William Shakespeare A study guide The Taming of The Shrew William Shakespeare A study guide

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.

Sources of the play Shakespeare 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.

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) 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 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.

Blockage Character Gremio Hortensio A Young Man Lucentio A beautiful Girl Bianca OBSTACLES Acceptance Reconciliation Father Baptista The Scheming Servant - Tranio -knows all - to fool all.

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.

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.

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.