The Taming of
the Shrew
Prof. Simonetta Gatto
Istituto Comprensivo di
Casella
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
 Author: William Shakepeare
 Written between 1590 and 1592.
 Genre: a comedy play
 First performance: 1593
STRUCTURE OF THE COMEDY
A play within a play - Frame device
William Shakespeare used a frame device for The
Taming of the Shrew. He imagined a scene in a tavern
where a group, made up of a Lord, his servants, a
drunkurd and the hostess, watch a play.
The comedy has a prologue (frame) and is divided into
five acts.
What is a frame device?
• A frame story is a literary technique which aims
to introduce or emphasize a main narrative, in
this case a play.
• It is a story in a story.
• It is also called frame tale or frame narrative.
• Famous examples of frame stories are
Canterbury Tales by Joffrey Chaucer and
Decameron by Boccaccio.
THE CHARACTERS OF THE FRAME
CHRISTOPHER SLY: a drunkard fooled by a lord who lets him
believe he is a rich lord, married to a beautiful lady.
L0RD: owner of the tavern where the comedy is performed and
author of the trick.
HOSTESS: running a tavern.
SERVANTS and PAGES helping the lord with the prank.
CHARACTERS OF THE PLAY
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BAPTISTA, a rich Gentleman of Padua
KATHARINA and BIANCA, daughters to Baptista
VINCENTIO, an old Gentleman of Pisa
LUCENTIO, son to Vincentio, in love with Bianca
PETRUCHIO, a Gentleman of Verona, suitor to Katharina
GREMIO, HORTENSIO, Suitors to Bianca
TRANIO, BIONDELLO, Servants to Lucentio
GRUMIO, CURTIS, Servants to Petruchio
PEDANT, set up to personate Vincentio
WIDOW
SETTING
• Like numerous other Shakesperean plays, The Taming of the
Shrew is set in Italy, in this case Padua.
• Other Shakespearean settings are:
• Coriolanus: Rome, Corioli, and Antium
• Cymbeline: partly in Italy.
• Julius Caesar: Rome
• The Merchant of Venice: partly in Venice, and partly at Belmont.
• Much Ado about Nothing: Messina
• Othello: Venice (for first act)
• Romeo and Juliet: Verona and Mantua
• The Taming of the Shrew: Padua
WHY SO MANY SETTINGS IN ITALY?
• Because he studied Latin and Latin authors, in particular
Tacitus.
• Some more modern Italian writers, like Boccaccio and
Ariosto, were popular in England.
• A lot of plots had ancient Roman or Italian Renaissance
sources, so it made sense to use the original settings.
• The Italians were considered sophisticated, cunning and a
little licentious. These qualities went well with comedies
where deception and sexual passion were basic elements.
• All his comedies, except The Merry Wives of Windsor, are
set in Italy.
The plot
• The merchant Baptista
from Padua has two
daughters. Bianca is
younger and more
beautiful than Katherina,
but she cannot be married
before her strong-willed
sister.
• Hortensio, rejected by Bianca, marries a widow.
• Vincentio, Lucentio's father arrives in Verona and tries to
explain Baptista the complicated situation and the
exchanges of identity.
• Meanwhile Lucentio has secretly married Bianca.
• Baptista organizes a wedding party for both his daughters.
• Petruchio devises a competition to prove whose wife is the
most obedient. Bianca and the widow fail to come to their
husbands when called, while Kate teaches the women on
the duties of a wife.
Themes of the comedy
• Relationship between men and women: they are
cruel to each other. Baptista has a complete
control over his daughter. Petruchio is very cruel
to Katherine and tames her.
• Money and greed for it.
• Appearance and reality: nothing is what it is:
Bianca, apparently sweet and compliant, shows
some rebellion. Kathrenine, apparently strongwilled and shrewish, reveals herself an obedient
wife
• Change of roles and disguise.