Cambridge OCR A Level · English Literature - H472

The Taming of the Shrew: Practice Questions

5 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 5 written questions with worked solutions. All on The Taming of the Shrew.

10 questions31 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

When Petruchio arrives for his wedding in Act 3, Scene 2, how is his physical appearance described by Biondello?

Question 2

1 mark

During the first meeting between Petruchio and Katherina in Act 2, Scene 1, how does Petruchio use rhetorical strategies to counter Katherina's verbal hostility?

Question 3

1 mark

In the Induction, the Lord commands his huntsmen to 'sup' Christopher Sly with 'distilled liquors'. From a new historicist perspective, how does this use of artifice and luxury reflect Elizabethan anxieties about social mobility?

Question 4

1 mark

What is the name of the servant who accompanies Lucentio to Padua and eventually assumes Lucentio’s identity to assist in the wooing of Bianca?

Question 5

1 mark

In Act 5, Scene 2, Petruchio claims: ''Twas I won the wager, though you hit the white'. What is the imagery used here, and what does it signify about his view of Katherina?

Question 6

4 marks

In Act 1 of The Taming of the Shrew, Gremio describes Katherina as a "fiend of hell" while Hortensio refers to her as a "hilding." What does this demonizing language reveal about the social expectations for women in Padua?

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Question 7

6 marks

Compare the use of animal imagery in Petruchio’s 'taming' rhetoric with the domestic expectations of 16th-century humanist education. Does this imagery suggest Katherina is being 'humanized' or 'dehumanized' in the eyes of a contemporary audience?

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Question 8

5 marks

In The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio asserts that "she is my goods, my chattels... my horse, my ox, my ass, my any thing." How does this list of legalistic possessives reflect the economic realities of the 16th-century marriage market?

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Question 9

5 marks

"Petruchio is not a villain, but a comic catalyst who helps Katherina find her place in a rigid society."

Evaluate this view of Petruchio’s character. In your response, you should refer to specific examples of his 'taming' methods and the language he uses to describe his relationship with Katherina.

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Question 10

6 marks

Discuss the role and significance of the servants in the play (such as Grumio and Tranio). How does Shakespeare use their interactions with their masters to provide a commentary on class and loyalty within the Elizabethan domestic structure?

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