The Taming of the Shrew: Mrs. Flickner Question 1

Character summaries, in order of appearance.

Lucentio is a scholar at first, but quickly forgets the quest for education when he first lays eyes on Bianca. His thought are constantly focused on her, and while the play is mostly focused on the relationship between Petruchio and Kate, it's clear that Lucentio really pines after his bride-to-be. As I said, he's not really the center of the play, and therefore not the deepest of the characters

Bianca lives in a shattered household. Her family life is a real mess. Her relationship with Kate is filled with envy, hate, and a lust for revenge. And when she butters up her father, it's so sweet it's sickening. She is the jewel of the family, and attracts the attention of many suitors. This of course, makes her the absolute favorite of her father, something she's not afraid to exploit. In turn, this fuels the envy and hatred of her sister. Talk about a viscous cycle! In the final scene, however, Bianca is utterly upstaged by her once demonic sister, while Bianca proves herself to be the disobedient one

Kate is cruel, violent, and hot-tempered. She's angered at both her sister and her father, jealous of their relationship, and Bianca's suitors. The delima here is that Bianca cannot wed before Kate. Remove this policy, and the cycle will be cancelled. Bianca cannot wed, so suitors follow her everywhere. Her suitors anger Kate, who gets "revenge" on Bianca not only with physical violence, but with the fact no one will marry her, fueled directly by her anger for Bianca. Kate would have kept growing more and more shrewd, shrewing away men until the day she died, Bianca would grow old, alone and unloved, and probably waste her whole life an unhappy maiden. Death, sorrow, and tragedy make for a morbid play, but Shakespeare has written more than a few tragedies. Thank goodness this wasn't one of them, for enter Petruchio.

Petruchio is always on the verge. This rather unstable (and usually quite loud) fellow is unpredictable and boisterous. His entrances are guaranteed to generate shock. From declaring his intetion to tame Kate, to arriving at his own wedding dressed like a fool, there's no telling what he might do next. His methods tend to match his demeanor, as demonstrated when he tried to "kill his wife with kindness". It seems he needs to break Kate before he can reform her, molding, shaping or hammering her with the skill of an expert potter or blacksmith. He embarrasses her, deprives her of such necessities as food, sleep, and clothing, and puts her through trails she could not endure. Her spirit becomes broken and she loses the will to fight. She perfectly fits the description of a "conformable, household Kate", a hopeless but obedient woman.  Petruchio's "taming" of Kate may seem cruel and unusual, but it's oddly effective. She conforms to his every word. If her husband says that the Sun is actually the Moon, then it really is the moon! She takes this to the next level of creepy when she agrees that the withered old Vincentio is a "budding virgin, fresh, fair, and sweet.", a "gentle mistress" and a "lovely maid". She proves her obedience once and for all in the final scene. She earns not only money for her husband, but love and respect from all by proving herself a good wife. Truly, Petruchio has done the unthinkable when he finally tames the shrew.