Study Questions

1. Why is Gremio present in this scene?

2. Where is Tranio’s father from?

3. Why does Vincentio think that Lucentio has wasted his fortune while in Padua?

4. Why does Vincentio accuse Tranio of murdering Lucentio?

5. Why is Gremio eager to defend Vincentio?

6. Why does Tranio call for a constable?

7. Who finally gives away Lucentio’s scheme to marry Bianca privately?

8. How much time has passed since Petruchio and Kate were married?

9. How much money has Baptista lost on account of Petruchio’s bet with the husbands?

10. According to Kate, why should women obey their husbands?

Answers

1. He is apparently eavesdropping on Cambio, his rival.

2. Being a sailmaker in Bergamo, Tranio’s father is presumably from there.

3. Since Tranio is dressed up beyond the station of a servant, Vincentio thinks that Lucentio has spent money on him.

4. Once Tranio claims that he himself is Lucentio, the only logical possibility that occurs to Vincentio is that Tranio has killed his master.

5. Tranio (as Lucentio) is Gremio’s rival, and Gremio probably wants to discredit him as much as possible in order to win Baptista’s approval to marry Bianca.

6. Although the pedant has already done so, Tranio waits until there is no other option but to have Vincentio forciably removed so that the wedding arrangements with Baptista will go forward.

7. Lucentio gives it away.

8. Exactly one week has passed since they were married.

9. Though Lucentio turned down Baptista’s offer to meet half of his bet in case Bianca should not obey him, Baptista also offers a second dowry for Kate, which amounts to 20,000 crowns; it is unclear whether Petruchio accepts the money, however.

10. To summarize, women are obligated to serve their husbands in the same way every subject owes allegiance to the prince; service merely shows simple gratitude for a husband’s hard work; women’s bodies are not suited to labor, and, therefore, women must obey the men, who labor on their behalf; women are no physical match for men.