Characters
The “shrew” of the play’s title
Katherine
Where is most of the play set?
Padua
How can we see the role of power dynamic already in Act 1?
Father/Daughter - Baptista has total control over who/when his daughters marry
Master/Servant - Servants are treated poorly + poorly educated
Man/Woman - A man has more power in this play and a women is expected to be subservient and when they are not they defy society and are outcasted
How were women treated in the era of the Taming of the Shrew?
Women were treated with no respect and males dominated in that era.
What is a "shrew," as defined by this play?
An ill-tempered and disobedient woman
A gentleman from Verona Loud, boisterous, eccentric, quick-witted, and frequently drunk, he has come to Padua “to wive and thrive.”
Petruchio
What is Petruchio's main goal in arriving to Padua?
To Wive and thrive
How is the theme of marriage mainly portrayed in the play?
1)Women are openly able to choose who they want to marry
2)Men have total control over women and can have arranged Marriage.
2) Men have total control over women and can have arranged Marriage.
Shakespeare built what theater?
The Globe Theater
What is irony?
Verbal, situational, or dramatic irony – usually expressing the opposite of what is stated. [Sarcasm]
Who becomes Bianca's music teacher?
Hortensio
Hortensio gets Petruchio to agree to marrying Katherine even though she's awful and mean because:
He wants her father's money.
For the theme of Gender Can a man be a shrew? Why or why not?
No, they cannot
What is the literary period of the Taming of the Shrew?
This piece’s literary period is the English Renaissance (also called the early modern era) and the genre is Elizabethan Comedy.
What is satire?
Uses humor, irony, exaggeration to criticize views, vices, events or contemporary politics or topical issues.
Who becomes Bianca's Latin teacher?
Lucentio
Why can't Bianca get married?
The eldest must be married first
How can we the theme of illusion vs reality in Act 1?
Lucentio + Tranio have disguised themselves by switching roles
Hortensio + Lucentio are disgusing at tutors to court Bianca
Sly is dressed as a lord and due to the costume change completely believes he is a lord further examining the role of class but also of deception.
Where did Shakespeare get his inspiration from for the style of comedy in this play?
From the Italian Commedia Dell'Arte
Servants are used mostly as:
Comedic Effect
Who wants to find a tutor for Kath to impress Baptista and unknowingly he hires his competition 'Cambio' which is Lucentio in disguise
Gremio
How does Baptista treat his daughters?
He favors Bianca and scolds Katherine
for the theme society and class, How does the play draw out attention to social disparity?
It shows how women are at the bottom of the social hierarchy, and there's instances where the servants are continually beaten and abused and considered/portrayed as less educated.
When was The Taming of the Shrew first printed?
It is believed that The Taming of the Shrew was first printed in 1623 in the First Folio.
What is a farce?
A type of comedy that depends on outlandish situations, buffoonery, and crude characterizations rather than witty dialogue, plot, or characterization - The humor must be exaggerated. -- Human personality without the depth