At a country inn, the local lord stumbles upon a drunken tinker named Christopher Sly, and decides to play a joke on him. Sly is led to believe that he is a nobleman, who, fallen ill, has only imagined himself to be a poor drunkard all these years. For the “nobleman’s” entertainment, a comedy will be performed by a troupe of traveling players. And here begins the story of this play-within-a-play...

In Padua, Italy, a wealthy merchant named Baptista is resolved: his lovely daughter Bianca will not be wed until her elder sister, Katherina “the curs’d,” is married off. The field of frustrated suitors for Bianca’s hand is crowded already with local gentlemen like Hortensio and Gremio when Lucentio arrives in town to pursue his studies. Like the others before him, he is driven to leave all learning behind after taking one look at Baptista’s younger daughter. To gain access to Baptista’s treasure, Hortensio dons the robes of a music teacher, while Lucentio disguises himself as a tutor, passing off his own identity to his servant Tranio. Just when it seems as though Bianca will never be free to wed, another suitor comes to town. His name is Petruchio—an adventurer undaunted by danger, and one determined to shore up his financial future through marriage...to Katherina.

After a sudden and stormy courtship, Petruchio manages to escort his “Kate” down the aisle, and sets out to tame his new wife. By outbidding Gremio, Tranio manages to convince Baptista that he (that is, his master Lucentio) is the man for Bianca. When Baptista requires assurance from the young man’s father, a suitable imposter is found to play the part, and still another disguise baffles Baptista—not to mention Lucentio’s real father, who arrives in Padua at just the wrong moment. In the end, true identities are revealed, three marriages are celebrated, and a wager is placed as the newlyweds roll the dice on married life.

– Contributed by the CST Education Department

Act-by-Act Synopsis

Dramatis Personae

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