a dramatic work that is light and often humorous in tone

usually ending happily with a peaceful resolution of the main conflict

Shakespeare organized a plot in a way modern editors represent as a five-act structure:

Exposition: a situation with tensions (implicit conflict)

Rising Action: implicit conflict is developed

Turning Point: conflict reaches height; frequently an impasse

Falling Action: things begin to clear up

Conclusion: problem is resolved, knots untied

The main action is about love.

The would-be lovers must overcome obstacles and misunderstandings before being united in harmonious union. obstacles are typically brought about by the

parents or guardians of the lovers The ending frequently involves a parade of

couples to the altar and a festive mood or actual celebration

Frequently (but not always), it contains elements of the improbable, the fantastic, the supernatural, or the miraculous unbelievable coincidences

Mistaken identity -improbable scenes of recognition/lack of recognition (form of mixed-up twins, a clever disguise, or Gender mix-ups

willful disregard of the social order (nobles marrying commoners, beggars changed to lords)

instantaneous conversions (the wicked repent)

enchanted or idealized settings

supernatural beings (witches, fairies, Gods and Goddesses). The happy ending may be brought about through supernatural or divine intervention

Clever plot twists: always involves multiple plot lines, cleverly intertwined to keep the audience guessing. These unexpected twists are always straightened out in a happy ending. Sly/theatre performance Kate and Petruchio Bianca and her suitors

Play-within-a-play: Almost the whole of The Taming of the Shrew is a play-within-a-play, presented to convince Christopher Sly, a drunken tinker, that he is a nobleman watching a private performance, but the device has no relevance to the plot

Use of puns: Shakespeare was a master of wordplay, and his comedies are filled with puns and witty language games.

Example: from a fatally-stabbed Mercutio, who stops joking to explain that “tomorrow … you shall find me a grave man.”

Stock characters: Shakespeare relied heavily on stock characters; recognizable stereotypes

the young couple

the fool

the clever servant

the drunk

In the best of the mature comedies, there is frequently a philosophical aspectinvolving weightier issues and themes: personal identity

the importance of love in human existence

the power of language to help or hinder communication

the transforming power of poetry and art

the disjunction between appearance and reality

the power of dreams and illusions

Characters appearing in the Induction:

Christopher Sly – a drunken tinker

A Lord – plays a prank on Sly

Bartholomew – a page

Hostess of an alehouse

Huntsman of the Lord

Players (troupe of actors)

Katherina (Kate) Minola – the "shrew"

Bianca – sister of Katherina; the ingénue (naive, innocent girl or young woman.)

Baptista Minola – father of Katherinaand Bianca

Petruchio – suitor of Katherina Grumio – servant of

Petruchio Curtis – servant of

Petruchio Nathaniel – servant of

Petruchio Joseph – servant of

Petruchio Peter – servant of

Petruchio

Gremio – elderly suitor of Bianca

Lucentio – suitor of Bianca Tranio – servant of

Lucentio Biondello – servant of

Lucentio

Hortensio – suitor of Bianca and friend to Petruchio

Schwartz, Debora B. California Polytechnic State University . Web. 2002.