Character Summary

Christopher Sly: a beggar/tinker who is made to believe that he is a noble lord

Hostess: Marian Hacket, the fat ale-wife of Wincot who would have Christopher Sly arrested for refusing to pay for breaking drinking glasses

Lord: a nobleman who decides to have a little fun and have the tinker Christopher Sly wake up believing that he is a noble lord

Huntsmen: a couple of the Lord’s men who are in charge of taking care of the Lord’s hunting hounds and who agree to do their parts in making the beggar Christopher Sly believe that he is in fact a noble lord

Players: actors who arrive to entertain the Lord only to agree to do their parts in making Christopher Sly believe that he is in fact a noble lord

Servingmen: the Lord’s servants who play their parts in making Christopher Sly believe that he is a Lord and a nobleman

Page: the Lord’s Page who plays the role of Christopher Sly’s lady and wife

Lucentio: son to Vincentio and a recent arrival to Padua who falls in love with Bianca at first sight

Tranio: Lucentio’s servant who assumes Lucentio’s role at Lucentio’s behest

Baptista: a rich gentleman of Padua and the father to Biance and Katherina

Gremio: a Paduan and one of Bianca’s suitors

Hortensio: a Paduan and Gremio’s rival for Bianca’s love who is also a good friend of Petruchio

Katherina: Baptista’s elder daughter and the play’s titular shrew

Bianca: Baptista’s daughter and Katherina’s younger sister

Biondello: Lucentio’s servant who has misgivings of treating Tranio as his master

Petruchio: gentleman from Verona who is undaunted at the prospect of wooing the shrew Katherina

Grumio: Petrucho’s servant who can attest to his master’s thick skin

Curtis: another of Petruchio’s servant

Pendant: a distinguished looking man who Tranio fools into acting the role of Lucentio’s father Vincentio for his—the Pedan’t—sake

Tailor: a tailor who is made to think (by Petruchio) that the clothing he has made on Katherine’s behalf has been ill made

Vincentio: Lucentio’s renowned father who runs into Petruchio and Kate while in route to Padua