How Does Petruchio Compares Kate To A Fire

Imagery One
Petruchio knows right off the bat that Katherine is very feisty, strong-willed, and determined. He knows that no other man will marry her, simply because of her personality. Petruchio compares the two using nature imagery. He convinces Baptista he will do good for her, saying: “And where two raging fires meet together/They do consume the things that feeds their fury:/Though little fire grows great with little wind,/Yet extreme gusts will blow our fire and all:/So I to her and so she yields to me;/For I am rough and woo not like a babe” (II.i.32). Petruchio compares Kate to a fire because she is strong-willed and determined. He says with light wind, she will build up and grow strong and wild, but extreme wind will blow her fire out.

Kate is mostly humiliated because of Petruchio’s clothing choice. On their wedding day, Petruchio comes dressed in: “a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, a pair of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, another laced, an old rusty sword ta’en out of the town-armory, with a broken hilt and chapeless; with two broken points: his horse hipped with an old mothy saddle and stirrups of no kindred…” (III.ii.46). Petruchio wears all this in order to begin his ‘taming’ of Kate. He shows her, and Baptista, that they cannot control what he wears. He will wear as he wants and be only in his control. When Baptista asks him to change, he simply replies that Kate is marrying the man, not the clothes. He knows this will anger and humiliate Kate, but he is determined to tame her and be the dominant one in their relationship. Petruchio is going to make Kate into a woman other men would approve

He even at one point compares himself to a dog, saying: “O, sir, Lucientio slipp’d me like his greyhound,/Which runs himself, and catches for his master” (V.ii.82). This was an example of animal imagery. Tranio is comparing himself to a faithful dog, saying that he runs and fetches for his master. He is saying that he does as told in order to help, obey, and honor Lucientio, his master. Tranio pretends to be Lucientio in order to let Lucientio get close to Bianca. This makes it so Tranio has to do all the work convincing Baptista. Tranio is the one who really does the work and this is why he compares himself to a dog playing