The Taming of The Shrew

William Shakespeare

A study guide

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)

The Taming of the Shrew

• The idea of beating one’s wife to make her obey was acceptable behaviour in Medieval times.

• The Taming of the Shrew presents a different, more radical alternative.

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.

ELIZABETHAN ATTITUDETOWARD WOMEN

“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).”

1 PETER 3:1-6

“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.”

1 PETER CONTINUED

“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)

THE HUSBAND VERSE WHICH FOLLOWS:

All students answer this.

What is your opinion of the verse commanding women to be submissive to their husbands?

Females answer this.

Girls, are you willing to obey this command? Why? Think about problems that come up in marriages--- lack of money, kids giving trouble (or just babies crying!), or living situations.

Males Answer this:

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.

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TURN AND TALK:

Sources of the play

From great classical authors like Ovid and Seneca, to English historians like Holinshed, Shakespeare's greatest influences were the works of other great writers. With the exception of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Love's Labour's Lost and The Tempest, which are wholly original stories, Shakespeare borrowed his plots, down to fine detail.

Mabillard, Amanda. What Inspired Shakespeare? Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/faq/shakespeareinspired.html >

Sources of the playShakespeare appears to have got his ideas for the play from several sources popular in this time.

• A Ballad: A Merry Jest of a Shrewd and Curst Wife Lapped in a Morel’s Skin for her Good Behaviour.

In this song the wife is beaten until she bleeds. Then wrapped in a skin of an old lame plough horse, Morel, killed and flayed for the occasion.

The husband threatens to keep her in the skin and treat her like the horse unless she obeys him.

•Erasmus advocated, in A Merry Dialogue Declaring the Properties of Shrewd Shrews and Honest Wives (1557) a taming method more akin to that used by Petruchio. In this the husband uses the techniques of taming a bird or animal to “tame” his wife.

The other episodes like:

•The ranting a tailor for cutting the gown in an outrageous manner is from: Accidence of Amory (1562) by Leigh.

•The wife agreeing with her husband in the assertion of what is obviously not is from: El Conde Laconor of Don Juan Manuel (1350)

•The wagering on the wives’ obedience occurs in The Book of the Knight of La Tourlandry (1484)

•The sub-plot in which the characters play different roles to gain access to the young woman is from Gascoinge’s Supposes (1566)

The Plot of The Supposes:

A young man succeeds in possessing the girl he loves by outwitting the character who blocks his access to her - in this case Lucentio outwits Gremio to court and marry Bianca.

Lucentio achieves this by means of disguise and allowing Tranio to pretend that he is Lucentio.

Hortensio, Shakespeare’s invention, is introduced to add further complication.

Added to these characters and actions is the INDUCTION scene which orginated in the story:

The Sleeper Awakened from The Arabian Nights. A story popular in the 16th Century.

Petruchio & Kate• Kate is a spoilt

household bully who tyrannises her sister, defies her father, strikes her sister, tutor and suitor without provocation.

• She is in a choleric ill humour and must be redirected.

Reasons she 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?

PETRUCHIO

The man born to tame Kate by curing her of her chronic bad temper. He realises that her choler is an ill humour and sets about restoring her to a balance with his sanguine humour.

He “drowns her” in her own ill humour and provides a mirror to show her what she could become.

PETRUCHIOHe knows what he wants. He wants a happy household--her money is a bonus)His strategy is to woo and win Kate by mirroring to her the opposite of each of her behaviors.Reverse psychology!

The Foils Bianca

Kate’s younger and much sweeter sister

Lucentio (pretends to be Cambio

Bianca’s teacher)

…Lucentio really likes Bianca, but…

Shakespeare’s Dramaturgical skill

• LUCENTIO - BIANCA - HORTENSIO

• Lucentio is full of stock Elizabethan love poetry when he first sees Bianca.

• A contrast to Petruchio’s bluntness.

Bianca’s actions contrast to Kate’s behaviour both earlier and at the end of the play. She has a will of her own which she uses to effect to provide her own entertainment.

Hortensio provides more complication for Act III sci. He is a link between Petruchio and Padua and is essential for the last scene where the betting needs suspense to be effective.

The Dad

• Won’t marry off the younger sister Bianca, until he gets rid of Kate the Shrew.

Baptista(the girls’ dad– kind of a hard-nosed guy)

Bummer for Bianca and Lucentio.

What’s the 1st Conflict?

• 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.

The dad refuses to “marry off” the younger daughter before the older one gets married

several reasons:

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.

3 characteristics of a Shakespearean Comedy

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.

1. Happy Ending 2. Love 3. Mistaken Identities

In Shrew, Tranio becomes Lucentio and Lucentio becomes “Cambio”, Bianca’s teacher, in order to get close to her.

The most significant characteristic of Shakespeare’s mature comedies:

• A philosophical aspect involving weightier issues and themes

• In Shrew, Kate’s personal identity changes…

• She experiences a total “turnaround” in her character

• …She recognizes the importance of love in human existence, and changes her behavior.

FARCE

An example of a “farce” is:

“The Taming of the Shrew”, a farcical play.

Bugs Bunny cartoons are farcical.

a comedy that is full of coincidence and ridiculous events. Coincidence is where things happen together randomly.

WAS SHAKESPEARE MAKING FUN OF THE TREATMENT OF WOMEN OF HIS TIME?ORWAS HE SUPPORTING THE TREATMENT OF WOMEN AT HIS TIME?

So, you decide -