Petruccio: “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 anything,
And here she stands; touch her whoever dare;
I'll bring mine action on the proudest he
That stops my way in Padua. Grumio,
Draw forth thy weapon; we are beset with thieves;
Rescue thy mistress, if thou be a man.
Fear not, sweet wench; they shall not touch thee, Kate;
I'll buckler thee against a million.”
She is my goods, my chattels, she is my house,
My household stuff, my field, my barn,
My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything,
And here she stands; touch her whoever dare;
I'll bring mine action on the proudest he
That stops my way in Padua. Grumio,
Draw forth thy weapon; we are beset with thieves;
Rescue thy mistress, if thou be a man.
Fear not, sweet wench; they shall not touch thee, Kate;
I'll buckler thee against a million.”
In this quote (which I shortened to just the important
part), the use of language is once again what makes it important. Petruccio is
extremely possessive in his words here, making someone belong to him when she
in fact, does not. Not only does Petruccio make Katherine his object but, he
says he is the master of said object. Katherine is her own person, and
Petruccio is making her out to be nothing but a barn, a field, a household
object. He has from the start taken or tried to take “control” over Katherine,
whether that be his relentlessness trying to “tame” her or convincing those
around him that he will actually be a loving husband to her. In the excerpt
above, Petruccio does speak on how he will protect Katherine while still
claiming her and not allowing her to be her own; “thy mistress”, “sweet wench”.
Petruccio seems to have everyone tricked.
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