My Wife, My Companion
"Nay, I will win my wager better yet; and show more sign of her obedience, her new-built virtue and obedience. See where she comes, and brings your forward wives as prisoners to her womanly persuasion—"Petruchio began, however, he was cut off as Katherine came bursting through the doors. Much to his surprise (not to mention dismay) she was dressed, not in the fine clothes fitted specifically for her, but in her old garments which she had kept with her since the day she had first arrived at Petruchio's dwelling.
"My dear Kate, pray tell what the meaning of all of this—"
"I will tell you the meaning of my appearance, but in due time. First, I must commemorate these two," Kate said, bringing Bianca and the widow forward. "For, they have been summoned by their husbands and have not heeded to his call."
Petruchio looked severely confused and disappointed, Lucentio and Hortensio sniggered in the background.
"Darling Kate, whatever do you—"
"Can you not see it? Is it not dreadfully obvious? Not one woman of this trio has obeyed our husband's orders. And why is this? Because we choose not to! We shall tolerate this discrimination no longer!" Kate exclaimed, and Bianca and the widow voiced their agreement.
"B-but Bianca," Lucentio stuttered, moving forward.
"No 'but's, Lucentio, Katherina has told me enough! She has informed me of this little bargain you three have cleverly concocted, and I will not stand for it!"
"And I shall not be a pawn in your petty attempts to win money, Hortensio," said the widow with a tone of finality.
"My precious Kate—"
"Oh would you stop with the pet names already? I have told you that we shall not bow to you, no matter what it is you attempt. We are all human in this room, are we not? Should we then not be equal in rights and dignity? Women are just as dignified, well-mannered, and breakable as men! We are all equal!"
The men in the room began to laugh, but Kate was unperturbed.
"This is coming from the shrew herself, the maiden of indignation?!"
"Well-mannered as in being raised in a barn, right?"
"Men are not breakable, it is woman who is fragile!"
Kate walked forward, approaching the man who had said the last comment. She took his goblet of rum and threw it against the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces, staining a tapestry. The man raged, yelling at her, but the only discernable phrase was 'Why's the rum gone?!' Kate stepped down triumphantly, holding out her hands in a gesture of display.
"See this man? He has thrown aside his dignity by letting the loss of rum destroy him, he yells with such a slurred tongue that only four words could be understood, and the glass breaking has made him snapped. He is broken." Bianca and the widow exchanged admiring looks.
"Who else would like to test my theory?"
"What about you? What if we broke one of your precious clotheslines? How then would you do the laundry?" a man spoke out. Kate rounded on him like a cat.
"Is that all you see of our possessions worthy of breaking? Is that all you think that we care about? Cooking, cleaning, keeping the family in order? You are sadly mistaken!" she exclaimed indignantly. "Everyday we are forced to work hand and foot before our husbands, making sure that the house is completely in order, and to what reward? Yes, we have a home, we have a family, we have a comfortable life, but we would be given this anyway if we took care of ourselves, and ourselves only! We have proven ourselves capable of sustaining life, so why not take advantage of this?"
"My headstrong Kate, surely you cannot mean—"
"You know full well what I mean, Petruchio. I mean to send you back to your life on your precious estate, on your own. I am able to fend for myself in Padua, and I shall! No longer shall I work under the service of someone who does not treat me as an equal, but as a prize, something to be won! Who is with me?!" Kate looked around and all fell silent and still.
"I said, who is with me?!"
A servant coughed at the back of the room. She looked desperately to Bianca and the widow.
"Well?!"
"I am sorry Kate, but I love Lucentio, I could never think to leave him, especially to be on my own," Bianca said, and she moved toward her new husband. Kate narrowed her eyes, then looked toward where the widow should have been, had she not been kissing Hortensio deeply.
Kate folded her arms angrily. "Well then! If that is how you two feel, fine! I will find someone else to accompany me in my life of solitude." With this, she began to march out the door.
"Kate! Kate, please wait," Petruchio called. He caught her just outside the door.
"I want not to hear your silly excuses, Petruchio, I have made up my mind," Kate said. She looked away when he tried to get her to look at him.
"Please Kate, come back to me. There is a home waiting for you, a comforting, loving home..."
Kate shook her head. "It is not comforting when I am treated as someone below you. As company! If I lived in my own house, I could be treated as I wish, not as someone governs."
"Kate, why did you not tell me? You know I would do anything for you. If you would but allow me to change—"
"The time for change is through, Petruchio. The influence of men has already left its mark, and I have decided what I am to do about it."
"And what's that?"
"I shall begin a society called GOMWIP, Gathering Of Mistreated Wives In Padua."
"Surely you cannot be serious," Petruchio said.
"And why not?!" Kate asked haughtily.
"GOMWIP? It does not sound remotely intimidating."
"How intimidating is 'if you do not get out of my way, I will take this piece of wood and put it in a highly uncomfortable place'?" she asked, taking a piece of rotting wood from a trough that sat beside the building.
"Kate, you need not intimidate me, I assure you I am quite frightened of what you can do, with or without a piece of wood. But that does not sway my everlasting love for you, for your fairness, your kindness—"
"Oh would you quit?! You are merely using flattery as a method of persuasion! It will work no longer!"
"Kate, I promise that everything I say is genuine. From where I stand, you are the most beautiful creature on the earth whose heart, though possibly tainted be her poisoned tongue, is a heart of gold. You are outstanding, Kate, and should be treated as such. I shall make sure of this when we return home. If you choose to accompany me."
"So you are giving me the choice?"
"Of course I am, I would have it no other way."
Kate paused. This was certainly not what she had expected. She thought he would either force her to come with him or leave without her. She contemplated both choices and took a deep breath.
"You are a noble man, Petruchio, but how will I reach out to other women? You saw Bianca and the widow back there; they listened to nothing I said. They are stricken by love; they accept things because they are afraid to lose something so fair and yet so brittle as devotion. Don't you see, it is madness!"
"I do see. And that is why I want to help."
"You want to what?!"
"I want to help you talk to other women about this GUMWRAPPER thing..."
"GOMWIP."
"Right."
"You would really do that for me?"
"Kate," Petruchio took both of her shoulders and looked into her eyes, "For you, I would bring down the sun and place it in your room so that all but you must live their life in darkness."
"That is quite flattering, but I am afraid what the sun would do to my garments."
Petruchio grinned. "So you will come with me?"
Kate nodded. "I will. But we must start GOMWIP as soon as possible.
"I would not even conceive of delaying, there are women out there in need of proper treatment at home. And my little Kate will teach them just how to get it."
Kate smiled up at him and he leaned forward, kissing her upon the lips. For the first time in public, she embraced this concept and returned the kiss, savoring it, and calling silently to the world to watch, for she was not embarrassed, nor angered. She was in love.
"Nay, I will win my wager better yet; and show more sign of her obedience, her new-built virtue and obedience. See where she comes, and brings your forward wives as prisoners to her womanly persuasion—"Petruchio began, however, he was cut off as Katherine came bursting through the doors. Much to his surprise (not to mention dismay) she was dressed, not in the fine clothes fitted specifically for her, but in her old garments which she had kept with her since the day she had first arrived at Petruchio's dwelling.
"My dear Kate, pray tell what the meaning of all of this—"
"I will tell you the meaning of my appearance, but in due time. First, I must commemorate these two," Kate said, bringing Bianca and the widow forward. "For, they have been summoned by their husbands and have not heeded to his call."
Petruchio looked severely confused and disappointed, Lucentio and Hortensio sniggered in the background.
"Darling Kate, whatever do you—"
"Can you not see it? Is it not dreadfully obvious? Not one woman of this trio has obeyed our husband's orders. And why is this? Because we choose not to! We shall tolerate this discrimination no longer!" Kate exclaimed, and Bianca and the widow voiced their agreement.
"B-but Bianca," Lucentio stuttered, moving forward.
"No 'but's, Lucentio, Katherina has told me enough! She has informed me of this little bargain you three have cleverly concocted, and I will not stand for it!"
"And I shall not be a pawn in your petty attempts to win money, Hortensio," said the widow with a tone of finality.
"My precious Kate—"
"Oh would you stop with the pet names already? I have told you that we shall not bow to you, no matter what it is you attempt. We are all human in this room, are we not? Should we then not be equal in rights and dignity? Women are just as dignified, well-mannered, and breakable as men! We are all equal!"
The men in the room began to laugh, but Kate was unperturbed.
"This is coming from the shrew herself, the maiden of indignation?!"
"Well-mannered as in being raised in a barn, right?"
"Men are not breakable, it is woman who is fragile!"
Kate walked forward, approaching the man who had said the last comment. She took his goblet of rum and threw it against the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces, staining a tapestry. The man raged, yelling at her, but the only discernable phrase was 'Why's the rum gone?!' Kate stepped down triumphantly, holding out her hands in a gesture of display.
"See this man? He has thrown aside his dignity by letting the loss of rum destroy him, he yells with such a slurred tongue that only four words could be understood, and the glass breaking has made him snapped. He is broken." Bianca and the widow exchanged admiring looks.
"Who else would like to test my theory?"
"What about you? What if we broke one of your precious clotheslines? How then would you do the laundry?" a man spoke out. Kate rounded on him like a cat.
"Is that all you see of our possessions worthy of breaking? Is that all you think that we care about? Cooking, cleaning, keeping the family in order? You are sadly mistaken!" she exclaimed indignantly. "Everyday we are forced to work hand and foot before our husbands, making sure that the house is completely in order, and to what reward? Yes, we have a home, we have a family, we have a comfortable life, but we would be given this anyway if we took care of ourselves, and ourselves only! We have proven ourselves capable of sustaining life, so why not take advantage of this?"
"My headstrong Kate, surely you cannot mean—"
"You know full well what I mean, Petruchio. I mean to send you back to your life on your precious estate, on your own. I am able to fend for myself in Padua, and I shall! No longer shall I work under the service of someone who does not treat me as an equal, but as a prize, something to be won! Who is with me?!" Kate looked around and all fell silent and still.
"I said, who is with me?!"
A servant coughed at the back of the room. She looked desperately to Bianca and the widow.
"Well?!"
"I am sorry Kate, but I love Lucentio, I could never think to leave him, especially to be on my own," Bianca said, and she moved toward her new husband. Kate narrowed her eyes, then looked toward where the widow should have been, had she not been kissing Hortensio deeply.
Kate folded her arms angrily. "Well then! If that is how you two feel, fine! I will find someone else to accompany me in my life of solitude." With this, she began to march out the door.
"Kate! Kate, please wait," Petruchio called. He caught her just outside the door.
"I want not to hear your silly excuses, Petruchio, I have made up my mind," Kate said. She looked away when he tried to get her to look at him.
"Please Kate, come back to me. There is a home waiting for you, a comforting, loving home..."
Kate shook her head. "It is not comforting when I am treated as someone below you. As company! If I lived in my own house, I could be treated as I wish, not as someone governs."
"Kate, why did you not tell me? You know I would do anything for you. If you would but allow me to change—"
"The time for change is through, Petruchio. The influence of men has already left its mark, and I have decided what I am to do about it."
"And what's that?"
"I shall begin a society called GOMWIP, Gathering Of Mistreated Wives In Padua."
"Surely you cannot be serious," Petruchio said.
"And why not?!" Kate asked haughtily.
"GOMWIP? It does not sound remotely intimidating."
"How intimidating is 'if you do not get out of my way, I will take this piece of wood and put it in a highly uncomfortable place'?" she asked, taking a piece of rotting wood from a trough that sat beside the building.
"Kate, you need not intimidate me, I assure you I am quite frightened of what you can do, with or without a piece of wood. But that does not sway my everlasting love for you, for your fairness, your kindness—"
"Oh would you quit?! You are merely using flattery as a method of persuasion! It will work no longer!"
"Kate, I promise that everything I say is genuine. From where I stand, you are the most beautiful creature on the earth whose heart, though possibly tainted be her poisoned tongue, is a heart of gold. You are outstanding, Kate, and should be treated as such. I shall make sure of this when we return home. If you choose to accompany me."
"So you are giving me the choice?"
"Of course I am, I would have it no other way."
Kate paused. This was certainly not what she had expected. She thought he would either force her to come with him or leave without her. She contemplated both choices and took a deep breath.
"You are a noble man, Petruchio, but how will I reach out to other women? You saw Bianca and the widow back there; they listened to nothing I said. They are stricken by love; they accept things because they are afraid to lose something so fair and yet so brittle as devotion. Don't you see, it is madness!"
"I do see. And that is why I want to help."
"You want to what?!"
"I want to help you talk to other women about this GUMWRAPPER thing..."
"GOMWIP."
"Right."
"You would really do that for me?"
"Kate," Petruchio took both of her shoulders and looked into her eyes, "For you, I would bring down the sun and place it in your room so that all but you must live their life in darkness."
"That is quite flattering, but I am afraid what the sun would do to my garments."
Petruchio grinned. "So you will come with me?"
Kate nodded. "I will. But we must start GOMWIP as soon as possible.
"I would not even conceive of delaying, there are women out there in need of proper treatment at home. And my little Kate will teach them just how to get it."
Kate smiled up at him and he leaned forward, kissing her upon the lips. For the first time in public, she embraced this concept and returned the kiss, savoring it, and calling silently to the world to watch, for she was not embarrassed, nor angered. She was in love.