The Taming of the Shrew: Act 5, Scene 2
The recap, key beats, and evidence for Act 5, Scene 2, without reopening the whole book.
Section recap · 2 min read
What happens in Act 5, Scene 2.
The play ends at a banquet where Lucentio hosts the newlyweds. The men make a bet on whose wife will come when called. Bianca and the widow refuse. Katherine comes immediately. Petruchio then has Katherine deliver a long speech about why wives should obey their husbands, and she does it fully and without apparent irony. The play ends with Petruchio winning the bet and the other men stunned. Whether Katherine's speech is sincere, performed, or something else entirely is the central question the play leaves open.
The beats worth remembering.
The Obedience Wager
Petruchio, Lucentio, and Hortensio bet on whose wife will come when summoned. Bianca and the widow both refuse, which makes Katherine's immediate compliance the surprise of the scene.
Katherine's Speech on Wifely Duty
Katherine delivers a long, formal argument that wives owe their husbands obedience because husbands provide and protect. It is either a genuine statement, a performance for Petruchio, or a deeply ironic speech depending on how it is staged.
Petruchio Wins the Bet
He collects his winnings and the play closes with him triumphant. The other husbands, whose wives refused to come, are left looking foolish, including Lucentio, whose courtship of Bianca was supposed to be the romantic ideal.
The moments you can actually use later.
Bianca Refuses the Summons
After an entire play in which Bianca was held up as the ideal wife, she ignores her husband's call. Students can use this to argue that the play critiques the idea that a quiet woman is a good wife.
Katherine Brings the Other Wives In
Katherine does not just come herself. She goes and retrieves the other wives and brings them to the men. The excess of the gesture, going beyond what was asked, is evidence students can use to argue she is performing rather than simply obeying.
What to carry forward.
Katherine's Final Speech Is the Play's Biggest Interpretive Question
There is no settled reading of it. Is she sincere? Is she performing for Petruchio? Is she mocking the other women by out-complying them? Students need to pick a reading and defend it with evidence from earlier scenes.
Bianca Ends Up Looking Less Obedient Than Katherine
The woman everyone wanted to marry because she seemed gentle and compliant refuses to come when called. Katherine, the shrew, comes immediately. The play flips its own premise at the end, and that flip is worth building an argument around.
Ask about this scene
Keep the question locked to Act 5, Scene 2 instead of the whole book.
How this guide is built
This guide is built from the original text to help you get oriented fast. It is designed for recall, paper planning, and getting unstuck, but it is still a paraphrased guide, not a substitute for the reading itself. Double-check anything important before you turn in formal work.
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