# Lucentio — The Taming of the Shrew character guide

> Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Lucentio Tranio, Lucentio O Tranio, Lucentio Fiddler, Vincentio Lucentio, Signior Lucentio, Lucentio Sirrah, Lucentio Biondello, Lucentio Mistress, Lucentio Gramercies, Baptista Lucentio

**First appearance:** 0000-the-taming-of-the-shrew

## Snapshot

A romantic young Pisan who swaps identities with his servant to pose as a Latin tutor, all to win the untouchable Bianca.

## Who they are

Lucentio arrives in Padua to study philosophy but is instantly distracted by Bianca, whose father has locked her away from suitors until her elder sister marries. Undeterred, he trades places with his servant Tranio, disguising himself as the tutor Cambio so he can whisper love into Bianca's ear under the cover of Latin lessons. His scheme is clever, reckless, and thoroughly charming, and it sets in motion the play's parallel plot of courtship-by-deception alongside Petruchio's blunter campaign.

## Relationships

### [Petruchio](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/characters/petruchio)

_social_

Lucentio, disguised as a tutor, interacts with Petruchio as a fellow suitor and later as a friend after Petruchio's marriage to Katharina.

### [Tranio](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/characters/tranio)

_friendship_

Lucentio and his servant Tranio have a close, conspiratorial bond, with Tranio impersonating his master to further Lucentio's romantic goals.

### [Bianca](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/characters/bianca)

_romantic_

Bianca and Lucentio have a secret, romantic courtship conducted under the guise of a tutoring arrangement, ending in elopement.

### [Petruchio](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/characters/petruchio)

_social_

Lucentio, disguised as a tutor, interacts with Petruchio as a fellow suitor and later as a friend after Petruchio's marriage to Katharina.

### [Petruchio](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/characters/petruchio)

_social_

Lucentio, disguised as a tutor, interacts with Petruchio as a fellow suitor and later as a friend after Petruchio's marriage to Katharina.

### [Tranio](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/characters/tranio)

_friendship_

Lucentio and his servant Tranio have a close, conspiratorial bond, with Tranio impersonating his master to further Lucentio's romantic goals.

### [Bianca](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/characters/bianca)

_romantic_

Bianca and Lucentio have a secret, romantic courtship conducted under the guise of a tutoring arrangement, ending in elopement.

### [Bianca](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/characters/bianca)

_romantic_

Bianca and Lucentio have a secret, romantic courtship conducted under the guise of a tutoring arrangement, ending in elopement.

## In the story

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/chapters/act-i-scene-i)

Arrives in Padua, falls in love with Bianca at first sight, and plans to disguise himself as a schoolmaster to court her.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/chapters/act-i-scene-ii)

Disguises himself as Cambio, a schoolmaster, to woo Bianca under the pretense of tutoring her.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-i)

Disguised as Cambio, he uses a Latin lesson to secretly reveal his true identity and intentions to Bianca.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-ii)

Discusses with Tranio the plan to marry Bianca secretly, and is assigned to replace Petruchio at the wedding feast.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-ii)

Teaches Bianca under the guise of Cambio, expresses his love, and is relieved to be rid of Hortensio's competition.

### [Scene IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-iv)

Still disguised as Cambio, he receives Biondello's advice to secretly marry Bianca.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/chapters/act-v-scene-i)

Secretly marries Bianca and later reveals his true identity to the assembled characters.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/chapters/act-v-scene-ii)

Hosts the banquet, participates in the wager, and loses when Bianca refuses to come.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/characters/lucentio
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_taming_of_the_shrew_se/characters