The Taming of the Shrew Study Guide
Name _______________________________________ Period ______
Characters:
See the Character List on p. 3-4 of your book; also study your notes.
The Suitors
Suitors to Bianca
1.
Suitor to Katherine
1.
2.
3.
The Servants
Servant to….
Servant Name
1.
2.
3.
The Disguises
Real Name
1.
Disguised as…
Reason
2.
3.
4.
The Fathers
Father
1. Baptista
Son/Daughters
2. Vincentio
3. Antonio
The Couples
Husband
1.
2.
3.
Wife
The Taming of the Shrew Study Guide
Other Things to Know
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Conventions of the Elizabethan Stage (notes)
Characteristics of Shakespeare’s Language (handout)
The Good and The Badde: five stereotypes of women (handout)
Farce, Commedia Dell’Arte, Slapstick, Stock Characters (movie handout)
“The Taming of the Shrew: A Modern Perspective” by Karen Newman (p. 229-238 in the
back of your book)
Give yourself a quiz:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
How does Sly change when he thinks he is a Lord?
How does the Induction relate to events that happen in the play-within-the play?
How does Baptista’s rule regarding his daughters’ marriage influence the plot?
Describe the relationship between Lucentio and Tranio.
What advantage does Lucentio have over the other suitors?
How do the male characters describe Katherine in the beginning of the play? What does
this reveal about male attitudes towards women who are not quiet and submissive like
Bianca?
7. Why are Lucentio, Gremio, and Hortensio attracted to Bianca?
8. Why do Lucentio and Hortensio disguise themselves as tutors? How does their status
change when they do this?
9. What is Petruchio’s goal upon his arrival in Padua?
10. Why is Petruchio interested in Katherine? How is he different from the other men?
11. What is Baptista’s relationship with the suitors focused on?
12. Why do the suitors unite when they are actually competing for Bianca’s love?
13. Describe the relationship between Bianca and Katherine.
14. What is Petruchio’s strategy for wooing Kate (when he first meets her)?
15. Describe the relationship between Petruchio and Kate in the beginning.
16. How does Petruchio tame Kate? (Review specific things he does, starting with their
wedding.)
17. How does Katherine respond to Petruchio’s attempts to tame her?
18. Why does Lucentio need a fake Vincentio? How does he get one?
19. How do Hortensio and Lucentio woo Bianca? Who is more successful? Why?
20. Why does Hortensio lose interest in Bianca? What does this reveal about his attitude
towards women and also social class?
21. How and why do Lucentio and Bianca elope?
22. How/when does Petruchio finally “break” Kate? How does he test her?
23. What happens when the real Vincetio meets the fake Vincentio and the fake Lucentio?
24. What happens when Lucentio and Bianca arrive, after being secretly married?
25. Explain the fight between the widow and Kate.
26. What leads the Petruchio’s wager and what happens when the men call their wives?
27. What does Petruchio do to show just how much he has “tamed” Kate?
28. How do the Widow and Bianca respond to Kate’s show of utter obedience? What does
this reveal about them?
29. What are the main points of Kate’s speech at the end of the play?
30. What does this play reveal about the attitudes towards and expectations of women in the
16th century?