ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on Katherina, the protagonist in William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew., who has been the subject of fierce literary critical debate. The Taming of the Shrew has received less critical attention than most of Shakespeare's plays. In some critical works, even those on Shakespeare's comedies it is almost ignored. The first woman encountered in the play is Katherina interacting with her father, Baptista. A cohesive interpretative pattern emerges in the following passage to the effect that Katherina is shrewish. The characterisation of Bianca plays an important role in how Katherina is perceived. In Act I Katherina's behaviour has already begun to form a pattern suggesting her shrewishness. This pattern is strengthened by two events that occur in Act II before Katherina meets Petruchio. An important ramification of Bianca's character change is that it casts doubt on the credibility of characterisation by other characters.
