Hortensio: "Now, go thy ways; thou hast tamed a curst shrew. Lucentio: "Tis a wonder, by your leave, she will be tamed so." (Shakespeare Act V, Scene II). .
These two concluding lines of Shakespeare's play, "The Taming of the Shrew", summarize each side of the question we are left to answer as the play closes; whether or not Petruchio has succeeded in taming Katharina. Since this play does not have any given acting or stage cues, readers, actors and directors are left to interpret the meaning of these closing words. During social interactions, individuals tend to assign greater importance to nonverbal cues than verbal cues and since this play does not provide the reader with these, there are two opposing views to the conclusion of the play. Some individuals believe that Petruchio succeeded in taming Katharina, while others believe that Katharina's words and behaviors cannot be taken at face value - she had not truly changed her life.
Scholars that feel Katharina has been tamed, seem to think that Petruchio has changed Katharina by his plan to manipulate her into submission. Cecil B. Seronsy suggests, "Petruchio draws Katharina into enthusiastic acceptance of the role of obedient wife by supposing the existence in her of the qualities he desires and gradually assimilating her to the image he has willed "(Seronsy, Shakespeare for Students, 363). When Petruchio courts Katharina, he plays the game of falsely listing and praising her positive qualities that both he and Katharina know she does not outwardly possess. Petruchio matches her in wit and intelligence during this scene, and Katharina surprisingly does not protest when Petruchio announces that they are going to be married. Petruchio states, "For I am he born to tame you Kate, and bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate comfortable as other household Kates " (Shakespeare Act II, Scene I). Although Katharina is fully aware of his intentions, it seems that she is pleased to finally find someone whose intelligence and spirit match her own.
