The Taming of The Shrew: Induction and Act One

In particular, we will examine Taming of the Shrew and how it relates to gender, family, and class.

Notes

Induction:

This is the only Shakespeare play that has an induction. The main thing to note here is that The Taming of the Shrew is a play within a play. They are producing this play in front of Christopher Sly (who they convinced is a Lord).

Act I Points of Interest:

• Dowry: The money, goods, estate that a wife brings to her husband upon marriage
• In this culture the eldest daughter must wed first, then the youngest. Women were not allowed to hold jobs and they depended on a man for survival. In order to guarantee that all children were secure and taken care of, a Father would refuse to marry younger daughters off until older ones were first married. This ensured that everyone in the family had a match.
• Katherine is a Shrew. Ill tempered and full of rage.
• Bianca is a mild mannered young lady who has Germio and Hortensio both competing for her affection. However, she cannot marry until Katherine is first married. 

Questions

Induction and Act 1

Describe each character:

• Katherine-Bold, freely spoken, determined, referred to as the shrew
• Bianca-younger sister of katherine, beautiful, modest
• Gremio-older man who seeks bianca's hand in marriage
• Hortensio-younger than gremio, seeks to marry Bianca
• Petruchio-foolish, wealthy, seeks Katherine's hand in marriage
• Lucentio-Noble, wealthy, seeking an adventure, he wants to marry Bianca
• Compare Katherine and Bianca to modern day people

Katherine and Bianca I don't know that they put me in mind of two sisters. They do put me in mind of people in general though. I know it sounds corny, but I think very much of my friend Chelsey, when I read of Bianca. She is gorgeous, modest, beautiful in every way possible. She is highly sought after, and could have any guy she wants, and so I relate the two. As for Katherine, I like to think I am like her. I am determined, and I am called bitter, and many other names. I speak what is on my mind, and I try to tell it like it is. I just think that I relate to this character.

1.

The Induction portrays role-playing. Who acts the part of whom? Why? How does such role-playing address issues of gender and class? What effects might these representations have on the play? Sly is playing the role of a lord. There are servants in the story and the page is used to pretend to be his wife. She is viewed as a sex object though. You can tell that the actual lord has money because he has servants, and is obviously of the upper class. Women are obviously not regarded with much respect. I think it sets the time of the play.

2.

From the outset, we learn from Bianca's suitors that Katherine is the less desirable of the two sisters. Examine and question this claim. How are Biance and Katherine different? What makes Katherine rather than Bianca the shrew? They view her as less desirable because she is older, and she is freely spoken. She speaks what is on her mind, and that is a trait that is not viewed positively in this time period. Because of these traits she is viewed as undesirable and as a shrew.