The Taming of the Shrew
Contents
Young Lucentio comes to Padua to deepen his studies of arts and philosophy. Unexpectedly, he does not only find education but also falls in love with Signior Baptista’s younger daughter, Bianca, who has many suitors due to her gentle and beautiful appearance. However, old Baptista does not let any of them marry Bianca until her elder sister Katharina has found a husband. But this is a very difficult task indeed, because Katharina is clearly the opposite of her sister: wild, shrewd and irascible. Intending to open the way to a marriage with Bianca, her suitors agree to find a husband for Katharina. Thus, Petruchio, quite as rough as Katharina, and quite rich, too, is welcomed by Baptista and Bianca’s suitors and he does not care about how uncontrollable his wife might be as long as she makes him even wealthier.
And while Bianca is allowed to marry the love of her life - Lucentio, Katharina is married to Petruchio, who gets the dowry and intends to tame her. But breaking Katharina’s wild temperament proves to be a true challenge. A battle of will starts between Katharina and Petruchio, in which both show their stamina. But, of course, it ends in a burgeoning love, which transforms “Kate, the shrew” into an obedient and gentle wife. At the final feast it proves that Kate fills her husband with even more pride since her sister Bianca disobeys her husband Lucentio.
Cast
Katerina |
Sinja Münzberg |
Petruchio |
Sharon Lawson |
Bianca |
Birte Schön |
Baptista |
Miriam Glinka |
Lucentio |
Mirja Ebeling |
Hortensio |
Betram Knothe |
Gremio |
Bernhard Brenneke |
Lord |
Sebastian Martens |
Christopher Sly |
Mateusz Chryst |
Hostess |
Anka Ernst |
Grumio |
Fabian Friedrich |
Tailor |
Anna Berg |
Servants |
Stefanie Behnert, Vera Opitz, Durcan Agirman |
Rich widow |
Katja Held |
Narrator |
Jessica Timian |
The role of Women and Men In the Elizabethan Age
The comedy "The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare deals with the role between men and women in the Elizabethan Age. Bianca presents the ideal model of a woman during that time: obedient and kind, lovely and loveable. Men admire her beauty and her obedience. Bianca is absolutely convinced that she has to serve her husband because she depends on him. Her sister Kate is the entire opposite of Bianca. She is wild, rough and aggressive. Even her father Baptista is sometimes very upset about her behaviour. Kate is jealous of her sister, and this is one fact which makes her violent very fast. No one has ever been able to tame her and to bring her from an irascible Kate to a Kate obedient and friendly.
But then comes Petruchio. For the Elizabethan Age he is what you call a genuine gentleman. He is very self-confident and powerful. Petruchio is convinced that he will tame the shrewish Kate Minola. His only reason for his will to marry her is money because Petruchio is a very ambitious and greedy businessman. Petruchio’s role is to show that men should be dominant. He is the one who is in charge.
The Taming of the Shrew
Scenes from the play
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SLY (waking, eyes closed) For God's sake, a pint of strong beer! 1 SERVANT (pretending to be merry) Your honour - 2 SERVANT Your honour - Your lordship - SLY (awakes) Call me not "honour" , not "lordship" ! Am I not Christopher Sly, old Sly's son of Burton Heath? LORD (bows) You are a lord and nothing but a lord. 2 SERVANT These fifteen years you have been in a dream. SLY (looking around, surprised) These fifteen years! My goodness, what a nap! (inspecting his precious clothes) Upon my life, I am a lord indeed! |
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TAILOR Here is the cap your honor spoke of. PETRUCHIO My goodness, this looks like a penny or a walnut shell. A baby’s cap. Come, let me have a bigger one. KATE I’m sorry, but I have no bigger. Gentlewomen wear such caps as these. PETRUCHIO When you are gentle, you shall have one too, but not till then. HORTENSIO That will take some time! |
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PETRUCHIO The dress? Come, tailor, let us see it! (The tailor displays the dress) What’s this? A sleeve? Shaped like a hamburger? Here’s snip and nip, and cut and slish and slash! (The tailor retreats baffled). HORTENSIO (aside) I see she certainly won’t have a cap or a dress. PETRUCHIO I will take none of it! (To the tailor) Away, you rag, you kitchen cloth, you doggy blanket! (He rips the dress. Kate is in despair) |
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The drama group. |
