Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew challenges audiences to consider subtleties beneath their preconceptions and stereotypical expectations. The comedy centers on a family in Padua, Italy, consisting of two sisters – Katherina (often called Kate) and Bianca – and their father, Baptista Minola, who has decreed that Bianca, the beautiful and seemingly mild-mannered younger sister who has many suitors, will not be made accessible to would-be wooers until Katherina, the headstrong and fiery older sister, is married first.

Katherina, known for her sharp tongue and rebellious nature, is considered a “shrew” by everyone around her. Petruchio, a confident and boisterous gentleman from Verona, arrives in town, and his Paduan friend Hortensio sees an opportunity to match him with the challenging Katherina, playing up the matter of her dowry. Petruchio is intrigued by what he hears of her spirit and plays along with the mercenary Paduan value system.

Petruchio aggressively pursues Katherina, they engage in hostile but witty exchanges, and he insists they marry. Despite Katherina’s initial rage, she does show up for the wedding. Petruchio embarks on a program of outdoing her outrageous behavior – a psychological trick that forces her into a different role than previously.

Meanwhile, the subplot involves Bianca and her various suitors – Lucentio, Gremio, and Hortensio. Lucentio, in love with Bianca, disguises himself as a tutor to get close to her. With the help of his servant, Tranio (who disguises himself as Lucentio), he outmaneuvers the other suitors and eventually marries Bianca.

The play ends with a controversial final scene where three newlywed couples – Katherina and Petruchio, Bianca and Lucentio, and Hortensio with “Widow” – attend a banquet. In a wager about which wife is most obedient, Katherina surprisingly proves to be the most compliant, delivering a speech on the importance of wifely obedience, leaving the other characters (and the audience) in shock and confusion.