Lucentio is a young man who arrives in Padua ready to pursue his studies, along with his servant Tranio. Almost immediately, though, he falls in love with Bianca, and devotes all his energy to wooing her. He disguises himself as Cambio, a teacher of languages, so that he can teach Bianca and spend time with her. When he reveals his true identity and intentions to Bianca and she replies favorably, he elopes with her to a church where they are married. Lucentio is young and somewhat irresponsible—it is Tranio who comes up with the ideas for how he can woo Bianca, and Lucentio suffers no real consequences from his deceit. In the end, he is happily married to Bianca, though her disobedience toward him at the end of the play suggests his dreamed-for marriage may not turn out to be exactly what he thought it would be.
Lucentio Quotes in The Taming of the Shrew
The The Taming of the Shrew quotes below are all either spoken by Lucentio or refer to Lucentio. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Get the entire The Taming of the Shrew LitChart as a printable PDF.
Lucentio Character Timeline in The Taming of the Shrew
The timeline below shows where the character Lucentio appears in The Taming of the Shrew. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1, Scene 1
Lucentio enters with his servant Tranio. He has just arrived in Padua, eager to study philosophy....
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Lucentio, meanwhile, has become obsessed with Bianca's beauty. Baptista tells Bianca to leave and go inside,...
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...that they may fairly compete for Bianca's hand in marriage. They exit, leaving Tranio and Lucentio alone on-stage.
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Lucentio says that he has suddenly fallen in love with Bianca and is desperate to win...
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Tranio coyly asks who will play the part of Lucentio, if Lucentio is the teacher. Lucentio tells Tranio to pretend to be him. The pair...
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Act 1, Scene 2
Gremio enters with Lucentio, who is disguised as a schoolmaster named Cambio. Gremio tells Lucentio to teach Bianca only...
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Tranio enters, disguised as Lucentio, with his servant Biondello. Tranio asks the group how to get to Baptista's house. Hortensio...
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Act 2, Scene 1
Gremio enters with Lucentio (disguised as Cambio). Petruchio enters with Hortensio (disguised as a tutor named Litio). Tranio (disguised...
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Gremio interrupts to introduce "Cambio" (really Lucentio) as a teacher of Greek, Latin, and other languages. Baptista thanks him for the teacher,...
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...Bianca will get her. Gremio lists all of his property and riches. Tranio (speaking as Lucentio) catalogues all the wealth of Lucentio's father (which is even more than what Gremio can...
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Baptista says that he will give Bianca to Lucentio on the Sunday after Katherine and Petruchio's wedding, provided that Lucentio's father guarantees Lucentio's inheritance....
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Act 3, Scene 1
Within Baptista's household, Lucentio (disguised as Cambio) and Hortensio (disguised as Litio) instruct Bianca. The two squabble for Bianca's...
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While pretending to teach Bianca Latin, Lucentio reveals his true identity to Bianca and tells her that he is in love with...
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Bianca declares that she is ready for her music lesson now, and Hortensio sends Lucentio away. Under the pretense of teaching Bianca musical scales, he encourages Bianca, "take [Hortensio] for...
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Act 3, Scene 2
It is Katherine and Petruchio's wedding day, and Baptista, Gremio, Katherine, Bianca, Tranio (disguised as Lucentio), and Lucentio (disguised as Cambio) are all present for the ceremony. Petruchio, however, is late....
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Left alone, Tranio and Lucentio discuss their plan to get Bianca for Lucentio. Tranio tells him that he will find...
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...fittingly mad mate. Baptista tells everyone that they can still enjoy the feast, and that Lucentio (actually Tranio) and Bianca can take the places of Petruchio and Katherine.
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Act 4, Scene 2
Back in Padua, Hortensio (disguised as Litio) leads the person he thinks is Lucentio (in reality Tranio) to spy on Bianca and the real Lucentio (disguised as Cambio). They...
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Tranio goes forward to Bianca and Lucentio and tells them the news about Hortensio. He also tells them that Petruchio is a...
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...death for anyone in Mantua / To come to Padua," (iv.2.86-87). Still pretending to be Lucentio, Tranio tells the merchant that he will do him a favor. Since the merchant resembles...
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...Tranio leaves to find suitable clothes for the merchant, he mentions that he will need Lucentio's "father" to make assurances about his inheritance, in preparation for a wedding.
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Act 4, Scene 4
In Padua, Tranio (still disguised as Lucentio) brings the merchant, who is dressed up as Vincentio, to Baptista's house. Biondello arrives, as...
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...convinced that the merchant is Vincentio. Baptista, the merchant, and Tranio decide to go to Lucentio's lodging to discuss the financial particulars of the marriage in private. Before they depart, Tranio...
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Lucentio returns and Biondello informs him of their plans. Baptista has asked for Cambio to bring...
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Act 4, Scene 5
...himself as Vincentio and says that he is traveling to Padua to see his son Lucentio. Petruchio happily greets him as his father-in-law, since Lucentio is marrying Katherine's sister. Vincentio is...
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Act 5, Scene 1
Outside of Lucentio's home in Padua, Lucentio runs off with Bianca and Biondello to the church where he...
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Biondello returns from the church, where Lucentio and Bianca have been married. Vincentio recognizes Biondello, but Biondello pretends not to know Vincentio....
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Biondello, Lucentio, and Bianca enter. Thinking that their deception has been uncovered and fearing punishment, Biondello, Tranio,...
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Act 5, Scene 2
It is finally time for Lucentio and Bianca's wedding banquet. Baptista, Vincentio, Gremio, the merchant who had pretended to be Vincentio,...
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In response to all this teasing, Petruchio proposes a bet. He, Lucentio, and Hortensio will call their wives, and the husband whose wife comes first will win...
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...since Katherine is now a completely different daughter. Katherine returns with Bianca and the widow. Lucentio chides Bianca for not coming, telling her that her disobedience cost him money. Bianca replies...
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...kiss him, which she does. As they leave together to go to bed, Hortensio and Lucentio marvel at Petruchio's ability to tame Katherine.
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