William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew

Study/Review Questions

 

Induction

1. Who is Christopher Sly?

2. Why has he been thrown out of the alehouse?

3. Who finds Sly and what does he plan to do to him?

4. Who else is involved in this elaborate trick?

5. What is Sly’s reaction when he awakes?

6. What is the story Sly is given to believe?

7. Describe the interaction between Sly and his “wife”

8. How does the induction end?

9. What purpose does the induction serve?

10. Why might Shakespeare have included this framing device?

 

Act I:Scene 1

1. Where does Lucentio come from and why is he in Padua?

2. Who is Tranio and what does he promptly remind Lucentio as they start their adventure?

3. Who do Lucentio and Tranio see on the street?

4,  How do these people treat the eldest daughter?

5.  Who is already vying for the youngest daughter?

6.  Who then falls in love with the youngest daughter at first sight?

7.  Baptista explains that Bianca cannot be married until what happens?

8.  Baptista will allow who in his house and why?

9.  Hortensio and Gremio agree to work together to do what?         

10.  Lucentio then plans to become what?

11.  Tranio must then become who, why?

12.  What story is Biondelli given to understand this deception?

 

Act I: Scene 2

1. Petruchio came from where? Why?

2. Petruchio and his servant ______________ have a word play about knocking at the gate outside ______________’s house.

3. What does Hortensio tell Petruchio about Kate?

4.  How does Petruchio respond?

5.  Does Petruchio know Baptista?

6.  Hortensio asks for a favor in return from Petruchio, what is it?

7.  Hortensio will then become ______________, a tutor of ______________.

8. Meanwhile, Lucentio has convinced Gremio that he a school teacher of _______________ and that he would like to tutor Baptista’s daughters.

9.  Gremio agrees to present him as a tutor if Lucentio does what?

10.  How is it that Tranio(now posing as Lucentio) enters the picture?

11.  The three wooers to Bianca agree they must do what?

 

Act II

1.  At the opening of Act II, how does Bianca indicate her submissiveness?

2.  When Kate questions Bianca about her suitors, what is Bianca’s first comment about/concerning them?

3.  What is the early evidence in Act II that Kate is hurt by her father’s favoritism toward Bianca?

4.  Once Gremio, Lucentio (Cambio), Petruchio, Hortensio (Litio), Tranio (Lucentio) and Biondello appear and Petruchio greets Baptista, what two adjectives does Petruchio use in asking Baptista whether he has a daughter named Katherina?

5.  Following this, Petruchio mentions a number of Kate’s good qualities which he has heard about.  List them.

6.  Hortensio (Litio) is to instruct Bianca in the “sciences” of _____________ and ______________.

7.  When Baptista expresses reluctance to present Katherina to Petruchio, Petruchio says there may be two reasons for this.  What are they?

8.  Gremio presents Lucentio (Cambio) as an instructor of ________________________.

9.  When Tranio (Lucentio) presents himself to Baptista as a suitor to Bianca, what two adjectives does he use to describe Bianca?

10.  What has Tranio (Lucentio) brought with him which he presents to Baptista?

11.  Petruchio tells Baptista that he is in a hurry to marry and court Kate.  What is his excuse for his haste?

12.  What dowry does Baptista promise to Petruchio if Petruchio does marry Kate?

13.  Baptista tells Petruchio that besides his consent to marry Kate, Petruchio must get something else.  What is that something else?

14.  Everyone leaves except Petruchio, and Baptista promises to send Kate to him.  Before Kate enters, Petruchio talks about how he’ll respond each time Kate talks/acts.  Briefly explain two of Kate’s actions and Petruchio’s intended response to each.

15.  Briefly describe/summarize the interaction between Kate and Petruchio.

16.  When Baptista, Gremio, and Tranio (Lucentio) enter after Petruchio has spoken to Kate, Kate still acts shrewish towards them.  How does Petruchio explain this behavior.

17.  When will Petruchio and Kate be married?

18.  What does Petruchio say he must do before the wedding? (Where must he go and for what purpose?)

19.  Baptista tells Gremio and Tranio (Lucentio) the conditions under which he will choose a husband for Bianca.  What will the man who “wins” her hand need to have?

20.  Baptista agrees that Bianca will marry _______________ provided he shows proof that he has the dowry he promised.  How will this groom-to-be provide proof?

 

Act III, Scene 1

1. Lucentio (Cambio) and Hortensio (Litio) devise a method by which they will tutor Bianca. How will they “share” her?

2.  How does Bianca react to this plan?

3.  What secret does Lucentio (Cambio) reveal to Bianca?

4.  What information does Hortensio (Litio) reveal to Bianca in his lessons?

5.  What does Hortensio (Litio) mean when he says about Bianca: “If once I find thee ranging, Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing”?

 

Act III.2

1.  Who is late for Kate and Petruchio’s wedding?

2.  ______________ (who) tells the audience about Petruchio's attire. Describe Petruchio’s physical appearance as he arrives for the wedding:

3.  After Baptista and the others express their disapproval of Petruchio, Petruchio says, “To me she’s married, not unto my clothes.” What does he mean?

4.  What plot point does Tranio repeat to Lucentio in ll. 132-137?

5.  Who is Gremio talking about when he says, “Tut, she’s a lamb, a dove, a fool to him”?  What does he mean?

6.  Describe Petruchio’s behavior during the wedding:

7.  What conflict arises between Petruchio and Kate at the reception immediately following their wedding?  How is the conflict resolved?

 

Act IV. 1

1.  What is the setting of Act IV, Scene 1?

2.  Grumio tells Curtis, another servant, the story of Petruchio and Kate’s journey home.  In your own words, briefly describe what happened. How does this passage illustrate Petruchio’s method of “taming” Kate?

3.  How does Petruchio greet his servants upon arrival?  What is his tone/attitude?

4.  How do readers/audiences know that this is not normal Petruchio behavior?

5.  What happens during Kate and Petruchio’s first meal together?  Why is Petruchio unhappy with the meal?  What is his solution to the problem?

6.  What does Peter mean when he says: “He kills her in her own humor”?

7.  According to Petruchio, what else is he going to do to tame Kate?

 

Act. IV. 2

1.  What “secret” does Hortensio (Litio) reveal to Tranio (Lucentio)?

2. What “deal” does Tranio (Lucentio) then make with Hortensio (Litio)?

3.  What is Hortensio’s marriage plan for the future?

4.  Hortensio announces that he is going to the “taming school.” What/who is he referring to?

5.  Who do Tranio and Biondello find to play Lucentio’s father and How do they convince him to go into disguise?

Act. IV.3

1.  What happens at Petruchio’s house when the haberdasher and the tailor arrive?

2.  Where are Katherine and Petruchio preparing to go at the end of the scene?

Act. IV.4

1. What agreement is struck between Baptista and “Vincentio”

2. Why does Baptista want to do the negotiating somewhere other than his house?

3.  Baptista sends ____________ to Bianca to tell her about the marriage plans.

4.  What does Biondello tell Lucentio he must do in order to assure the success of the marriage plans?

Act. IV.5

1. Who do Katerine and Petruchio encounter on the road to Padua?

2.  How does Petruchio know that he has “tamed” Kate?  Give at least two examples.

 

Act. V. 1-2

1.  What does Vincentio think has happened when he sees Tranio wearing his son’s clothing?

2.  How is the case of mistaken identity resolved?

3. In lines 146-154, what does Katherine do that proves she is “tamed”?

 

4. At the end of the play, Hortensio is married to __________________

Lucentio is married to ________________________ and Petruchio is married to _____________________.

5.  What bet does Petruchio make with Hortensio and Lucentio? What are the terms of the bet?

6.  Who calls his wife first? What is her response?

7.  Who calls his wife next? What is her response?

8.  Who is the last to call his wife? What is her response?

9.  Who wins the bet?

10. What does Baptista give the winner? Why?

11.  What is the main idea in Katherine’s closing speech? What are some possible interpretations for her words?

 

Final Review Questions

1.  Is Kate really a shrew?  Why or why not?

2.  Does Petruchio like Kate for more than her money in the end?  How do you know?

3.  What role does appearence vs. reality play in this comedy?

4.  In Shakespeare’s time, the term “comedy” simply implied a happy ending.  What else makes this drama a comedy?

5.  Do you think Kate is really changed by the end of the play?  How does her speech make you feel?