The Taming of the Shrew

down in 1593, and Shakespeare began writing two narrative poems, “Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece”, and is assumed to of started one of his sonnets. Only “one hundred and fifty-four of his sonnets have survived”. William wrote “The Taming of the Shrew, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Love’s Labor’s Lost” by 1594 (The Life). William became a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s company of actors, in 1594 (William Shakespeare). Shakespeare stayed with Lord Chamberlain’s company for the…

Equally enjoyable to watch, tragedy and comedies are polar opposites on stage. Tragedies are consumed by suffering, and death, while comedies include excitement and joyful scenes. Brutal scenes of violent combat, as well as internal combat, compete against the scenes of singing and dancing in a comedy. A tragedy focuses on the main character and their despair/pain, while a comedy is created the story of two lovers. By comparing Shakespeare’s plays, King Lear and Much Ado, the structural…

Commedia dell’Arte: The Foundation of Modern Comedy While the exact origins of Commedia dell’Arte are unknown, it is one of the most influential forms of theatre. It has been a foundation for comedic theatre since around 1545. This unique form of comedy has influenced writers and performers all over the world. Similarities to Commedia dell’Arte can be found in the writings of William Shakespeare, in the acting choices of some of the most famous comedians and even in modern day television. It has…

goes out and decides to do what nobody else wanted to do. He did this to a success level that people were completely outstanded. Petruchio decides to come late to the wedding and dressed with a peculiar dress style. This is his first total act of taming her. He does this and use a type of reverse psychology by saying that the sun is the moon and vise versa. He does this in effort to make her comply with everything he says. He also says that everything is too good for her. He only lets her have…

In this play the Harlequin was Petruchio’s servant, Grumio. He did just what any Harlequin was supposed to do. He provided comic relief in the play with his silly antics and kept the play not only funny, but a bit more interesting. In an historical context, these servants were not only kept as a kind of slave, but to entertain the people that they work for. It is no wonder how similar it was for King’s to have jesters. They were there to serve and entertain, and the same goes for these wacky…

Shake It Till You Make It “To be, or not to be?” (Hamlet, Act III, Scene I) One of the most well-known phrases in the world, invented by one of the most celebrated playwrights. William Shakespeare was wonderful to say the least. Saying that he was amazing, does not do him proper justice. From humble beginnings to famous playwright, Shakespeare had an incredibly renowned life. The Globe Theater being his stage (literally!). He wrote many legendary plays and invented thousands of phrases that…

Women’s roles are changing! The role women have in society has changed greatly since Shakespearean times. Women still aren’t treated completely the same as men, but it sure has gotten much better. In Shakespearean times, women were treated like slaves. They were forced to be obedient to any male figure, and they didn’t have the right to stand up for themselves in any way. Much has changed since then, women can now do any job they want to. Women have also established many rights, such as…

Shakespeare’s Timelessness One of the questions most frequently posed, even these days, is: What makes an author, a creator timeless? As much as skill and dedication play an important role in gaining recognition, these are not the only characteristics necessary to determine whether that certain writer has carved his/her name in the rough stone of immortality, whether he will remembered after centuries. For instance, during Shakespeare’s time, there were other playwrights too, extremely talented…

actresses were often seen as fallen or disgraced women because respectable women were not supposed to engage in public activity” (Matthews, 315). Examples of sexism in theatric productions include, Macbeth, The Twelfth Night, Hairspray and the Taming of the Shrew. Macbeth may be empowering to women, however the idea of women always portraying the part of witches may be a bit misogynistic. The reason it is offensive to cast women as witches is…

Dolan, Frances. Marriage and Violence: The Early Modern Legacy. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008. Historians, for a large part of recent years, look for support and readings from interdisciplinary work. Frances Dolan, an English professor, answers this search in her Marriage and Violence: The Early Modern Legacy. Writing as historian, Dolan’s work reads like a proper historical study, complete with endnotes, however, her argument stretches farther than any trained…