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English III
MODULE I Study Guide
DO WE FIND OR CREATE OUR TRUE SELVES?
Text: The Taming of the Shrew William Shakespearer
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
Unit Overview:
o Background notes: Take notes in the space given
o Anticipation Guide: Complete based on your opinion.
o Vocabulary study: Define the terms prior to reading
o Activity guide for Acts I-V: Follow all directions and complete activities
o Performance Assessment: Rewrite and perform selected scenes in groups
o Film study: View movie and answer questions
o Test
Background notes
Author:
Themes:
1.
2.
3.
Anticipation/Reaction Activity (See handout)
Vocabulary study: You need to define the following terms:.
1. farce,
2. stereotypes
3. slapstick
4. stock characters
5. battle of the sexes
6. romantic comedy.
7. play-within-a-play
8. love at first sight
9. disguises
10. fluid action
11. word play
12. aside
13. soliloquy
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English III
MODULE I Study Guide
DO WE FIND OR CREATE OUR TRUE SELVES?
The Taming of the Shrew Act I Activities:
Character Map:
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English III
MODULE I Study Guide
DO WE FIND OR CREATE OUR TRUE SELVES?
Discussion Board: (to be completed on ENGRADE)
Read and Respond:
Think about ways society expects you to behave. Do you ever feel torn between the expectations of others and
your own expectations for yourself? How so? Do teachers expect unfair or uncomfortable behavior from you?
Give examples. When faced with peer, society, or school pressure to conform, how do you react?
Journal Write
What are your views on love and marriage? How do you view the roles of women and men in love relationships?
Who should ask whom to get married? Out on a date? Is love necessary for marriage?
Language Study: Dialect and Slang
Language Study: Determining Parts of Speech
Analyzing the Title:
Think about the title The Taming of the Shrew.
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Define shrew.
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Define tame or taming.
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Based on the definitions of these two words, what will this play be about?
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Read 1.1
Imagine you are directing this opening scene. You need to focus the audience's interest on
the new story after the highly theatrical introduction. Some directors make lines 1-45 funny.
Find at least three points where you would attempt to make the audience laugh aloud.
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Define Sexism:
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English III
MODULE I Study Guide
DO WE FIND OR CREATE OUR TRUE SELVES?
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Two Sisters activity(in pairs): In lines 78-83, Katherina and Bianca have what seems to be
a rather bad-tempered exchange. Read the lines to each other several times thinking
carefully about the different ways in which you can say them. Swap roles. Next try
Katherina’s exit lines (lines 102-104). Take turns to saying these lines and leave,
concentrating on creating a different impression with the audience each time. You can have
particular fun with Katherina’s “Ha!” just before she departs. Afterwards, talk together
about the two sisters-how they are like, and their attitudes toward each other.
Read Act 1 scene 2
In small groups (3-4 students) you should complete the following activities.They may seem
a bit strange, but they will help you understand the play better. One person will take notes
and write down how these activities have helped your understanding of the play also make
note of who does what in your group activities, writing, reading, taking the lead to make
sure the work gets done etc. Do as much as you can during the class period and turn in
whatever you complete.
o 1. Two volunteers read aloud, slowly, lines 49-77 everyone else listens carefully.
Whenever you hear a word connected with money, “echo” it in a whisper. Repeat
the activity with a different pair of readers, but this time echo every word connected
with sex or love.
o 2. Afterwards, talk together about what the “echoing” tells you about Petruchio.
o 3. Talk together about the ways in which Petruchio’s language changes as he speaks
to Grumio or Hortensio. How do you account for the differences?
o 4. “Katherine the curst” say Hortensio and Grumio; and so Katherina is pigeonholed
by the men. Think up similar labels for other characters we have met so far in the
play:
 Bianca the…
 Petruchio the….
 Baptista the…
 Tranio the….
 Lucentio the….
 Hortensio the…
 Gremio the….
o 5. Read Petruchio’s lines 201-213
 Read them through again stressing the verbs.
 Read them again emphasizing all the words concerned with sound.
 One speaks the words from the last two exercises as a kind of running
commentary, while the rest mime the story they suggest.
 Discuss: is Petruchio just boasting, or could it all be true?
Who’s Who In Padua Activity: Act 1 introduces a number of characters, several are in love,
some adopt disguises, and some have particular relationships with others. Draw a diagram
to show as clearly as possible who’s who, who’s pretending to be someone else, and the
chief relationships among the characters. The list of characters at the beginning of the play
will help you. It should take up the whole page and be easy to read. It should be
exceptionally neat and attractive. Use white, unlined paper..
Journal Writing: What kind of guy is Petruchio? How do you know?
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English III
MODULE I Study Guide
DO WE FIND OR CREATE OUR TRUE SELVES?
The Taming of the Shrew Act II Activities:
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Read Act 2
Shakespeare on your Feet Activity: View Video (http://vimeo.com/1860922). Complete
activity.
“The Good and the Badde: Are Stereotypes a Perfect Fit?” activity: Use handout to complete the
following graphic organizer.
Description chosen from The Good and the Badde: ___________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
1. Act/Scene/Line Numbers: _____________________
Line: “_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________”
Character: ______________________ Stereotype: _____________________
Evidence: Supports / Does not support
2. Act/Scene/Line Numbers: _____________________
Line: “_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________”
Character: ______________________ Stereotype: _____________________
Evidence: Supports / Does not support
3. Act/Scene/Line Numbers: _____________________
Line: “_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________”
Character: ______________________ Stereotype: _____________________
Evidence: Supports / Does not support
4. Act/Scene/Line Numbers: _____________________
Line: “_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________”
Character: ______________________ Stereotype: _____________________
Evidence: Supports / Does not support
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the Shrew.mht
English III
MODULE I Study Guide
DO WE FIND OR CREATE OUR TRUE SELVES?
Promptbook Assignment: (separate handout)
Journal Writing: Does Kate envy Bianca? What do you make of their relationship?
Journal Writing: Do Kate and Petruchio belong together? Explain.
The Taming of the Shrew Act III Activities:
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Read Act III
3.2 Activity: Work in small groups to discuss the following topics. One student should take
notes on your discussion and write down the group’s answers to questions.
o 1. After reading Kate’s speech lines 8-20. How much sympathy do you think the
other characters feel towards her at this point?
o 2. Read Biondello’s description of Petruchio’s arrival at the wedding, lines 42-63.
Write a modern equivalent about a bridegroom arriving at the church in an old ugly
car.
o 3. Read through from line 63-115. Once again Tranio is the one who tries to explain
what Petruchio is up to, although he doesn’t get very far. What meaning do you think
there is in Petruchio’s strange attire?
o 4. Read Katherina’s speech lines 190-210. In this speech Kate fights back-and loses.
She says she has ‘a spirit to resist’, and tries a number of different tactics during the
scene. How is her behavior similar and different from her behavior in previous
scenes?
o 5. Go back and review the language of this scene. Why do you think Shakespeare
didn’t show the wedding on stage? In the film Franco Zefferelli did show this scene
and it is very funny. Do you think that is a good idea? Why?
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the Shrew.mht
English III
MODULE I Study Guide
DO WE FIND OR CREATE OUR TRUE SELVES?
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Women’s Lib Activity
Journal Writing: Is this play sexist? Explain.
The Taming of the Shrew Act IV Activities:
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Read 4.1: View film and mark (in pencil) the lines which are left out of the film
o Why do you think the director chose to leave those lines out?
o Explain Petruchio’s behavior.
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Read 4.2 and answer the following questions:
o 1. What are two examples of how Petruchio tries to tame Kate in scene 1? What is he
doing? Why is he doing it this way? Is it funny? Why?
o 2. What are two instances where Petruchio shows anger in scene 1? Who is the
anger directed at and why does he show it?
o 3. In scene 2, what decision does Hortensio make regarding his suit for Bianca? What
does this show us about Hortensio’s view of women and love? What does it say about
his societies views of love and marriage?
o 4. Examine the way Petruchio treats the servants and the way he treats Kate in
scene1. Explain the difference between Petruchio’s treatment of the servants and his
treatment of his wife. What does this mean?
o 5. In scene 1, what does Petruchio mean when he says he knows how to “kill a wife
with kindness”?
o 6. Prove that the reason Tranio gives the pedant for assuming Vincentio’s identity is
clever.
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Read 4.3 and answer the following questions:
o 1. Explain what is going on in the dialogue between Katherine and Grumio. What do
you think Petruchio would think of this?
o 2. What tone of voice do you think Katherine should use when delivering line 49?
o 3. Does Petruchio listen to Katherine? Explain.
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English III
MODULE I Study Guide
DO WE FIND OR CREATE OUR TRUE SELVES?
o
o
4. What do you think Katherine is thinking and feeling during the scene with the
Tailor and Haberdasher?
5. Read this scientific description of the shrew:
“Shrews are very active, solitary, surface-dwellers. They are very voracious and suffer
from lack of food within a few hours…Shrews are preyed upon extensively by birds, but
much less so by mammalian carnivores…Dispersion is maintained by aggressive
behavior at all times, except during the brief period of oestrus and copulation. The
fighting is stereotyped and involves great use of the voice, resulting in ‘squeaking
matches’.” (Corbert, The Terrestrial Mammals of Western Europe)
o
Do you think Katherina is anything like this description? Think about the whole of
this scene and earlier scenes.
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Read 4.4 and answer the following questions:
o 1. How should the part of the merchant be played? What famous actors would be
good in this role?
o 2. What do you think is going on with Baptista and the pretend Lucentio &
incentio? What does this show us about the role of women in society
o 3. Read lines 74-106- Biondello’s conversation with Lucentio (the real one). What
purpose do these lines serve? What would be lost if the whole passage was cut, as
it is often done in performance? (It is completely gone in the film version)
o 4. Is Biondello smarter than his master, Lucentio? Can you think of any other
examples where the servant seems to be more knowledgeable than the master?
What purpose does this serve?
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Read 4.5 and answer the following questions:
o 1. After viewing the film version, why do you think that Zefferelli (the director) cut
Hortensio out of this scene? What is his purpose in this scene?
o 2. How does Petruchio test Katherina’s acceptance of his authority? What is he
trying to prove?
o 3. How do you think Katherina feels about her actions in this scene?
o 4. Is she in fact “tamed”? Explain.
The Taming of the Shrew Act V Activities:
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Read Act 5
Discussion Web Activity (see handout)
Chart paper activity (in class)
Argumentative essay: Is this Play Sexist? Think about the play as a whole and the
discussions that we have had in class. In a standard-length essay, discuss this question and
offer evidence (from the text) to support your interpretation.
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English III
MODULE I Study Guide
DO WE FIND OR CREATE OUR TRUE SELVES?
The Taming of the Shrew Performance Activity:
Read and annotate the following article:
Staging the Play
The Taming of the Shrew has always been a popular play. It is not only very funny, but it also
reflects contemporary discussion of marriage and the role of' women. The play has therefore
always had strong appeal for audiences: the intrigues and disguises of the Bianca plot; the
potential for knockabout farce; its continuing relevance as a play about the
relationship between the sexes.
Adaptations
Like other Shakespeare plays, it has inspired many adaptations. While Shakespeare was still alive,
John Fletcher wrote The Woman’s Prize or The Tamer Tamed, in which, as the title suggests,
Katherina gets her own back. Some adaptations heightened the violence and brutality in the
scenes between Petruchio and Katherina. Other dramatists were more concerned to change the
end of the play to avoid any suggestion of Katherina's defeat. In the eighteenth century, David
Garrick rewrote the final lines of the play so that Petruchio promised to calm (town and looked
forward to ‘one gentle stream/Of mutual love'. Garrick's version held the stage for a hundred
years.
The twentieth century
The liberation of women from traditional roles in marriage and society created new opportunities
for challenging interpretations. Modern audiences find some parts of the play distasteful, so
directors have sought different solutions. One answer is to concentrate on the play's potential for
farce. This type of humour, often with an element of' violence, conics from a long tradition of
drama going back to Roman plays by Plautus. Punch and Judy shows are a part of this tradition, as
are some modern television comedies. The Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor film of the play directed
by Franco Zeffirelli in 1966 contained much of this kind of lively action. Jonathan Miller's 13BC
television production was very different. There is plenty of full and life, but his interpretation is
based oil the way in which Miller views marriage in Shakespeare's time. It ends with peace and
harmony as the characters sing a psalm around the table. In strong contrast, Michael Bogdanov's
1978 production for the Royal Shakespeare Company emphasised the violence and cruelty of the
play.
So too did Charles Marowitz in his version 7he Shrew), which opened with Bianca and Katherina
fighting, and ended with a hysterical Kate. The action was interwoven with a modern parallel which
provided little optimism or light relief. The Royal Shakespeare's Company's 1982 production
avoided such a serious emphasis and included all kinds of jokes and comic effects. Some directors
have tried to avoid both light-hearted romps and unrelievedly bleak interpretations. For them, the
play is about two misfits who find true contentment with each other. In such productions, a
feminist argument is not central. Meryl Streep, Katherina in a 1978 New York production, said:
'What I'm saying is, I'll do anything for this man ... Why is selflessness wrong here? Service is the
only thing that's important about love'.
Fynes-Clinton and Perry Mills, Ed., The Taming of the Shrew, Cambridge University Press, 1984.
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English III
MODULE I Study Guide
DO WE FIND OR CREATE OUR TRUE SELVES?
Follow the directions to complete a small group project on this play.
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Read “Staging the Play” Discuss with your group
Discuss and choose the scene you would like to perform. (see list of possible scenes- you
may choose another scene if you like)
Discuss the ways you want to update, translate and perform the scene:
o Do you go for laughs and make it as funny as possible? How?
o Do you look at relations between the sexes in a serious way and make a comment on
society?
o How much of a bully should Petruchio be?
o Is Kate just mean or is her shrewish behavior a cover for emotional pain?
Translate the play and write a script in any language style you choose. Definitely cut lines to
make the scene shorter and more manageable. What time period does this story fit into?
Why does it fit there?
Rehearse your script- plan blocking (where you will stand, how you will move)
Bring any costumes and props you need to be ready to perform.
Act It
Film Study: The Way Questions
1. Did you enjoy the film? What was your overall impression of it?
2. What are some of the key themes raised?
3. Did you like Tom? How did your attitude towards him change as the film progressed (if at
all)?
4. Think about the flashbacks and visions that Tom has of Daniel. How would you describe
Tom’s relationship with Daniel at the beginning and at the end of the film? Does it change?
5. Do you think Tom’s reaction to Daniel’s trip was justified? How could walking the Camino
appease his guilt over this initial reaction?
6. What causes Tom to change his attitude? How does his transformation impact those around
him? How do you think this will this affect his life back home?
7. What can Tom learn from Joost, Sarah and Jack? What can they learn from Tom?
8. ‘How we make up for brokenness is through each other, and I believe that is how God finds
us. In each other.’ (Martin Sheen)
How does the way we interact with those around us affect our character development? Do
you think that God can reach us through other people?
9. ‘In the film, a father unfortunately comes to understand his son’s life through his death and
along the road finds himself as well.’ (The Way official site)
In what ways could grief and loss open the way to healing, and a new perspective?
10. How does Tom find his true self?
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