Katherina's Speech in Act V, Taming of the Shrew

In Shakespeare’s comedy Taming of the Shrew, the last scene of the play is a long speech by Katherina chastising Bianca and Hortensio’s wife, the widow for “wounding their lords.”(V,ii) The speech illustrates that Katherina is a dynamic character and changes her point of view throughout the book. In the beginning she is “Katherina Minola, Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue.”(I,ii) In the end she has earned her …

…and at the end, stands up for the very things she used to be the epitome of. Katherina’s new outlook on life and the role of women should help her and Petruchio get along. They now have a mutual understanding of what a marriage should be. Unlike the other couples there is now a greater respect and willingness to obey on Katherina’s part. She has finally transformed from a shrew into a wife.