The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic confrontation between the sexes: The "shrew," Katharina, is so ill-tempered she seems unlikely to find a husband. Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry until Katherina is off his hands. Petruchio appears, marries Katharina, and "tames" her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives' obedience. Dr. Miller's production portrays Petruchio as an early Puritan, to reflect his view that the play is about the need to set up a sober household.