The Taming Of The Shrew

Front 1

Literary Background

Back 1

A Merry Jest of a Shrew and Curst Wife Lapped in Morrel’s Skin, for Her Good Behavior– 1559 – long, popular ballad
-2 sisters;Husband tries to cure by beating her;Wraps in a salted horse
 Supposes, George Gascoigne, 1566
-Servants and masters exchange places for a secret courtship
o English take of an Italian play Suppositi, by Ludovico Ariosto (1509)
 Christian sermons about wifely duties and behaviors
o Colloquies, Erasmus
 The Sleeper Awakened – The Arabian Nights (Christopher Sly part)

Front 2

History of Play

Back 2

[]written 1590-91
 First performed, probably 1593 or 94
 Categorized as a Comedy
 Inspired plays:e.g. John Fletcher’s The Woman’s Prize,or The Tamer Tamed
 Appeared in print in 1623
 Performed until 1663 and then not until 1844

Front 3

Adaptations of Play

Back 3

-John Lacy’s Sauny the Scot (1667);

-Charles Johnson’s The Cobbler of Preston (1716);

-David Garrick’s Catherine and Petruchio (1754)

Front 4

Introduction

Back 4

-only play with an introduction

-introduces false identity, illusion, reality, and marriage

-left out of most plays because irrelevant

-Addresses upward mobility

-not fully developed

-environment effects behavior

-might be attack on whats noble

Front 5

Stock Characters

Back 5

-Pantaloon

-Shrew

-Shrew-tamer

-Ineffectual father

Front 6

Themes

Back 6

-Illusion v. Reality

-Martial Roles

-True Nature of Women

-Child Parent relationship

-Truth v. deception

-What is "Love"?

-Social Class