What is Hortensio and Gremio's plan regarding Bianca and Katherine?

• A. To find a husband for Katherine and to find a schoolteacher for Bianca to be in Baptista's good favor
• B. To marry Bianca directly
• C. To elope with Bianca
• D. To send Bianca away

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that Hortensio and Gremio are trying to manipulate the marriage situation to secure their own interests. Baptista has made Bianca’s future dependent on Katharine’s being married first, so the suitors map out a plan that would please Baptista and advance their chances. They decide to seek a husband for Katharine, which would clear the path for Bianca’s prospects, and at the same time arrange for Bianca to have a schoolmaster—a tutor—so Bianca appears well-educated and manageable in Baptista’s eyes. This combination aims to please Baptista, demonstrate responsible planning, and give the suitors leverage in the marriage market.

They aren’t planning to marry Bianca themselves right away, nor to elope, nor to send her away. Those options don’t fit their calculated approach to using Katharine’s marriage as a prerequisite and Bianca’s education as a way to win Baptista’s favor and keep their own options open.