Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespear, is the tale of a man with two daughters, Katherine and Bianca. The story is about a father trying to get a husband for his oldest hot tempered and not so kind daughter Katherine who has scared off many suitors, she is the shrew of the story. This is troublesome for the younger, sweet and kind daughter Bianca, since she has to wait to be married until her older sister is married, because the oldest daughter must marry first .

The story is very funny, containing many comedic details, and funny moments, especially when Katherine is dealing with a man named Petruchio, who has been set up to marry Katherine, this forces him to try to “tame” Katherine by psychologically torturing her in her own ways.

Because of this they fight a lot, and it’s pretty entertaining.

Here are some quotes from the first fight between Katherine and Petruchio when they first meet.

PETRUCHIO. Good morrow, Kate- for that’s your name, I hear.

KATHERINE. Well have you heard, but something hard of hearing: They call me Katherine that do talk of me.

PETRUCHIO. You lie, in faith, for you are call’d plain Kate, And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst; But, Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom, Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate, For dainties are all Kates, and therefore, Kate, Take this of me, Kate of my consolation- Hearing thy mildness prais’d in every town, Thy virtues spoke of, and thy beauty sounded, Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs, Myself am mov’d to woo thee for my wife.

KATHERINE. Mov’d! in good time! Let him that mov’d you hither Remove you hence. I knew you at the first You were a moveable.

PETRUCHIO. Why, what’s a moveable?

KATHERINE. A join’d-stool.

PETRUCHIO. Thou hast hit it. Come, sit on me. 

KATHERINE. Asses are made to bear, and so are you. 

PETRUCHIO. Women are made to bear, and so are you.

 KATHERINE. No such jade as you, if me you mean.

 PETRUCHIO. Alas, good Kate, I will not burden thee!

This fight goes on for awhile, she strikes him physically a few times, and it’s pretty funny and stupid.

During the time while Katherine is being ‘tamed’ her little sister Bianca gets married to a man that has been her suitor for a long time, without her father’s permission, which causes a little scandal, but everything turns out to be fine in the end, for Katherine the shrew’ is now tamed.