Petruccio's Meaning Of The Shrew

214 Words1 Pages
At the beginning of the play, Petruccio talks to Hortensio about his intention to marry. He basically says he only wants to marry for money and Kate is seen as the perfect choice. Even when everyone tries to dissuade him by telling him of her terrible personality, he ignores everyone and says he does not care about all of her other traits. He says that the woman may be as "foul as was Florentius' love," referring to a story in which the knight Florent was forced to marry an old woman who saved his life. She may be as "old as Sibyl," a mythic prophetess who lived forever, but who continued to grow older and older. Or she may be as unpleasant as "Socrates' Xanthippe," a woman traditionally reputed to be a great shrew. He does not care if she