1. THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
William Shakespeare

2. Setting (time and place)
Padua, Italy (Kate and Bianca’s house)
Verona Petruchio’s country house
Time could be medieval, Elizabethan, or modern (see BBC’s newest version!)
Kiss Me Kate is set in 1953 America

3. 3 characteristics of a Shakespearean Comedy
1. Happy Ending
2. Love
3. Mistaken
Identities
The would-be lovers must overcome obstacles, before they have a harmonious union (often a wedding).
The theme of love is prevalent in every Shakespeare comedy.
In Shrew, Tranio becomes Lucentio and Lucentio becomes “Cambio”, Bianca’s teacher, in order to get close to her.

4. 4. The most significant characteristic of Shakespeare’s mature comedies:
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.
She experiences a total “turnaround” in her character
from “wild woman” … … to “obedient wife.”

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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.

8. Reasons Kate 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…”

9. 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. 

10. The DADS VINCENTIO BAPTISTA father to the girls “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

11. 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”

12. (pretends to be Cambio Bianca’s teacher)
The Foils
Bianca
Kate’s younger and much sweeter sister
Lucentio
(pretends to be Cambio Bianca’s teacher)
…Lucentio really likes Bianca, but…

13. Servants Tranio--- helps Lucentio by pretending to be Lucentio
Luc’s servants
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
Petruchio’s servants
Baptista’s helpers

14. Get em straight.
Grumio is Petruchio’s servant. Like a horse’s “groom” in a stable
Gremio is one of several guys who likes Bianca
“Why yes, splendid, Grumio. Thank you so much.”
“Will that be all, Sir?”
Spoiler:
Lucentio gets her, and Hortensio ends up marrying the widow.

15. What’s the 1st Conflict?
The dad refuses to “marry off” the younger daughter before the older one gets married
several reasons:
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.

16. 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.

17. Elizabethan Attitude Toward Women
The Elizabethan era was named after
Queen Elizabeth ( )
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.

18. 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).”

19. 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.”

20. 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)

21. 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

22. Symbolism of Bianca’s name
Meaning: “white”– inference: pure, good, blameless

23. 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)

24. 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 of as a beast) .

25. ANIMALS,continued Subhuman status and romantic insults?
Why do people who love each other insult each other?
Roberts also notes that "a great deal of the humor of the first meeting between Kate 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…..!!!!”

26. Allusions, Act 1, scene i To Minerva (goddess wisdom)
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”

27. Shrew Vocab 1.prose (n.) 2.pun (n.) 3.farce (n.) 4.slapstick (n)
5. monologue/soliloquy
basic talking or writing, NO rhyming A play on words Hamlet’s famous soliloquy begins with “To be, or not to be

28. 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”

29. more puns
The guitarist passed out on stage…he must have rocked himself to sleep.

30. 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.

31. slap the actor with a stick!”
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

32. 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

33. theme: ORDER VS. DISORDER
Orderly home
Kate begins to plea for order
“Husband, be patient.”
Husband, have a little understanding” (the meat was fine)
“Thank you.”
Acceptance
Manners
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

34. Pete’s country home in Verona
Orderly home
not at all in Verona!
Disorderly home
Petruchio shouting at his servants (Act 4.)

35. Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 1996-2002
Some information taken from
Copyright Debora B. Schwartz,  

36. Petruchio's wedding getup and Kate's dirty old dress
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.
A. Disguise
B Appearance
vs.
Reality
C. Control