The cast of The Taming of the Shrew
The people who make The Taming of the Shrew move — what they want, who they love, who they hate, and how each one fits the story. Tap any name to read more.
Petruchio
A gentleman fortune-hunter who woos and "tames" Katherina through contradiction, wit, and psychological manipulation · thirty-something
Tranio
Lucentio's servant and schemer; the architect of the disguise plot
Katherina
The shrew; a sharp-tongued woman of Padua who becomes the object of Petruchio's courting and "taming" · Older than Bianca; her exact age is not specified
Baptista Minola
Wealthy Paduan gentleman and father, bound by law and property to control his daughters' futures
Hortensio
A music tutor and suitor of Bianca; later marries the Widow
Lucentio
Young scholar disguised as a tutor; romantic protagonist · Student; young man
Grumio
Petruchio's witty, abusive servant—the voice of pragmatic cruelty and verbal sparring
Gremio
A wealthy but foolish suitor of Bianca; comic relief through bluster and material boasting · Elderly, described as "old" and "graybeard"
Biondello
Lucentio's quick-witted servant and accomplice in courtship and disguise
Bianca
The younger daughter of Baptista; obedient, modest, and secretly defiant · younger than Katharina
Vincentio
A Pisan merchant whose son Lucentio has deceived him; catalyst for the play's final unraveling · Elderly
The Pedant
Impostor and unwitting pawn in Tranio's scheme
Curtis
Petruchio's servant; gatekeeper and household manager
Tailor
Tradesman caught between his patron's impossible demands and his own craft
The Widow
A woman of independent will; Hortensio's unlikely bride
Hear every line of The Taming of the Shrew, narrated.
