Katherine High School English Faculty

The Taming of the Shrew - Study Questions

Answer the following questions in complete sentences; be specific and use quotes from the play to support your work where possible. INDUCTION - Read the opening scene (not in either movie) 1. What trick is played upon Christopher Sly? Why? 2. Why is "The Taming of the Shrew" considered a play within a play? ACT I, scene 1 3. Why has Lucentio come to Padua? 4. Of what is Baptista resolved concerning the marriage of his two daughters? 5. What is Katherine's reputation? Bianca's? 6. What is Hortensio's plan to more quickly be able to win and marry Bianca? 7. What is Tranio's plan for Lucentio? What metamorphosis does this involve? ACT I, scene 2 8. What is Petruchio's motive in coming to Padua? 9. How are Katherine's and Bianca's reputations further clarified? What words/phrases are used to describe both women throughout the scene 10. What does Petruchio's monologue reveal about him? (l. 197-208) 11. What is the suitors' (Gremio and Hortensio) reaction to Lucentio joining them as rivals to Bianca? 12. What specific images are used to describe the wooing of Katherine? 13. At the end of Act I, why are Bianca's suitors friendly with one another and indebted to Petruchio? 14. What role do the servants play? Act II 1. What information does Katherine hope to gain by tying Bianca's hands and questioning her? 2. What type of language does Petruchio use to describe Katherine during his discussion with Baptista? What does this tell us about his character? (l.42-65) 3. What names do Hortensia and Lucentio assume? What roles will they play? 4. What character does Tranio assume? How does Baptista react to him? Please quote from the text. 5. Summarize the content of Petruchio and Baptista's conversation (l. 111-141)--be brief. 6. How is Hortensia injured? 7. When Katherine and Petruchio meet how do they get along? Particularly, what is the pervading attitude in lines 182-196, 209-220, and in Petruchio's lines 264-277 8. What does Petruchio claim about his and Katherine's interaction? How does Baptista react? 9. At the end of Act II what are Tranio, Gremio, and Baptista discussing? What decision is made? What must Tranio do in light of this decision? Act III , Scene 1 1. What is Bianca's response to Lucentio's (Cambio's) and Hortensio's (Litlo's) argument over who will tutor Bianca first? What does this reveal about her character? 2. What is Lucentio's translation of his lesson? (lines 31-36) What is Bianca's translation of the same passage? (lines 40-43) 3. What message to Bianca does Hortensio (Litio) encode in the gamut (scales)? What is her response? (lines 71-78)

4. Contrast Hortensio's statement in Line 76 with his statement in lines 89-90. What does this reveal about his character? Scene 2 1. Why does Kate weep (line 26)? What aspect of her character does this reveal? 2. How is Petruchio dressed for his wedding (lines 43-64)? Give at least 4 specific details. What is the reaction of Baptista? (use quotes) 3. How does Petruchio respond when asked to change his clothes? (lines 112-123) 4. What do you learn of Lucentio's plan to marry Bianca in lines 128-148? 5. What does Gremio call Petruchio in line 155? Why is this ironic? 6. How does Petruchio behave during the wedding ceremony? (lines 158-183) 7. How does Petruchio leave the wedding feast? What reason does he give in line 229? ACT IV Scene 1 1. What images do Grumio and Curtis use in their banter? Why are these images chosen? 2. According to Grumio in lines 21-24, what has changed? 3. What has happened to Kate on her way to Petruchio's house? How did Petruchio respond? (lines 68-80) 4. How does Petruchio treat the servants? What is Kate's reaction? 5. Which of Petruchio's insults to the servants is your favorite? 6. According to his soliloquy, what is Petruchios' plan? Scene 2 1. Summarize Tranio and Hortensio's conversation concerning Bianca. What do they both decide? What is ironic about this? 2. What are Hortensio's plans for marriage? (lines 37-39) 3. What role does the Pendant play in Tranio's plot? How does Tranio get him to play along? Scene 3 1. What does Kate's opening monologue reveal about her condition? 2. What must Kate do before Petruchio will feed her? (lines 38-47) 3. What does Petruchio think of the hat? the dress? 4 What does Petruchio tell Hortensio to do in line 162? What does this imply about Petruchio's behavior? Scene 4 1. How did Tranio distract Baptista for the evening? 2. What does Biondello tell Lucentio (Cambio) to do while Baptista feasts with Tranio? Scene 5 1. Why does Hortensio say "the field is won" in line 23? Who has won and how? 2. What game to Petruchio and Kate play with Vincentio? ACT V Scene 1 1. What's ironic about Vincentio's arrival at Lucentio's house? 2. What does Vincentio think has happened to his son? 3. Why do Lucentio and Bianca ask pardon of their fathers in lines 109-111? 4. How do the fathers react to the news of Bianca and Lucentio's wedding? 5. What do Petruchio and Kate do at the end of the scene? Scene 2 1. What offensive does the widow make to Kate? What does Petruchio tell Kate to do? 2. What is Bianca doing during the banter? (lines 42-43) 3. Describe the bet? What does the majority expect will be the outcome? What is the outcome? 4. What is the message of Kate's final monologue? Do you think she is sincere? Has she been tamed or is she only acting?

The Taming of the Shrew: Gender, Family, and Society Questions for Study and Discussion The following questions are designed to help you think about The Taming of the Shrew in terms of gender, family, society, and the power dynamics between them. To do so, we will examine the play in its historical context, using Bedford's chapter 8 as a guide. We will also consider the multiple possibilities for staging and performing this play. Consider these questions in conjunction with your reading. Take notes as you go, mark relevant passages, and be prepared to discuss these questions in class. They may also form the basis for quizzes or other short in-class writing. Induction and Act 1 1. 2. The Induction portrays role-playing. Who acts the part of whom? Why? How does such role-playing address issues of gender and class? What effects might these representations have on the play? From the outset, we learn from Bianca's suitors that Katherine is the less desirable of the two sisters. Examine and question this claim. How are Biance and Katherine different? What makes Katherine rather than Bianca the shrew?

Acts 2 and 3 1. 2. How does Petruchio "tame" Kate? Consider how he seems to define their roles. How does his behavior relate to our other shrew texts? How does Katherine act in the scenes where she says little or nothing? For example, in Act 2, scene 1, how does Katherine behave when Petruchio reports on his success in wooing Kate and in their plans for marriage? Because the text provides little explanation, you must decide how she would act based on your interpretation of her character from previous scenes.

Act 4 1. 2. How is Petruchio's masculinity represented? Examine his treatment of servants, Kate, etc. Question #1 from Acts 2 and 3 is still relevant here. How does his behavior relate to the instructions given in the "Homily of the State of Matrimony" and other documents on marriage and family? Many critics mark the sun/moon scene in the road to Padua (scene 5) as the turning point in the play which indicates Kate's taming. What is different about this scene? If she is tamed, what is she submitting to? Is it really a "submission," or can it be interpreted in other ways?

Act 5 1. 2. Analyze Kate's final speech. Is she sincere or ironic? Should we take her at her word? Or should we imagine a gap between what she says and what she means? Does the context of her words change their meanings? What are different possibilities in performing this scene? What happens to the power dynamics in this scenebetween mem and men, women and women, men and women?