The Taming of the Shrew is a play by William Shakespeare that tells the story of Katherine, a strong-willed and sharp-tongued woman, and her transformation into a more submissive and obedient wife. The play has been widely interpreted and debated for its portrayal of gender roles and relationships, with some seeing it as a celebration of traditional gender roles and others viewing it as a commentary on the oppressive nature of those roles.
One of the main characters in The Taming of the Shrew is Katherine, or Kate, as she is often referred to. At the beginning of the play, Kate is depicted as a rebellious and headstrong woman who refuses to conform to societal expectations of femininity. She is quick to anger and often engages in verbal sparring with those around her, especially her suitor, Petruchio. Despite her initial resistance, Kate eventually agrees to marry Petruchio and undergoes a dramatic transformation over the course of the play.
Petruchio is another important character in The Taming of the Shrew. He is a wealthy and arrogant man who is determined to win Kate's hand in marriage, despite her initial reluctance. Petruchio employs various tactics to try to "tame" Kate, including withholding food and other necessities and manipulating her into agreeing with him. Some have interpreted Petruchio's actions as abusive, while others see them as a form of tough love designed to teach Kate the value of submission and obedience.
Another key character in the play is Baptista, Kate's father. Baptista is a wealthy merchant who is determined to see his daughters marry well and bring wealth and status to the family. He is initially resistant to Petruchio's suit, but ultimately agrees to the marriage when Petruchio offers a large dowry.
The Taming of the Shrew also features a number of secondary characters, including Bianca, Kate's younger sister, and various suitors who vie for Bianca's hand in marriage. These characters serve to highlight the contrast between Kate's initial rebelliousness and Bianca's more demure and submissive behavior.
Overall, The Taming of the Shrew is a complex and multifaceted play that raises important questions about gender roles and relationships. While it has been widely debated and interpreted in a variety of ways, it remains a classic work of literature that continues to captivate and challenge audiences today.
The Taming of the Shrew: Character List
His object is to give her a taste of her own medicine, while at the same time allowing her to take on the role of a gentlewoman. Kate, on the other hand, not only comes when summoned, but also lectures the other wives on the kind of duty each owes her husband-to make him a happy home while he works to take care of them both. Commentary The play contains three stories of deception. Noah's wife, for example, was often portrayed as shrewish in the cycle plays popular just before Shakespeare's time. On the outside, Kate appears harsh, crueland frightening to all of the characters. Thus, at the opening of the play, he is already desperate to find her a suitor, having decided that she must marry before Bianca does. He wants her to be less harsh so she can fall inlove with him.
The Taming Of The Shrew Characters: Full Character List
Throughout this study guide, attention will be given to the ability level of the students, and specific activities, discussion questions, and topics will be labeled as to difficulty. Kate, meanwhile, is showing signs of wear from Petruchio's "kindnesses. Perhaps the most poignant and disturbing transformation of the play is that of Kate in its final act. Bianca is cautious, but does not discourage Lucentio's attentions. His identity did not change despite the fact that his outfitdid. Hortensio decides instead to marry a wealthy widow. Disregarding everyone who warns him of her shrewishness, he eventually succeeds not only in wooing Katherine, but in silencing her tongue and temper with his own.
Free The Taming of the Shrew Worksheets and Literature Unit for Teachers
He plans to get to know Bianca by posing as a tutor while Tranio pretends to be Lucentio and joins the ranks of Bianca's "official" suitors I, i. Because of her large dowry and her mild behavior, several men vie for her hand. The ensuing power struggle between antagonistic Kate and stubborn Petruchio is a saucy altercation whose syntactic craftsmanship set the precedent for rom-com construction for centuries to come. Her final costume change is marked by adherence to the cult of the domestic, the cult of submission. Gradually, however, Sly comes to believe in his nobility and begins taking on lordly airs. While students may find the Lucentio-Bianca plot difficult to follow, they should see how the outcomes of the stories differ. He agrees to watch the performance of a wandering band of actors who have also been enlisted in the lord's plot Ind, ii.
The Taming Of The Shrew Worksheets
With one suitor now out of the way, Tranio finds an old man to pretend to be Vincentio and thus secure his "suit" IV, ii. Later, in the play-within-a-play, Petruchio pretends to be a male counterpart to the shrew, beating and berating his servants and yet treating Kate with exaggerated kindness. Students should understand that the play mirrors societal attitudes of Shakespeare's time. The assembled crowd is amazed at Kate's transformation. An unprecedented ingenue, crushed by the whims of the patriarchy.
Misogyny in Shakespeare’s comedy: 'The Taming of the Shrew'
The prose is as vulgar as it is vivacious, striking the perfect balance between comedic tension and relief. Please consider donating to The Michigan Daily. Hortensio directs Petruchio to Kate and then dresses up as a music instructor to court Bianca. The action of The Taming of the Shrew, the play-within-a-play, begins in the Italian city of Padua. But her anger and rudeness disguise her deep-seated sense of insecurity and her jealousy toward her sister, Bianca. When Petruchio arrives both his dress and his behavior are outrageous. Modern audiences can laugh at the actions of Kate, especially when she is getting the better of the foppish suitors; however, her behavior toward her sister, Petruchio's treatment of her, and her last speech, pose problems.
