I woo not like a babe

Petruchio: Though little fire grows great with little wind,
Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all:
So I to her and so she yields to me;
For I am rough and woo not like a babe.

Speaking of babies, here's one that's being raised right (click to enlarge - really, you need to see this):



But how about that Petruchio, anyway? He gets a bad rap, pretty often - and he's self-confessedly rough. But is he *too* rough? By the end of the play, Katherine doesn't seem to think so.


John Drew as Petruchio

Petruchio has grown on me. In reading the play right after Two Gentlemen, I was struck by how different Petruchio is from guys like Valentine and Proteus. He's no slave of passion (except having strong feelings about how a sleeve should be cut, and other such important issues). But then again, he doesn't drop a girl at the drop of a hat. Instead of always being in thrall to the most charming person in the room at the time, he's willing to take a chance on a an intelligent, but spoiled, neglected girl that's despised by her society. He believes that she CAN have a happy, respectable life. Not so bad, really!

Next question: how do you pronounce "Petruchio"? "Petruchee-o" or "Petrukee-o"? I've heard it both ways from those who ought to know...