In 1594, in the Elizabethan age, a comedy was written …

Dealing with marriages and problems between sisters

Set in Italy, in PaduaComedy divided up in 5 acts…A work by William Shakspeare…Endarioz productionPRESENTSExtremely serious opera by Will

Shakspeare…SERIOUS?!??!!?SERIOUS?!??!!?

INTROINTRO

The Play Play within the play: within the play:

Lord’s jokeLord’s joke

The allusion of “Marian Hacket”

Ladies and gentlemen we’d Ladies and gentlemen we’d like like

to introduce you… to introduce you… The taming of the shrew.The taming of the shrew.

INDEXINDEX

• Characters • Plot • Sources • Themes • Criticism • Adaptations

PLOTPLOT

We are in Padua, with We are in Padua, with Lucentio and Tranio.Lucentio and Tranio. Ah, Padua, Ah, Padua,

a quiet city….a quiet city….

Or not?Or not?

Bianca and Katherine, Bianca and Katherine, with their father and Bianca’s suitorswith their father and Bianca’s suitors

But if nobody But if nobody marries Kate, marries Kate, nobody will nobody will marry Bianca. marry Bianca. No negotiationsNo negotiations

There is a little problem… KATE IS A There is a little problem… KATE IS A SHREW!SHREW!

One other little problem… Lucentio falls One other little problem… Lucentio falls in love with Bianca, the shrew’s sister.in love with Bianca, the shrew’s sister.

Change of identity:Change of identity:

Tranio becomes Tranio becomes LucentioLucentio

Lucentio becomes Lucentio becomes a Bianca’s teacher.a Bianca’s teacher.

Petruchio arrives in Padua, Petruchio arrives in Padua, he’s looking for a wife.he’s looking for a wife.

He is the He is the solution:solution:

He wants to He wants to marry Kate.marry Kate.

Lucentio as a teacher courts Lucentio as a teacher courts Bianca…Bianca…

……and Petruchio courts Kateand Petruchio courts Kate

Petruchio, with a sell, Petruchio, with a sell, win, and marries the shrew.win, and marries the shrew.

Petruchio continues to taming his shrewPetruchio continues to taming his shrew

Petruchio and his wife Petruchio and his wife come back to Kate’s father and come back to Kate’s father and

meet the real Vincentiomeet the real Vincentio

When Vincentio When Vincentio (Lucentio’s real (Lucentio’s real father) arrives to father) arrives to Padua, the truth Padua, the truth comes up.comes up.

In conclusion:In conclusion:

Lucentio marries Lucentio marries Bianca…Bianca…

……and Vincentio and Vincentio (the real) and (the real) and Baptista find an Baptista find an agreement agreement

And what about Petruchio and And what about Petruchio and Kate?Kate?

Petruchio has tamed the shrewPetruchio has tamed the shrew

CriticismCriticism

• Feminists • The kinds of language

Some say that the last Some say that the last scene is offensivescene is offensive

Others say that Petruchio Others say that Petruchio submits himself to submits himself to

the same treatment to the same treatment to which which

he submits Kate. he submits Kate.

The kinds of language

• Female language• Kate’s language• Petruchio’s language to Kate• Petruchio’s language to others• Kate’s final speech• Language criticism

One character, One character, one languageone language

Female language

Bianca, the speech is

metaphorically silent

Good language

Kate, the shrew

Bad language

Kate’s languageKate’s languageslurs slurs

affrontaffrontprotecting protecting the vulnerable inner the vulnerable inner self from the self from the assault of the assault of the enemy enemy

insultinsult

Petruchio’s language to Kate

Petruchio creates a new world Petruchio creates a new world through new words for through new words for

Katherine.Katherine.

The same language to The same language to tame the shrewtame the shrew

Petruchio’s language to others

Kate changes, but her Kate changes, but her reputation too.reputation too.

Kate’s final speechKate’s final speechrevisionists revisionists and and

antirevisionists antirevisionists

Katherine's speech is ironicKatherine's speech is ironicWith sarcasm With sarcasm

Katherine's Katherine's language language is sincere is sincere

Language criticismphysical physical references references concerning the concerning the submission of submission of wives to their wives to their husbands husbands

physical physical description description

of women of women during the during the

speech speech the historical the historical context of boys context of boys playing female playing female parts parts

And other thinking… And other thinking… but nobody knows the real meaning of the but nobody knows the real meaning of the

languagelanguage

CHARACTERS

Katherine or Kate, the shrewKatherine or Kate, the shrew

Kate’s sister BiancaKate’s sister Bianca

Baptista Minola, Bianca and Kate’sBaptista Minola, Bianca and Kate’s FatherFather

Lucentio, suitor, and, in the end, Lucentio, suitor, and, in the end, husband of Biancahusband of BiancaGremio and Hortensio, Gremio and Hortensio, two other suitors of Biancatwo other suitors of Bianca

Tranio and Biondello, Lucentio’s Tranio and Biondello, Lucentio’s servantsservants

Grumio and Curtis, Petruchio’s servants Grumio and Curtis, Petruchio’s servants

Petruchio, who tames Petruchio, who tames

the shrew (so he becomes Kate’s husband)the shrew (so he becomes Kate’s husband)

Vincentio, Lucentio’s real fatherVincentio, Lucentio’s real father

A Pedant from Mantova, impersonatin A Pedant from Mantova, impersonatin VincentioVincentio

SOURCES

14th-century Castilian tale of the “young 14th-century Castilian tale of the “young man who married a very strong and fiery man who married a very strong and fiery woman”woman”..

Ludovico Ariosto's “I Suppositi”.Ludovico Ariosto's “I Suppositi”.

THEMES

• CRUELTYCRUELTY

• GENDER RELATIONSGENDER RELATIONS

• MALE DOMINANCEMALE DOMINANCE

CRUELTY

This theme is represented This theme is represented

in the entire play. in the entire play.

GENDER RELATIONS

The way in which Petruchio treats KateThe way in which Petruchio treats Kate

Mental dominanceMental dominance

MALE DOMINANCE

In the sixteenth century it was considered In the sixteenth century it was considered lecit for men to beat up their wives to lecit for men to beat up their wives to

maintainmaintaincontrol over the family.control over the family.

Petruchio never hit Katherine, he used other Petruchio never hit Katherine, he used other tacticsto physically tame tacticsto physically tame

her wife and show his superiority.her wife and show his superiority.

Adaptations

• The Woman's Prize, or The Woman's Prize, or The Woman's Prize, The Woman's Prize,

or The Tamer Tamedor The Tamer Tamed by John Fletcherby John Fletcher [play] [play]• The ShrewThe Shrew by John Lacy by John Lacy [play] [play]• Katherine and PetruchioKatherine and Petruchio by by David GarrickDavid Garrick [play] [play]• Cobbler of PrestonCobbler of Preston by by Christopher BullockChristopher Bullock [play] [play]• A Cure for a ScoldA Cure for a Scold by by James WorsdaleJames Worsdale [dancing opera] [dancing opera]• The Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the Shrew by Vittorio Giannini [opera] by Vittorio Giannini [opera]• The Taming of the Shrew The Taming of the Shrew by D.W. Griffith [film]by D.W. Griffith [film]• The Taming of the Shrew by Franco Zeffirelli [film]• The BBC version [on television]The BBC version [on television]

There have been a lot of adaptions There have been a lot of adaptions such as films, plays or othersuch as films, plays or other

The Taming of the Shrew The Taming of the Shrew by Franco Zeffirelliby Franco Zeffirelli

We quote this film because the characters of We quote this film because the characters of Petruchio (Richard Burton) and Katherine Petruchio (Richard Burton) and Katherine

(Elizabeth Taylor) were the same in real life. They (Elizabeth Taylor) were the same in real life. They were husband and wife several times, and divorced were husband and wife several times, and divorced

as many times! They argued just like in the as many times! They argued just like in the comedy…comedy…

THE TAMING OF THE THE TAMING OF THE SHREWSHREW

OPERA BYOPERA BY William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare

Powered by:Powered by:Enzo RoblesEnzo Robles

Dario VicinelliDario Vicinelli

VIDEO & AUDIOVIDEO & AUDIO

•BBC Television VersionBBC Television Version

•Franco Zeffirelli Franco Zeffirelli “La Bisbetica “La Bisbetica Domata”Domata”

•Virtual DubVirtual Dub

•Alan StivellAlan Stivell

•Audacity-winAudacity-win

SOURCESOURCE

•WikipediaWikipedia

•www.bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk

•www.cummingsstudyguides.net/www.cummingsstudyguides.net/xTaming.htmlxTaming.html

•www.newi.ac.ukwww.newi.ac.uk

•www.william-shakespeare.info/www.william-shakespeare.info/shakespeare-play-the-taming-of-the-shakespeare-play-the-taming-of-the-

shrew.htmshrew.htm