The Taming of the Shrew: Difference between revisions

Shakespeare's play is based on older works. Significantly, these versions emphasized women's inferiority. Shakespeare's Kate, on the other hand, argues that women should be obedient to their husbands because said husbands love them and want only what is best for them. Admittedly an arguable proposition, but it puts her in a different category from the patient Griselda who endured any kind of mistreatment as a duty.

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* [[Abduction Is Love]]: Petruchio essentially kidnaps Kate after the wedding ceremony.

* [[Aborted Arc]]: The play starts off with a wealthy man deciding to pull a prank on a drunkard, by fooling him into thinking he's suffering from amnesia and is actually incredibly wealthy, and the play itself is provided for his amusement. After this, the entire setup is pretty much forgotten, and outside of one of them remarking on the play briefly as they're watching, this beginning is never brought up again.

* [[Artistic License Geography]]: '''Averted''', though not obviously so. Tranio’s father was a ‘sail maker’ from land-locked Bergamo. Bergamo is the nearest large city to Lake Iseo and close to Lake Como, creating a Bergamo boat-making and sail-making industry which started long before the 16th century and continues to this day.

* [[As You Know]]: Lucentio's opening speech to Tranio. [[Exposition|For some reason]], feels the need to tell his servant where they are, why they're here, where he was born, and where he was raised. We later find out that Tranio was taken in by Lucentio's family at the age of ''three''. [[Fridge Logic|There is no excuse for him not to know any of this]].

* [[The Beard]]: Tranio (disguised as Lucentio) and Bianca fake being a couple so successfully that they have all the other characters fooled. Meanwhile, Bianca's in love with the real Lucentio, who's disguised himself as her tutor.

* [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]]: Most interpretations of Petruchio and Kate.

* [[Could Say It, But...]]: Grumio not telling Curtis all about what happened on his journey with Petruchio and Kate.

* [[Defrosting Ice Queen]]: Kate

* [[Does Not Like Men]]: Kate

* [[Double Entendre]]: The first conversation Kate and Petruchio have consists of practically nothing but one after another.

''[Kate slaps him]'' }}

* [[Double Standard]]: This is a comedy. Now hundreds of years later the other way round is played as comedy, whereas this written now would be played for drama and angst.

* [[Emergency Impersonation]]: Tranio stands in for Lucentio, who is busy courting Bianca. A merchant stands in for Vincentio.

* [[Enemy Mine]]: Bianca's suitors work together to get Katerina married off.

* [[Fanfic]]: ''The Tamer Tamed'' a play written by John Fletcher in 1611. Shakespeare apparently approved of the work.

* [[Fourth Date Marriage]]: All three of the couples; [[Lampshade Hanging|several lampshades are hung]]. Petruchio arranges to marry Kate on Sunday after one conversation ("Was ever match clapp'd up so suddenly?"), Lucentio and Bianca sneak off to the altar shortly afterward, and Hortensio's widow is, according to Tranio, "wooed and wedded in a day".

* [[Framing Device]]: A drunken tinker has been made to believe that he is really a lord, and the play is being put on for his amusement.

* [[The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry]]: Kate even hits her sister, and binds her hands. Incestuous BDSM or what?!

* [[Gold Digger]]

* [[Overly Long Gag]]: Biondello describing Petruchio's attire and horse. And just when you think he's done, he gets started on what ''Grumio'' is wearing.

* [[Pass the Popcorn]]: Tranio is manifestly entertained by the argument in the street between Baptista, Kate and Bianca's suitors, referring to it as "some show to welcome us to town".

That wench is stark mad or wonderful froward." }}

* [[Parental Favoritism]]: Baptista prefers Bianca, leaving Kate as [[The Unfavorite]].

* [[Servile Snarker]]: Grumio, and Tranio to a lesser extent.

* [[Show Within a Show]]: The main plot is contained in a play being performed for the tinker.

* [[Sibling Yin-Yang]]

* [[Slap Slap Kiss]]

* [[Spank the Cutie]]

* [[Teacher-Student Romance]]: Hortensio and Lucentio sign up to be Bianca's tutors just so they can woo her. Cue lots of learning-based flirtation.

'''Bianca''': And may you prove, sir, master of your art! }}

* [[Translation Convention]]: When Petruchio greets Hortensio in Italian, Grumio thinks he's speaking Latin.

* [[Tsundere]]: Kate.

* [[The Unfavorite]]: Katherina.

* [[Upper Class Wit]]: Petruchio.

* [[Wealthy Ever After]]: When Kate and Petruchio win the already-substantial bet at the end, Baptista throws in twenty thousand crowns, "Another dowry for another daughter/For she is changed, as she had never been." Add to that Kate's original dowry, and it's safe to say that [[Gold Digger|Petruchio got his wish to marry into money]].

* [[Wedlock Block]]: Bianca can't get married until Kate does.

* [[Would Hit a Girl]]: Petruchio's "I swear I'll cuff you if you strike again." ([[Your Mileage May Vary]] on whether or not he means it, though; Kate counters by telling him he'll be no gentleman if he does so, and it's never brought up again.)

* [[Writers Cannot Do Math]]: Look for it during the placing of the bets near the end (of the play; the movie corrects it).

** Lucentio is not the only one to come up with this scheme; he wins because he ''is'' the only one to both be a tutor ''and'' a normal suitor.

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=== Tropes from adaptations of this play: ===

* [[Lysistrata Gambit]]: In John Fletcher's sequel ''The Woman's Prize or The Tamer Tamed''.

 

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[[Category:Theatrical Productions]]