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Dramatis Personae.
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A Lord. CHRISTOPHER SLY, a tinker. Hostess, Page, Players, Huntsmen, and Servants. |
| | | Persons in | the Induction. | | |
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BAPTISTA |
a rich gentleman of Padua. |
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VINCENTIO |
an old gentleman of Pisa. |
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LUCENTIO |
son to Vincentio, in love with Bianca. |
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PETRUCHIO |
a gentleman of Verona, a suitor to Katharina. |
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GREMIO HORTENSIO |
| | suitors to Bianca. | |
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TRANIO BIONDELLO |
| | servants to Lucentio. | |
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GRUMIO CURTIS NATHANIEL NICHOLAS JOSEPH PHILIP PETER |
| | | | | | | servants to Petruchio. | | | | | | |
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A PEDANT | |
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KATHARINA the shrew, BIANCA |
| | daughters to Baptista. | |
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WIDOW | |
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Tailor, Haberdasher, and servants attending on BAPTISTA and PETRUCHIO |
SCENE is set in Padua, and Petruchio's country house.
The Contents of the Play.
Katharine was the eldest daughter of Baptista, a rich gentleman of Padua. She was a lady of such a disobedient spirit and fiery temper, that she was known in Padua by the name Katharine the Shrew. It seemed impossible that any gentleman would ever marry this lady, and therefore Baptista, her father, has given refusal to many excellent offers that were made to her gentle sister Bianca, putting off all Bianca's suitors with this excuse, that when the eldest sister will be married, only then they could make their offer’s to young Bianca.
It happened, however, that a gentleman, named Petruchio, came to Padua, purposely to look out for a wife. Being not confused by reputation of Katharine and hearing that she was rich and handsome decided to marry her, and to tame after a wedding. And truly nobody was so suited for this work as Petruchio, whose spirit was as high as Katharine's.
At first Petruchio went to Katharine and applied to Baptista to ask him the hand of his daughter, saying, that having heard of her best full modesty and mild behavior, he had come from Verona to solicit her lovely. Her father warned Petruchio that Katharine would be not happy to hear such news, but being glad to get Katharine married, he answered that he would give her twenty thousand crowns for her dowry, and half his estate after his death; so this contract was quickly agreed, and Baptista went to inform his shrewish daughter of such an offer, and sent her to Petruchio to talk to him.
At the same time Petruchio discussed with himself the mode of courtship he should followed. Katharine would did not like the set of things, she in loud and angry terms had showed him how justly she had got the name of Shrew, while he still was praising her in sweet words. And when Baptista entered, Petruchio told him that his daughter had met him kindly, and that she had promised to be married the next Sunday. Katharine answered that she would rather see him hanged on Sunday, and reproached her father for wishing to wed her to such a mad person as Petruchio. Petruchio asked her father not to pay attention to her angry words, for they had agreed that she should seem reluctant before him, but that when they were alone he had found her very fond and loving.
Реферат опубликован: 16/12/2007