Petruchio (an anglicisation of the Italian name Petruccio; ) is the male romantic lead in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (c. 1590–1594). Petruchio is a fortune seeker who enters into a marriage with a strong-willed young woman named Kate and then proceeds to "tame" her temperamental spirit. The character, the play, Petruchio's methods, and Kate's fifth act soliloquy have excited controversy among feminists and modern critics. The role has attracted notable performers.