The Taming of the Shrew - Blog #6

"I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dried away.
And I expressly am forbid to touch it,
For it engenders choler, planteth anger;
And better 'twhere that both of us did fast,
Since of ourselves, ourselves are choleric,
Than feed it with such over-roasted flesh.
Be patient, tomorrow 't shall be mended,
And, for this night, we'll fast for company."
4.1.147-154

This quote is spoken by Petruchio, reveals much about his character and shows how he is trying to "tame" Kate. When the servants serve the two of them overcooked mutton, Petruchio throws the meat because (according to a footnote) overcooked meat was thought to cause anger, and neither Kate nor himself needed any extra anger. In this scene, the meat is a symbol of anger and Petruchio is seemingly trying to prevent any extra anger by throwing the meat. However, Petruchio's actions are ironic because he's really trying to make Kate even more angry by forcing her to go without food for the night. Petruchio's trying to "tame" Kate by being much more vile than Kate ever was. He's making her suffer with the expectation that this will humble her. Petruchio's treatment of Kate is pretty horrible, and it shows that he cares more about having money and a submissive wife than he does about love and commitment.