the taming of the shrew
DESCRIPTION
The Taming of the Shrew. Prof. Simonetta Gatto Istituto Comprensivo di Casella. THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. Author: William Shakepeare Written between 1590 and 1592. Genre: a comedy play First performance: 1593. STRUCTURE OF THE COMEDY. A play within a play - Frame device - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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The Taming of the Shrew
Prof. Simonetta GattoIstituto Comprensivo di
Casella
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THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
Author: William ShakepeareWritten between 1590 and 1592.Genre: a comedy playFirst performance: 1593
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STRUCTURE OF THE COMEDY
A play within a play - Frame device
William Shakespeare used a frame device for The Taming of the Shrew. He imagined a scene in a tavern where a group, made up of a Lord, his servants, a drunkurd and the hostess, watch a play.
The comedy has a prologue (frame) and is divided into five acts.
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What is a frame device?
• A frame story is a literary technique which aims to introduce or emphasize a main narrative, in this case a play.
• It is a story in a story.• It is also called frame tale or frame narrative.• Famous examples of frame stories are
Canterbury Tales by Joffrey Chaucer and Decameron by Boccaccio.
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THE CHARACTERS OF THE FRAME
CHRISTOPHER SLY: a drunkard fooled by a lord who lets him believe he is a rich lord, married to a beautiful lady.
L0RD: owner of the tavern where the comedy is performed and author of the trick.
HOSTESS: running a tavern.
SERVANTS and PAGES helping the lord with the prank.
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CHARACTERS OF THE PLAY
BAPTISTA, a rich Gentleman of Padua
KATHARINA and BIANCA, daughters to Baptista
VINCENTIO, an old Gentleman of Pisa
LUCENTIO, son to Vincentio, in love with Bianca
PETRUCHIO, a Gentleman of Verona, suitor to Katharina
GREMIO, HORTENSIO, Suitors to Bianca
TRANIO, BIONDELLO, Servants to Lucentio
GRUMIO, CURTIS, Servants to Petruchio
PEDANT, set up to personate Vincentio
WIDOW
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SETTING
Like numerous other Shakesperean plays, The Taming of the Shrew is set in Italy, in this case Padua.
Other Shakespearean settings are:
• Coriolanus: Rome, Corioli, and Antium
• Cymbeline: partly in Italy.
• Julius Caesar: Rome
• The Merchant of Venice: partly in Venice, and partly at Belmont.
• Much Ado about Nothing: Messina
• Othello: Venice (for first act)
• Romeo and Juliet: Verona and Mantua
• The Taming of the Shrew: Padua
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WHY SO MANY SETTINGS IN ITALY?
• Because he studied Latin and Latin authors, in particular Tacitus.
• Some more modern Italian writers, like Boccaccio and Ariosto, were popular in England.
• A lot of plots had ancient Roman or Italian Renaissance sources, so it made sense to use the original settings.
• The Italians were considered sophisticated, cunning and a little licentious. These qualities went well with comedies where deception and sexual passion were basic elements.
• All his comedies, except The Merry Wives of Windsor, are set in Italy.
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The plot
The merchant Baptista from Padua has two daughters. Bianca is younger and more beautiful than Katherina, but she cannot be married before her strong-willed sister.
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• Hortensio, rejected by Bianca, marries a widow.
• Vincentio, Lucentio's father arrives in Verona and tries to explain Baptista the complicated situation and the exchanges of identity.
• Meanwhile Lucentio has secretly married Bianca.
• Baptista organizes a wedding party for both his daughters.
• Petruchio devises a competition to prove whose wife is the most obedient. Bianca and the widow fail to come to their husbands when called, while Kate teaches the women on the duties of a wife.
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Themes of the comedy• Relationship between men and women: they
are cruel to each other. Baptista has a complete control over his daughter. Petruchio is very cruel to Katherine and tames her.
• Money and greed for it.• Appearance and reality: nothing is what it is:
Bianca, apparently sweet and compliant, shows some rebellion. Kathrenine, apparently strong-willed and shrewish, reveals herself an obedient wife
• Change of roles and disguise.