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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. In Act II, Scene I, Petruchio says of Katharina, “She is not hot, but temperate as” what?

2. What does Lucentio decide to disguise himself as in order to be close to Bianca in Act I, Scene I?

3. Katharina says in Act II, Scene I, “If I be waspish, best beware” what?

4. The setting of Scene I of the Induction takes place where?

5. What does the First Servant offer to Christopher Sly after he awakens in the Lord’s bedchamber in Scene II of the Induction?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Petruchio introduce himself in Act II, Scene I?

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

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

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

6. What plot do Lucentio and Tranio concoct in Act I, Scene I? What is their objective with this scheme?

7. What possible causes are illustrated for Katharina’s personality traits in Act II?

8. How would you characterize Tranio’s performance in his disguise in the play?

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

10. How does Petruchio describe his plan for dealing with Katharina as he waits to meet her in Act II, Scene I?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the characters of Petruchio and Grumio in the narrative. What brings Petruchio to Padua? Who is Petruchio’s friend? What plan does Petruchio develop in order to meet Katharina? How does Petruchio agree to help Hortensio in his plot to get closer to Bianca?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the use of soliloquies in The Taming of the Shrew. How do these literary/dramatic devices give the reader/audience insight into the characters’ inner thoughts? Are the characters alone on stage while delivering soliloquies? What are famous examples of soliloquies in The Taming of the Shrew?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the setting of Padua and the cities of Pisa and Lombardy described in Act I, Scene I. How big is the city of Padua? Why has Lucentio stopped here in his travels? What clues from the text indicate the time period in which the narrative is set?

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