THE TAMING OF
THE SHREW
William Shakespeare
1.
Shrew
Small mouselike mammal with a long snout; related to moles.
Known for its ugly temper 
Also, a woman with a bad temper
(unfortunately, a BeeOtch)
Katharina and Petruchio–
a marriage made in heaven?
2. shrewd

clever, always able to
get your way through
smarts

Annabelle is so
shrewd;she can
manipulate her mom to
get her whatever she
wants at the store.
a shrewd gambler got his
money
In his strategy soliloquy, Pete shows
he’s shrewd.




He knows what he
wants.
He wants a happy
household--her money is
a bonus)
page 109, Act II, sc. i
His strategy is to woo
and win Kate by
mirroring to her the
opposite of each of her
behaviors.
Reasons she might be shrewish:




furious at the world
(unfair era for women)
motherless; perhaps no
good guidance?
jealous of Baptista’s
overt love and
kindness to Bianca.
angry that no one likes
her?
“no one ever taught me how to play
nice… poor me…”
Shrew Vocab #1


1. a.shrew
 b.shrewd
2. Shakespearean
comedy, as opposed
to Shakespearean
tragedy




3.
4.
5.
6.
pantaloon
sarcasm
induction
irony








7. foil
8. players
9. pedant
10. dowry
11. haberdasher
12. submissive, submit
13. ingrate
14. domineer, (-ing)
Sentences for number #2 & #3

The Taming of the
Shrew is a
Shakespearean
comedy.

“I am so glad you
could make it”, the
teacher said
sarcastically to the
late student.
Definition for “induction” #5

To start something or
cause it to start.

When the doctor
induced the pregnant
lady’s labor, she
started to have the
baby.
Sentences for #6

6. When something
happens that is the
opposite of what we
would expect.


When the dentist got a
cavity, that was ironic.
When Jerry the mouse
chased Tom the cat, it
was ironic.
#7

foil
Two items which
contrast with one
another are foils

Kim Kardashian is a
perfect foil for Taylor
Swift.

dark hair “skanky”

blondie, “good girl”
#8 players

actors in a play

Shakespearean
“players” can play
several parts.
Sentences


9. The teacher was so
pedantic; she wouldn’t
just relax and let us
learn. She was just a
know-it-all.
11. Men’s Wearhouse
is a haberdashery.


10. When the young
woman got married,
her father had to pay
a dowry to the
groom’s family.
12.
Shrew Vocab #2







1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
prose (n.)
pun (n.)
fret (v.)
fume (v.)
lineage (n.)
nobility (n.)
farce (n.)







8. slapstick (n.)
9. a. soliloquy (n.)
 b. monologue (n.)
10. daunt
11. prodigy
12. abate
13. delude
14. construe
The Foils
Bianca
Kate’s younger and
much sweeter sister
Lucentio
(pretends to be Cambio
Bianca’s teacher)
…Lucentio really likes Bianca, but…
The Dad
Baptista
(the girls’ dad– kind of a hard-nosed guy)

Won’t marry off the
younger sister Bianca,
until he gets rid of
Kate the Shrew.
Bummer for Bianca and Lucentio. 
What’s the 1st Conflict?
several reasons:
The dad refuses to
“marry off” the
younger daughter
before the older one
gets married


1. he has to give a
substantial dowry for
each girl– this is
expensive.
2. he has to live with
Kate forever if Bianca
gets married, and he
likes Bianca better.
What’s the main Conflict?
Petruchio must
“tame” wild Kate.
He begins taming her
even before their
wedding (she has no
choice but to marry
him). Girls had to do
what their fathers
told them to do,
regardless of their
own feelings.
Get em straight.

Grumio is Petruchio’s servant.
Like a horse’s “groom” in a
stable
“Why yes, splendid,
Grumio. Thank you
so much.”

Gremio is one
of several guys
who likes Bianca
“Will that be all,
Sir?”
Spoiler:
Lucentio gets her, and
Hortensio ends up
marrying the widow.
Servants
Luc’s
servants


Petruchio’s
servants



Baptista’s
helpers


Tranio--- helps Lucentio by pretending to be
Lucentio
Biondello
Grumio--the fool of the play. He provides comic relief
by pretending to misunderstand Petruchio and getting
into ridiculous arguments with him.
Curtis
Pedant– a man who is a “know-it-all”
Tailor– a guy who makes clothes
Haberdasher– a guy who sells clothing goods
Imagine the scene where Kate and
Petruchio will meet.
At least 2
solid
paragraphs

35 points.

Write a dialogue between the two.
Will Petruchio charm Kate? Will he still
want to marry her after he meets her?
Your dialogue should capture the
confident and headstrong nature of
both characters.
Setting (time and place)

Padua, Italy
(Kate and
Bianca’s house)
Time could be medieval, Elizabethan, or
modern (see BBC’s newest version!)

Verona
Petruchio’s
country
house
Kiss Me Kate is set in 1953
America
The Elizabethan era was named after
Queen Elizabeth (1546-1603)
Elizabethan Attitude
Toward Women
Wives are to be “obedient, humble,
and modest” (like Bianca)
They shouldn’t go tearing up the
house (like Kate) and disobeying
fathers, brothers, husbands. They
certainly shouldn’t have
minds of their own.
1 Peter 3:1-6
“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own
husbands, that even if some do not obey the
word, even if some do not obey the word,
they, without a word, may be won by the
conduct of their wives, when they observe
your chaste conduct accompanied by fear
(respect).”
1 Peter continued
“Do not let your adornment be merely
outward– arranging the hair, wearing gold, or
putting on fine apparel,-- rather let it be the
hidden person of the heart, with the
incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet
spirit, which is very precious in the sight of
God.”
The husband verse which follows:
“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with
understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to
the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together
of the grace of life, that your prayers may not
be hindered.” (v. 7)
Journal Entry #1 for Shrew:
All
students
answer
this.
What is your opinion of the verse
commanding women to be submissive to their
husbands?
Girls
answer.
Girls, are you willing to obey this command?
Why? Think about problems that come up in
marriages--- lack of money, kids giving trouble
(or just babies crying!), or living situations.
.
Elizabethans took Bible
commands very literally
Guys
answer.
Guys, as husbands, do you believe that men
should be the heads of the household and the
woman should defer to you?
Why? Think about problems that come up in
marriages--- lack of money, kids giving trouble
(or just babies crying!), or living situations.
Give at least 3 solid reasons
Symbolism of Bianca’s name
Meaning: “white”– inference: pure, good,
blameless
Animal allusions in Taming of the Shrew
“I can haz cheezburger now?”
1. CAT: Punning on the name "Kate" and "cat," Petruchio
threatens to turn Kate from a "wild Kate" to a "household
Kate" (2.1.39)
Continued comparisons of people to animals

2. “cart her rather” (like a horse)

3. “shrew”

4. “Wasp”

5. “buzzard” (Kate to Petruchio)
6. Petruchio later compares her to a falcon, a bird of prey
that he must starve and deprive of sleep in order to break
or tame.

7. the Lord refers to Sly as a "swine" and a "beast"

8. numerous references to Kate as the devil (also thought
beast)
of as a
.

ANIMALS,continued
Why do people who love each other
Roberts also notesstatus
that "a great
deal of
the humor of the
first meeting between Kate
Subhuman
and
romantic
insults?
insult each other?
and her suitor […] depends on the determination of each to reduce the other to
subhuman status."
“…You never
bring me
fresh meat
any more, you
big, lazy,
hairy,
animal…..!!!!”
Petruchio's wedding getup
and Kate's dirty old dress

A. Disguise
B.
Appearance
vs.
Reality
C. Control
Petruchio's ridiculous wedding digs are just one kind of disguise we see in the play.
Petruchio doesn't normally dress this way – it's all part of his strategy to "tame"
Kate by playing the role of erratic and excessively domineering husband. (You can
read more about the other kinds of disguises in our discussion of the theme "Art and
Culture.") When Petruchio arrives at the wedding ceremony late and dressed like
Rainbow Brite's twin brother, he demonstrates his ability to embarrass and publicly
humiliate his bride (and her father). Petruchio's outrageous getup makes it perfectly
clear that Kate has absolutely no control over what Petruchio wears or how he
behaves.
Baptista doesn't have any control over Petruchio either. When the old man asks
Petruchio to change into something more appropriate, Petruchio replies that Kate
is marrying the man, not his clothes. Petruchio is being a jerk, of course, but
there's a whole lot of truth in what he says. Outward appearances are not
necessarily indicative of a person's true identity, a lesson we learn over and
over throughout the play. This point is lost on Baptista when Petruchio follows it
up by saying something like: "By the way, dad, I can't wait for your daughter to
wear me out in the sack tonight. Wink, wink."
Petruchio also exercises his control over Kate by controlling what she wears later on
in the play. Before the pair set off for Bianca's wedding in Act 4, Petruchio causes a
big ruckus over the clothes and hat that have been custom made for Katherine.
Petruchio claims they're not up to snuff and insists that he and Kate wear old rags to
Bianca's wedding. Kate is livid – like a toddler, she's not even allowed to pick out
her own clothes. She's also not allowed to complain about this because Petruchio
tells her to zip it, or else they're not going to Padua.
http://www.shmoop.com/taming-of-the-shrew/petruchio-wedding-getup-kate-dirty-old-dress-symbol.html
Allusions, Act 1, scene i
Contrasting
animals to
gods or civil,
classically educated
human beings
with manners




To Minerva (goddess wisdom)
To Aristotle, Ovid (classical lit)
“as Anna to the Queen of
Carthage was”
“great Jove”
3 characteristics of a
Shakespearean Comedy
1. Happy Ending

The would-be
lovers must
overcome
obstacles,
before they
have a
harmonious
union (often a
wedding).
2. Love

The theme of
love is
prevalent in
every
Shakespeare
comedy.
3. Mistaken
Identities
 In Shrew,
Tranio becomes
Lucentio and
Lucentio becomes
“Cambio”, Bianca’s
teacher, in order
to get close to her.
4. The most significant characteristic of
Shakespeare’s mature comedies:

She experiences
a total
“turnaround” in
her character


4. A philosophical aspect involving
weightier issues and themes
In Shrew, Kate’s personal identity
changes…
…She recognizes the importance of love in human
existence, and changes her behavior.
from “wild woman” …
… to “obedient wife.”
2. pun-- a form of word play which suggests
two or more meanings
An example of a “pun” is:
“Wild Kate”– instead of a “wild cat”
more puns


The guitarist passed out on stage…he
must have rocked himself to sleep.
7. farce
a comedy that is full of coincidence and
ridiculous events. Coincidence is where
things happen together randomly.
An example of a “farce” is:
“The Taming of the Shrew”, a farcical play.
Bugs Bunny cartoons are farcical.
8. slapstick -- a form of comedy with
obvious physical play literally “you
slap
the actor with a stick!”
Examples of “slapstick comedy” are:
“The 3 Stooges” or “Tom and Jerry”.
Slapstick is when Petruchio kisses Kate so
loudly it is heard throughout
the church
Homework due Tuesday

Read all of Act 5, pp. to 279

do page 238, #’s 1, 6, 8.



do #2, An extended metaphor. Write a long
paragraph for this
do page 239, #4, soliloquy
do page 239, #4, Pretend that women had the
upper hand.
The DADS





VINCENTIO
“venerable father”
(old man on the road)
father to Lucentio, who is
pretending to be a
teacher
he knows that Tranio is just
a servant

BAPTISTA
father to the girls
theme: ORDER VS. DISORDER



Kate’s home in Padua
(Not in order)
Directions: For Acts 1-3,
write at least 7 Act,
Scene, and line examples
in which you find Kate
misbehaving.




Disorderly home
Kate throwing dishes,
chairs
Kate screaming and
disrespecting Pet and
Dad
hitting Bianca and
tying her hands
(bullying
Pete’s country home in Verona

Orderly home

not at all in Verona!


Disorderly home
Petruchio shouting at
his servants (Act 4.)
theme: ORDER VS. DISORDER

Orderly home

Kate begins to plea
for order
be patient.”
 Husband, have a little
understanding” (the
meat was fine)
 “Thank you.”
 Acceptance
 Manners


 “Husband,

Disorderly home
things begin to come “into
line” as Pete keeps up his
“abuse” of Kate.
Directions: next to each
in the left column, write
the Act, scene, and line in
which you find them
Shrew # 2 vocab



1. Prose
2. Pun
3. fret



1. basic talking or
writing, NO rhyming
2. A play on words
3. The spaces on a
guitar or stringed
instrument BUT it also
means “to worry”
Shrew vocab #2, continued

4. fume




5. lineage
6. nobility

4. to be very angry
5. the bloodline from
great grandparents, to
parent, to you, on to
your children and
grandchildren
6. people who are
born high-ranking, like
princes and lords.
Shrew vocab #2 continued

7. farce

8. slapstick

9. soliloquy,
monologue
*solus: alone
*loqu, to
speak (L.)
*mono: one
*logy, logue:
word study,
speech (Gr.)

9. Hamlet’s famous
soliloquy begins with
“To be, or not to be…”
Some information taken from http://cla.calpoly.edu/~dschwart/engl339/comedy.html
Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 1996-2002