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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 worries in Act IV, Scene IV that Baptista will recognize him because twenty years ago they were lodgers at what establishment in Genoa?

2. Biondello tells Baptista that Petruchio is wearing a pair of boots that have been what in Act III, Scene II?

3. What word from Act III, Scene II refers to a rich sweet wine made from muscat grapes?

4. A Servant enters and bids Bianca to help dress what room in the end of Act III, Scene I?

5. What is brought in by the Servants for Petruchio and Katharina’s dinner in Act IV, Scene I?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Bianca sought after by so many suitors in the play? How does Bianca’s characterization relate to Katharina’s?

2. How does Petruchio win his argument in Act IV, Scene V?

3. How does Petruchio appear when he arrives at the wedding in Act III, Scene II? Why?

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

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

6. How is Petruchio and Katharina’s retirement to the bedchamber described in Act IV, Scene I?

7. How does Tranio convince the Pedant to agree to his disguise in Act IV, Scene IV?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Personal Rivalries in The Taming of the Shrew

a. Discuss the rivalries for Bianca’s hand in marriage in the play. Who seeks to court Bianca? What plots do these suitors develop in order to achieve their goals?

b. Discuss the sibling rivalry between Katharina and Bianca in the narrative. Why does Katharina resent her sister? How are Bianca’s feeling for Katharina illustrated in the play?

Essay Topic 2

Define and discuss “subtext” and “innuendo” in literature and drama. What are examples of sexual innuendo between Katharina and Petruchio in their first meeting? What does the subtext in this scene reveal to the audience/reader? Is subtext easier to identify when reading or viewing the play?

Essay Topic 3

Gender Roles in The Taming of the Shrew

a. Discuss the differences and similarities between male and female roles in the play. What are the expectations for women and men? How do these expectations differ based on gender?

b. How do critics perceive Katharina’s transition in the play? Do you agree or disagree with these views? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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