1. (William Shakespeare)
The Taming of the Shrew
(William Shakespeare)

2. Willing Suspension of Disbelief
A play is a fictional construct.
As such, the reader/audience must willingly get rid of his/her disbelief.
In other words, in order for a play to work, the reader/audience must accept the events of the play as “real,” however implausible they may seem.

3. A few terms… All plays begin en medias res – in the middle of things.
A play needs tension and conflict from the beginning, so there have to be some given circumstances that have occurred before the play begins.
Many lines in plays involve subtext, the “deeper” or “hidden” meaning that is embedded into what the characters are saying. (As we read, you will become better at recognizing subtext.)
Farce - a broad comedy employing simple plots, stereotyped characters, and physical comedy or slapstick.

4. Speech-Aside-Soliloquy
Dialogue in Shakespeare falls into three categories:
Speech – normal, conversational dialogue
Aside – direct address to the audience
Soliloquy – a character alone onstage reveals his/her inner feelings/thoughts to the audience

5. Blank Verse
Shakespeare’s dialogue is written in blank verse, unrhymed iambic pentameter.
Blank verse = unrhymed lines in all the same meter.
The rhythm of iambic pentameter (unstressed syllable, stressed syllable) is considered to be closest to conversational speech.
Occasionally the characters speak in rhymed verse or couplets.

6. The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a framed play (or a play within a play). 
We start in a tavern where a Lord orders a play to be performed for Christopher Sly. 
Sly then watches (along with the entire audience) a performance of a play about a shrew set in Padua.

7. What is a Shrew, anyways?
Definition of Shrew: “a vexatious, scolding, or brawling woman.”
Kate is also described in the play as headstrong, cursed, mad, and choleric.
Definition of Tame: “changed from the wild state, domesticated.”
Definition of Domesticated: “converted to the home life; tame.”

8. The Taming of the Shrew In the Tavern (Induction) Christopher Sly (63)
A Lord (138)
Assorted Tavern-goers –
Hostess (4)
Bartholomew (16)
Players (5)
Huntsman 1 (9)
Huntsman 2 (3)
Servant 1 (17)
Servant 2 (13)
Servant 3 (13)
Servant 4 (5)
In Padua (Baptista’s House)
Baptista Minola (175),
the father
Katharina (216),
his shrewish daughter
Bianca (71),
his beautiful daughter

9. Other Citizens of Padua
The Taming of the Shrew
Petruchio’s House
Petruchio (586), a shrew tamer
Servants to Petruchio –
Grumio (171), Curtis (25),
Nathaniel (5), Joseph (1),
Peter (2), Nicolas (2),
Philip (2)
Bianca’s Suitors (and their kin)
Gremio (170)
Hortensio (206)
Lucentio (190)
Vincentio (47), Lucentio’s father
Biondello (102), Lucentio’s servant
Tranio (293), Lucentio’s servant
Other Citizens of Padua
A Widow (11), A Pedant (50), A Haberdasher (1), A Tailor (17)