Act 1 – Taming of The Shrew Study Guide – Flashcards

In the beginning of the INDUCTION, Christopher falls asleep drunk in front of a tavern. A Lord returning from hunting finds Sly and has his servants take Sly to his manor, dress him up, and when he awakens, treat him as a lord.

The characters in the Induction sit down to watch a play, which consists of a main plot and a complex subplot. This constitutes nearly the whole 5 acts of the play, and is a common Shakespearean device.

Lucentio, a rich young man, comes to Padua w/ his servants, Tranio and Biondello, to attend the local university. He is very excited to start his studies. However, he veers off course, and puts Bianca in his sights.

Baptista will not give away his younger daughter before his older daughter (Katherina), the shrew, is wedded herself.

Katherina is a "shrew", which is Middle English slang that is synonymous with a woman who is loud, unmanageable and bad tempered. Bianca is the sweet, innocent victim of her sister's spiteful abuses.

Hortensio is a very important character and I'll spend a few moments more on this. He is Petruchio's best friend and sort of wingman. He is in love with Bianca and dresses up like a tutor, "Licio", to get closer to her. Hortensio really doesn't stand a chance - Bianca's interested in Lucentio. When he gets fed up with what he sees as Bianca's "loose" behavior, he decides to marry the Widow. To do this, he runs off to Petruchio's "taming school," where he hopes to learn how to keep his more experienced lady in line. Problem is, Hortensio really doesn't learn how to tame anything and the Widow ends up playing the dominant role in their relationship after they get married.

Tranio gives all kind of advice that is key to the play. He is also indulgent and agrees to traipse around town pretending to be Lucentio so that the real Lucentio can run around as the tutor "Cambio" while he pursues Bianca.

Petruchio is looking for a rich wife. Preferably one with a rich family.

Bianca's personality fuels to Kate's rebellious fire. On the outside, Bianca is perceived as a sweet, mild tempered young woman; a "young modest girl," Lucentio calls her. However, in reality, she is a vigilant and sneaky sister.

This monologue reveals that Petruchio is determined and has a blunt attitude. He will, in no way, let Katherine get on to him. If she is a shrew, he will be a bigger one, it's like ying and yang.(katherine's character turns around because Petruchio become inhumanly "shrewish". eg. saying the the sun is the moon, and that Vin. is a young lady)

The suitors are flabbergasted and not at all happy. They feel as though they now has a less of a chance of "winning over" Bianca.

If Petruchio marries Katherine, the more desirable and younger Bianca will be allowed to marry by her father. Tradition hold that the elder daughter must marry first.

Servants in Shakespeare plays are almost always a form of comedy.