In this article, we will go through everything you need to know about 'Taming of the Shrew', including the plot, themes, main characters and key contextual points.
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Have you watched 10 Things I Hate About You? That is a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew! As you can see, Shakespeare’s texts are still relevant today. So, in this Taming of the Shrew overview, we will go through the plot, important characters, key contextual points and themes!
Taming of the Shrew is written during 1590-92 and is set in Padua, Italy.
The play opens with the Lord playing a prank on the poor tinker, Christopher Sly.
The Lord and his servants find Sly drunk on the streets. So, they take him back to the manor and pamper him up. When Sly wakes up, everyone insists that he is their master who’s gone insane.
Sly is initially reluctant, but he soon accepts their claims. Then, the troupe of actors put a play for him: Taming of the Shrew
In Padua, Lucentio sees Bianca for the first time and falls in love with her.
However, obtaining her hand for marriage was not easy; she already has two suitors, and her wealthy father, Baptista, refuses to marry Bianca off before her older sister, Katherine (Kate), is married.
Marrying Kate off is a difficult task. She is a ‘shrew’; violent, scornful, and very unladylike.
So, Lucentio comes up with an elaborate plan to marry Bianca.
He will disguise himself as a Latin tutor to woo her, while one of his servants, Tranio, pretends to be Lucentio to convince Baptista to allow Bianca to marry ‘himself’ (Lucentio).
The servants even found Kate a suitor; Petruchio, a man from Verona who seeks to marry a wealthy wife, despite her personality.
Meanwhile, Hortensio, Bianca’s original suitor, also disguises himself as Bianca’s music tutor to woo her.
Petruchio meets Baptista and asks to marry Kate.
When Kate hears this, she begins to argue with Petruchio and disagrees.
However, Baptista ignores Kate and allows Petruchio to marry her.
Baptista is glad to marry Kate off as she is disruptive to the family. So, Petruchio announces that their wedding will be held on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Baptista tells Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) that he is able to marry Bianca.
Lucentio (as the Latin tutor) and Hortensio (as the Music tutor) begin tutoring Bianca. Lucentio is successful at wooing Bianca as he comes off as charming and confident, whilst Hortensio is clumsy and pathetic.
When Sunday comes, Petruchio arrives very late to his own wedding to instil fear in Kate.
He then shows up in a crazy outfit and forces Kate to leave before the wedding feast.
This is the beginning of his ‘taming’ process.
When Kate reaches Petruchio’s house in Verona, Petruchio starves her and doesn’t allow her to sleep in a bed for days. Petruchio also refuses to give Kate new clothes or items. He claims that this is ‘out of love’.
Meanwhile, in Padua, Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) finds a schoolmaster to disguise himself as Lucentio’s father, Vincentio, and convince Baptista that they are from a wealthy family.
As such, Baptista allows Lucentio (Tranio in disguise) and Bianca to marry.
However, to make the situation more complex, the real Lucentio and Bianca confess their love. So, when Bianca realises what the elaborate plan actually is, she decides to secretly elope with the real Lucentio.
Realising this, Hortensio (Bianca’s original suitor) professes his desire to marry a rich woman instead.
In the meantime, Kate is getting fed up with Petruchio’s antics.
Petruchio only feeds Kate when Hortensio visits their house. Even then, Petruchio expects Kate to thank him properly.
When it is time to return to Baptista’s house, Petruchio refuses to allow Kate to leave unless she agrees with everything he says.
Initially, she challenges his wrongful claims (Petruchio falsely claims that they will arrive at Baptista’s house at noon).
However, Kate realises that Petruchio will give her what she desires when she obeys him.
So, she begins to agree with his absurd claims: the sun is the moon. Shortly after they are on their way to Padua.
When Petruchio and Kate are travelling to Padua, they meet the real Vincentio (Lucentio’s father). Kate is forced to agree with Petruchio’s claim that this old man is actually a woman.
All three continue their journey to Padua.
When the three reach Padua, Vincentio confronts the fake Lucentio (Tranio in disguise) and fake Vincentio (the schoolmaster in disguise).
Tranio and the schoolmaster refute Vincentio’s claims and seek to arrest him.
However, Lucentio arrives just in time to explain everything. He reveals their true identities and his secret marriage with Bianca.
Then, Baptista arranges a wedding party for his daughters and Hortensio. Petruchio announces a challenge: who has the most obedient wife?
At the party, both Bianca and Hortensio’s wives refuse to follow their husband’s orders. In contrast, Kate obeys all her husband’s commands.
Everyone is shocked at Kate’s changed personality.
At the end, Kate lectures the other wives about obedience.
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Why are there so many characters ending with ‘io’? With all the impersonations, are you getting confused about who’s who? Don’t worry. First, we’ll give you a brief overview of every key character.
Sly is the drunk man at the beginning of the play. He is pranked by a lord and his servants. The Taming of the Shrew is the play that is held for Sly.
Kate is the ‘shrew’ of the story. She is hot-headed, stubborn, violent and disobedient.
Initially, she disagrees and fights with Petruchio. However, once she realises that Petruchio only rewards her when she’s obedient, she begins to change.
At the end of the play, she is considered to be ‘tamed’.
Bianca is Kate’s sister. Her personality is the polar opposite of Kate; she is kind, sweet, and soft.
Bianca has multiple suitors, including Lucentio and Hortensio. At the end of the play, she marries Lucentio.
Petruchio is Kate’s husband, who only seeks to marry a wealthy woman. He mistreats Kate in order to ‘tame’ her disobedient behaviour and successfully does so.
Lucentio is a university student who falls in love with Bianca. He disguises himself as Cambio, a Latin tutor to woo Bianca. He succeeds and they secretly marry.
Baptista is Kate’s and Bianca’s father. He is a wealthy man and wishes for both his daughters to marry.
Tranio is Lucentio’s servant. He disguises himself as Lucentio to convince Baptista to allow Bianca to marry himself (Lucentio).
Hortensio is Bianca’s original suitor. He disguises himself as a music tutor to woo Bianca but fails. So, he marries a wealthy widow instead.
Vincentio is Lucentio’s father. He appears at the end of the play, where he is labelled as a woman by Petruchio (and a newly obedient Kate). Soon after, he is threatened with arrest by Tranio and the schoolmaster.
Shakespeare was alive during the 1560s-1616. So, his social context is extremely different from ours.
It is important that you understand his key contextual points and see how it influences The Taming of the Shrew. This will help you develop a stronger analysis of the drama and provide depth.
During Shakespeare’s time, women were given very few rights. They were often viewed as property of their father or their husbands.
As such, women were not allowed to be in charge of their households or even have a say.
Disobedient wives were often punished by their husbands and the law.
They were called ‘shrews’.
As a punishment, cucking stools were a common practice for troublesome and angry wives. They were tied to a chair and dunked into the water. Many of these women suffocated because mud would go into their mouths.
Another punishment for smart-mouthed wives is the scold’s bridle. It was a bridle with a metal prong that sits on top of the woman’s tongue. This prevented women from talking.
Doesn’t this all sound ironic given the ruler of England was a woman at the time?
Well, Queen Elizabeth consistently suppressed her feminine features. Her portraits represented her in a masculine manner and she was never married or had children.
One of her most famous speeches was said to the soldiers at Tilbury: “I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king.” So, while the ruler of England was a queen the patriarchal values of the time were alive and well.
During the early Renaissance era, people believed that marriage was a unity between a man and a woman before God.
Therefore, divorce is a betrayal of God and God’s plan.
As such, when King Henry VIII (Queen Elizabeth’s father) divorced his wives and remarried six times, people began to question their marital dispute options.
So, Taming of the Shrew explores marriage and their disputes; husbands are able to ‘tame’ their wives.
Also, it is important to note that marriages during this era were rarely made out of love. Romantic love was only emerging during the late 1600s. Most marriages were often a transaction between 2 families for monetary, or social gain.
So, the idea of marrying Kate off to Petruchio for economic reasons was normal for Shakespeare’s context.
Themes help you figure out your thesis and arguments when you are writing an essay. So, let’s identify the main themes in Taming of the Shrew.
Taming of the Shrew highlights the prevalent misogynistic views of the Elizabethan era.
The whole play is about Petruchio taming a loud-mouthed, stubborn woman.
He starves Kate, doesn’t give her a bed to sleep, and strips her from her luxuries.
None of the male characters condemns his actions. Instead, they support him.
TRANIO
Faith, he is gone unto the taming school.
BIANCA
The taming school? What, is there such a place?
TRANIO
Ay, mistress, and Petruchio is the master,
That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty long
To tame a shrew and charm her chattering tongue.
Today, this is considered as domestic abuse. But back during Shakespeare’s age, it was widely accepted.
Also, throughout the play, we are exposed to the binary of women:
We see that all the men prefer Bianca because she is the epitome of women in that age.
Here are Tranio’s and Lucentio’s first impression of Kate and Bianca. Notice how they describe both of the girls differently:
TRANIO
(aside to LUCENTIO)
Husht, master, here’s some good pastime toward.
That wench is stark mad or wonderful froward.
LUCENTIO
(aside to TRANIO) But in the other’s silence do I see
Maid’s mild behavior and sobriety.
Peace, Tranio.
This is another reflection of Shakespeare’s highly patriarchal society. Many critics still debate whether Shakespeare was propagating misogynistic beliefs or challenging them.
Tranio pretends to be Lucentio. Lucentio pretends to be Cambio. The schoolmaster pretends to be Vincentio. Hortensio pretends to be a Music tutor…
There are so many disguises!
These blatantly obvious disguises act as a form of humour for the audience.
However, there are also more subtle, psychological disguises.
For example, Petruchio assumes the role of the ‘tamer’ when he marries Kate. He shows up late to the wedding, dresses outlandishly, starves Kate, and even forces her to agree with his absurd statements:
PETRUCHIO
I say it is the moon that shines so bright.
KATHERINE
I know it is the sun that shines so bright.
PETRUCHIO
Now, by my mother’s son, and that’s myself,
It shall be moon, or star, or what I list,
Or e’er I journey to your father’s house.
(to servants) Go on, and fetch our horses back again.—
Evermore crossed and crossed, nothing but crossed!
HORTENSIO
(to KATHERINE) Say as he says, or we shall never go.
Further, as the play continues, Kate assumes the role of the obedient wife when she realises that Petruchio will reward her when she does so.
She even announces the importance of being an obedient wife in her monologue at the end of the play.
KATHERINE
Fie, fie! Unknit that threat’ning unkind brow
And dart not scornful glances from those eyes
To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor.
It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads,
Confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds,
However, many critics believe that this monologue is supposed to be read sarcastically. Which further emphasises how Kate moulds herself to fit her role, despite it not being her true identity.
As such, all these explicit and implicit disguises serve a deeper purpose.
Remember this famous Shakespearean quote?
“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players”
Shakespeare often explores how people are simply playing different roles in society. A woman of this time was expected to play the role of the submissive wife, whilst a man played the role of the household leader.
As such, Taming of the Shrew is often read as an implicit criticism of society’s roles and responsibilities.
Shakespeare explores two types of marriages in Taming of the Shrew: marriage for money and marriage for love.
Financial marriages
Baptista is highly concerned with money. He seeks wealthy suitors for his daughters and is seen planning his dowries and dowers (gifts and money that is given in a marriage transaction).
He even considers himself to be a merchant when wedding off Kate to Petruchio.
”Faith, gentlemen, now I play a merchant’s part
And venture madly on a desperate mart.”
Even with Bianca and Lucentio’s wedding, Baptista ensures that Lucentio is from a wealthy family. He asks Vincentio (Tranio in disguise as Lucentio’s father) for a sufficient dower.
“That like a father you will deal with him
And pass my daughter a sufficient dower,
The match is made, and all is done.
Your son shall have my daughter with consent.“
Also, Petruchio is only interested in his financial gain when he seeks to marry Kate.
“PETRUCHIO:
Then tell me, if I get your daughter’s love,
What dowry shall I have with her to wife?
BAPTISTA:
After my death, the one half of my lands,
And, in possession, twenty thousand crowns.“
Love
Lucentio and Bianca’s marriage was based on love.
LUCENTIO
(as CAMBIO) I read that I profess, The Art to Love.
BIANCA
And may you prove, sir, master of your art.
LUCENTIO
(as CAMBIO) While you, sweet dear, prove mistress of my heart!
Lucentio disguised himself as Bianca’s Latin tutor to get close to her. Through this, Bianca begins to develop feelings for Lucentio.
Shakespeare initially portrays this marriage as the ‘ideal’ one. However, it is not as perfect as we desire, as we can see that they also have fights.
BIANCA
Fie! What a foolish duty call you this?
LUCENTIO
I would your duty were as foolish too.
The wisdom of your duty, fair Bianca,
Hath cost me an hundred crowns since suppertime.
BIANCA
The more fool you for laying on my duty.
While the ideal relationship is tarnished, it does become more realistic. Raising the question of what comment Shakespeare is making on the nature of relationships.
Written by Matrix English Team
The Matrix English Team are tutors and teachers with a passion for English and a dedication to seeing Matrix Students achieving their academic goals.
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