Skip to main content

Website navigation

Folger Shakespeare Library - Home

Search the Folger

Shop Account Cart

Performances, events, and exhibitions

What's on

View All

There’s something for everyone. From award-winning theater and music, to poetry and exhibitions, experience the power of the arts with us.
- Calendar Upcoming events
- Tickets Discounts, group sales, seat map
- Theater Our award-winning performances of Shakespeare, adaptations, and new works
- Subscription packages 2024-2025 season subscriptions on sale now: "Whose Democracy?"
- DC & Me A project to gather and uplift community stories within Washington, DC
- Book Club Our free, virtual book club inspired by Shakespeare and our collection
Visit

View All

Folger Theatre has reopened its doors, with the rest of the building to follow on June 21. Learn about the building renovation and start planning your visit.
- Plan your visit Logistics for coming to Folger Theatre
- Visiting after June 21 Hours, admission, getting here
- Accessibility Information to enhance your experience
- Things to do Get excited for this summer
- Building renovation Expanding our public spaces
- Our building and grounds Take a virtual tour

Shakespeare, his world, and beyond

Explore

View All

Discover Shakespeare’s stories and the world that shaped them. Deepen your understanding of his works and their cultural influence.
- Shakespeare's works Read and learn more about Shakespeare's plays and poems
- Shakespeare in print The First Folio (the book that gave us Shakespeare) and what came after
- Shakespeare in performance From playhouse to film sets, explore four centuries of staging Shakespeare
- Shakespeare's life Find out about Shakespeare's life in Stratford and London
- Collection highlights See manuscripts, paintings, costumes, and more from the Folger collection
- Shakespeare for kids Resources and activities for young children and their parents
Teach

View All

Bring Shakespeare’s work to life in the classroom. Find teaching resources and opportunities.
- Teaching with the Folger Method An accessible and immersive way to teach students about any kind of literature
- Become a Teacher Member Get full access to the latest resources and ongoing professional development
- Professional development From live webinars to on-demand content for educators, join us
- Teaching resources Access lesson plans and activities for the classroom, organized by play
- Shakespeare's works Read and search the complete works of Shakespeare for free
- Student programs All kinds of programs for all kinds of students
Research

View All

Dive deep into the world’s largest Shakespeare collection and access primary sources from the early modern period.
- About our collections From printed works of Shakespeare to rare materials from the early modern period
- Use the library Researcher registration and reference services
- Folger Institute Find out about our scholarly programs and fellowship opportunities
- Search the catalog Use our online catalog to search the Folger collection
- Online resources Access our digital image collection, finding aids, and more
- Ask a librarian Get answers to your questions about Shakespeare, our collection, and more

Become a part of the story

Join and Support

View All

Support us to bring Shakespeare and his world to life for everyone.
- Become a member Unlock more of the Folger with a membership
- Donate now Make a gift online
- How to give More options for how to make your donation
- The Wonder of Will Our campaign supporting the building renovation project
- Planned giving Help keep the Folger going and growing for the next generation
- Folger Gala A celebratory evening to benefit the Folger

Search The Taming of the Shrew

or search all Shakespeare texts

Back to main page

The Taming of the Shrew -

Cite

Download The Taming of the Shrew

Last updated: Fri, Jul 31, 2015

PDF Download as PDF
DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) without line numbers Download as DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) without line numbers
DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) with line numbers Download as DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) with line numbers
HTML Download as HTML
TXT Download as TXT
XML Download as XML
TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis) Download as TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis)

Navigate this work

The Taming of the Shrew -

Jump to Select section

line

Act and scene list

Characters in the Play
Entire Play The Taming of the Shrew begins with an “induction” in which a nobleman plays a trick on a beggar, Christopher Sly, treating Sly as if he is a nobleman who has lost his memory. A play is staged for Sly—the play that we know as The Taming of the Shrew.In the play, set in Padua, Lucentio and other suitors pursue Bianca, but are told by her father, Baptista, that her bad-tempered older sister, Katherine, must marry first. They encourage Petruchio, who has come to Padua to find a wealthy wife, to court Katherine and free Bianca to marry.Petruchio negotiates marriage terms with Baptista, then has a stormy meeting with Katherine, after which he assures Baptista that the two have agreed to marry. Petruchio arrives late to their wedding dressed in strange clothes; he behaves rudely and carries Katherine away before the wedding dinner. At his home, he embarks on a plan to “tame” Katherine as one would tame a wild hawk. Starved and kept without sleep, Katherine eventually agrees with everything Petruchio says, however absurd. He takes her back to Padua, where they attend Bianca’s wedding. There Katherine proves more obedient to her husband than the other wives, whom she chastises before she and Petruchio go off to consummate their marriage.
Induction, scene 1 Christopher Sly, a drunken beggar, is driven out of an alehouse by its hostess. A great lord, returning from the hunt, finds Sly in a drunken sleep and decides to play an elaborate trick on him. The lord orders his servants to place Sly in a luxurious bedroom and, when the beggar awakes, to tell him he is a great lord who has long been out of his mind. A troupe of traveling actors present themselves to the lord, who, by way of further elaborating his trick, instructs them to stage a play for Sly.
Induction, scene 2 The newly awakened Sly is offered delicacies and fine clothes. When he demands his usual ale and beef, the lord and servants tell him that he has been suffering from delusions. After they inform him that he has a beautiful wife, he asks to see her. The lord’s page, who impersonates the wife, persuades Sly to watch the play that is about to begin.
Act 1, scene 1 Lucentio has come with his servant Tranio to Padua to study philosophy. They witness an encounter between Baptista and his daughters, in which Baptista announces that Bianca cannot marry until the elder and bad-tempered Katherine does. Bianca’s suitors decide to search for a husband for Katherine. Meanwhile Lucentio has fallen in love with Bianca and decides to have Tranio impersonate him so that Lucentio, in the disguise of a schoolmaster, can secretly woo Bianca. The two men exchange clothes.
Act 1, scene 2 Petruchio, with his servant Grumio, has just arrived in Padua. His friend Hortensio suggests that Petruchio woo Katherine. Petruchio enthusiastically agrees. He agrees also to present Hortensio, in disguise, to Baptista as a music teacher named Litio. Gremio appears with Lucentio, who is disguised as a teacher named Cambio. Last of all comes Tranio, now impersonating Lucentio and declaring his intention to woo Bianca. Gremio, Hortensio, and Tranio (as Lucentio) agree to help Petruchio win Katherine.
Act 2, scene 1 Baptista stops Katherine from abusing Bianca and receives a visit from Petruchio, who presents Hortensio (disguised as Litio, a music teacher); Gremio introduces Lucentio (disguised as Cambio, a teacher of languages). Tranio, impersonating Lucentio, announces his wish to marry Bianca, and Petruchio his desire to marry Katherine. Baptista insists that Petruchio must get Katherine’s love. Petruchio and Katherine, left alone, enter into a furious bout of wordplay. Petruchio then lies to Baptista, insisting that Katherine loves him but that the couple have agreed that she will pretend to dislike him in public. Katherine’s wedding is arranged, and Baptista hears the offers that Gremio and Tranio (as Lucentio) make for Bianca. Tranio-Lucentio outbids Gremio and is awarded Bianca, provided that Vincentio, Lucentio’s father, will guarantee the dowry. Tranio-Lucentio sets out to find someone to impersonate Vincentio and provide the guarantee.
Act 3, scene 1 Under cover of their disguises as schoolmasters, first Lucentio (as Cambio) and then Hortensio (as Litio) try for Bianca’s love. Hortensio notices Lucentio-Cambio’s affection for Bianca and determines to abandon her if she shows any interest in such a social inferior as Hortensio believes Cambio to be.
Act 3, scene 2 Petruchio is late arriving for his wedding, to Katherine’s great embarrassment. When he finally presents himself, he is dressed in ridiculous clothes. At the wedding, according to Gremio’s report, Petruchio behaves rudely and abusively. He refuses to attend the supper that traditionally follows a wedding, and he insists on taking Katherine away as well. Over her protests, he forces her to go with him, making a show of defending her against the interference of her family and friends.
Act 4, scene 1 At Petruchio’s house in the country, Grumio tells his fellow servant Curtis about the wild journey home to Petruchio’s after the wedding. When Petruchio and Katherine arrive, Petruchio attacks his servants verbally and physically. He refuses to let Katherine eat, saying the dinner is burnt and throwing it to the floor. At the end of the scene he confides to the audience that he intends to tame Katherine in the same way that a hunter tames a falcon—by starving it and keeping it sleepless.
Act 4, scene 2 In Padua, Hortensio (as Litio) leads Tranio (as Lucentio) to spy on Bianca and Lucentio-Cambio as the couple kiss and talk of love. Hortensio, doffing his disguise as Litio, then rejects Bianca forever, resolves to marry a wealthy widow who loves him, and sets off to observe Petruchio’s taming of Katherine. In the meantime, Biondello has found a traveling merchant whom Tranio persuades to impersonate Lucentio’s father, Vincentio.
Act 4, scene 3 At Petruchio’s home, Grumio torments Katherine by promising her food that he fails to bring. Petruchio then serves Katherine himself, demanding her thanks. The Haberdasher and Tailor bring in the cap and gown that Katherine plans to wear for Bianca’s wedding feast, but Petruchio refuses them. Petruchio threatens that she may not return to her father’s for Bianca’s wedding feast unless Katherine agrees with everything he says, no matter how self-evidently false it is.
Act 4, scene 4 In Padua, the Merchant impersonating Vincentio visits Baptista with Tranio, who is still disguised as Lucentio. Baptista accepts the Merchant’s guarantee of Bianca’s dower and sends “Cambio” to Bianca to tell her the marriage plans. Meanwhile, Baptista arranges to visit “Lucentio” and “Vincentio” at their lodging to finalize the marriage contract. Biondello tells Lucentio that all the arrangements have been made for Lucentio to elope with Bianca.
Act 4, scene 5 Katherine now gives assent to every word Petruchio says. On their way to her father’s, they meet the true Vincentio, who is going to Padua to visit his son. They travel together to Padua.
Act 5, scene 1 After Bianca has secretly married Lucentio, Petruchio, Katherine, and Lucentio’s father arrive at Lucentio’s lodging. They are rebuffed by the Merchant impersonating Vincentio. Vincentio denounces as frauds the Merchant and then Tranio, who turns up still disguised as Lucentio. As Vincentio is about to be carried off to jail by an officer, the true Lucentio arrives with his bride, successfully begs his father’s pardon for the secret marriage, and explains the disguises.
Act 5, scene 2 Three couples attend the wedding banquet—Lucentio and Bianca, Petruchio and Katherine, and Hortensio and the Widow. Petruchio is repeatedly teased about being married to a shrew. In retaliation Petruchio wagers with Lucentio and Hortensio that if they all summon their wives to them, his Katherine will be the most obedient in responding. When Bianca and the Widow refuse to come at all and Katherine promptly appears, Petruchio wins, and then he sends Katherine to bring the other wives to their husbands. When they return, Petruchio tells Katherine to instruct the other wives in their wifely duty. Katherine delivers a long speech in praise of women’s submission to their husbands. Petruchio kisses Katherine, and they go off to bed.

//tei:div1[@n=')']: 0

Induction, scene 1

Stay connected

Find out what’s on, read our latest stories, and learn how you can get involved.

Sign up

Footer information

About us
Jobs and internships
Press

Blogs
Podcast
Rent our spaces

Folger Shakespeare Library
201 East Capitol Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003

Contact us

Follow us on social media

Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok

Privacy policy
Terms of use
Copyright policy

© 1996 - 2024 Folger Shakespeare Library

Site by substrakt