In the Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio recognizes, respects and desires Kate's intelligence and strength of character. He does notwant to conquer or truly tame her. He is a man who is veryconfident in himself and does not want or need someone tomassage his ego. Petruchio seems to me to be a man of sportand challenge and likes to surround himself with witty, challengingpeople. He wants in a mate what Kate has - fire.From Petruchio's response to his friend Hortensio (I.ii.64-75), itmight be said that Petruchio came to Padua to make himselfricher by marriage, to any woman, no matter how wretched.Petruchio is not in desperate need of money (I.ii.56-57). He tellsHortensio (I.ii.49-57) that his father has died and that he is out inthe world to gain experiences he cannot at home and onlysecondarily to find a wife. Also, immediately before thisdeclaration, is the scene of misunderstanding between he and hisservant Grumio about knocking on the gate (I.ii.5-43). I see thisexchange as demonstration of his enjoyment of verbal sport, agood example of Petruchio's sense of humor and his appreciationof things non-conventional. Though Petruchio may not agree withwhat society has determined to be proper and dignified, he isaware of the importance of appearing to conform. In what hesays to Hortensio, I feel he is simply extending this sport andhumor into the ironic.It is in Hortensio's description of Kate that I believe Petruchio'sinterest is captured. Hortensio describes Kate (I.ii.85-89) aswealthy, young, beautiful, properly brought up intolerably cursed,shrewed and froward. Though Hortensio finds the last three traitsnegative characteristics, Petruchio appears to be a man who alsoposses, and is proud of, these negative qualities. That thequalities are considered negative in Kate and not Petruchio is areflection of the societal standards of the fifteen hundreds. It wasokay for a man to be that way, but not a woman. Petruchio is thekind of man who would...
