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    This document provides an introduction to William Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. It discusses that the play is one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies, likely written in the 1580s-1590s. It features the battle of wits between the headstrong protagonists Katherina and Petruchio. The document also outlines some of the primary sources and themes of the play, including the nature of women, a woman's duty, and roles in marriage during the 16th century in Renaissance England. It provides brief descriptions of the main characters including Katherina, Petruchio, Bianca, Baptista, and others.

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    This is the introductory slideshow for Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

    Original Title

    Taming of the Shrew Introduction

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    This document provides an introduction to William Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. It discusses that the play is one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies, likely written in the 1580s-1590s. It features the battle of wits between the headstrong protagonists Katherina and Petruchio. The document also outlines some of the primary sources and themes of the play, including the nature of women, a woman's duty, and roles in marriage during the 16th century in Renaissance England. It provides brief descriptions of the main characters including Katherina, Petruchio, Bianca, Baptista, and others.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    56 views13 pages

    Taming of The Shrew Introduction

    Uploaded by

    allisonking
    This document provides an introduction to William Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. It discusses that the play is one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies, likely written in the 1580s-1590s. It features the battle of wits between the headstrong protagonists Katherina and Petruchio. The document also outlines some of the primary sources and themes of the play, including the nature of women, a woman's duty, and roles in marriage during the 16th century in Renaissance England. It provides brief descriptions of the main characters including Katherina, Petruchio, Bianca, Baptista, and others.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    of 13

    The Taming of the Shrew

    By William Shakespeare

    Introduction to The Taming of the


    Shrew
    Shrew = a sharp-tempered scolding
    woman
    Impossible to date the play exactly but
    evidence marks it as one of
    Shakespeares earliest comedies (most
    likely written in the late 1580s or early
    1590s).

    Protagonists who enter into the battle


    of wits
    Character development!

    headstrong hero and heroine against


    each other with fantastic results

    Sources for The Taming of Shrew


    The primary plot: Katherine and
    Petruchio,
    The nature of women

    womans duty
    Roles in marriage and family

    Marriage during the 17th Century


    Emotional and personal as well as public
    NOT as rigidly controlled as often
    Allowed to be married in teens and parental
    consent not required

    Marriage in the Renaissance England


    Not

    as early as we often think!

    1566-1619

    - 27.0 years
    1647-1719 - 29.6 years
    1719-1779 - 26.8 years
    1770-1837 - 25.1 years

    Young love: pros and cons


    A greater risk for children of noble birth

    Induction in the play


    Induction:

    a wider framework
    The only play in which
    Shakespeare features this framing
    device
    Features the tale of a beggar who
    finds himself mysteriously in power
    in a rich mans world

    Performance history
    (Renaissance)
    Has experienced great popularity
    through the years because of themes
    addressed (marriage, duty, identity,
    family)
    The most potentially offensive:
    addresses issue of submissive woman

    Characters

    Katherine/Kate
    The

    shrew
    Daughter of Baptista Minola
    Sharp-tongued and prone to violence
    Insecure/jealous of sister Bianca

    Petruchio
    Loud,

    quick-witted, party boy


    Has come to Padua to wive and thrive
    After a rich woman

    Characters

    Bianca
    Baptistas

    younger daughter
    Opposite of Kate: soft-spoken and sweet
    Cant marry until Kate does

    Baptista
    Very

    wealthy
    Good-natured, but shallow
    Desperate to find Kate a suitor

    Characters

    Lucentio
    Young

    student from Pisa


    Falls in love with Bianca at first sight
    Disguised as tutor, Cambio

    Tranio
    Lucentios

    servant
    Takes over Lucentios identity when
    Lucentio is in disguise

    Characters

    Gremio and Hortensio


    Biancas

    suitors at beginning
    Friendly rivalry

    Grumio
    Petruchios

    Biondello
    Lucentios

    servant; comic relief

    second servant

    Christopher Sly
    Character

    in introduction
    Drunk fooled into thinking hes a Lord

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