soliloquy
Gypsy Rose Me
- Joined
- May 22, 2002
- Posts
- 1,422
OOC: This thread is closed for Ariosto and myself. Please read along and enjoy. 
IC: Katharina stormed out of the courtyard entrance of her father’s house, her father struggling to keep up. “Marry me to God! I should think not. I would first be married to those knaves you call men than to be married to a god who should expect such subservience from a woman!”
“What will you have me do, Katharina? You frighten away any suitor who is willing, and rear your cat’s claws at any suggestion of marriage. Your sister has two fine suitors who are willing to marry her, but she cannot until I find a suitable position for you!” Baptista roared at Katharina as he had never before.
“I will not be subject to treating a man like a god, kneeling at his feet and kissing his boot!” Katharina glared back at him with utter contempt.
“Then you leave me no choice, Katharina. On Thursday next, you shall enter the convent and marry yourself to God.” Baptista stormed back towards the house.
“I’d see myself hanged first!” Katharina screeched after him.
She slumped against the wall of the courtyard. “There is not a man in all of Italy who I would serve in such a fashion,” she muttered to herself.
Before she could find any solace for herself, Bianca came running out of the house in tears. “Sister, Father says you are to go to a convent, is this true?”
Katharina fixed her steely gaze on her fragile sister. Petite and waifish, her sister was what all men wanted: a delicate flower with a head full of childish ringlets about her face. Bianca epitomized this womanhood that Katharina was expected to conform to. Bianca was perfect in everyone’s eyes. Katharina, on the other hand, was built sturdier, loomed taller, and did not adorn herself with the laces and frills that Bianca was so fond of. Her dark hair contrasted Bianca’s golden tresses, and she shamelessly wore it wildly about her face. She would not tie her hair in bondage as the fashion was. She would be plain Kate. How could they ask her to be anything other than that which she was?
“It is Father’s truth, not mine,” Katharina growled.
“But Katharina, if you would just soften your temperament and be kind to your suitors, you would not have to. Dear, sister, if you should not do this for yourself, please do it for me. I should like to be married before I am too old to be considered a maid.”
Katharina lunged wildly towards her sister, grabbed her hands, and brought them captive behind her back. “Even you, dear sister, could not persuade me to stoop to a man’s whim! But just for entertainment, do tell me, which of your fine suitors do you wish to marry? No, do let me guess, sister. Hortensio has a fairer countenance. It is he who you wish to marry.”
“Katharina, if you fancy him, I would gladly give him to you.”
“Oh, so you fancy riches more, I take it, and want Gremio?” Katharina tightened her grip on Bianca’s arms.
“I do not favor one over the other, sister. I have not yet met a man who I should prefer over other men. Please release me.”
Katharina loosened her grip on Bianca’s arms. “You would have me marry some sniveling man who would lord over me like property for a man you have not seen?” In a fury, Katharina swung her hand back and slapped her sister across the cheek with such force that she stumbled backwards and to the ground.
Baptista, hearing Bianca’s cries, stormed out of the house. “What have you done, Katharina?”
“I have, Father, showed Bianca what treatment she might have at the hands of a man.”
Baptista’s face grew weary. “Katharina, you are as they call you…”
“Shrewish?” she asked, a glint of merriment in her eyes.
“Nay, they call you cursed. Kate the cursed.”
Hope dawned on Katharina’s face. “So how do you hope to marry such a cursed creature as myself to God?” And with that, Katharina strode triumphantly to her chamber.
IC: Katharina stormed out of the courtyard entrance of her father’s house, her father struggling to keep up. “Marry me to God! I should think not. I would first be married to those knaves you call men than to be married to a god who should expect such subservience from a woman!”
“What will you have me do, Katharina? You frighten away any suitor who is willing, and rear your cat’s claws at any suggestion of marriage. Your sister has two fine suitors who are willing to marry her, but she cannot until I find a suitable position for you!” Baptista roared at Katharina as he had never before.
“I will not be subject to treating a man like a god, kneeling at his feet and kissing his boot!” Katharina glared back at him with utter contempt.
“Then you leave me no choice, Katharina. On Thursday next, you shall enter the convent and marry yourself to God.” Baptista stormed back towards the house.
“I’d see myself hanged first!” Katharina screeched after him.
She slumped against the wall of the courtyard. “There is not a man in all of Italy who I would serve in such a fashion,” she muttered to herself.
Before she could find any solace for herself, Bianca came running out of the house in tears. “Sister, Father says you are to go to a convent, is this true?”
Katharina fixed her steely gaze on her fragile sister. Petite and waifish, her sister was what all men wanted: a delicate flower with a head full of childish ringlets about her face. Bianca epitomized this womanhood that Katharina was expected to conform to. Bianca was perfect in everyone’s eyes. Katharina, on the other hand, was built sturdier, loomed taller, and did not adorn herself with the laces and frills that Bianca was so fond of. Her dark hair contrasted Bianca’s golden tresses, and she shamelessly wore it wildly about her face. She would not tie her hair in bondage as the fashion was. She would be plain Kate. How could they ask her to be anything other than that which she was?
“It is Father’s truth, not mine,” Katharina growled.
“But Katharina, if you would just soften your temperament and be kind to your suitors, you would not have to. Dear, sister, if you should not do this for yourself, please do it for me. I should like to be married before I am too old to be considered a maid.”
Katharina lunged wildly towards her sister, grabbed her hands, and brought them captive behind her back. “Even you, dear sister, could not persuade me to stoop to a man’s whim! But just for entertainment, do tell me, which of your fine suitors do you wish to marry? No, do let me guess, sister. Hortensio has a fairer countenance. It is he who you wish to marry.”
“Katharina, if you fancy him, I would gladly give him to you.”
“Oh, so you fancy riches more, I take it, and want Gremio?” Katharina tightened her grip on Bianca’s arms.
“I do not favor one over the other, sister. I have not yet met a man who I should prefer over other men. Please release me.”
Katharina loosened her grip on Bianca’s arms. “You would have me marry some sniveling man who would lord over me like property for a man you have not seen?” In a fury, Katharina swung her hand back and slapped her sister across the cheek with such force that she stumbled backwards and to the ground.
Baptista, hearing Bianca’s cries, stormed out of the house. “What have you done, Katharina?”
“I have, Father, showed Bianca what treatment she might have at the hands of a man.”
Baptista’s face grew weary. “Katharina, you are as they call you…”
“Shrewish?” she asked, a glint of merriment in her eyes.
“Nay, they call you cursed. Kate the cursed.”
Hope dawned on Katharina’s face. “So how do you hope to marry such a cursed creature as myself to God?” And with that, Katharina strode triumphantly to her chamber.