Petruchio is presented as an all-powerful man that seems to be in control of everyone, including the servants and a very somber Kate that is being unknowingly controlled. He treats the servants horribly, belittling their work and their positions in the world. He threatens them and strikes several of them, all the while acting mostly nice toward Kate and claiming his irateness is entirely out of love. He is giving Kate a taste of her own medicine and letting her find out how it feels when she acts this way toward other people. He is forcing her to see the error of her ways.
2. Many critics mark the sun/moon scene in the road to Padua (scene 5) as the turning point in the play which indicates Kate's taming. What is different about this scene? If she is tamed, what is she submitting to? Is it really a "submission," or can it be interpreted in other ways?
This scene is different because in every other scene where Petruchio has challenged Kate, she has always argued back with a witty retort, but this time she doesn't give any. In fact, she doesn't even bother to try and argue with him at all and simply agrees to whatever he says. If, and that is a very big if, Kate is tamed, she is submitting to Petruchio's rule - i.e., she goes along with whatever he says, agrees with him completely, and other things of that nature. I don't think this is really a submission, though. One possible interpretation could be that Kate is simply sick of the way Petruchio has been treating her and is eager to visit her father's home because at least there she will get to eat. Maybe she only goes along with the things Petruchio says because she is desperate for a break from him already, considering that he is getting into her head already.
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