When Christopher Sly, a drunken peddler, falls asleep outside of a tavern, a Lord decides to play a trick on him wherein he will convince Christopher Sly that he is a nobleman. An acting troop arrives and performs a play for Christopher Sly. The play begins as…
Lucentio and his servant, Tranio, arrive in Padua, where Lucentio has been sent to study. They witness a conversation between Baptista Minola, his two daughters, Katharina and Bianca, and Bianca’s wooers, Gremio and Hortensio. Baptista announces that no one can marry the mild mannered Bianca until Katharina, his eldest daughter, is married. Katharina is infamous in Padua for being a “shrew.” Upon seeing Bianca, Lucentio falls in love with her. Lucentio and Tranio hatch a plan where Lucentio will disguise himself and become Bianca’s tutor in order to get closer to her. They decide that Tranio will assume Lucentio’s identity and present himself to Baptista as a suitor to Bianca.
Travelling from Verona, Petruchio and his servant, Grumio, arrive at Hortensio’s house and announce that he is in search of a rich wife. When Hortensio tells him about Katharina, Petruchio decides that he will woo her, even though he has been warned about her fiery temper. Though they have an explosive first meeting and Katharina rejects Petruchio’s advances, she says nothing when a date is set for their wedding.
In an effort to woo Bianca, Hortensio also decides he will disguise himself and he and Lucentio present themselves to Baptista as tutors. In Bianca’s first tutoring sessions with “Cambio” (Lucentio in disguise) and “Licio” (Hortensio in disguise), Lucentio reveals his true identity and feelings with Bianca. Bianca reciprocates his affection.
Petruchio and Katharina’s wedding day arrives and Petruchio is nowhere to be found. He eventually shows up late wearing a ridiculous outfit. After the wedding, he storms off with Katharina and they head for his house. When they reach his home, he immediately begins terrorizing his servants. He sends Katharina to bed without any food then reveals that his bad behavior is all part of his plan to change her “headstrong” ways.
In Padua, Baptista decides that Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) will marry Bianca, but he demands to meet his father first. Tranio as “Lucentio” finds a merchant from Venice and tricks him into agreeing to pose as Lucentio’s father. Hortensio is informed that Bianca has fallen in love with “Cambio.” He resolves to give up his pursuit of Bianca and marry a widow instead.
Petruchio prevents Katharina from eating or sleeping and the two continue to clash. During their trip back to Padua, however, Katharina ’s behavior begins to change. While on the road, they meet Vincentio, Lucentio’s real father, and offer to take him to Lucentio.
When they arrive in Padua, Vincentio is confused and surprised to see that Tranio has been pretending to be Lucentio. The real Lucentio eventually clears up the misunderstanding, while also admitting that he has already married Bianca.
At a final banquet, there is a celebration for the three married couples – Petruchio and Katharina, Lucentio and Bianca, and Hortensio and the Widow. When the wives leave the room, the men decide to place a bet on whose wife will come first when called by her husband. The result surprises everyone.
By Alison Ruth