Baptista has two daughters: Kate and Bianca. Everyone wants to wed the fair Bianca, but nobody's much interested in problem child, Kate. Baptista declares that he won't give Bianca away in a marriage until he's found a husband for Kate, so all the suitors begin busily hunting out a madman who's willing to do it and they find Petruchio. Petruchio marries Kate with a plan to tame her, while everybody else begins scheming to win Bianca's hand. One of Shakespeare's funniest plays benefits from the input of one of Britain's funniest comic actors, John Cleese, as Petruchio, that acid wit of his is the perfect tool for taming Kate.