Widely reputed in Padua to be a shrew, Kate is a foul-tempered and sharp tongued woman at the beginning of the play; constantly snapping insults and degrading men around her. She shows wild displays of anger and would physically attack any one who upsets her. In medieval times there were four liquids in the body and the balance of each had a great effect on both the character and personality of a person. These four liquids were also known as humours. Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric and Melancholic are the four humours. A person who is choleric is easily angered or bad tempered. Kate is an example of a choleric personality. People with choleric character react quickly to impressions. The exchange between Kate and Petruchio during their first meeting is an extraordinary display of verbal wit (II.I.207-210). Other characters frequently compare Katherine to a dangerous...