The Taming of the Shrew

Welcome to the World of Shakespeare!

Welcome! Today we are diving into one of William Shakespeare’s most famous, high-energy, and controversial comedies: The Taming of the Shrew. This play is a core part of your OCR AS Level English Literature (H072) course under the "Shakespeare" section.

You might find Shakespeare a bit intimidating at first because of the older language, but don’t worry! At its heart, this play is about things we still talk about today: power, relationships, identity, and social expectations. Think of it as an early version of a "romantic comedy" movie, but with much higher stakes and a lot of verbal fireworks.

1. The Big Picture: What is the Play About?

In the city of Padua, a wealthy man named Baptista has two daughters. Bianca is the younger daughter—she’s sweet, mild, and has many men wanting to marry her. Katherina (Kate) is the older daughter—she is sharp-tongued, angry, and famous for being a "shrew" (an old-fashioned, mean term for a woman who doesn't follow social rules).

The problem? Baptista says nobody can marry Bianca until someone takes Kate off his hands. Enter Petruchio, a man looking for a rich wife. He decides to "tame" Kate so he can get her dowry (money). The play follows their intense, funny, and sometimes uncomfortable battle of wits.

Quick Review: The Core Conflict
- The Goal: Men want to marry Bianca.
- The Obstacle: Kate must be married first.
- The Solution: Petruchio arrives to "tame" her.

2. Key Characters to Know

To succeed in your exam, you need to understand how Shakespeare uses these characters to explore different ideas.

Katherina (Kate): Often called "The Shrew." She is intelligent and uses her words as weapons. Is she truly "bad," or is she just frustrated because she has no power in a world run by men?
Petruchio: A loud, confident man from Verona. He uses psychological tactics rather than physical force to "tame" Kate. He treats her exactly how she treats others to show her how it feels.
Bianca: The "ideal" woman of the time. She seems perfect, but as the play goes on, we see she might be more manipulative than she first appears.
Baptista: The father. He views marriage like a business transaction. He literally auctions off his daughters to the highest bidder.

Memory Aid: The "P" Rule
Remember: Petruchio wants to make Kate his Pet (which is where the word "taming" comes from).

3. Language and Dramatic Effects

Shakespeare didn't just write stories; he used language to create dramatic effects. Here are two key things to look for:

A. Stichomythia (The Verbal Tennis Match)

This is a fancy word for short, fast-paced dialogue where characters finish each other's lines or snap back quickly.
Analogy: Imagine a fast-paced tennis match where the ball goes back and forth instantly. This shows that Kate and Petruchio are actually equals in intelligence.

B. Puns and Wordplay

Kate and Petruchio constantly use words with double meanings. For example, they argue about the word "bearing." Kate means "carrying a load," but Petruchio uses it to mean "carrying a child" or "putting up with someone." This shows their intellectual chemistry.

Takeaway: When Kate and Petruchio argue, they aren't just fighting—they are testing each other. It's how they communicate.

4. Understanding the Context (The "Why")

To get top marks, you must understand the context in which Shakespeare was writing (around the 1590s).

The Great Chain of Being: People back then believed the world had a strict order. God was at the top, then Kings, then men, then women. A "shrewish" woman was seen as a threat to the natural order of the universe.
Marriage for Money: In the Elizabethan era, marriage for wealthy families was about property and status, not just love. This is why Baptista treats his daughters like prizes to be won.

Common Mistake to Avoid:
Don't judge the characters only by modern standards. While Petruchio's behavior might seem like "gaslighting" or abuse today, an Elizabethan audience might have seen it as a husband "helping" his wife find her proper place in society. Your job is to talk about both views!

5. Attitudes and Values

The syllabus requires you to identify attitudes expressed in the text. Look for these themes:

1. Disguise and Identity: Many characters pretend to be someone else (Lucentio pretends to be a teacher). This shows that in this society, who you appear to be is often more important than who you really are.
2. Social Class: The play starts with a "framing story" (The Induction) where a poor drunk named Christopher Sly is tricked into thinking he is a Lord. This reminds the audience that social status is often just an act or a "role" we play.

Did you know?
The "Induction" (the story of Sly) is often cut out of modern movie versions, but it's very important! It tells us that everything we are about to see is just a play-within-a-play. It suggests that marriage itself might be a performance.

6. Different Interpretations

There is no "right" way to read this play. That’s the beauty of Literature!

The Traditional View: Kate is truly "tamed" and learns to be a good, obedient wife. Her final speech about a woman's duty is sincere.
The Feminist View: Kate is broken by Petruchio's cruelty, or she is faking it at the end to make her life easier. Her final speech might be ironic (she’s being sarcastic).
The Companionate View: Kate and Petruchio are the only two people in the play who actually understand each other. They "team up" at the end to trick everyone else.

Step-by-Step Explanation: How to Analyze a Scene
1. Identify the Language: Is there a pun? Is the dialogue fast or slow?
2. Link to Context: How does this reflect Elizabethan views on women or marriage?
3. Offer Two Views: Say "A traditional audience might see this as... however, a modern reader might interpret it as..."

7. Key Takeaways for the Exam

- Language: Focus on the wordplay between Kate and Petruchio.
- Context: Remember the "Great Chain of Being" and marriage as a business deal.
- Structure: Don't forget the "Induction" and how it makes the whole play feel like an experiment.
- Meaning: The play asks: Can we ever truly "change" who someone is, or do we just change how they behave?

Don't worry if the language feels tricky at first! Try reading the lines out loud—Shakespeare wrote these for actors to speak, and often the meaning becomes much clearer when you hear the "rhythm" of the words.