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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. The Pedant claims to have bills for money by exchange from where in Act IV, Scene II?

2. Who says after Petruchio and Katharina’s departure in Act III, Scene II, “Went they not quickly, I should die with laughing”?

3. What word from Act III, Scene II means to rule arbitrarily or despotically?

4. The Pedant tells Baptista that he has come to Padua for what reason in Act IV Scene IV?

5. What is the setting for Act IV, Scene III?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Lucentio go about revealing his identity in Act III, Scene I? How does Bianca respond?

2. Characterize the relationship between Katharina and Petruchio in the narrative. How is their relationship commonly approached in performance?

3. How does Petruchio describe his treatment of his bride in the end of Act IV, Scene I?

4. What schemes do Tranio and Lucentio reveal in Act III, Scene II?

5. How do Hortensio’s objectives change in Act IV, Scene II? Why?

6. Where do Petruchio and Katharina arrive in Act IV, Scene I? How is Petruchio’s behavior characterized?

7. What conversation takes place between Tranio, Lucentio, and Bianca in Act IV, Scene II?

8. How is the character of Grumio characterized in the play? What is Grumio’s relationship to language?

9. What happens when the Haberdasher and Tailor arrive at Petruchio’s house in Act IV, Scene III?

10. How does Katharina respond to Petruchio’s delay at the wedding in Act III, Scene II?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Petruchio’s plans for dealing with Katharina before their first meeting. Do you think Petruchio is adequately forewarned of Katharina’s abusiveness? Why or why not? What does Petruchio’s confidence reveal about his character?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the characters of Lucentio and Tranio in the play. How does Shakespeare’s language and style of speech indicate the character traits of these individuals in the play? What indications are there in the text regarding the characters’ appearances? How old are Lucentio and Tranio?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the importance of dowers and dowries in the marriage contracts of sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe. How accurate is Shakespeare’s depiction in the play? What is the dowry agreed upon for Katharina? How much does Petruchio offer as a dower?

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