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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Petruchio arrives to visit whom in Act I, Scene II?

2. What does Petruchio’s line “Con tutto il cuore, ben trovato” translate to in English?

3. What wealthy suitor to Bianca says of Katharina in Act I, Scene I, “To cart her rather: she's too rough for me”?

4. Tranio (in disguise) claims to be from where in Act II, Scene I?

5. Where does Petruchio tell Katharina he will go to buy attire for their wedding day in Act II, Scene I?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the theme of appearance and reality manifest in the Induction and Act I?

2. From where does Petruchio arrive in Act I, Scene II? What is his objective in Padua?

3. What characters (in disguise) are introduced in Act I, Scene II?

4. What does Petruchio announce after his meeting with Katharina when Baptista returns in Act II, Scene I?

5. How does the theme of gender roles apply in the Induction of The Taming of the Shrew?

6. How is Katharina’s character established as “shrewish” in Act II?

7. How does Petruchio respond to Hortensio’s warning in Act I, Scene II? What plan do these friends develop?

8. How do Lucentio and Tranio introduce themselves in Act II, Scene I? What do Baptista and Petruchio agree upon in this scene?

9. What takes place during Katharina and Petruchio’s first meeting in Act II, Scene I?

10. What takes place between Katharina and Bianca in the opening of Act II?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze the setting of the Induction. Where is Christopher Sly first discovered? Where does Christopher Sly claim to hail from? In what country is Wincot located? How does this setting differ from that of the main action of the play?

Essay Topic 2

Define and discuss character “action” and “objective” in literature and drama. What is Petruchio’s objective in Act II? What actions does he take in order to achieve that objective? How does Petruchio use “reverse psychology” to achieve his goals?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the language and style of The Taming of the Shrew. Define and discuss the following in your answer: prose, blank verse, and iambic pentameter. How is the meter defined in iambic pentameter? Where do the stresses lie in each syllable of the lines? What are examples of inversion in the meter of lines? What do inversions signify? What is a feminine ending?

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