We will continue our journey with Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew!
We are up to Act II!
In class, we will summarize Act II and answer the following questions as a class:
1. In what ways does Kate attack Bianca? How does Bianca respond? What does this tell us about the characters?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you think Kate and Petruchio enjoy their first meeting? Why or why not?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What evidence can you give to support the view that Kate and Petruchio are well matched, even though they spar verbally and appear to be hostile to one another when they first meet?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Is Petruchio attracted to Kate, or is he merely interested in her because she is wealthy?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. When he gives Baptista an account of Kate’s behavior, Petruchio is not
entirely honest. Analyze the speech that begins, “Be patient, gentlemen, I choose her for myself,” and show how Petruchio is both clever and ironic in what he says.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Select one of the following passages, either the exchange between Petruchio and Katherine or a monologue by Petruchio and re-write it. Your re-written work should reflect the overall idea of the passage and it should your understanding of the passage. You will have the option to perform your work in class with a partner or alone.
Passage One:
Petruchio: Come, come, you wasp, i’faith you are too angry.
Katherine: If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
Petruchio: My remedy is then to pluck it out.
Katherine: Ay, if the fool could find where it lies.
Petruchio: Who knows not where a wasp does wear his sting? In his tail.
Katherine: In his tongue.
Petruchio: Whose tongue?
Katherine: Yours, if you talk of tales, and so farewell.
Petruchio: What, with my tongue in your tail?
(Act II. Scene i. Lines 207–214)
Or
Passage Two:
Thus in plain terms: your father hath consented
That you shall be my wife, your dowry ‘greed on,
And will you, nill you, I will marry you.
Now Kate, I am a husband for your turn,
For by this light, whereby I see thy beauty—
Thy beauty that doth make me like thee well—
Thou must be married to no man but me,
For I am he am born to tame you, Kate,
And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate
Conformable as other household Kates.
Here comes your father. Never make denial.
I must and will have Katherine to my wife.
(Act II. Scene i. Lines 261–272)
