The Taming of the Shrew

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On the Sunday all the wedding guests were assembled, but they waited long before Petruchio came, and Katharine even cried of disappointment and thought that Petruchio had been only jesting at her. At last, however, he appeared; but he did not bring any wedding dress which he promised to Katharine, and he was dressed himself not like a groom, but as tramp.

Petruchio could not be persuaded to change his dress; he said Katharine was to be married to him, and not to his clothes. They went to church. Baptista had organized a marriage feast, but when everybody returned from church, Petruchio, told that he would instantly carry his wife home, and they would not be present at this feast. Petruchio mounted his wife upon a miserable horse, which was lean and lank, and they went on.

After a weary journey, during which Katharine had heard nothing but the ravings of Petruchio, they arrived at his house. Petruchio welcomed her kindly to her new home, but he decided that she should have neither rest nor food that night. The tables were spread, and supper soon served; but Petruchio, pretending to find every dish not suitable to eat, threw the meat about the floor, and ordered the servants to remove it away; and all this he did, as he said, in love for his Katharine, that she might not eat meat that was not well cooked. And when Katharine, weary and hungry decided to rest, he found the same fault with the bed, throwing the pillows and bedclothes about the room, so that she was forced to sit down in a chair, where she felt asleep, she was awakened by the loud voice of her husband, shouting at the servants for the bad-making of his wife's wadding-bed.

The next day Petruchio still speaking kind words to Katharine did not give her chance to eat, throwing the breakfast on the floor as he had done with the supper; and Katharine was forced to beg the servants to bring her secretly a food; but they being instructed by Petruchio, refused to do this.

At this day Petruchio decided to return to Batista’s house and feast there. On all way Petruchio continued to tame Katharine. On a road they had met an old man.

Then Petruchio knew that old gentleman, he was the father of Lucentio, a young gentleman who was to be married to Baptista's younger daughter, Bianca, and he made Vincentio very happy, by telling him about that rich marriage of his son and they all journeyed together to Baptista's house, where there was a large company assembled to celebrate the wedding, Baptista had willingly agreed to the marriage of Bianca when he had got Katharine off his hands.

When they entered, Baptista welcomed them to the wedding feast, and there was present also another newly married pair.

Lucentio, Bianca's husband, and Hortensio, the other new married man, could not be kept from jesting at Petruchio, and they hint at the shrewish disposition of Petruchio's wife, and these grooms seemed high pleased with the mild tempers of the ladies they had chosen, laughing at Petruchio for his less fortunate choice. Petruchio took little notice of their jokes. And he offered a dispute in order to find out whose wife was more obedient. The other two husbands willingly agreed, for they were quite sure that their gentle wives would prove more obedient than the Katharine. Lucentio was first who sent his servant to Bianca, but the servant returned, and said, that she refused to come. And then it was Hortensio's turn to send for his wife. But the servant turned without mistress.

And at last Petruchio’s turn came; he had sent the servant to his wife

Company had practically no time to think she would not obey her husband, when Baptista, and all in amaze saw Katharine entering the room.

Реферат опубликован: 16/12/2007