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The Taming of the Shrew Study Guide QuestionsInduction1. Christopher Sly, a drunk tinker, is being scolded by the hostess of a bar. Why is she angry with him? What is his response? 2. What, according to the Lord and his huntsmen, are the qualities of a good hunting dog? 3. The Lord and his two Huntsmen plan to play an elaborate practical joke on Christopher Sly. What are they going to do to him? 4. The Lord is delighted to receive some traveling players in his home. He enlists their help in playing the joke on Sly. What is the Lord concerned about in the following quotation? “But I am doubtful of your modesties;Lest over-eyeing of his odd behavior,For yet his honour never heard of a play,You break into some merry passion,” 5. One of the major themes in the play is the battle between the sexes, specifically the definition of the proper behavior of a wife. Barthol’mew the page is asked to dress up like a lady and pretend to be Sly’s wife. What advice does the Lord give his page on this theme? 6. In the beginning of scene II, Sly speaks in prose. Towards the end of scene II, he changes to verse. What do you think Shakespeare is telling his audience by altering Sly’s manner of speech? 7. Another major theme in this play is the relationships between the servants and the nobility. What services are available to Sly now that he is Lord? Which of these items convinces Sly that he is the Lord? 8. Who, according to the servants, does Sly talk to during his fifteen-year dream?9. A third major theme explores the different reasons a man gets married. When Sly first meets his wife (the page in a disguise), what does he ask her to do? 10. How does Shakespeare introduce the theme of the confusion between appearance and reality in the Induction? Act I1. Why are Lucentio and his servant Tranio in Padua? What do we learn about Lucentio’sfather Vincentio? 2. What advice does Tranio give Lucentio regarding his studies? How does Shakespearehelp his audience recognize Tranio’s intelligence and education, even though he is clearlyLucentio’s servant? 3. How does Katharina’s father, in one short speech, upset his daughters and Gremio andHortensio? 4. Find an example of a pun in the conversation between Katharina and Hortensio rightafter her father announces Katharina must marry first. Explain the pun. 5. Tranio and Lucentio eavesdrop on the conversations between Baptista and his daughters.What does Tranio think of Katharina? What three qualities does Lucentio find appealingin Bianca? 6. Prose is sometimes used by noble characters when they are discussing everyday matters.Find an example of this. What are they discussing, and why do you think prose is appropriate?7. Who thinks of the plan to present Lucentio as the schoolmaster? What problem doesTranio see in the plan? How is it overcome? 8. Support or refute the following statement: Lucentio falls in love with Bianca’s beauty,but he does not really know her. 9. Why do you think Lucentio says “Tranio, let’s go: one thing more rests, that thyself execute,to make one among these wooers”?10. Why is Petruchio in Verona? 11. What qualities does Petruchio want in his wife? What does his servant Grumio thinkabout the idea of Petruchio marrying a shrewish wife? 12. Why does Hortensio want to accompany Petruchio to Katharina’s house? 13. Define “pantaloon.” Find an example of sarcasm spoken by Grumio that refers to theidea that Gremio is too old to be wooing Bianca. 14. What does Hortensio mean when he says, “I promised we would be contributorsAnd bear his charge of wooing, whatsoe’er”?What is Gremio’s response? 15. When Tranio, disguised as Lucentio, declares his intention to woo Bianca, what doHortensio and Gremio want? What is Tranio’s response? Act II1. How does Katharina’s relationship with her father motivate her to continue hershrewish behavior? 2. What names are Hortensio and Lucentio using in their disguises as tutors? 3. Petruchio defines his idea of a proper wife through the adjectives he uses to complimentKatharina. List four words Petruchio uses to describe Katharina. 4. One of the themes of this play is to present the reasons people get married. Whatarrangement does Petruchio make with Baptista before trying to win Katharina’s love?5. Animal imagery is an important theme in this play. Find an example (quote)of it when Baptista discusses Katharina’s ability to learn the lute with Hortensio. What does this kind ofcomparison suggest about how men feel about their wives? 6. How does Petruchio plan to deal with Katharina’s shrewish behavior in the followingcircumstances: if she rails?if she frowns?if she is mute?if she tells him to leave?if she refuses to marry him?7. Why does Katharina strike Petruchio? What is his response? 8. In the following passage, what does the reader learn about Petruchio’s age?“Kath. Well aim’d of such a young one.Pet. Now, by Saint George, I am too young for you.Kath. Yet you are wither’d.”9. What evidence is there that Katharina is enjoying her conversation with Petruchio andrespects him? 10. What does Petruchio tell Tranio and Gremio about the way Katharina behaves whenthey are alone? Why is this tactic a clever move? 11. How does Baptista decide who is going to marry Bianca? In what way are these marriagenegotiations, unlike those between Baptista and Petruchio? How do these negotiations support the idea of how Baptista feels about his two daughters? 12. Tranio (pretending to be Lucentio) outbids Gremio, but the marriage contract is notsecure. What condition does Baptista put on the marriage between Tranio and Bianca?13. List three ways Shakespeare continues the theme of appearance versus reality in Acts Iand II. Act III1. Describe how Lucentio and Hortensio each try to woo Bianca using their disguises as tutors? Who do you think Bianca prefers? How do you know? 2. What evidence is there that Hortensio is considering giving up his quest for Bianca? 3. What evidence is there that Katharina is hurt when Petruchio does not show up atBaptista’s house on time?4. What is Biondello’s “old” and “new” news? 5. Why do you think Petruchio comes to his wedding in old clothes? What message is hetrying to send to Katharina? 6. Besides wearing old clothes, list two things Petruchio does on his wedding day that goagainst tradition. What message is he trying to send to Katharina? How does Katharinabehave during the wedding? 7. What is Lucentio planning to do in the following passage? “Were it not that my fellow-schoolmasterDoth watch Bianca’s steps so narrowly,‘T were good, methinks, to steal our marriage;”8. In the following passage what is Katharina saying about a wife’s relationship with herhusband? “I see a woman may be made a fool,If she had not a spirit to resist.”9. What is Petruchio saying about a wife’s position in her husband’s house in the followingpassage? “She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,My household stuff, my field, my barn,”10. Comment on the theme of appearance versus reality, as it applies to the relationshipbetween Petruchio and Katharina. How much is each just the way they appear? 11. Why do you think Petruchio compliments Katharina, in the following passage, evenwhen he is telling her what to do? “But for my bonny Kate, she must with me.”Act IV1. Why does Curtis think Petruchio is “more shrew than she”? 2. What techniques does Petruchio use to tame his falcon? How does he use thesame techniques to tame his wife? 3. What oath do Tranio, disguised as Lucentio, and Hortensio take together? 4. What reasons does Hortensio give for wanting to marry the widow? 5. How does Tranio convince the Pedant to masquerade as Vincentio? 6. In what ways is Grumio loyal to Petruchio, but not loyal to Katharina? 7. Katharina likes the clothes the tailor brings, but Petruchio insists they are not goodenough and sends them away. Since she approves of them without any mean or evilcomplaints, why does he refuses to let her have the clothes? 8. Why does Hortensio make the following statement about Petruchio? “Why, so this gallant will command the sun.”9. Why do Baptista and the Pedant, who is disguised as Vincentio, go to Tranio’s lodgingsto sign the marriage contract? 10. Who does Baptista send to tell Bianca she is going to marry Lucentio? Remember thatBaptista still thinks Tranio is Lucentio. 11. Why does Biondello tell Cambio (Lucentio in disguise) that “Baptista is safe, talking with the deceiving father of a deceitful son”? 12. What happens on the way to Baptista’s house that causes Hortensio to say, “Petruchio,go thy ways; the field is won”? 13. How does Petruchio test Katharina’s submissiveness when they meet the real Vincentioon the road? How does she pass the tests? 14. What news does Petruchio give Vincentio about his son? Does Vincentio believe him? Act V1. What is ironic about Vincentio’s arrival at Lucentio’s house?2. Why does Tranio threaten to have Vincentio arrested?3. What happens so that Biondello, Tranio, and the Pedant can escape “as fast as may be”? 4. What offensive comment does the widow make to Katharina? 5. After the women leave the room, what wager do the men make with each other regardingtheir wives’ behavior? 6. Why does Baptista add an additional twenty thousand crowns to Katharina’s dowry? 7. What is Bianca doing during the banter (lines 42-43)? 8. According to Katharina’s final monologue, what are the qualities of a good wife? 9. What is the message of Katharina’s final monologue? Do you think she is sincere? Has she been tamed or is she only acting? ................
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