The Taming of the Shrew
Study Guide: Act 4
Lit Terms:
Metaphor: comparing two unlike things or ideas, not using like or as extended metaphor: a metaphor that goes through several lines or even pages or even entire play
Example: taming Katherine, she is compared to wild animal
Vocabulary: presume (143): believe something to be true knaves (145): man servant heartily (149): enthusiastically despiteful (155): regardless of, contrary to incomparable (161): cannot be compared famish (163): starving entreat (163): persuade or convince
Scene 1
1. What news does Grumio bring to Curtis and the other servants in Petruchio's home?
He explains how Kat fell off her horse and into the water. He also explains how Petruchio just left her there, and Petruchio blames Grumio for the horse falling. Instead of helping Kat, he beats Grumio.
2. How does Petruchio act when he arrives home? How does he treat his servants, and how does he treat Katherine?
He treats his servants poorly and in a way treats Kat poorly but is better to her than he is to the servants. He is rude to his servants and made it seem like Kat didn’t know what she was talking about.
He hits his servants.
3. What does Petruchio say about dinner? How does Katherine react? Which character do you believe and why?
He says dinner was burned/overcooked (a lie). Kat says it was fine (which is probably the truth b/c
Kat is brutally honest).
4. What does the servant Peter mean when he says, “He kills her in her own humor” (IV.i.180)?
He is being meant to Kat just like she’s mean to him, but his intentions are to make her a better person. It’s for her own good according to him.
5. What does Petruchio reveal at the end of scene 1?
See annotations.

Scene 2
6. Why does Hortensio decide to stop wooing Bianca? How is Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) involved?
Hortensio thinks Bianca is acting like a tart by kissing and showing feelings for Cambio. Tranio
(Lucentio) acts angry, too, and agrees with Hortensio that she is not worth their trouble.
7. What will Hortensio do now that he has given up on Bianca?
He is going to leave Bianca alone, and he is going to go marry a rich widow.
8. Who has Biondello found and why is this good news for Lucentio and Bianca?
He found a merchant who can be fake Vincentio for them. Now he can talk to Bianca’s dad to assure him of the dowry.
9. How does Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) convince this older merchant to play the role of Vicentio, his father?
He tells him that if he doesn’t disguise himself, he will die in Padua because he is from Mantua (and they are enemies). This is a lie just to get him to dress as Vincentio.
Scene 3
10. At the beginning of scene 3, how is Katherine feeling? What does she want from Grumio?
She is very tired and hungry, and she asks him to go and get her food. (famished)
11. What does Petruchio mean when he tells Hortensio, “Eat it up all, Hortensio, if thou lovest me”
(IV.iii.52)? What does this aside prove about Petruchio's intentions for Kate?
He wants Hortensio to eat as much as possible, which means Kate will still be hungry. He wants to keep her hungry to tame her.
12. When the haberdasher (hat maker) and tailor present new clothing for Katherine, what does
Petruchio say about the clothes? How do Katherine and Grumio react to Petruchio?
Petruchio says the clothes are ugly and doesn’t want them. Katherine and Grumio are shocked, and
Katherine really likes the clothes. The tailor says he followed the directions given by Petruchio through Grumio. Grumio has to defend himself.
13. What does Petruchio declare about their trip to Padua?
He says that they will wear common clothes b/c it is what is on the inside that counts (like their wedding).

14. When Katherine disagrees with Petruchio at the end of the scene, what does Petruchio say about their departure? What does he imply?
No matter what he says, she must agree with him even if it’s not true. If Katherine wants to go to the wedding, she MUST AGREE WITH HIM ON EVERYTHING!
Scene 4
15. Why is fake Vincentio worried about meeting Baptista?
The fake Vincentio has met Baptista before and is worried he might figure out who he really is.
16. How does fake Vincentio's first meeting go with Baptista? What do they plan?
They start talking about the wedding, but they can’t talk about it at Baptista’s house because someone
(like a servant) might overhear and gossip. They are going to meet at Lucentio’s house to discuss the agreement for Bianca’s dowry.
17. Biondello stops the real Lucentio to give him instructions from Tranio. What is Tranio's real plan for Lucentio and Bianca?
While Baptista is gone talking to Tranio (the fake Lucentio), the REAL Lucentio and Bianca are going to go get married (elope). They need to do this in case Baptista and the fake Vincentio do not come to an agreeable decision.
Scene 5
18. How does Petruchio test Katherine's willingness to agree with him?
He is testing to see if she is going to contradict him. He says that the moon is in the sky, when really it is the sun, and she ends up agreeing with him.
19. What is Petruchio's second test for Katherine? What is the result of this test? What does Katherine prove?
He calls Vincentio a young, beautiful lady, and Kate agrees with him. She is pretending to be tame in order to get what she wants.
20. Who is this older man that Petruchio and Katherine meet? What potential problems await him in
Padua?
The REAL Vincentio is on his way to Padua to see his son. But there is a fake Vincentio setting up the marriage, so the REAL Vincentio is going to probably spoil the plans!