Petruchio, a man from Verona, Italy, travels to Padua seeking to marry a wealthy woman. He learns of Katherina, who has a fierce reputation and whose marriage will allow her younger sister Bianca to also wed. Undeterred by warnings of Katherina's temper, Petruchio insists on marrying her in hopes of gaining her wealth. After their wedding, Petruchio begins mentally and verbally tormenting Katherina in an attempt to "tame" her behavior, which eventually succeeds by the play's end.