The Taming of the Shrew Study Guide

• The Taming of the Shrew Study Guide
• The Taming of the Shrew Study Guide Act 3-5

The Renaissance Marriage

The Taming of the Shrew - Study Questions

Answer the following questions in complete sentences; be specific and use quotes from the play to support your work where possible.

INDUCTION

1.  What trick is played upon Christopher Sly?  Why?
 
 
 

2.  Why is "The Taming of the Shrew" considered a play within a play?
 
 

ACT I,  scene 1

3.  Why has Lucentio come to Padua?
 
 

4.  Of what is Baptista resolved concerning the marriage of his two daughters?
 
 

5.  What is Katherine's reputation?  Bianca's?
 
 
 

6.  What is Hortensio's plan to more quickly be able to win and marry Bianca?
 
 
 

7.  What is Tranio's plan for Lucentio?  What metamorphosis does this involve?
 
 
 

ACT I, scene 2

8.  What is Petruchio's motive in coming to Padua?
 

9.  How are Katherine's and Bianca's reputations further clarified?  What words/phrases are used to describe both women throughout the scene?
 
 
 
 
 
 

10. What does Petruchio's monologue (l.197-208) reveal about him?
 
 
 

11.  What is the suitors' (Gremio and Hortensio) reaction to Lucentio joining them as rivals to Bianca?
 
 
 
 
 

12. What specific images are used to describe the wooing of Katherine?
 
 
 
 
 

13. At the end of Act I, why are Bianca's suitors friendly with one another and indebted to Petruchio?
 
 
 
 

14. What role do the servants play?
 
 
 

Act II

1.  What information does Katherine hope to gain by tying Bianca's hands and questioning her?
 
 

2.  What type of language does Petruchio use to describe Katherine during his discussion with Baptista? (l. 42-65)  What does this tell us about his character?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

3.  What names do Hortensia and Lucentio assume?  What roles will they play?
 
 
 
 

4.  What character does Tranio assume?  How does Baptista react to him?  Please quote from the text.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

5.  Summarize the content of Petruchio and Baptista's conversation (l. 111-141)--be brief.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

6.  How is Hortensia injured?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

7.  When Katherine and Petruchio meet how do they get along?  Particularly, what is the pervading attitude in lines 182-196, 209-220, and in Petruchio's lines 264-277
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

8.  What does Petruchio claim about his and Katherine's interaction?  How does Baptista react?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

9.  At the end of Act II what are Tranio, Gremio, and Baptista discussing?  What decision is made?  What must Tranio do in light of this decision?

The Taming of the Shrew Study Guide Act 3-5

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Q&A: Question: (8/18/2010) 8. What does Petruchio claim about his and Katherine's interaction? How does Baptista react? Question: (7/26/2010) what was Katharine famous for? Question: (6/14/2010) What are the character traits for hortensio? Answer: (6/21/2010) He's one jiggy old man :) Question: (6/1/2010) In ACT IV, what does Petruchio call the sun? Question: (5/26/2010) What is Tranio's plan for Lucentio? What metamorphosis does this involve? Question: (5/26/2010) what is lucentio's plan to more quickly be able to win and marry Bianca? Answer: (6/1/2010) His plan is to disguise himself as her teacher so he can spend time with her and win her over? Answer: (5/26/2010) To be her Priv. Teacher and be alone w/her and have his servant be him for a while and have another new guy in town be his father, and at the end its an epic fail for this guy. Question: (5/16/2010) What names do Hortensio and Lucentio assume? What roles will they play? Answer: (5/20/2010) Hortensio is Litio and Lucentio is Cambio Answer: (5/20/2010) Cosimio Luito Question: (5/12/2010) What specific images are used to describe the wooing of Katherine? Question: (5/5/2010) what specific images are uedf to describe the wooing of katherine? Answer: (5/28/2010) wiping her Question: (5/5/2010) what does petruchio's monologue(act I 197-208) reveal about him? Answer: (5/20/2010) that he wants to marry well ...More Questions/Answers...		Comments: Goosinater (6/1/2010) Quite confusing at first, with all the characters, and who is who, and what they are concerned about, but after you are reading it for a while you get to know who is who and who is acting like a way and all that stuff... elise (4/13/2010) servants...:) flor (5/26/2009) what role do the servants play