The plot of the Taming of the Shrew is Shakespeare. Shakespeare "The Taming of the Shrew"

The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare written between 1590 and 1594.

Summary

The introduction to the main plot is the story of a coppersmith named Sly. A drunken sleeping Sly is seen by a lord returning from a hunt and decides to play a joke on the drunkard:
I would like to quietly carry you to bed,
Yes, thin linen, rings on the fingers,
Delicious dishes in bed.
And when he gets up, the livery lackeys are waiting...
Perhaps he doesn’t recognize himself?
The lord's servants carry Sly to bed. When the coppersmith awakens, he is treated like a lord and is told that he has spent 15 years asleep. Sly gradually begins to believe it. To entertain the "lord", he is shown a comedy. The main plot begins with the fact that Lucentio, the son of the Pisan nobleman Vicenzio, and his servant Tranio come to Padua, where they witness the scene of the local nobleman Baptista telling two suitors (Gremio and Hortensio) his youngest daughter Bianchi, who will not marry her until she finds a husband for her eldest daughter, Katarina. Bianca's two suitors decide to join forces to find a groom for Katarina, known for her violent temper.

Katarina:

Lucentio, seeing Bianca, falls in love with her. Having learned that Baptista wants to hire teachers for Bianca, Lucentio decides to say that he is a professional music tutor, and to pass off his servant as the real Lucentio, who should woo Bianca. Meanwhile, Hortensio (one of Bianca's unlucky suitors) meets his friend Petruchio (in some translations - Petruchio), who wants to marry advantageously. Hortensio offers him the candidacy of Katarina, who is rich but obstinate. To which Petruchio replies:
When you know
Which is rich enough for me, -
And money is my wedding refrain, -
Then be a freak, like Florentin's wife,
Sibyls are older, meaner and more stubborn
Socrates' Xanthippe, even worse, -
She will not break my decision,
It won’t change feelings, let her make noise,
Like the shaft of the Adriatic Sea.
I want to be rich, I'm a groom,
And that means a happy groom.
Meanwhile, at Baptista's house, Catarina asks Bianca which suitor she likes. Bianca says that she is not singling anyone out and says that she can give Katarina the groom. An angry Katarina hits her sister.

Bianca, Baptista and Katarina:

A new groom for Bianca appears in the house - Tranio under the guise of Lucentio, Lucentio himself under the guise of a music teacher and another pseudo-teacher - Hortensio. Petruchio comes with them and immediately wooes Katarina. After talking with Katarina and enduring all her antics and insults, Petruchio once again confirms his consent to the marriage.

Katarina and Petruchio:

Gershkovich Yu.S. Katarina and Petruchio:

Katarina's overjoyed father agrees to schedule the wedding for Sunday. After this, Baptista decides to decide on a groom for Bianca and decides to settle on Trenio-Lucentio, who offers her a larger inheritance after his death (the widow's share). But Baptista demands that Father Lucentio personally vouch for his son. Meanwhile, the real Lucentio spends time in the company of Bianca and confesses his love to her.

Another "teacher" Hortensio understands that he is the third wheel here. Soon he decides to abandon Bianca and marry a rich widow who has loved him for a long time. When the time comes for the wedding of Catarina and Petruchio, the groom does not arrive for a long time, which angers Catarina:
Shame on me alone. I was forced
You forced me to leave against my will
For a wild and violent lout.
He is quick to make a match, but slow to a wedding.
I told you he's crazy
He covers up insults with a joke
And to be considered a merry fellow,
Woo a hundred, set a day,
He will call everyone, arrange an announcement,
And he won’t even think about getting married.
And everyone will point their finger at me:
"She would be Petruchio's wife,
Whenever he deigns to get married."
Petruchio soon appears, terribly dressed and on a lame and old horse. During the wedding, Petruchio kicks the priest because... It seemed to Petruchio that he wanted to deceive him, and splashed wine in the sexton’s face, because... he didn't like that he was shaking his beard. Petruchio also kissed his bride in front of everyone and took her to his home, without staying at the feast after the wedding. On the way, Katarina's horse fell into the mud with her, and Petruchio, instead of helping his wife, began to beat the servant. Arriving home, Petruchio says that all the food prepared by the servants is burnt and dry and throws everything on the floor, leaving Katarina hungry. Petruchio also leaves Katarina awake, preaching abstinence to her. Petruchio explains his plan this way:
I started my reign successfully,
And there is hope that I will finish successfully.
Now my falcon is sharp and hungry.
I wouldn’t listen if I had a full goiter,
He would not answer the master's call.
I know another way of training
How to make one become obedient to the call:
Hold her without sleep like falcons,
They fight, they beat their wings disobediently.
I didn’t eat today, the same thing tomorrow.
I didn’t sleep last night, and I still can’t sleep now.
And how I found flaws in food,
So I will find fault with the bed.
I'll scatter pillows here and there,
All the sheets, feather beds, blankets!
And I’ll give away all this fuss
I am for the most respectful cares,
And as a result, I won't let her sleep.
And if he takes a nap, I’ll start swearing.
And I’ll wake her up again by screaming.
Yes, it doesn’t take long to kill with such kindness;
With this I will tame my obstinate temper.
Who knows the best way of taming,
Let him open it for everyone to learn.
During the day, a tailor and haberdashery merchant comes to Petruchio with a hat and dress for Katarina. In front of his wife, Petruchio criticizes the new clothes and pushes the tailor and merchant out the door, however, quietly promising to pay them for everything.

When Petruchio and Katarina go to her father, Petruchio forces his wife to call the sun a month, otherwise threatening to go back.

Then he forces her to call the old man she meets along the way (this is Vincentio, Lucentio’s father) a girl. Vincentio, having arrived to see his son, is perplexed to see that his servant is pretending to be his son, and some old man is pretending to be Vincentio himself. The son himself is nowhere to be found. Soon the real Lucentio appears, who has just secretly married Bianca. He confesses everything to his father, who consents to their marriage and persuades Baptista to also recognize this marriage.
Approaching Baptista's house, Petruchio once again tests Katarina's meekness: he asks her to kiss him in front of everyone, to which Katarina agrees.
At the feast, Petruchio argues with Hortensio and Lucentio about which of their wives is the most obedient:
Each one send for his wife, -
And whose will be most obedient?
And he will carry out orders before everyone else,
He takes the entire bet from the horse.
The wives of Hortensio and Lucentio do not answer the call, but Katarina appears immediately and makes a speech about devotion to her husband.

Film adaptations

Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew has been filmed several times. In 1961, director Sergei Kolosov made the film “The Taming of the Shrew,” where the role of Katarina was played by Lyudmila Kasatkina, and the role of Petruchio was played by Andrei Popov.

In 1967, Italian director Franco Zeffirelli filmed his version of Shakespeare's comedy, where the role of Katarina was played by Elizabeth Taylor and the role of Petruchio by Richard Burton.

You can also note the Russian-British cartoon "The Taming of the Shrew", filmed in 1994 by director Aida Zyablikova.

Coppermaker Christopher Sly falls into a drunken sleep at the threshold of the inn. The lord returns from the hunt with his huntsmen and servants and, finding the sleeping man, decides to play a joke on him. His servants take Sly to a luxurious bed, wash him in fragrant water, and dress him in an expensive dress. When Sly wakes up, he is told that he is a noble lord who was overcome by madness and slept for fifteen years, and he dreamed that he was a coppersmith. At first Sly insists that he is "a peddler by birth, a carder by training, a safecracker by chance, and a coppersmith by present trade," but gradually allows himself to be convinced that he is a really important person and married to a charming lady (in fact, he is a disguised lord's page). The lord cordially invites a traveling acting troupe to his castle, initiates its members into the plan of the prank, and then asks them to perform a cheerful comedy, ostensibly in order to help the imaginary aristocrat get rid of his illness.

Lucentio, the son of the wealthy Pisan Vincentio, comes to Padua, where he plans to devote himself to philosophy. His trusted servant Tranio believes that, with all the devotion to Aristotle, “Ovid cannot be neglected.” A wealthy Paduan nobleman, Baptista, appears in the square, accompanied by his daughters - the eldest, quarrelsome and impudent Catarina, and the youngest, the quiet and meek Bianca. Bianca’s two suitors are also here: Hortensio and the young old man Gremio (both are residents of Padua). Baptista announces to them that she will not marry Bianca until she finds a husband for her eldest daughter. He asks for help in finding music and poetry teachers for Bianca, so that the poor thing does not get bored in her forced seclusion. Hortensio and Gremio decide to temporarily put aside their rivalry in order to find a husband for Catarina. This is not an easy task, since “the devil himself cannot deal with her, she is so evil” and “with all the wealth of her father, no one will agree to marry a witch from hell.” Lucentio falls in love with the meek beauty at first sight and decides to sneak into her house under the guise of a teacher. Tranio, in turn, must pretend to be his master and woo Bianca through her father.

Another nobleman comes to Padua from Verona. This is Petruchio - old friend Hortensio. He bluntly admits that he came to Padua “to succeed and marry profitably.” Hortensio jokingly offers him Katarina - after all, she is beautiful and they will give her a rich dowry. Petruchio immediately decides to go and get married. Warnings from a Concerned Friend about bad temper the bride, her grumpiness and stubbornness do not touch the young Veronese: “Isn’t my hearing accustomed to the noise? / Didn’t I hear the lions roar?” Hortensio and Gremio agree to pay Petruchio's expenses related to the matchmaking. Everyone goes to Baptista's house. Hortensio asks his friend to introduce him as a music teacher. Gremio is going to recommend the disguised Lucentio as a poetry teacher, who hypocritically promises to support the recommender's matchmaking. Tranio, dressed as Lucentio, also declares himself a contender for Bianca's hand.

At Baptista's house, Katarina finds fault with her whiny sister and even beats her. Appearing in the company of Hortensio and everyone else, Petruchio immediately declares that he longs to see Katarina, who is “smart, modest, friendly, beautiful and famous for her kind demeanor.” He introduces Hortensio as Licio's music teacher, and Gremio recommends Lucentio as a young scholar named Cambio. Petruchio assures Baptista that he will win Katarina’s love, because “she is obstinate, but he is stubborn.” He is not even deterred by the fact that Katarina broke her lute over the head of an imaginary teacher in response to an innocent remark. At the first meeting with Katarina, Petruchio harshly and mockingly parries all her antics... And receives a slap in the face, which he is forced to endure: a nobleman cannot hit a woman. Yet he says: “I was born to tame you / And make you a cat from a wild cat.” Petruchio goes to Venice for wedding gifts, saying goodbye to Katarina with the words: “Kiss me, Kate, without fear! We're getting married this Sunday! Gremio and Tranio, portraying Lucentio, enter into a fight for Bianca's hand. Baptista decides to give her daughter to someone who will assign her a larger inheritance after his death (“widow's share”). Tranio wins, but Baptista wants the promises to be personally confirmed by Vincentio, Lucentio's father, who is the true owner of the capital.

Under with a jealous gaze Hortensio Lucentio, in the guise of the scholar Cambio, declares his love to Bianca, allegedly teaching a Latin lesson. The girl does not remain indifferent to the lesson. Hortensio tries to explain himself using scales, but his advances are rejected. On Sunday, Petruchio arrives insultingly late for his wedding. He sits on a worn-out nag, who has more ailments than hairs in his tail. He is dressed in unimaginable rags, which he never wants to exchange for decent clothes. During the wedding, he behaves like a savage: he kicks the priest, throws wine in the sexton’s face, grabs Katarina by the neck and loudly smacks her on the lips. After the ceremony, despite the requests of his father-in-law, Petruchio does not stay for the wedding feast and immediately takes Katarina away, despite her protests, with the words: “Now she is my property: / My house, barn, household utensils, / My horse, donkey, my ox - anything".

Gremio, Petruchio's servant, appears in Vacation home his master and informs the other servants that the young people will arrive now. He talks about many unpleasant adventures on the way from Padua: Katarina’s horse stumbled, the poor thing fell into the mud, and her husband, instead of helping her, rushed to beat the servant - the narrator himself. And he was so zealous that Katarina had to splash through the mud to pull him away. Meanwhile the horses ran away. Having appeared in the house, Petruchio continues to act outrageously: he finds fault with the servants, throws supposedly burnt meat and all the dishes onto the floor, ruins the prepared bed, so that Katarina, exhausted by the journey, is left without dinner and without sleep. Petruchio’s crazy behavior, however, has its own logic: he likens himself to a falconer who deprives a bird of sleep and food in order to quickly tame it. “Here is a way to tame an obstinate temper. / Whoever knows the best, let him tell it boldly - / And do a good deed for everyone.”

In Padua, Hortensio witnesses a tender scene between Bianca and Lucentio. He decides to leave Bianca and marry a rich widow who has loved him for a long time. “From now on, I will begin to appreciate in women / Not beauty, but a devoted heart.” Lucentio's servants meet on the street an old teacher from Mantua, whom, with the approval of the owner, they decide to introduce Baptista as Vincentio. They fool the gullible old man, informing him about the outbreak of war and the order of the Duke of Padua to execute all captured Mantuans. Tranio, pretending to be Lucentio, agrees to “save” the frightened teacher by passing him off as his father, who is just about to arrive to confirm the marriage contract.

Meanwhile, poor Katarina is still not allowed to eat or sleep, and is also teased at the same time. Petruchio curses and kicks out of the house the tailor who brought the dress that Katarina especially liked. The same thing happens with a haberdasher who brings a fashionable hat. Slowly, Petruchio tells the artisans that they will be paid for everything. Finally, the young couple, accompanied by Hortensio, who was visiting them, go to Padua to visit Baptista. On the way, Petruchio continues to be picky: he either declares the sun to be the moon and forces his wife to confirm his words, threatening otherwise to immediately return home, then he says that the old man they met on the road is a lovely maiden, and invites Katarina to kiss this “maiden”. The poor thing no longer has the strength to resist. The old man turns out to be none other than Vincentio, heading to Padua to visit his son. Petruchio hugs him, explains that he is on property with him, since Bianca, his wife’s sister, is probably already married to Lucentio, and offers to take him to the right house,

Petruchio, Catarina, Vincentio and the servants drive up to Lucentio's house. The old man invites his brother-in-law to come into the house to have a drink together, and knocks on the door. The teacher, who has already acquired a taste for the role, leans out of the window and drives away the “imposter” with aplomb. An incredible turmoil ensues. Servants lie in the most believable and funny ways. Having learned that Tranio is posing as his son, Vincentio is horrified: he suspects the servant of murdering his master and demands that he and his accomplices be imprisoned. Instead, at the request of the Baptists, he himself is dragged to prison - as a deceiver. The turmoil ends when the real Lucentio and Bianca, who have just got secretly married, enter the square. Lucentio arranges a feast, during which Petruchio bets one hundred crowns with Lucentio and Hortensio, who has already married the widow, that his wife is the most obedient of the three. They laugh at him, but the once meek Bianca and the loving widow refuse to come at the request of their husbands. Only Katarina comes at Petruchio’s first order. The shocked Baptista increases Katarina's dowry by twenty thousand crowns - “another daughter - another dowry!” By order of her husband, Katarina brings the obstinate wives and reads instructions to them: “As a subject is obliged to the sovereign, / So a woman is obliged to her husband. Now I see / That we fight not with a spear, but with a straw / And only with our weakness we are strong. / We shouldn’t play someone else’s role.”

Lucentio, the son of the wealthy Pisan Vincentio, comes to Padua, where he plans to devote himself to philosophy. His trusted servant Tranio believes that, with all the devotion to Aristotle, “Ovid cannot be neglected.” A wealthy Paduan nobleman, Baptista, appears in the square, accompanied by his daughters - the eldest, quarrelsome and daring Catarina, and the youngest, the quiet and meek Bianca. Bianca’s two suitors are also here: Hortensio and the young old man Grumio (both are residents of Padua). Baptista announces to them that she will not marry Bianca until she finds a husband for her eldest daughter. He asks for help in finding music and poetry teachers for Bianca, so that the poor thing does not get bored in her forced seclusion. Hortensio and Grumio decide to temporarily put aside their rivalry in order to find a husband for Catarina. This is not an easy task, since “the devil himself cannot deal with her, she is so evil” and “with all the wealth of her father, no one will agree to marry a witch from hell.” Lucentio falls in love with the meek beauty at first sight and decides to sneak into her house under the guise of a teacher. Tranio, in turn, must pretend to be his master and woo Bianca through her father.

Another nobleman comes to Padua from Verona. This is Petruchio, an old friend of Hortensio. He bluntly admits that he came to Padua “to succeed and marry profitably.” Hortensio jokingly offers him Katarina - after all, she is beautiful and they will give her a rich dowry. Petruchio immediately decides to go and get married. A concerned friend’s warnings about the bride’s bad temper, her grumpiness and stubbornness do not touch the young Veronese: “Isn’t my hearing accustomed to the noise? / Didn’t I hear the lions roar?” Hortensio and Grumio agree to pay Petruchio's expenses related to the matchmaking. Everyone goes to Baptista's house. Hortensio asks his friend to introduce him as a music teacher. Grumio is going to recommend the disguised Lucentio as a poetry teacher, who hypocritically promises to support the recommender's matchmaking. Tranio, dressed as Lucentio, also declares himself a contender for Bianca's hand.

At Baptista's house, Katarina finds fault with her whiny sister and even beats her. Appearing in the company of Hortensio and everyone else, Petruchio immediately declares that he longs to see Katarina, who is “smart, modest, friendly, beautiful and famous for her kind demeanor.” He introduces Hortensio as Licio's music teacher, and Grumio recommends Lucentio as a young scholar named Cambio. Petruchio assures Baptista that he will win Katarina’s love, because “she is obstinate, but he is stubborn.” He is not even deterred by the fact that Katarina broke her lute over the head of an imaginary teacher in response to an innocent remark. At the first meeting with Katarina, Petruchio harshly and mockingly parries all her antics... And receives a slap in the face, which he is forced to endure: a nobleman cannot hit a woman. Yet he says: “I was born to tame you / And make you a cat from a wild cat.” Petruchio goes to Venice for wedding gifts, saying goodbye to Katarina with the words: “Kiss me, Kate, without fear! We're getting married this Sunday! Grumio and Tranio, portraying Lucentio, enter into a fight for Bianca's hand. Baptista decides to give her daughter to someone who will assign her a larger inheritance after his death (“widow's share”). Tranio wins, but Baptista wants the promises to be personally confirmed by Vincentio, Lucentio's father, who is the true owner of the capital.

Under the jealous gaze of Hortensio, Lucentio, in the guise of the scientist Cambio, declares his love to Bianca, allegedly teaching a Latin lesson. The girl does not remain indifferent to the lesson. Hortensio tries to explain himself using scales, but his advances are rejected. On Sunday, Petruchio arrives insultingly late for his wedding. He sits on a worn-out nag, who has more ailments than hairs in his tail. He is dressed in unimaginable rags, which he never wants to exchange for decent clothes. During the wedding, he behaves like a savage: he kicks the priest, throws wine in the sexton’s face, grabs Katarina by the neck and loudly smacks her on the lips. After the ceremony, despite the requests of his father-in-law, Petruchio does not stay for the wedding feast and immediately takes Katarina away, despite her protests, with the words: “Now she is my property: / My house, barn, household utensils, / My horse, donkey, my ox - anything".

Lord , Christopher Sly , coppersmith, Innkeeper , Page , actors, huntsmen and servants- faces from the introduction.

Baptista , a wealthy nobleman from Padua.

Vincentio , an old nobleman from Pisa.

Lucentio , son of Vincentio, in love with Bianca.

Petruchio , a nobleman from Verona, Catarina's fiancé.

Gremio , Hortensio - Bianca's suitors.

Tranio , Biondello - Lucentio's servants.

Grumio , Curtis - Petruchio's servants.

Teacher .

Katarina , Bianca - daughters of Baptista.

Widow .

Tailor, haberdasher, servants Baptists and Petruchio.

The scene is Padua and Petruchio's country house.

SCENE 1

In front of a tavern in a desert area.

Enter innkeeper And Sly.

By God, I'll beat you up.

Innkeeper

A couple of pads for you, mazurika!

You're impudent! Sly is not a mazuriki. Take a look at the chronicles. We came with Richard the Conqueror. Therefore, paucas palabris, let everything take its course. Sessa!

Innkeeper

So you won't pay me for the broken glasses?

Not a penny. Come on, Jeronimo, lie down in your cold bed, warm yourself up.

Innkeeper

I know what to do; I'll go get the guards from the third district. (Leaves.)

Whether from the third or from the fifth, I will answer them all according to the law. I, my dear, will not move from my spot. Let them come to their health. (Lies down on the ground and falls asleep.)

Horns. Returning from hunting lord With huntsmen And servants.

(to the huntsman)

Take good care of the hounds,

Let Veselchak down - he can barely breathe;

And mix Rezvy with that bass guy over there.

I saw how Silver made the stand

In the corner of the paddock, at least the trace has gone away?

I wouldn't sell the dog for twenty pounds!

First huntsman

But the Beller is no worse, your lordship;

The trail is almost lost, he immediately barks,

And I found the trail twice today.

He is the best of your dogs - believe me,

Fool! Yes, if Echo were faster,

I'd give a dozen of these for him.

Well, feed the dogs, watch them -

We will continue the hunt tomorrow.

First huntsman

I will do everything, my lord.

(noticing Sly)

And who is this?

Dead? Or drunk? Is he breathing? Take a look.

Second huntsman

He's breathing. If it weren't for the ale that warmed me up,

I wouldn't sleep dead in the cold.

O vile brute! Lay down like a pig!

Death is evil, how vile is your likeness!

What if you play a joke on a drunk?

Carry him to a luxurious bed,

Put on the finest underwear and rings,

Place a table with delicious food nearby

And there are servants all around, waiting for you to wake up.

Does this beggar recognize himself?

First huntsman

Now he doesn't understand anything.

Second huntsman

He'll be surprised when he wakes up!

He will consider everything magic or a wonderful dream.

Take it. Let's play a joke!

Take it to the best room in the house,

Hang voluptuous pictures,

Rinse his stinking head off

Warm scented water,

Light fragrant incense;

Let the music, as soon as he wakes up,

It will sound like a heavenly melody.

He will speak - be ready:

Give him a respectful bow;

Say: “What does your lordship command?”

Give him a silver basin

With fragrant water and ask,

Bringing a jug and a towel:

“My lord, would you like to wash your hands?”

Let one hold expensive dresses,

Inquiring what my lord will wear;

Another will tell about hounds and horses

And about the wife who finally

Depressed by his strange illness.

Rest assured that he was possessed by madness;

If he identifies himself, tell him he’s delusional,

That he is actually a noble lord.

Play well, well done,

In 1593 (according to other sources - in 1594) the play “The Taming of the Shrew” was written: summary the work makes you want to read the entire play from beginning to end. During the author's lifetime, the comedy was a huge success with the public. The date of the first production is unknown. The author repeatedly made changes to the play and subjected it to modifications. The play was presented to the public under different names.

The Taming of the Shrew begins with an introduction in which a certain lord returns home after a hunt. On the way, he meets coppersmith Sly (translated from English as “cunning”). Sly fell asleep after drinking a fair amount of alcohol. The lord decides to play a prank on the coppersmith. Sly is carried to the master's bed. Waking up, he sees that he has become a rich gentleman. Further history the newly minted nobleman remains unknown to readers and viewers. An introduction is just an introduction to the main action. This strange and incomprehensible introduction to the modern public contains main feature the whole play.

Baptista, a wealthy resident of Padua, had 2 daughters: Catarina and Bianca. The girls differed not only in appearance, but also in character. The eldest, Katarina, was known for her obstinacy and tough temperament. Bianca is very submissive and friendly. The younger sister is popular with men. But Baptista tells Bianca’s fans that first of all he must marry off his eldest daughter, as is customary. The young people are extremely sad: there is hardly a man who would agree to marry a girl like Bianca’s sister.

The father locked his younger sister at home in order to divert the attention of potential suitors to his eldest daughter. Bianca, in anticipation of her sister's wedding, must devote all her time to getting an education. Baptista is going to hire teachers for her. One of the girl’s admirers, a nobleman named Lucentio, hired himself as a teacher in Baptista’s house. Hortensio, another contender for Bianca’s hand and heart, was visited by his acquaintance Petruchio, who decided to marry for convenience. Hortensio invites his friend to woo Katarina. She is quite rude, but has a good dowry and is known as a real beauty. Katarina's wedding will allow Hortensio to woo his younger sister.

Getting ready to enter a rich house, Lucentio invited his servant Tranio to take the place of the master. Neither Lucentio nor Tranio have acquaintances in Padua, therefore no one will recognize them. The nobleman planned an "attack" from inside and outside. While he himself has the opportunity to please Bianca, being her music teacher, Tranio asks for the girl’s hand on behalf of his master. The plan works perfectly: Baptista chooses the nobleman Lucentio as his son-in-law. Petruchio asks for the hand of the rebellious Katarina. The father agrees to do anything to get rid of his eldest daughter. But there is a condition: Petruchio must please his future wife. The potential groom also enters Baptista's house, disguised as a music teacher. Throughout the play, Petruchio tries to “tame” future wife. Katarina actively resists, but the groom manages to get his way.

At the end of the play, Katarina admits that in the form of obstinacy she expressed her desire to love and be loved. The older sister sums it up: an obstinate woman will never experience true female happiness.

Characteristics

Katarina and Bianca

Deceptive first impression

At the beginning of the play, the reader's sympathies are on the side of the younger sister. However, the image of the grumpy Katarina is gradually revealed. Those sides of it that were not perceptible at first glance become noticeable. The reader understands that the older sister is not driven by a desire to harm anyone.

Katarina is afraid of men, she is driven by the fear of being unloved and deceived in her feelings. Aggression becomes the best way to express despair. At the end of the play, Katarina appears more emotionally mature and serious than her sister.

Calculating Petruchio

Not only is it changing main character, but also the person who was involved in “taming” her. Petruchio’s marriage was dictated by one single desire, which he does not even hide: main character dreams of improving her financial situation at the expense of a rich heiress. Katarina becomes the most for him suitable option: She comes from a wealthy family and is very beautiful. The main advantage is that Petruchio will have no competitors. The obstinate girl has no fans.

By the end of the play, the main character felt that he had also changed. Katarina, in whom he saw only a way to make money, is no longer indifferent to him. Petruchio understands that besides the dowry, he needs something else. He wants love and family happiness.

The main idea of ​​the play

Shakespeare put the main idea of ​​his work into the mouth of Katarina. At the end of the play, the girl sums up the experience she has experienced. She claims that only a humble woman can be happy in love. Obstinacy becomes a source of internal experiences and interferes with rapprochement with representatives of the opposite sex. Katarina justifies her future husband, who used cruel methods of “education” against her. Everything Petruchio did was intended for her own good.

Shakespeare wrote his play as a warning to disobedient wives and brides, but main idea The works have already become partially outdated.

During the great times English writer to take into account women was predetermined at birth. Girls were taught to run a household from an early age, and when they grew up, they were married off, often against their will. In order for marriage not to be a burden, it is necessary, according to Shakespeare, to come to terms with your fate in advance. Modesty and humility will help you love your unloved spouse. The author believes that an unhappy marriage is primarily the fault of the wife, not the husband. A woman must reverence those who support her and obey her husband without the slightest murmur. Obviously, the writer also allowed harsh educational measures towards grumpy wives.

The role of women in society has certainly changed since Shakespeare's time. Nowadays, representatives of the fair sex are not obliged to marry unloved people and be dependent on their husbands. Modern woman builds a life on an equal basis with a man. However, some of Shakespeare's truths remain relevant today. Pride is still a hindrance to happiness. While loving each other, people often quarrel for years. None of them wants to take a step towards reconciliation and mutual understanding. As a result, both suffer and continue to grow further and further apart from each other.