Taming of the Shrew

Taming of the Shrew

1. Characters

   • Petruchio
     • Only interested in money
     • Manages to "tame" Katherine
     • Boor
   • Christopher Sly
     • Drunkard in induction
   • Minola Family
     • Katherine Minola
       • Initially "shrewish"
       • Eventually gives in to Petruchio's authority
       • Must be married before Bianca
     • Bianca Minola
       • Traditionally desirable wife
       • Submissive, modest, beautiful
     • Baptista Minola
       • Father to Bianca and Katherine
       • Very wealthy
       • Absent-minded and superficial
   • Bianca's suitors
     • Lucentio
       • Disguises himself as a tutor named Cambio
       • Wins Bianca's hand but is foiled by his father
     • Gremio
     • Hortentio
       • Disguises himself as a music instructor
       • Directs Petruchio to Katherine
   • Servants
     • Tranio
       • Lucentio's servant
       • Pretends to be Lucentio to win Bianca's hand
     • Grumio
       • Petruchio's servant
       • Fool of the play
     • Biondello
       • Lucentio's servant
   • Vincentio
     • Lucentio's dad

2. Motifs

   • Disguise
   • Marriage
   • Feminism
   • Domestication
   • Father/Child Relationships

3. Themes

   • Marriage as an economic institution
   • The effect of social roles on economic happiness

4. Symbols

   • Petruchio's wedding costume
     • Done to humiliate Katherine
     • Shabby
   • Katherine's cap and gown
     • Deny her what she wants
     • Her voice is ignored for the first time

5. Plot

   • Act I
     • Scene 1
       • 1. Lucentio arrives in Padua
       • 2. Baptista announces Katherine must be married first
       • 3. Lucentio decides to disguise himself
     • Scene 2
       • 1. Petruchio arrives in Padua
       • 2. Hortensio convinces Petruchio to woo Katherine
       • 3. Tranio disguises himself as Lucentio
   • Act II
     • Scene 1
       • 1. Katherine beats up Bianca
       • 2. The men all meet Baptista
       • 3. Katherine beats up Hortensio
       • 4. Petruchio engages Katherine in a verbal duel
       • 5. Petruchio announces they're getting married Sunday
   • Act III
     • Scene 1
       • 1.1. Hortensio and Lucentio fight for Bianca's attention
       • 1.2. Bianca prefers Lucentio
     • Scene 2
       • 2.1. Petruchio shows up to the wedding late in tattered clothes
     • Scene 3
       • 3.1. Petruchio kidnaps Kate right after they are married
   • Act IV
     • Scene 1
       • 1.1. Grumio, Petruchio, and Kate go to Petruchio's house
       • 1.2. Petruchio becomes angry and rejects the meal
       • 1.3. Petruchio doesn't let Kate eat or sleep
     • Scene 2
       • 2.1. Tranio convinces Hortensio to stop pursuing Bianca
       • 2.2. Hortensio marries a widow and seeks Petruchio's help "taming" her
       • 2.3. Tranio hires a schoolmaster to pretend to be "Lucentio's" father in exchange for protection
     • Scene 3
       • 3.1. Petruchio doesn't let Kate have the clothes she wants
       • 3.2. Petruchio argues with the tailor but it's a trick
     • Scene 5
       • 5.1. Lucentio makes plans to elope with Bianca
     • Scene 4
       • 4.1. Lucentio and Tranio successfully trick Baptista into thinking the schoomaster is Lucentio's father
     • Scene 6
       • 6.1. Petruchio beats Kate in an argument about the time of day
       • 6.2. Petruchio makes Kate hug Vincentio, arguing that he is a young maid
   • Act V
     • Scene 1
       • 1.1. Vincentio finds the disguised Tranio and the schoolmaster
       • 1.2. Lucentio and Bianca are married, Lucentio explains everything to Vincentio
       • 1.3. Petruchio forces Kate to kiss him
     • Scene 2
       • 2.1. Lucentio throws a banquet to celebrate the weddings
       • 2.2. Kate argues with the widow and they almost fight
       • 2.3. The men play a game to see who has the most obedient wife
       • 2.4. Kate proves to be the most obedient, shocking everyone