Taming of the Shrew

Roles

• Petruchio
• Katherine
• Hortensio
• Vincentio

About this piece

Petruchio teases his wife Katherine to get her to submit to his authority

Summary

The play is about Lucentio, a young man who goes to Padua with his two servants Tranio and Biondello to study at the university. As soon as he arrives he falls in love with a sweet and beautiful young woman, Bianca. The problems that he encounters to win her heart are her other two suitors, Gremio and Hortensio, and her father Baptista who has decided nobody will be able to court Bianca until her ill-tempered older sister Katherine finds an husband. An opportunity comes when Petruchio, a loud and quick witted gentleman from Verona, hears about a large dowry that would come with marrying Katherine. He decides to woo her and marry her for her money. After he marries her and takes her home against her will, the "taming" process begins as he tries everything in his power to have her submit to his authority. This scene comes when Petruchio, Katherine and Hortensio are on their way back to Padua for Bianca's marriage with a friend, Hortensio. On their way they also encounter Vincentio, Lucentio's father. In this scene Petruchio teases Katherine in several ways, for example comments on how bright is the moon when they it's actually daytime. When Katherine objects, he teases her and gets her to admit that is moonlight. When Katherine acknowledges that is the moon that is shining then Petruchio changes his claim...

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