The Taming of the Shrew By William Shakespeare

INTRODUCTION The play is set in PADUA, Italy.

INTRODUCTION Shakespeare’s audience was particularly interested in the topic of RELATIONSHIPS since most marriages during this time period were ARRANGED and a DOWRY was the reason why most men got married.

INTRODUCTION Of particular worry to this society were “SHREWS” or “SCOLDS” —that is, cantankerous or gossipy WIVES.

INTRODUCTION A large number of sermons, plays, and pamphlets of the time address related topics: the TAMING of shrews by their husbands or the public punishment of scolds, by, for example, repeatedly DUNKING them in a river.

INTRODUCTION The play begins with a FRAME story, where a drunkard named Christopher Sly has a joke played on him by the local lord.

INTRODUCTION They convince him that he is a RICH man who has been ill for a while and has just now regained his MEMORY.

INTRODUCTION They dress up a young MAN as his wife and he decides that he wants to believe them.

INTRODUCTION While Sly wants to be alone with his “wife,” they tell him that he must first watch a PLAY performed by a troupe of actors who recently came to the castle. So, he sits down and watches the play, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW.

Character Map