The Taming of The

Shrew
 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

AN INTRODUCTION
Introduction 
• Written 1592-1594.
• Published 1623.
• The play is a comedy (i.e. resolution is reached at the end
of the play).
• The drama is set in Padua, Italy.
• The play has 2 plot lines.
• Major themes include change and disguise; marriage and
gender conflict.
 • The idea of beating one’s wife to
make her obey was acceptable
behavior in Medieval times.
• The Taming of the Shrew presents
a different, more radical alternative.
Key Characters 
• Bianca: Katherina’s beautiful younger sister who cannot marry until a man weds
Katherina.
• Lucentio: a young man who wants to marry Bianca; disguises himself as Cambio, a
teacher, to woo Bianca covertly.
• Baptista: the wealthy father of Katharina and Bianca.
• Gremio: an old man and suitor to Bianca.
• Tranio & Biondello: Lucentio’s servants.
• Hortensio: Petruchio’s friend who disguises himself as Litio in order to woo Bianca.
• Grumio: Petruchio’s servant.
• Sly A drunken Tinker; part of the framed narrative.
PETRUCHIO
THE
CLEVER BUT ROUGH MAN WHO T
AMES THE ‘SHREW’ TO BE
HIS WIFE.
KATHERINA 
THE SHREW; A SHARP-TONGUED WOMAN
WHO WILL NOT TAKE A HUSBAND; SHE
FINALLY CAPITULATES TO THE
OVERPOWERING PETRUCHIO AND BECOMES
THE MODEL WIFE.
 Women’s roles
• A woman had no legal rights as a 16th century wife
• She became her husband’s property
• Once married, Kate lost all legal rights, had no identity of her own, and became Petruchio’s
property
• Petruchio wants to “wive it wealthily” in Padua
• Kate’s speech at the end of the play is about how a home is like a mini-kingdom
• Unruly wives threaten the hierarchy of the family
• Males treat marriage as a financial transaction
• Women were commodities to be traded
• Bianca and Kate’s marriages were business transactions for Baptista
The play takes place in various locations
in…
PADUA - PADUA IS IN NORTHERN ITALY ON THE BACCHIGLIONE
RIVER. PADUA IS ABOUT 30 MILES WEST OF VENICE. THIS IS
WHERE THE MINOLA’S HOUSE IS LOCATED.
VERONA - THIS IS WHERE PETRUCHIO CAME FROM.
PISA – THIS IS WHERE LUCENTIO CAME FROM AT A HOUSE IN
THE NEARBY COUNTRYSIDE - THIS WHERE KATHARINA AND
PETRUCHIO LIVED. SETTINGS
Terms to Know
• SHREW = A VEXATIOUS, SCOLDING, BRAWLING WOMAN
• TAME = TO CHANGE FROM A WILD STATE; TO DOMESTICATE
• DOMESTICATED = TO CONVERT TO HOME LIFE; TAME
• DOWRY = PROPERTY OR MONEY BROUGHT BY A WIFE TO HER HUSBAND ON THEIR
MARRIAGE
• PATRIARCHY = A SYSTEM OR SOCIETY OF GOVERNMENT IN WHICH THE FATHER OR
ELDEST MALE IS HEAD OF THE FAMILY, AND DESCENT IS TRACED THROUGH THE MALE
LINE
• GENDER ROLES = THE RULES IN WHICH MEN AND WOMEN ARE SUPPOSED TO LIVE BY
ACCORDING TO THEIR SOCIETY
MESSAGE
THE MESSAGE OF THE STORY IS THAT: “OBEY AND
LOVE YOUR HUSBAND” “DO NOT BE SO SUCH A
SHREWISH GIRL OR ELSE YOU’LL BE AN OLD MAID”
“DO NOT HAVE ANY FAVORITISM AMONG YOUR
CHILDREN” “HELP OTHERS TO CHANGE THEIR BAD
ATTITUDES” “DON’T BE ASHAMED OF WHAT YOUR
HUSBAND LOOKS LIKE”