Taming of the Shrew

Spark notes: Summaries and Short

Analysis
 Act One Sc. 1 Summary
Lucentio arrives in Padua with Tranio to study philosophy. Lucentio is the son of a wealthy merchant, Vincentio
of Pisa. Lucentio is in the town square waiting for his second servant, Biondello to arrive with his luggage.

Baptista enters with daughters, Bianca and Katherine (Kath). They are followed by Bianca’s 2 suitors Hortensio
and Gremio. Lucentio and Tranio sit back and listen to their exchanges. Baptista will not give Bianca
permission to marry until her older, ill-tempered sister marries. Lucentio falls in love with Bianca’s beauty and
decides he want to woo her for his wife.

Baptista announces that Bianca will focus on her studies of music and poetry and invites the suitors to find
appropriate tutors. Hortensio suggests that in order to speed up the courtship process to Bianca it is best to find a
suitor for Kath.

Lucentio decides to put a plan together in hopes of winning Bianca’s hand in marriage and court her in secret.
Tranio will assume Lucentio’s identity in and around town and he will present himself as a third possible suitor
for Bianca. Lucentio will disguise himself as a tutor to spend time in Bianca’s company. When Biondello arrives
he is told of the plan and Tranio and Lucentio trade identities.
 Act One Sc. 2 Summary
Petruchio and his servant Grumio have just arrived to visit Hortensio. Petruchio has just received
an inheritance from his deceased father and states that he wants to marry well. Jokingly Hortensio
suggests the Shrew Katherine if what he is looking for is wealth. Petruchio likes the suggestion
because he has come to “wife it wealthily in Padua”.

Petruchio is told of Baptista demands and of Kath’s frightful reputation and indicates his plans to
woo Bianca. Petruchio reveals that his father was a friend of Baptista and agrees to introduce
Hortensio as a music teacher so that he might court Bianca.

Lucentio is now disguised as “Cambio” tutor who will help Gremio in his pursuit of Bianca.

Tranio now disguised as Lucentio announces he too will woo Bianca. The 3 suitors of Bianca,
Gremio, Hortensio and Tranio (as Lucentio) agree to help Petruchio win over Katherine.
 Analysis and ideas to Consider for Act 1
In Act one the main thematic focus is related Characterization of Petruchio is that he has a strong and
willful personality.
to the Archetype of woman and what it means
to a “good woman”. With this character Shakespeare bring to light another aspect
of marriage not often discussed. Marriage can be viewed as a
This act explores the expectations society has financial transaction and a way to increase one’s wealth and
for women and their role within marriage. It status. This is particularly true in Shakespearean times.
explores this theme through the characters of
In Petruchio’s mind marriage is also viewed as a challenge or
the suitors as they are implored to consider game if you will. It will be an excitement for the mind to
Katherine for marriage and refuse this challenge and mould Kath in to the woman she ought to be in
proposal because of her unorthodox marriage. A challenge comparable to battles of war.
demeanor.
Kate’s perspective on people’s opinion of her is also clarified
and the reader starts to see that her defensive and at time
Strong womanhood seems in this Act to be
abrasiveness is a response to mistreatment
seen as undesirable and threatening to
masculinity
 ● Act One in any play is meant to set up the main issues, conflicts and
relationships of the play. What are the main issues presented thus far?
● List all the main characters introduced so far. Identify traits, values and
characteristics we already know about them either through their own words
and actions or the opinion of others. Where possible record support form the

Discussion ●
play for your character analysis.
How is Kath viewed in the eyes of the potential suitors by comparison to her

Activities
sister Bianca? How is each young woman described by Hortencio and
Gremio?
● Read lines 173-174 of the play. What advice does Traino give Lucentio? Do
you believe this is good advice? Explain.
● We see the last of Sly in Act one. What is his reaction to the play he is
watching? Do you think his reaction is directed toward thetheatre in general.
 ● What is the real motive behind Petruchio’s visit to Padua? Do
you regard this ambition as crass and calculating or practical
and purposeful? Are there any ramifications that can come from
his ambitions?

Discussio ● On line 90 Petruchio discusses wealth and states “thou know’st

not gold’s effect.” Do you think money can buy just about

n
anything? Do you think this attitude is prevalent in the world
today? Explain why or why not?
● Bianca seems to be very desirable. Why is this? What

Activities characteristics does she posses that make this so? How
important is reputation in today’s world. Do people alter their
true selves to uphold reputations? Explain
● Petruchio in this scene compares himself to Hercules in
preparation for battle. Why? Is his conquest really a battle?
Act Two Sc.1 Summary
Katherine is arguing with Bianca, demanding to know about the progress of the courtship. Baptista
intervenes, reprimanding his older daughter, and Bianca escapes. Katherine complains about the preferential
treatment her sister receives. Gremio then appears accompanied by Lucentio disguised as Cambio the
schoolmaster, and Petruchio enters with Hortensio dressed as Litio the musician. Petruchio announces his
desire to wed Katherine. Baptista tells him his daughter might not be a good choice for him.

The 2 new tutors are now taken to their pupils. Katherine is summoned to meet Petruchio and when she
enters, she and Petruchio engage in a rapid exchange of antagonistic wordplay that leads to Petruchio
kissing her and informing her that they are destined to marry. He insists to Baptista that Katherine loves him
but will pretend in public. Baptista agrees to allow a marriage that coming Sunday. Baptista then listen to
offers that Germio and Tranio (Lucentio) then make for Bianca and decides Tranio’s better and gives his
permission for marriage if Lucentio father agrees to the financial terms proposed . Tranio sets out to find an
impersonator for Lucentio’s father to make the agreement stick.
Analysis and Ideas to Consider for Act two
Although oftentimes the turning point for plays occurs in the middle of the play, or more accurately, Act 3, the audience is
witness to a turning point in this act when we see a change in Katherine’s response to her suitor. More often than not
Katherine has maintained a disposition that is argumentative and assertive and in this act Petruchio’s persistence in affirming
his loves and wish to marry Katherine is met by silence and dare we say even an acceptance. She has always been outspoken
and yet here as Petruchio forces marriage upon her she responds with silence.

Most men have spoken about Kate rather to Kate and this has resulted in the defensive and abrasive nature associated to Kate,
so what makes Petruchio different? Kate’s compliance with Petruchio’s decree may surprise us, but if we consider her
as essentially misunderstood by the other characters, her behavior may appear more understandable. The men view
her as a shrew, but they care very little about the origins of her shrewish nature. Nor do they wonder why Kate
chooses to maintain her behavior. If her temper results from her frustration with the dim-witted qualities of the men
around her or her jealousy towards her sister’s suitors, one easy explanation for her acceptance of Petruchio would
be that he is her equal in wit and willpower and he is eager to marry her. Indeed, compared to the other suitors who
simply run from Kate’s temper, Petruchio fires a countering shot at each and every one of her arrows, merely
because he can match her wit.
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Petruchio displays an admirable wit but It seems strange that Kate’s independent personality would be willing to accept
someone who gives her just as little credit as did the other suitors.

At the beginning of the scene, though, Kate shows that she may have another motive for complying with Petruchio. When
fighting with Bianca, she admits that she is jealous because of the fact that her sister is being courted and will probably soon
marry. Kate appears to be frustrated by the fact that her biological clock is ticking, but she finds herself caught in a vicious
circle: she hates the suitors because they do not want to marry her, and men will not marry her because she makes it so
obvious that she hates them. Perhaps Petruchio’s nature has broken the cycle, or it may be that he is the first man to speak
kind words to her, even if he did not truly mean them.

Whereas Hortensio and Gremio make it very clear when they are put off by Kate’s sharpness, Petruchio praises her: “For she’s
not froward, but modest as the dove. / She is not hot, but temperate as the morn” (II.i.285–286). After Petruchio invokes this
simile, Kate’s resistance falters. Kate change of behaviour shows that she is doubly miserable in her existence as an unmarried
girl. It may be that marriage represents a new beginning for Kate, a chance to take on a new social role.
 ● Consider Kath’s speech to her father on lines 31-36. Does the audience get an
understanding or clues to why she behaves the way she does? Do you sympathize with

Discussio ●
her at all ? Explain.
Amid all the disguises in this playPetruchio speech on lines 184-193 seems to clearly
affirm his priorities. What do you think of his speech and Katherine’s responses.

n ●
Examine Petruchio’s evolving plan. Do you think it will work?p8
In the play there seems to be a an obvious contrast between the popular romantic,
fantasy of love and the practical understanding of love. Compare two characters that

Activities have opposing views and approaches to love. Which one do you think will be
successful in love? Explain.
● Baptista approaches marriage differently when it comes to his 2 daughters. Explain the
Act 2 different approaches and rules he has as they pertain to each daughter. Consider lines
127-128, 335-337.
Scene 1 ● According to Petruchio what special qualities does Katherine possess. How does this
compare to the way in which the various suitors of Bianca see her.
● In this scene baptista seems to be negotiating the best circumstance and price for his
commodities, his daughters. Is this a transaction a simple one or is this more about
social control over women? Do you think this happens today?
 Act 3 scene 1 Summary
It is now Saturday, the day before Katherine is scheduled to wed Petruchio. Lucentio and Hortensio, in their respective disguises as Cambio

and Litio, are “instructing” Bianca somewhere in Baptista’s house, The scene begins with the two battling for her attention. Bianca clearly

has begun to form a preference, and she ends the dispute by declaring that she will hear her Latin lesson from Lucentio first, while

Hortensio tunes his instrument. During the Latin lesson, with Hortensio out of hearing range, Lucentio conveys his true intentions to

Bianca through a mock translation of a Latin paragraph. She replies to him, in the same way, that she distrusts him, and yet she does not

hide the fact that she is quite taken with her young suitor. Hortensio tries to break in at intervals, but Bianca sends him off to tune hi

instrument again and again until she has finished her conversation with Lucentio.

Hortensio finally returns to try his own hand at wooing Bianca. He gives her a sheet with a “gamut,” or scale, of notes on it, with romantic

words cleverly inserted to indicate his true intention. Hortensio’s words take a different tone, though. While Lucentio was confident and

coy, Hortensio pleads almost pitifully: “show pity, or I die” (III.i.76). Bianca resists his attempt more directly, failing to give the playful

glimmer of hope she afforded Lucentio. Before Hortensio can respond, a servant enters, calling upon Bianca to prepare for her sister’s

wedding the next day.

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Lucentio also leaves, and Hortensio, alone, considers the signals he received from Bianca. He sees clearly that Lucentio is infatuated with

Bianca. But he does not yet know what her intentions are, and he suspects that his own chances might be slim. Preparing for the possibility of

rejection, his former enthusiasm dwindles, and he tells himself that he will simply find another wife if Bianca proves unwilling.
 Act III Scene ii Summary
On Sunday, outside Baptista’s house, everyone has gathered for the wedding of Kate and Petruchio. The groom, however, is late, and Baptista

has begun to worry. Kate frets that Petruchio habitually woos women only to leave them standing at the altar, and she runs off in tears. Just then,

Biondello rushes in to announce that the groom is on his way, dressed in a ridiculous, mismatched, and shabby costume, riding up the street on

an old, broken-down horse riddled with diseases. When Petruchio finally arrives, the crowd, horrified. Baptista begs him to change into a more

fashionable outfit before marrying Kate, in order to avoid further public humiliation. Petruchio says he will do no such thing and rides off to

find Kate at the church. Most of the crowd follows in a kind of horrified fascination.

Tranio and Lucentio stay behind, alone. They briefly discuss the status of their plan to win Bianca. Tranio informs his master that they must find

a “father” for him, and Lucentio suggests that the simplest solution may be for them to elope. They do not speak for long before Gremio returns

to tell the story of what has happened at the marriage. Apparently, Petruchio swore at the altar, struck the priest, threw food, and, in general,

proved such an embarrassment that Gremio felt compelled to leave early.

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The marriage has been completed nonetheless, and the rest of the company soon arrives. Bbefore they can even begin the wedding feast,

Petruchio announces that he must leave at once and take Kate with him, not even giving her time to receive congratulations from her friends

and family. At this ridiculous suggestion, Kate tries to draw the line, saying she will leave only when she wishes, but Petruchio remains as

persistent as ever. He says that since she is now his wife, he claims her as his property, and, pretending to defend her from jealous thieves, exits

quickly with her and Grumio. The rest of the party can only watch in amazement and laugh at the day’s events, wondering how two such

people could ever put up with one another. They resume the wedding feast, and Baptista moves to discuss the marriage of Bianca to Lucentio.
 Analysis and Ideas to consider for Act 3
Despite the Induction and the story of Christopher Sly, the narrative The scenes provide more than just clever comedy, however. It establishes the

form of The Taming ofthe Shrew is generally straightforward. It follows foundation, or perhaps the lack of foundation, of Lucentio and Bianca’s love.

the two plots: the main plot, involving Katherine’s wooing and In contrast to the previous oppositional scene between Petruchio and Kate, the

marriage, and the subplot, involving Bianca’s wooing and marriage. courting here is much more effortless. Lucentio does not have to work as hard

This Act flips that expected rhythm by focussing on the subplot first. as Petruchio did. Bianca expresses some misgivings because she does not know

Why? Will our expectations of the relationships be challenged? The Lucentio, but she makes it clear that she already prefers him to Hortensio. In

scenes employs its fair share of humor. Lucentio’s mock Latin lesson many ways, it seems natural for two young, attractive, and sympathetic

pokes fun at the fact that foreign languages are often more compact than characters of the play to come together, but this quick and easy match has

English. He translates a ridiculously long English phrase from one or consequences later on. In lines 110-113, Petruchio shocks the audience stating
two Latin words. Hortensio’s wooing is just as clever. He uses the scale he is not materialistic but idealistic, not condescending to Kate but self-
of notes and their syllable names to convey a series of puns. Comedy is deprecating—a contrast to the sentiments he expresses in Kate’s presence.
also clear in the arrival and grand entrance of Petruchio as well as his Petruchio’s true feelings might lie somewhere in between. He is certainly not
behaviour at the altar. willing to treat Kate as an equal, but he also may not be as misogynistic as he

appears.
 ● Until now the audience has come to know Bianca only thorough what
others have said about her and the contrast between her and Kate, Now

Discussi we can see how Bianca acts of her own accord and how she behaves. Fill
out your characterization of Bianca. Is she as obedient and even tempered
as she appeared to us at first.

on ● Compare the proposals put for by Bianca’s suitors why do you believe
Trainor as Lucentio was chosen as the better of the two?
● Petruchio is absent as the wedding is about to begin. How does Katherine

Activitie react? Is this her normal behaviour? At

the wedding reception, Petruchio declares

s the wedding feast shall take place but without the bride and

groom. Kate, furious, demands they stay, but Petruchio will
not hear of it. He will leave, he says, and he will take all of his
possessions with him — Kate included.What reasons might you
give for Petruchio’s strange dress and behaviour at the wedding? Is this in
line with the plans he revealed in Act 2 scene 1.
● In line with 符合 婚前找富婆 典礼迟到穿破烂的衣服
● Gremio reports on the wedding even though the audience does not witness
it themselves on stage. How are the events that occur at the wedding
comparable to your experiences of witnessing a wedding take place.
● Petruchio says to Baptista “to me she’s married, not unto my clothes.”
Consider how characters differ in the way they appear and their inner
 Act 4 scene 1 & 2 Summary
At Petruchio’s country house, Grumio describes to fellow servant the difficult journey he endured with
Petruchio upon leaving Padua. When Petruchio and Katherine enter the scene Petruchio attacks his
servants verbally and physically for their poor service. He finds fault with dinner and refuses to have his
wife eat any of it, declaring it unfit. Petruchio then informs the audience that much of his behaviour is in
hopes of finally taming his his wife much like a hunter tames a falcon with deprivation. His intent is to
deprive Kate of food and sleep as he believes this will yield the results he is looking for.

Back in Padua Hortensio ( as Litio) convinces Tranio (as Lucentio) to spy on Bianca and Lucentio (as
Cambio) as they express their love for each other. Hortensio reveals his true identity to Tranio and both
decide to give up their pursuit of Bianca. Hortensio affirms he will turn his attention to a wealthy widow.
Tranio reports Hortensio’s new intention. Biondello arrives to report he has found someone to impersonate
Vicentio. In turns out that the old man is from Mantua and in order to obtain his cooperation, Tranio
invents a story that Padua and Mantua are at odds and his life is in danger. The man agrees to the
deception.
 Act 4 scene 3, 4 & 5 Summary
In Petruchio’s house, Grumio taunts Kath by promising her food that he never brings. Petruchio then serves her and
demands her thanks. Petruchio than summons a tailor to display clothes he has ordered for Katherine to wear at Bianca’s
wedding. Although kate is pleased with the wardrobe he has the garments taken away and informs Kate that they will
wear their ordinary attire to Bianca’s wedding stating that outward appearances are meaningless compared to inner worth.
Katherine and Petruchio disagree however petruchio asserts himself and states that if she continues to disagree they won't
attend the wedding at all.

Back in Padua, “Vincentio” and ‘Lucentio” visit with Baptista to finalize the wedding agreement and complete the
deception. This exchange is successful and when Baptistista agrees to the union given that the dowry is secured he sends
“Cambio” (who is actually Lucentio) to find Bianca. The real Lucentio scurries off to devise a plot to marry Bianca in
secret before Baptista finds out about the deception.

Petruchio, Kate and Hortensio are on their way to Padua. Petruchio erratic and strange behaviour continues and Hortensio
encourages Kate to be agreeable so that they can get on with the journey. On the road they spot the real Vicentio heading
to Padua as well to visit his son. Petruchio and kate confuse the old man and momentarily make him believe he is a
young maid. They inform Vincentio that they are headed to the wedding and they all travel to Padua together.
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Back in Petruchio’s house, Kate has had little food or sleep for several days now, and she entreats Grumio to get her
something to eat. He refuses, and, like his master, claims that they are depriving her for her own benefit. Finally,
Petruchio and Hortensio bring her a meal. (Hortensio has apparently arrived from Padua sometime in the last few days
to educate himself at Petruchio’s “taming-school.”) Kate has little time to eat before Petruchio’s tailor arrives. The tailor
has prepared elegant and expensive clothes for their journey back to Baptista’s house in Padua. Predictably, Petruchio
finds fault with everything that Kate likes, from the cap to the gown, and he blames the tailor for poor craftsmanship. The
tailor tries to deflect the blame onto Grumio, but Petruchio and Grumio indignantly force him to leave. Petruchio,
however, secretly tells Hortensio to pull the tailor aside and tell him that he will be paid the following day, revealing that
Petruchio’s distasteful treatment of the tailor is in jest. Petruchio then tells Kate that they will leave at once for Padua in
the clothes that they have on, planning to arrive at noon. But, when Kate tells Petruchio that noontime has already
passed, he angrily responds that, yet again, she is contradicting him. He declares that they will not go that day, and that,
when they do go, “[i]t shall be what o’clock I say it is” (IV.iii.189).

I
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In Padua, Tranio has properly outfitted the pedant as Vincentio and rehearses his act with him to ensure
that their stories match. When Baptista and Lucentio (still disguised as Cambio) enter, the pedant
convinces Baptista that he is indeed Lucentio’s father, and that he fully approves of the marriage between
Bianca and his son. Baptista, the pedant, and Tranio then leave to find a private place where they can
discuss the financial details of the marriage.Lucentio (disguised as Cambio) returns to the stage with
Biondello, who informs him that Baptista has requested that Cambio bring Bianca to dinner. Biondello
explains that he has personally arranged for a priest and witnesses to perform a hasty marriage in a
church nearby. Lucentio agrees to the plan to elope, and they quickly leave to perform their respective
tasks.
Analysis and ideas to consider in Act 4
With the beginning of Act IV, the play begins to stick even more closely to the alternating plot/subplot structure that
it has followed loosely up to this point: for the next several scenes, the action alternates on a scene-by-scene
basis between the Petruchio/Katherine story and the Lucentio/Bianca story. In developing the main plot, this
section devotes itself largely to a gradually developing joke in which Petruchio frustrates Kate by using an
exaggerated pretense of concern for her comfort to keep her hungry, tired, and generally uncomfortable. In
developing the subplot, this section is devoted to the consequences of the increasingly complex series of
disguises and deceptions that both enable and complicate Lucentio’s courtship of Bianca.

Petruchio’s monologue in Act IV, scene i explains most of what transpires in this scene, as he tells the audience of
his scheme to bend Kate to his will. He will tame her as the falconer trains his bird, by holding lures out in front of
it, just out of reach. All has been planned in his mind in advance: “Thus have I politicly begun my reign,” he says,
where “politicly” means “with careful calculation” (IV.i.169). Petruchio wishes to bend Kate’s hostile temperament
into benevolence by turning everything against her—ironically, under the guise of heightened concern for her well-
being. He means to “kill [his] wife with kindness” (IV.i.189). Though Petruchio’s treatment of Kate is undoubtedly
condescending and chauvinistic, it is nevertheless significant that Petruchio decides to “kill” her with kindness
rather than with force. By couching his attempts to smooth out Kate’s rough temper in language of love and
affection, Petruchio both makes himself more sympathetic in the eyes of the audience and opens the way for an
actual loving relationship with Kate once she decides to accept her new role as his wife. Had Petruchio simply
attempted to dominate his wife forcibly, he would have appeared monstrous to the audience, making a pleasant
union impossible.
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As Act IV, scene iii opens, Kate has clearly been affected by Petruchio’s treatment, especially by the excuses
he continues to give for his behavior. She complains to Grumio that what particularly infuriates her is that
Petruchio torments under the pretense of love. This pretense—not to mention Petruchio’s erratic and
peremptory behavior—makes it hard for her to react to his actions with her typical anger, since he seems to
have the best intentions and to only desire her happiness and comfort. And yet, given Kate’s obvious
intelligence, it is remarkable that she does not see through Petruchio’s facade and realize that he is doing
everything simply to frustrate her. Most likely, she does in fact suspect foul play, as she indicates when she
says that he torments her “under name of perfect love,” implying that the “name” and the reality do not
necessarily match (IV.iii.12). She simply does not wish to stand up to him on this point. The play is, after all, a
comedy, and we are probably meant to believe that, despite their difficulties, Kate and Petruchio are falling in
love, if they have not already done so. Under the comic influence of love, Kate is much less likely to use the
full power of her critical thought to see through Petruchio’s schemes.

Of course, the attraction between Kate and Petruchio, which exists despite their social inequality and it is this
sense of an “attractive mutuality” is what enables the play to be funny, but one of the unresolvable
complications of The Taming of the Shrew is the question of how we should reconcile the apparent love story
of the two main characters with Petruchio’s obviously cruel treatment of his new wife.
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In Act IV, scene iii, Kate once again tries to draw the line: when Petruchio tries to throw away the cap
that the tailor made, which she very much likes. She has had enough and tries to establish freedom
but is unsuccessful.

Petruchio, Kate, and Hortensio journey back to Padua. On the way, Petruchio continues his relentless
attempts to coax Kate to submit to his authority as her husband. Though it is midday, Petruchio comments on
how brightly the moon is shining, and when Kate responds that the sun is shining, he refuses to continue the
journey until she admits that it is the moon. Having no more energy or patience to put up resistance and
anxious to return to Padua, Kate concedes. Then, however, Petruchio reverses his claim and says that it is in
fact the sun. Hortensio finally persuades Petruchio that he has tamed her, and they continue the journey.

After they have gone a short way, a similar incident occurs. They pass an old man on the same road to
Padua, and Petruchio claims that, in fact, the old man is a young maid. Furthermore, he entreats Kate to
embrace the maid. This time, Kate immediately obeys, but Petruchio then says she is mistaken, for the maid
is really an old man. Kate continues to play along. The old man turns out to be Vincentio, the true father of
Lucentio. He tells the trio that he has come to visit his son in Padua.
 Summary of Act 5
Back in Padua, Biondello hurriedly takes Lucentio and Bianca to the church, where the priest is ready to marry
them. Lucentio is no longer disguised as Cambio the schoolmaster. Just as they leave, Petruchio’s party
enters along with Vincentio, and they knock on the door of Lucentio’s house, where Tranio and the pedant
currently reside in their respective disguises. When the pedant answers, Vincentio says that he is Lucentio’s
father, but the pedant claims to be the true father and calls for the imposter’s arrest. Just then, Biondello
arrives, turning white when he sees his old master, Vincentio, who recognizes him. Biondello pretends not to
notice Vincentio, as Baptista, Tranio, and the pedant come out of the house. Vincentio also recognizes Tranio
in Lucentio’s clothing, and he is further enraged when Tranio pretends not to know him.

The crowd turns against Vincentio and prepares to escort him to jail, when Lucentio and Bianca, newly
married, arrive from the church. Biondello, Tranio, and the pedant take this moment of confusion to run away
from the scene, knowing that the game is up. Lucentio can do nothing but beg his father’s pardon and disclose
the scheme to everyone present. He explains that his deception stemmed from his love for Bianca, which
pacifies the two fathers somewhat. Nevertheless, they depart to seek some small revenge on the men who
fooled them.

Kate and Petruchio stand in amazement at the proceedings. They follow the rest inside to see the conclusion,
but not before Petruchio demands one more thing of his wife. He asks her to kiss him, there in the middle of
the street. Initially, Kate refuses, saying she is ashamed to do so. But when Petruchio threatens to turn them
around and return to his home, Kate kisses him. Petruchio finally seems satisfied with her, and they go in.
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Lucentio throws a banquet to celebrate the three recent marriages in Padua: Petruchio to Kate, Lucentio
to Bianca, and Hortensio to the widow he had spoken of before. As they sit around the table eating and
chatting, Petruchio and the widow engage in some jesting (mostly at Hortensio’s expense). Kate joins in,
and she begins to argue with the widow. The argument nearly turns to violence, with the men cheering
them on to fight, but Bianca calms them, and the three wives go off together to talk.

Meanwhile, the men begin to chide Petruchio—Baptista, Lucentio, Tranio, and Hortensio still think that
Petruchio has been stuck with a vicious shrew, and they give him some grief for it. Petruchio confidently
suggests a test to see which of the three new husbands has the most obedient wife. Each of them will
send for his wife, and the one whose wife obeys first will be the winner. After placing a significant amount
of money on the wager, Lucentio sends Biondello go to get Bianca, confident that she will obey at once.
However, Biondello returns to tell them that she is busy and will not come. Hortensio receives a similar
response from the widow. Finally, Grumio goes back to get Kate, and she returns at once, to the great
surprise of all but Petruchio. Petruchio sends Kate back to bring in the other wives. Again, she obeys.
Upon their return, Petruchio comments that he dislikes Kate’s hat and tells her to throw it off. She obeys
at once. Bianca and the widow, aghast at Kate’s subservience, become even further shocked when, at
Petruchio’s request, Kate gives a speech on the duty that wives owe to their husbands.
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In the speech, Kate reprimands them for their angry dispositions, saying that it does not become a
woman to behave this way, especially toward her husband. A wife’s duty to her husband, she says,
mimics the duty that “the subject owes the prince,” because the husband endures great pain and labor for
her benefit (V.ii.159). She admits that once she was as haughty as Bianca and the widow are now, but
that she has since changed her ways and most willingly gives her obedience to her husband. The other
men admit complete defeat, and Petruchio leaves victorious—he and Kate go to bed happily, and
Hortensio and Lucentio remain behind to wonder at this miraculous change of fates.
 Analysis and ideas to consider in Act 5
These scenes essentially set up the conclusion of both the main plot and the subplot by illustrating the
apparent completion of Kate’s taming and the unraveling of Lucentio and Tranio’s scheme. The disguises that
gave great power to Lucentio and to Tranio finally fall away, embarrassing the two young men. No outfit can
forever conceal a man’s true nature, as Tranio unintentionally reveals in his hasty chiding of Vincentio: “Sir, you
seem a sober, ancient gentleman by your habit, but your words show you a madman” (V.i.61–62). Tranio soon
receives his just desserts, however, when everyone sees that Vincentio is indeed “a sober, ancient gentleman,”
and that Tranio is the one whose appearance obscures his true nature. Luckily for the young wedded couple,
Lucentio’s true nature satisfies Baptista, who allows the marriage to stand. Again, though, how this marriage
will progress now that Cambio has changed back into Lucentio remains undetermined. The passionate fire of
young, naïve courtship must settle itself into the quiet flame of married life. (Incidentally, the name “Cambio” is
also the Italian verb “to change.”)

The wall between Kate and Petruchio finally begins to crumble in these two scenes. Petruchio gives the
impression that he will never approve of Kate’s behavior, for even when she denies what she sees with her
own eyes in order to satisfy him, he insults her. After they argue about the shining of the sun and the moon,
however, Kate gives him absolute power, even over the definition of reality: “What you will have it named, even
that it is, / And so it shall be still for Katherine” (IV.vi.22–23). Petruchio finally seems pleased, but soon he tests
her again, asking her to kiss him in public. After her initial resistance and subsequent concession, Petruchio
makes a remark that seems to signify the conclusion of the taming: “Is this not well? Come, my sweet Kate. /
Better once than never, for never too late” (V.i.130–131). He seems to mean that it is never too late for her to
lose her shrewishness for good and become his “ideal” wife.
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While frustration certainly plays a part in Kate’s final submission, she does not simply allow Petruchio to have his way
with her out of desperation. After Kate kisses him in the street, she says, “Now pray thee love, stay” (V.i.129). She calls
him “love,” not in her usual cynical tone, but with an authentic desire for his company, even despite his recent treatment
of her. Finally satisfied, Petruchio responds by calling her “my sweet Kate” (V.i.130). Whereas their previous battles
ended in a standoffish tone, here, for the first time, the couple shows genuine, kind feelings for each other. Moreover,
the entire exchange concerning the kiss seems more flirtatious than the others, if for no other reason than Petruchio’s
potentially self-deprecating line when Kate refuses to kiss. He says, “What, art thou ashamed of me?” (V.i.126). Kate
actually begins this exchange by illustrating her acceptance of their union by calling Petruchio “Husband” (V.i.122).
Ultimately, this short exchange suggests an interpretation of their entire journey as a struggle against the confines of
marriage. Kate still obeys Petruchio and calls him husband, and Petruchio still has the ability to make them go home
should she refuse. But there, in the middle of the public street, Petruchio asks her to forgo custom, and when she does,
they find love.

Kate’s speech at the end of the play has been the focus of many interpretations. It is, for obvious reasons, abhorrent to
many feminist critics, who take issue with Kate’s recommendation of total subservience to the husband—she says at
different points that the man is the woman’s lord, king, governor, life, keeper, head, and sovereign. She also
stereotypes women as physically weak and then suggests that they should make their personality mild to match their
physique in lines 169-172.
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Petruchio agrees with Kate’s description of the ideal relationship. He explains to Hortensio what Kate’s obedience will
mean: “Marry, peace it bodes, and love, and quiet life; / An aweful rule and right supremacy, / And, to be short, what not
that’s sweet and happy” (V.ii.112–114). “Right supremacy” suggests that his ideal involves the complete suppression of
the wife’s will. As a whole, Shakespeare’s society took this definition of gender roles for granted. After all, this was a
uniformly Christian society that bowed to biblical notions of the husband as the wife’s head and the woman as the glory
of the man (paraphrasing Ephesians and 1 Corinthians, respectively). In short, Shakespeare’s society believed in the
hierarchy that Kate earnestly supports in her speech. Yet, given the fact that the entire play challenges stereotypes and
promotes an awareness of ambiguous appearances, both Kate’s final speech and Petruchio’s views may be open to
question. In fact, in the last line of the play, Lucentio implies that Kate, in the end, allowed herself to be tamed: “’Tis a
wonder, by your leave, she will be tamed so” (V.ii.193). Perhaps Lucentio implies that Kate and Petruchio planned the
wager, and that they worked as a team to dupe the others out of their money. Throughout the play, Kate actively
accepted Petruchio’s courting and taming even when she could have denied him, suggesting that here she also has the
agency to say one thing and mean another. Despite her initial resistance, Kate seems to view her marriage as a chance
to find harmony within a prescribed social role, ultimately implying that we should find happiness and independence
within the roles to which we are assigned, not that women should subjugate themselves to men.Lucentio’s marriage
takes a different turn, however. Through Bianca’s refusal to come when called, Shakespeare suggests that this marriage
will be hard on Lucentio. Bianca might turn out to be as stubborn in her role as a wife as she was mild in her role as a
maid. Thus, in his last few lines, Petruchio observes, “We three are married, but you two are sped” (V.ii.189). That is, the
other two—Lucentio and Hortensio—seem destined for unhappiness in marriage, given the disobedient natures of their
wives. Petruchio fought tooth and nail to finally win Kate, but he worked hard only because he wanted her to truly allow
herself to accept, or choose, obedience in married life. Lucentio, deceived by Bianca’s meekness and flirtatious behavior
when they were single, now finds that it is “a harsh hearing when women are froward” (V.ii.187).