Born April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire (with a population of 1500 people and only 200 houses), William Shakespeare was the third child of John and Mary (Arden) Shakespeare, but the first son, and the first child to survive past infancy. The local parish register records his baptism on 26 April 1564. While his actual birthday is unknown, most celebrate it on 23 April because it was customary to have roughly three days between birth and the ceremony. It is important to note that Stratford was a market center for the county of Warwickshire in the heartland of England.
John Shakespeare was a glove-maker, wool dealer, and leather craftsman who also held a number of public offices including bailiff, which was the highest public office in Stratford. When Will was 13, his father experienced a great financial loss and stopped playing a major part in local government. His situation eventually improved in 1596 and remained stable until his death in 1601. Mary Shakespeare was the daughter of a moneyed landowner in a lesser branch of an aristocratic family. We know little of her as only the date of her burial (9 September 1608) is recorded. Shakespeare had several siblings: Joan, Margaret, (William), Gilbert, Joan, Anne, Richard, and Edmund.
As the son of a city official, Will was eligible to attend junior school and then King Edward IV’s New School at no cost. The curriculum included Latin literature, Greek, grammar, arithmetic, and declamation and rhetoric. Moreover, under the Act of Uniformity (compulsory church attendance), Shakespeare’s education would have centered upon the Homilies (core Anglican teachings), the Geneva Bible, and the Book of Common Prayer, all of which were in English and stressed the teachings of the Church of England. If John’s finances had not evaporated, the completion of this schooling would have made Will eligible for either Oxford or Cambridge. He did not attend either, leaving school at age fourteen or fifteen.
At age eighteen, Will married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years his senior. Their first child Susanna was born 26 May 1583. Twins Hamnet and Judith came two years later. William Shakespeare disappears from all records until 1592. These are known as the “Lost Years.” It appears, though, that Shakespeare headed to London around 1588 to establish himself as a writer and performer. Shakespeare rose to star status quickly. He joined the Lord Chamberlin’s Men, becoming a shareholder and senior member in 1595. Because of this, he was able to purchase New Place, the largest and most elegant house in Stratford, when he was in his early thirties. He eventually retired there, dying 23 April 1616. Not until 1623 did John Heminges and Henry Condell print the First Folio of his plays, many of which had never been circulated in print.
Likely written sometime during the later “Lost Years”, Taming of the Shrew is a good example of a young writer from the countryside coming to grips with elements of medieval farce and Roman comedy in order to provide a commentary on social expectations of “citified” notions of both marriage and the rituals of the wedding ceremony.
Lucentio, a young man traveling to Padua from Pisa with his servant Tranio, passes by the home of Baptista Minola, a wealthy man of Padua who has two daughters. Katharina, the cantankerous older daughter, has sworn off men and marriage, but the youngest daughter, Bianca, cannot marry until Kate does. Baptista is unwavering in this edict. Lucentio sees Bianca and is instantly smitten. Hortensio and Gremio, both suitors to Bianca, set about the difficult task of finding Katharina a husband.
Petruchio, an old friend of Hortensio, comes to town looking for a wife with a hefty dowry, and sets his sights on Kate “the curst.” Their most unconventional of courtships heats up. With the knowledge that Baptista is looking for tutors for his daughters, Hortensio disguises himself as a music teacher, and Lucentio disguises himself as a Latin instructor while Tranio acts as if he is Lucentio. Gremio hires a Latin instructor to woo Bianca with love poetry not realizing that he has hired the disguised Lucentio who plans to use this opportunity to woo Bianca for himself.
Baptista, offering a dowry of twenty thousand crowns as well as half of his land holdings, approves of Petruchio's union with Katharina. All the while, Tranio (acting as Lucentio) and Gremio compete for Bianca’s affection, with Baptista eventually giving his blessing to Lucentio (still the disguised Tranio) under the condition that Vincentio (Lucentio’s father) agrees. While all of this is happening, the real Lucentio reveals himself to Bianca, who falls in love with him. Hortensio realizes he has failed to woo Bianca and instead marries a rich widow in Padua who has long been fond of him.
In order to provide financial assurance to Baptista, Tranio must find a man willing to impersonate Vincentio. Tranio's servant Biondello finds a merchant traveling the road and convinces him to play the role. Petruchio and Kate are married, and they set off to Petruchio’s country manor where he deprives her of sleep, withholds food, and contradicts her regularly so as to “tame” her choleric disposition. He, however, also takes no sleep nor eats no food in solidarity with his bride. The newlyweds return to Baptista’s home to celebrate Bianca and Lucentio’s nuptials. No one believes for an instant that Kate “the curst” has changed, but it becomes clear that love has transformed her. By the end of the wedding banquet everyone in attendance learns of the power of humility through the example set by Petruchio and Kate.
[The action takes place in Padua and Verona.]
I.i. Padua, A Public Place
I.ii. Padua, Before Hortensio’s House
II.i. Padua, Baptista’s House
III.i. Padua, Baptista’s House
III.ii. Padua, Baptista’s House—Kate’s Wedding Day
ACT BREAK
IV.i. Verona, Petruchio’s House
IV.ii. Padua, Before Baptista’s House
IV.iii. Verona, Petruchio’s House
IV.iv. Padua, Before Baptista’s House
IV.v. Between Verona and Padua, A Road
V.i. Padua, Before Lucentio’s House
