Katherina Minola

Living… in Padua. As the eldest daughter of Lord Baptista, Katherina lived with her father until she married Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona. However, living with Petruchio proves to be no picnic. In his attempt to "tame" Kate, Petruchio makes his household a living nightmare for her.

Profession… noble daughter of Baptista Minola and wife of Petruchio. Because of her wealth and sex, Katherina's fate is entirely decided by others, which exacerbates her already foul temper. Though she dislikes the role of the wife, Kate appreciates the increased respect she gets from the title. But simply marrying isn’t enough: now Kate has to undergo Petruchio’s “training” to make her into a model wife.

Interests... raising hell. Katherina has a reputation for her hot temper, violence, and razor-sharp tongue – she yells at her father, beats her younger sister, Bianca, and insults everyone who annoys her. At times, however, she just wants to gossip with her sister about the men after her. In spite of their strained relationship, Katherina still shows interest in her sister’s well being, asking her, "of all thy suitors, here I charge thee tell/Whom thou lovest best.”

Relationship Status... begrudgingly married to Petruchio. Because her father refuses to let her younger sister marry before her, Katherina reluctantly chooses to marry the sweet-talking Petruchio. But once married, her husband makes his intentions clear: he's set on taming her into an obedient, submissive wife. Whether or not the strong-willed Katherina will bow under his methods, however, remains to be seen.

Challenge… maintaining her personality without being further ostracized from society. Jealous of the attention Bianca receives, both from suitors and her father, Katherina may be anxious about her undesirability. But she also loathes the way men treat her. Her intelligence and independence make her out of step with society, creating a vicious cycle: the angrier Kate gets, the less desirable and more alienated she becomes.

Personality… intelligent, hot-tempered, and shrewish (as rest of Padua would describe her). Katherina's a girl who's just as capable of giving what she gets: just as the men around her objectify her, she insults and degrades them. However, her wit and anger scare both suitors and society, leading them to try to “fix” her. But while Katherina may be fundamentally unhappy, she’s unwilling to compromise her personality for the sake of others. Yet her angry, often violent, methods of expressing her frustrations do little to change anyone's mind.