The Taming of the Shrew

Overview

The Taming of the Shrew is a hilarious comedy that has a dark side. The play is about two sisters who are polar opposites. Bianaca, the youngest sister, is a beautiful young lady who is admired by many. Katherine or Kate, the eldest sister, is a wild spirit who is not admired by anyone. Throughout the play, Katherine is "tamed" by a young man named Petruchio. By the end of the play, Katherine is a completely different person and Petruchio feels like he won because he "tamed" Katherine.

Katherine

  • Katherine is the eldest daughter of Baptista. She has a younger sister, Bianca. Katherine is known for her wild spirit that cannot be tamed... or so she thinks.

Bianca

  • Bianca is the youngest daughter of Baptista. She has an older sister, Katherine. Bianca is known for her beauty and kind heart. Bianca is quite the opposite of her sister.

Petruchio


  • Petruchio is a intriguing man from Verona. All he wants is to find a woman with a lot of money. Katherine was the perfect fit in his eyes. Even though she is short tempered, Petruchio just saw her temper as a challenge. He very quickly "tames" the wild spirt in Katherine.

Gremio


  • A citizen of Padua and Hortensio's rival. Gremio is taken by Bianca's beauty but faces many obstacles if he is to marry her.

Hortensio


  • A citizen of Padua and Gremio's rivial. Hortensio is also taken by Bianca's beauty. However, like Gremio he faces many obstacles if he is to marry Bianca.

Lucentio


  • Lucentio is a student from Pisa who is quite taken by Bianca's kindness and beauty. Although Lucentio had to disguise himself to spend time with Bianca, he won her love in the end.

Baptista

  • The father of Katherine and Bianca. Baptista is considered to be very wealthy in the city of Padua. Baptista seems to be a father that is more concerned about money then the well-being of his children.

Fun Facts!

  • The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare's Comedies.

  • The play was written between 1590-94 and was published in Shakespeare's First Folio in 1623.

  • The Taming of the Shrew revolves around themes of gender and marriage. Should women follow their husbands orders? Or should they be allowed to have their own opinions?

Takeaways:

  • The image that men can "tame" women is present throughout the play.

  • Is it possible that Katherine and Petruchio love each other? Maybe conflicted feelings?

  • The personalities of the sisters seemed to switch by the end of the play. Katherine is acting more like Bianca. Meanwhile Bianca is acting more like the real Katherine.