The Taming of the Shrew Group at eNotes

It is difficult for modern Americans to understand the institution of...

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:25:36 PST

It is difficult for modern Americans to understand the institution of marriage in Elizabethan times. First, Americans are romantic when it comes to love. We believe couples are fated to meet: a there is only "one true love." Also, we are usually economically independent of our parents when we get married, so there is much more freedom of choice. Lastly, we treat women with much more equality when it comes to decision-making and role in...

There's a lot of disagreement among scholars about whether Petruchio...

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:43:01 PST

There's a lot of disagreement among scholars about whether Petruchio really loves Katharine. My own belief is that he does not. It seems to me that Petruchio sees Katharine as a challenge. He sees her like some wild animal that needs to be properly broken and trained. Over the course of the play, we do not really see love, in my opinion. Instead, we see Petruchio constantly forcing his will on Katharine in an attempt to make her act more...

Does Petruchio love Katharine? Why?

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:01:08 PST

Does Petruchio love Katharine? Why?

To be honest, you could pick any one of a number of actions and words of...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:24:19 PST

To be honest, you could pick any one of a number of actions and words of Katharina that would show her to be a "shrew." Just start from the beginning of the play... She tells Hortensio she' like to hit him with a stool and paint his face and call him a fool Then we next see her hitting her sister and then trying to beat her again (Act II, Scene 1). She calls Petruchio an ass when he comes to woo her in that same scene then she ends up...

What quote describes best Katherina as a shrew? (actions & words)

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:23:10 PST

What quote describes best Katherina as a shrew? (actions & words)

The Induction to The Taming of the Shrew is set near "an alehouse on a...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:33:13 PST

The Induction to The Taming of the Shrew is set near "an alehouse on a heath" (Scene 1) and in "A bedchamber in the Lord's house" (Scene 2). These places are in some unspecified part of England. The rest of the play is set in Padua, Italy. The purpose of the induction is to introduce themes that will be prominent in the play. These are: The tension between social classes and The question of whether a person's nature (inborn personality)...

There was no real purpose in the induction other then setting a humorous...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:11:41 PST

There was no real purpose in the induction other then setting a humorous tone before a non-humorous story. Most of the inductions written in Shakespears time were a framework for the story, like book ends. But in this play it is incomplete. The only time Sly is mentioned is the induction and at the end of Act 1 scene 1. After this he is never talked about again, and forgoten.

What is the setting of The Taming of the Shrew? Where does the...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:58:28 PST

What is the setting of The Taming of the Shrew? Where does the Induction take place? In what country does the main play take place?

Not really. This book "Taming of the Shrew" mainly focuses on the themes...

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:41:21 PST

Not really. This book "Taming of the Shrew" mainly focuses on the themes of marriage and courtship and also dealt a great importance of the married life after the wedding. It is mostly talking about relationships with other people and how they impact their daily lives.

what do you think the ppurpose of the practical joke the lord plays on...

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:06:12 PST

what do you think the ppurpose of the practical joke the lord plays on sly in the induction was?

why katherine slapped petruchio during their wedding?in movie of the...

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:00:17 PST

why katherine slapped petruchio during their wedding?in movie of the taming of the shrew?

why her father was putting of Bianca's marriage in spite of excellent...

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:23:57 PST

why her father was putting of Bianca's marriage in spite of excellent offers?

What do you mean by the word "structure"? Do you mean the plotting of...

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 05:14:04 PST

What do you mean by the word "structure"? Do you mean the plotting of the story? If you mean that (I assumed you do), this Shakespeare comedy follows a standard five acts to tell his play, similar to his other acts like "Macbeth", "Hamlet", "King Lear". First, it is the introduction, or the beginning point of the story, which introduces to the new character, Christopher Sly. This chapter also starts the basic necessities of a plot graph- the...

The theme of Shakespeare's "The Taming of The Shrew" is mostly about...

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:34:30 PST

The theme of Shakespeare's "The Taming of The Shrew" is mostly about gender roles and how men and women relate to each other. There are lessons for the modern audience to learn from Katherina and Petruchio. The common belief during Shakespeare's time, and even today in some cultures, was that the man was the dominant person in the relationship and the female is to be submissive to his desires. Although the characters of Katherina and...

What does a modern audience learn about marriages and the roles of men...

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:56:36 PST

What does a modern audience learn about marriages and the roles of men and woman in Shakespeare's "Taming of The Shrew?"

Good question! Christopher Sly is a commoner, unpolished and drunk to...

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:07:37 PST

Good question! Christopher Sly is a commoner, unpolished and drunk to say the least. The Lord and the hunting party that come upon him are more polished, educated, and come from noble blood. In Shakespeare's plays, the commoners (servants, peasants, etc.) are depicted by prose--non-poetic language which indicates their lowly status in society. The noblemen (Lords, Ladies, Kings, Queens, etc.) all speak in poetry in Shakespeare's plays...

What is the difference between the lord and his huntsmens and Sly's...

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:28:52 PST

What is the difference between the lord and his huntsmens and Sly's language in The Taming of the Shrew?

Grammardog Guide to The Taming of the Shrew

Can you detect "Kates" motivation? Just a shrew, too smart to be content...

Tue, 5 May 2009 15:39:51 PST

Can you detect "Kates" motivation? Just a shrew, too smart to be content to be subserient,etc.?

Focusing on the wealthy/powerful characters in the play, explore the...

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:08:00 PST

Focusing on the wealthy/powerful characters in the play, explore the nature of entertainment and social interactions among the classes?