Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare SUMMARY – Flashcards

It begins in front of a bar in the English countryside, where the Hostess and the belligerent & drunk Christopher Sly argue about Sly trashing the tavern. When Sly threatens to beat the Hostess, she replies that Sly belongs in the "stocks". Sly is indignant & calls her a whore, claims he is the descendant of "Richard the Conqueror" & refuses to pay for broken beer mugs. He misquotes lines from Thomas Kyd's famous play, The Spanish Tragedy. The Hostess runs off to get the law & Sly continues to talk to nobody in particular until he passes out cold.

While walking over to his place, the Lord continues to play director. He tells his crew to pretend Sly is a great lord whose recent illness has his wife upset. Everyone agrees that this is a great idea - if they play their roles right, Sly will have no choice but to believe he's the person they say he is. Sly is carried up to a bedroom. Some actors show up at the estate. Being a big theater buff, the Lord offers to let them stay for the night in exchange for some entertainment. He tells them he'd like them to put on a play for a fellow "Lord" but there's 1 small thing: the actors can't laugh at this guy when he acts like someone who has never seen a play before.

The Lord is thrilled about his practical joke & can't wait to see what will happen when Sly sees Bart dressed like a woman. Not wanting his servants to screw things up, the Lord runs off to the bedroom to supervise.

In a plush bedroom in the Lord's house, Sly demands a pot of "small ale." Sly is surrounded by servants who offer him food, drinks, clothes-- all of which Sly rejects on the grounds that he is Christopher Sly, the guy who eats discounted beef, drinks cheap beer, owns only 1 outfit, & often goes barefoot. When the Lord insists that Sly act like a nobleman, Sly objects again & identifies himself as "Old Sly's son," the guy who can barely hold down a series of low-level trade jobs. If they don't believe him they can go ask "Marian Hacket, the fat ale wife," who will confirm that Sly isn't some rich guy.

Sly wonders if he's dreaming & decides that no, he is awake & therefore he must be a nobleman. His first command as a "nobleman" is something like this: "Bring me my woman... and another pitcher of ale!"Bartholomew enters the room dressed like a woman & says all the things an obedient & loving noblewoman would say - She also says that Sly's doctor won't allow sex for at least 24 hours, because it might cause Sly to relapse. Sly responds with a pun.

...

In Sly's bedroom at the Lord's house-- Sly and his "wife" watch the play from a lofted space above the stage. **Note that Sly is watching the play. The inset play opens on a street in Padua, where Lucentio & his trusty servant Tranio just arrived. Lucentio reveals that his father (Vicentio, a wealthy Pisan) has sent him to the famous college town so Lucentio can be educated (in a monologue). Tranio reminds Lucentio that studying philosophy is all good, but they need to have a little fun with the ladies & Lucentio agrees.

Gremio scoffs at this & says he would rather "cart" Kate than marry her. "Carting" refers to the way "shrewish" women were legally punished in 16th-century England for being disobedient & mouthy. Convicted "scolds" were sometimes tied up & strapped to the back of a cart so they could be paraded around town & publicly shamed.

Tranio says Kate is crazy & way too mouthy. Lucentio wants Bianca because she is nice & quiet, which is just how he likes women. Kate picks on Bianca. Bianca plays the good girl & tells her dad she'll spend all her time studying until he says it's time for her to get engaged. Gremio & Hortensio complain that Baptista is keeping Bianca penned up like an animal, but Baptista stands firm. Before he leaves he asks the suitors if they can recommend any teachers for his daughter, a hint that they should find some good tutors if they want to make him happy.

He asks Tranio for some advice, so the servant tells him to quit his yammering & think of a plan. Tranio & Lucentio decide that Lucentio will disguise himself as a teacher so he can give Bianca some "private tutoring." Since Lucentio is expected to be seen in Padua studying & impressing all his dad's rich friends, they decide that Tranio will disguise himself as Lucentio. They exchange clothes: now Lucentio is disguised as a teacher named Cambio & Tranio is disguised as Lucentio.

One of the Lord's servants who has been watching the inset play with Sly & Bart, asks Sly why he has dozed off. Sly denies he fell asleep & says he likes the play, but would rather be left alone with his wife.

Having just arrived in Padua from Verona, Petruchio & his servant Grumio stand at Hortensio's front door. When Petruchio says "Here, sirrah Grumio; knock, I say," Grumio thinks he is being asked to slap his master. Not wanting to get beat, Grumio refuses to do this. The pair go round & round--Grumio continues to misinterpret Petruchio's order for him to knock on the door.

Petruchio explains that Grumio is an idiot because he asked the servant to knock on the door, not to hit him. Grumio continues to grumble & Petruchio says he's about to get knocked out if he doesn't stop. Hortensio tells Petruchio to chill out & asks what brings him to Padua. Petruchio's dad recently died & left Petruchio a little inheritance. Wanting to increase his bank account some more, Petruchio has come to Padua to get a rich wife. Hortensio jokes that he knows the perfect woman - a super rich shrew named Katherine.

When Petruchio finds out that his dead dad knew Kate's dad, he decides he wants to get over to Kate's house to talk with her dad & Hortensio goes along to see Bianca. Hortensio explains that he will dress up as a private tutor & he wants Petruchio to present him as a "gift" to Kate's dad. That way, Petruchio can get in good with Baptista & Hortensio can make sweet love to Bianca in secret.

Lucentio (disguised as Cambio) tells Gremio that he will talk to Bianca on Gremio's behalf & will woo her even better than Gremio. Petruchio's servant Grumio comments under his breath that Gremio is a bad guy. Gremio & Lucentio talk some trash until Lucentio says he has good news for both of them - his old pal Petruchio is in town & wants to marry Kate.

Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) arrives on the scene & asks for directions to Baptista's house, which worries Petruchio & Gremio because they don't want any more competition. The suitors bicker amongst themselves until they agree that, if Tranio wants in on the deal, he will have to get some cash to help cover Petruchio's expenses. Tranio agrees. That settled, the guys decide they should hang out together over dinner & drinks.

At Baptista's house, Kate has tied up Bianca, who begs her sister to let her go. Bianca says she'll do whatever Kate wants because she knows how to be obedient to her "elders." Kate demands that Bianca tell her about her favorite boyfriend, Bianca doesn't answer the question. Bianca tells Kate that she can have all of her suitors, if that will make her happy & Kate slaps Bianca.

Petruchio bluntly tells his plan to Baptista. He wants to marry Kate, who he hears is a delightful young lady. He introduces Licio the tutor (really Hortensio) as a gift to Baptista. Baptista accepts the bribe, welcomes Petruchio, & then warns him that his eldest daughter is a difficult girl, but he's welcome to court her if that's what he really wants. Gremio butts in & says he has a present for Baptista too - a schoolteacher named Cambio (Lucentio in disguise). Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) says he too has a gift for Baptista - a lute & a little bundle of books for Baptista's daughters.

Petruchio is ready to draw up the contract but Baptista says Kate needs to agree first. Hortensio runs into the room crying about how Kate broke a lute over his head when he was only trying to teach her how to play. Petruchio is not upset & can't wait to talk to her. Petruchio says how he plans to deal with Kate - he'll contradict everything she says. If she says something snobby, he'll say she sings like a bird. If she refuses to speak to him, he'll say she speaks eloquently.

Kate smacks Petruchio after he makes a reference to his "tongue" in her "tail". Petruchio threatens to beat her if she slaps him again. They continue on this way until Petruchio decides they've had enough. He informs Kate that Baptista has agreed to a marriage, the dowry has been set, & whether Kate likes it or not, he will have her as his wife. Eventually, she becomes so enraged that she hits him, but he continues the game just the same, saying that he will marry her whether or not she is willing: "will you, nill you, I will marry you"

Petruchio announces that he's off to Venice, but will be back in Padua to marry Kate on Sunday. Petruchio exits & Kate storms out separately. Baptista turns his attention to the business of marrying off Bianca & compares himself to a merchant who is embarking on a precarious venture. Gremio & Tranio (as Lucentio) try to outbid each other & Tranio (as Lucentio) wins because he's the richest. Baptista makes Tranio (as Lucentio) promise that his father will vouch for him and verify his cash flow.

At Baptista's place, Hortensio (as Licio) & Lucentio (as Cambio) argue over who gets to tutor Bianca first. Bianca interjects & tells the men that she, not them, decides when, what, & how she will learn. Licio will tune his instrument while Cambio finishes his Latin language lesson. During the Latin lesson, Lucentio (as Cambio) reads from a Latin text & pretends to translate the words into English. He reveals (apparently, not for the first time) his true identity & his plan to win Bianca. Instead of telling on Lucentio, Bianca plays coy & says she can't promise him anything because she doesn't yet trust him. Hortensio (as Licio) takes over & begins his fake music lesson. He gives Bianca a love letter (disguised as a set of music instructions) while Lucentio (as Cambio) watches & worries that Bianca will like the music tutor instead of him. A messenger arrives with news that Bianca has to help Kate prepare for the wedding, so she leaves.

Now it is the wedding day. Baptista & Katherine are mad because Petruchio is very late. Both worry about looking like idiots if he blows them off. Kate runs from the room in tears & Baptista says something like, "She's just mad because she's a shrew." Biondello enters and says that Petruchio is on his way over. He then describes Petruchio's little procession to Baptista's house: Petruchio is dressed in some crazy costume & looks like a bum. He's also riding in on a lame old horse. Petruchio enters looking exactly as Biondello described & pretends that he didn't just arrive to his wedding looking like a hobo. Baptista is shocked & asks him to change clothes, but Petruchio blows him off & says Kate isn't getting married to his clothes.

Gremio enters & says he's just come from the church, where he watched Kate & Petruchio's wedding. Gremio says that Petruchio acted like a jerk - he swore at & then back-handed the priest during the ceremony & then stuck his tongue down Kate's throat when the ceremony ended. The make-out session was noisy. Petruchio also drank all the wine instead of sharing it with his guests. The wedding party enters just then & Petruchio announces that he & Kate have to run, but the guests should go ahead & party at the wedding reception without them. Baptista & Kate beg Petruchio to stay, he refuses, & Kate says that's fine but she's not going anywhere.

The wedding guests laugh at this big production & joke that crazy old Kate has married someone just as crazy as she is. Baptista shrugs his shoulders - Kate's no longer his problem - and tells Bianca &Tranio (as Lucentio) to sit at the bride & groom's. They'll just pretend all that unpleasantness didn't happen & will try to enjoy the celebration without them.

Grumio enters Petruchio's country house, where Curtis & some other servants are prepping for the arrival of their master & his new wife. Grumio complains that he has been traveling from Padua with Petruchio & Kate & has been sent ahead to start a fire before they arrive. Curtis begs for news & gossip about the newly married couple, but Grumio picks a fight with Curtis & slaps him around a bit. Grumio says he's too mad at Curtis to describe what happened on the way home from Padua, but Grumio ends up narrating the entire thing by telling Curtis what he is not going to tell him.

Petruchio walks in & acts all wild. One moment he's calling his servants bastards & lackeys while kicking them around & the next minute he's telling Kate to relax & make herself at home. Petruchio claims that the servants burned dinner & flings some food & dishes around. Kate tries to talk him down (she doesn't yet know that he's messing with her head &, she's hungry. Petruchio announces that they're going to bed without dinner & trots her off to her room. Peter says that Petruchio has put the kibosh on Kate's bad behavior by giving her a dose of her own medicine.

He'll starve her, deprive her of sleep (all while pretending to have her best interest in mind) until she breaks. This, he says, is the best way to tame a shrew. Petruchio sort of puffs out his chest & challenges the audience to come up with a better way to get a shrewish woman in line.

Back in Padua, outside of Baptista's house, Tranio (as Lucentio) & Hortensio (as Licio) spy on Bianca & Lucentio (as Cambio) as the pair flirt with each other. Hortensio thinks Bianca is acting improper, so he takes off his disguise. Tranio (as Lucentio) gets Hortensio to agree to give up his suit for Bianca & they both swear to each other that they will never marry her. Before he runs off, Hortensio says he's going to marry the rich Widow. Tranio, Lucentio, & Bianca get together & laugh at how they got rid of Hortensio so Bianca & Lucentio can run off & get married. Tranio says that Hortensio has gone to Petruchio's "taming school" to learn how to tame his future wife, the Widow.

But, Tranio (as Lucentio) will help him out & let him pretend to be his father so he won't be harmed. The grateful Pedant agrees to meet with Baptista & says he will negotiate Lucentio's wedding dowry as if he were Lucentio's real father.

Back at Petruchio's country house, Kate begs Grumio to make her something to eat because she's starving, sleep deprived, & has been verbally abused by Petruchio. Grumio taunts Kate with tasty treats like ox foot & tripe (animal entrails) but ends up offering only mustard. Kate beats him & calls him a jerk. Petruchio & Hortensio show up with a plate full of meat but, when Petruchio sees that Kate is upset, he uses it as an excuse not to feed her. He orders the meat taken away until Kate apologizes for being ungrateful.

Kate likes the clothes but Petruchio insists they wear old rags to the wedding. He whispers to Hortensio to run after the tailor & pay him for his work. Petruchio delivers a long speech about how clothes aren't important & says that "It's what's on the inside that really counts - we should just go to the wedding & have a good time." Petruchio then announces that it is 7am, so if they leave now they will arrive in Padua by noon. Kate points out that it's almost 2pm & they won't get there until 6 pm. Petruchio insists that it is whatever time he says &, unless Kate agrees, they're not going anywhere. Hortensio admires Petruchio & thinks that he's great at taming the shrew.

Back in Padua, Tranio (as Lucentio) & the Pedant (as Lucentio's father Vincentio) wait for Baptista outside his house. The Pedant is introduced to Baptista as Vincentio & the 2 men seem pleased with one another & the kids' engagement. They all agree to go to Lucentio's place to settle their business & sign some contracts. Baptista sends "Cambio" (really Lucentio) to get Bianca & tell her the good news about her upcoming marriage to Lucentio.

Biondello tells Lucentio to get to the church ASAP & to make sure he has some reliable witnesses to confirm the marriage. Lucentio runs off to find Bianca.

On the road to Padua in the middle of the afternoon, Petruchio looks up at the sun & says the "moon" looks beautiful. Kate corrects him, but Petruchio says it's the moon or whatever else he says it is. Otherwise, nobody's going to the wedding. Hortensio whispers to Kate to play along with Petruchio, so Kate says "OK, fine, it's the moon." "No," says Petruchio, "it's the sun." "OK," says Kate, "it's the sun or the moon, whatever you want it to be." They encounter an old man (the real Vincentio) on the road to Padua & Petruchio pretends the guy is a young girl. Kate plays along this time & agrees with whatever Petruchio says. When the party learns that Vincentio is looking for his son Lucentio, they agree to take him to Lucentio's house. Hortensio comments that he's looking forward to his own marriage because he now knows how to deal with the Widow if she gets mouthy and tries to act up.

Lucentio and Bianca run off to get married at St. Luke's church. Petruchio, Kate, & Vincentio arrive at Lucentio's house, where the Pedant is pretending to be Lucentio's father while he hangs out with Baptista. The Pedant (as Vincentio) comes to the front door & faces the man he is impersonating. He insists that he is Lucentio's father & makes the real Vincentio look like a crazy imposter. When Biondello & Tranio (still disguised as Lucentio) see Vincentio & realize the issue, they deny knowing Vincentio to avoid trouble.

Baptista demands to know what is going on. Lucentio admits that he's not really Cambio - he's actually Lucentio & he just married Baptista's daughter. Vincentio is a very forgiving & indulgent father because he comes to his son's defense & assures Baptista that they will make the marriage worth his while. Now that the whole mess is straightened out, the group heads inside to the wedding reception. Petruchio and Kate, who are normally the ones causing a spectacle, have been watching the whole scene unfold. Petruchio asks Kate for a little kiss. She hesitates but then agrees. They kiss & then follow the others inside for the wedding banquet.

Lucentio welcomes his guests to the wedding banquet & everybody is enjoying it. Petruchio says Hortensio is afraid of his wife, the Widow, so the Widow says Petruchio is crazy - he's the one who is afraid of his wife, Kate. Kate confronts the Widow. Seeing his wife in a verbal attack with another woman gets Petruchio excited & he cheers on Kate. When the women leave the room, the guys continue with a contest. Petruchio bets Hortensio & Lucentio 20 crowns that his wife is the most obedient. They take that bet & they send a servant to fetch their wives.

Petruchio has Kate take off her ugly hat. Kate throws her hat on the ground. When Petruchio tells Kate to put the bad wives in their proper places, Kate does that. She delivers the longest speech in play, which is all about how men are like kings & women are their subjects - women should obey a man's every command. She also says husbands work hard to protect their wives, so women should be obedient. Bianca & the Widow are a disgrace as wives

...