Taming of the Shrew – Plot and Notes

Taming of the shrew is a famous Shakespeare comedy. It is set in the olden days of Padua, Italy. The play is mainly about the treatment of women in those times. It is centred around two characters, Petruchio and Katherina.
Petruchio is a wealthy ‘playa’. He has all the money and all the goods. All he needs is a beautiful women to with that.
On the other hand, Katherina is a very tough, independent woman. She has a hardened heart and that attitude resists men from getting close to her. She also has a beautiful younger sister called Bianca. Every man wants to be with her.
Now, in those times, the firstborn of the family had to get married first so before Bianca can tie the knot, Katherina has to find a man. DILEMMA!!!
That is the base of the play.
Now in the beginning, Petruchio meets Katherina and tries to woo her. This is to no avail as she sees right through his motives to be with her. However, Bianca’s dad forces her to marry him. After the marriage, Petruchio starts to ‘tame’ her by depriving her of food and sleep.
Slowly we start to see how vulnerable Katherina is. She might have been tough before but that was only because of the society she lived in.