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Study Gide of "The Taming of the Shrew"

Shakespeare is thought to have written The Taming of the Shrew between 1590 and 1594, although the only version that has survived is the one published in the First Folio in 1623. It appears to have been staged several times during Shakespeare's lifetime at both the Globe and the Blackfriars theaters, and a sequel written by John Fletcher between 1604 and 1617 attests to its popularity. It was also produced in 1633 at the court of Charles I.

The play has a complex structure. It begins with a two-scene "Induction" or introductory segment, which concerns an elaborate practical joke played by a nobleman on a drunken tinker. At the end of the Induction, the various characters settle down to watch a play. This "play within a play," which in turn consists of a main plot and a complex subplot, constitutes the main action of The Taming of the Shrew.

Shakespeare appears to have drawn on many sources in writing the play. The character of the "shrew"—a word used to indicate an opinionated, domineering, and sharp-tongued woman—is found in the folklore and literature of many cultures. The earliest example in English drama is thought to be the character of Noah's wife in the medieval mystery plays. In the sixteenth century shrewish wives were featured in a number of plays, many of which depicted cruel physical punishments for the shrew. The principal source of the Bianca-Lucentio subplot is George Gascoigne's play Supposes (1566). Gascoigne's play was itself derived from an Italian play, Ludovico Ariosto's I Suppositi (1509), and many of its elements can be traced back to the classical Latin comedies of Plautus and Terence. As for the Induction, the story—of a poor man tricked into thinking he is a nobleman—was common in Europe and Asia in the sixteenth century and is at least as old as the story of the Caliph Haroun Al Raschid and the beggar Abu Hassan in The Arabian Nights. In addition, an anonymous play entitled The Taming of a Shrew and published in 1594 is generally thought to be either a pirated copy of Shakespeare's play or an inaccurate copy of an earlier play that may have been another source for Shakespeare's version. While the action of The Taming of a Shrew is very close to that of Shakespeare's play, both the language and the names of the characters are different. One interesting difference between the two plays concerns the Induction. In Shakespeare's play as we have it, the characters in the Induction are not mentioned in the text after the end of Act I, scene i. In A Shrew, on the other hand, the story line of the Induction is brought to a conclusion at the end of the play. Some modern productions of Shakespeare's Shrew incorporate material from The Taming of a Shrew in order to complete the story introduced in the Induction. Others eliminate the Induction altogether.

Like Shakespeare's other plays, The Taming of the Shrew lends itself to a variety of interpretations, both onstage and in the field of literary criticism. Moreover, modern interpretation of the play is complicated by the centrality to the play of issues that are hotly debated in our own time—in particular, the question of what roles men and women can and should play in society and in relationship to each other. Is Petruchio a loving husband who teaches his maladjusted bride to find happiness in marriage, or is he a clever bully who forces her to bow to his will? Does Katherina's acquiescence in playing the part of obedient wife reflect a joyous acceptance of her assigned role as a married woman and the beginning of a fulfilling partnership with her husband? Does it, instead, mean that she has learned to play the obedient wife in public so as to get her own way in private? Or does it reflect the defeat of a spirited and intelligent woman forced to give in to a society that dominates and controls women and allows them only very limited room for self-expression? Our own answers to these questions may have less to do with the play itself than with our attitudes towards the issues and ideas it explores.

-- from http://www.enotes.com/taming/

Week 1 Class Reflection

Please post your reflections for our week 1 class, and provide comments to least 2 other classmates'.

Dear Abby

The people below need your help! Choose one of the questions, and provide him/her your advice. Remember to identify the number of the question you answer, your name and student ID number.

1.
DEAR ABBY: My sister-in-law recently came for a visit. I have not really trusted "Claire" since I began noticing that every time she would leave, a garment or two of mine was missing.
During this last visit, a day before her scheduled departure, I noticed a shirt I had just washed was missing from the laundry room where I had left it. I mentioned it to my husband, and he found it -- in Claire's suitcase.
My husband wants an apology and to inform her that she's not invited back. Is there a proper way to handle this? We haven't said anything to her yet. -- SICK OF THE STEALING IN PHILADELPHIA

2.
DEAR ABBY: I have been dating "Richard" for three years. We began dating when my daughter was 1. He is great with her, and with me. The only problem is he doesn't want to get married.
I love him, but I'm not getting any younger and I want to be married. I want another child and a stable family for my daughter. Richard says he is afraid that the stress of dealing with the both of us would drive him crazy. I gave him an ultimatum -- marry me or let me move on. Was I wrong to do that? -- HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS IN MISSOULA, MONT.

3.
DEAR ABBY: My parents and I go out to dinner once a month. Mother eats slower than the rest of us, and no one in our family minds. She was still enjoying her dinner when the server came to clear our plates. He stood there watching her eat, then offered us dessert! My father and I believe it was very rude.
This has happened to us a number of times. Are restaurants really encouraging their wait staff to rush patrons along by doing this? -- ANNOYED IN VERMONT

4.
DEAR ABBY: How do you tell people you just don't like them and don't want to be friends anymore? My husband, daughter and I are "friends" with a family we became acquainted with when our daughter was in first grade. That was three years ago.
This family is annoying and loud, and we can't seem to distance ourselves from them. They constantly call for playdates and dinner dates. The kids get along well, but my husband and I do not like this couple and prefer not to spend our social time with them. How do we distance ourselves without offending them? -- STUCK IN SAN ANTONIO

5.
DEAR ABBY: Some friends asked us to store furniture and other belongings in our basement for a month. That was three years ago. We have lost contact with them and no longer know where they are.
My husband and I want to clean out the basement, but we disagree about what to do with the other couple's items. I want to have a garage sale, and afterward give any unsold items to charity. My husband wants to put the items out for trash pickup.
What is the ethical solution? And what should be done with the money from the garage sale? -- ANNE IN PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KAN.

-- from http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/

Discussions of The Taming of the Shrew

After reading the introduction of The Taming of the Shrew and watching the movie, here are several issues that you may need to think about. Post your opinions here, and be prepared to share them at the next class meeting.

1. According to the play, most of the men seem to have a particular idea about how a wife should behave, but do their preconceptions extend to all women? How do the women react to these expectations?

2. The play is essentially a comedy, and yet more serious questions about social issues often overshadow its comic features. Based on your understanding of this play, what are they?