PLOT STRUCTURE

The Taming of the Shrew is written in five acts that follow the traditional pattern for dramatic presentations. It begins with an induction (introduction) which sets up the reason for having the play. In the first act, all the characters are introduced and the plots of both the main plot and the subplot are established. In Acts II and III, the action of the main plot is developed as Petruchio and Katherine are married and his plan to tame her is put into action. The subplot between Bianca and Lucentio is also advanced. Act IV contains the climax, where Katherine is shown to have become a kind and obedient wife. The falling action, that reveals the true identities of all the characters and ties up all the loose ends of the play, is found in Act V.

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