"The Taming of the Shrew" In the final scene, all of the main characters enjoy a dinner together following Hortensio's marriage. Most of the important characters of the play are brought together at a banquet in Lucentio's house. The three newlywed couples who attend the banquet are Lucentio and Bianca; Hortensio and the widow; and Petruchio and Kate. Lucentio and Hortensio do not think that Petruchio has actually "tamed" Katherine. Petruchio and Kate are subject to several jokes until at Petruchio bets that he has the most obedient wife of the three. When called for Bianca answers to Lucentio that she is busy and cannot come. The widow tells Hortensio come to her since she is busy and cannot come either. Katherine is the only wife whom is obedient to her husband's command. After being asked by Petruchio, Kate brings the other two wives to the dining hall where she gives a lengthy lecture on the duties of a good wife.
Petruchio (Michael Siberry) and Grumio (Robin Nedw...
John Cleese and Sarah Badel in the BBC Shakespeare...
John Drew, a famous American actor, playing the pa...After Kate's speech Hortensio and Lucentio agree that Petruchio has tamed Kate.
The final scene brings the two plots and characters of each plot together. Kate's superiority to her sister is obvious. Bianca is a rather immature and selfish wife; she is too busy to come to the husband whom she loved so deeply a scene earlier. When he lectures her, she snaps at him. Bianca tells Lucentio that he is a fool to wager on her obedience. Meanwhile, Katherine answers Petruchio's call immediately and, delivers a mature and loving lecture on the duties a wife owes her husband. Katherine suggests, "thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper." In other words, a husband is the "master" of the home. However, she also says that at he is a "keeper", or protector of...