothing, and is riding an old, diseased horse. Grumio, his servant, is similarly attired. When Petruchio finally arrives, he insists that he will not change into more appropriate clothing. Kate, he reasons, will be married to him, not his clothes.

Petruchio's lateness and unconventional attire serve a deliberate purpose. By mirroring Kate's headstrong behaviour, Petruchio hopes to disorient and wear down her resistance, teaching her a lesson about the impact of her actions on those around her. Petruchio is determined to tame his strong-willed bride and is willing to go to great lengths to assert his dominance and establish his role as the decision-maker in their marriage.

The wedding eventually takes place, but not without a struggle, including Petruchio striking the priest. At the wedding reception, Petruchio declares that he and Kate must leave immediately, refusing to let her stay and receive congratulations from her friends and family. Kate tries to stand up to him, but Petruchio persists, claiming her as his property. The couple leaves, leaving the wedding guests amazed and wondering how the two strong-willed individuals will get along in their marriage.

Petruchio refuses to change his clothes

In Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew", Petruchio is a complex character whose actions can be interpreted in several ways. One of the most notable instances of this is when he refuses to change his clothes at his wedding to Kate.

Petruchio arrives late to his wedding, wearing bizarre, old, mismatched clothes, and riding a diseased horse. His servant, Grumio, is dressed similarly. Petruchio's attire includes an old jacket, worn-out trousers, two mismatched shoes, and a broken sword with no sheath. Baptista, Kate's father, is offended by Petruchio's lateness and strange clothing and asks him to change before seeing Kate. However, Petruchio refuses, stating that Kate is marrying him, not his clothes. He says:

> "To me, she's married, not unto my clothes.

> If I could change as sweet Kate's bewitched,

> And if she could be as I adept to change

> As she is now to change and change as sweet,

> Then ought they never to be parted more."

Petruchio's refusal to change his clothes can be seen as a symbolic act, suggesting that he wants to present himself as he is and that he sees his wildness as an asset rather than something to be ashamed of. It also exposes the importance of appearances in signalling social status and identity. Petruchio's behaviour can be interpreted as a performance, with his strange clothing serving as a costume. He acts the role of a madman to irritate and ultimately tame Kate, mirroring her own headstrong behaviour back to her.

By refusing to change his clothes, Petruchio also challenges social norms and conventions, purposefully flouting what is considered proper behaviour for a gentleman at a wedding. This act of non-compliance is part of his plan to disorientate and wear down Kate's resistance, sending her the message that her own demanding behaviour is just as outrageous. Petruchio's insistence on wearing his unusual attire, despite the potential for public shame and the loss of riches, demonstrates his commitment to his strategy of taming his bride.

Petruchio behaves outrageously during the wedding

In Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew', Petruchio behaves outrageously during his wedding to Kate. He arrives late, dressed in bizarre, mismatched, and shabby clothing, riding an old, diseased horse. His servant, Grumio, is dressed similarly. This is a deliberate choice by Petruchio, who knows what is considered proper behaviour for a gentleman at his wedding, but chooses to flout convention.

Petruchio's lateness and inappropriate attire serve as a mirror to Kate, reflecting her own infantile behaviour back at her. He is sending her a message about the ridiculousness of her demanding behaviour. Petruchio's plan for 'taming' Kate involves disorienting her and wearing down her resistance. By arriving late to his own wedding, he is also temporarily putting his reputation on the line to make a point.

Petruchio refuses to change into more appropriate clothing, reasoning that Kate will be married to him, not his clothes. He insists on finding Kate at the church, and most of the crowd follows, fascinated by his behaviour. At the church, Petruchio swears, strikes the priest, and throws food, embarrassing himself and causing Gremio to leave early. After the ceremony, he announces that he and Kate must leave immediately, skipping the wedding feast. Kate tries to stand up to him, but Petruchio persists, declaring that as his wife, she is now his property. He exits with her and Grumio, leaving the remaining wedding guests amazed and laughing at the day's events.

Petruchio insists on leaving the wedding feast early

Petruchio's insistence on leaving the wedding feast early is just one of many actions he takes to assert his dominance over Kate and to "tame" her. Throughout the wedding, Petruchio flouts convention and acts outrageously, purposefully embarrassing Kate to make her feel the way she has made others feel. He is late to the wedding, arrives in bizarre and old clothing, and rides an old, diseased horse. He also behaves inappropriately during the ceremony, swearing at the priest and throwing food.

After the ceremony, Petruchio announces that he and Kate must leave immediately, not even giving her time to receive congratulations from her friends and family. Kate tries to stand up to him, saying she will leave only when she wishes, but Petruchio persists, declaring that since she is now his wife, she is his property. He pretends to be defending her from jealous thieves and quickly exits with her and Grumio.

Petruchio's behaviour at the wedding is part of his plan to tame Kate by giving her a taste of her own medicine. He purposefully disorients and wears down her resistance, hoping that she will recognise the error of her ways and change her behaviour. By leaving the wedding feast early, Petruchio is sending Kate the message that his reign has begun and that he will be the one in control of their marriage.

The wedding guests are astonished at Petruchio's behaviour, and they resume the wedding feast without the bride and groom. They laugh at the day's events, wondering how two such people could ever put up with one another.

Frequently asked questions