Introduction

The words and phrases that Shakespeare uses to achieve a humorous effect are very different from the language contemporary authors would use. By only reading his plays, we don’t always understand what is meant to be funny and why those words or actions are funny. That’s why watching a performance of his comedies, whether live or recorded, can help us truly understand the humor and, therefore, better understand the play as a whole. In this lesson, students will study how actors can bring the humor in Shakespeare’s plays to life. 

Students will first review the scene in The Taming of the Shrew when Katherine and Petruchio first meet. Students will then watch the same scene from the 1967 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Students should pay attention to how the actors deliver their lines, the facial expressions they make, and the action in the scene that is not directed on the page.

Materials

  • The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
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  • The Taming of the Shrew directed by Franco Zeffirelli, 1967

Lesson Objectives

1. Students will review Act 2, Scene 1, lines 176–270 and then watch a performance of the same scene.

2. Students will pay attention to the actors’ delivery of lines, facial expressions, and actions.

3. Students will analyze how watching the actors’ performance helps them better understand the scene.

4. Students will write a well-developed essay explaining how watching the scene helps them understand the rest of the play.

Instructional Sequence

This activity is designed to be completed after students have finished reading The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare.

1. Have students review Act 2, Scene 1, lines 176–270, in the text.

2. Ask students to summarize what happens in the scene. Ask: Does Katherine seem to like Petruchio? Is Petruchio trying to charm Katherine? Do you find their interaction funny? Do you picture them moving around as they talk or standing still? Allow various students to give their opinions.

3. Pass out the Exploring Shakespeare’s Humor Worksheet.

4. Play the scene from the film for students, from 37:43 to 45:20. Have students take notes on their worksheets as they watch. You may want to play the scene more than once so students can pay attention to different aspects with each viewing.

5. After students have watched the scene and taken notes on their worksheets, ask how the actors’ performances brought the scene to life. Discuss as a class certain facial expressions the actors make, such as how Elizabeth Taylor rests her gaze on Petruchio when she sees him for the first time rather than responding immediately. Ask students to consider how each actor’s tone of voice gives away his or her true feelings. Point out how the characters’ actions, such as chasing each other and laughing at one another, make the scene more playful than it seems as written.

6. Have students write an essay explaining how the actors’ performances brought the scene to life as well as how watching the performance helped them understand the rest of the play. For example, students may better understand Katherine’s eventual change of heart after seeing the film.

Differentiated Instruction

This activity can be modified to help all students access learning.
Decrease difficulty

Have students compare their worksheets in small groups, discussing their opinions about the scene with other students.

Increase difficulty

Have students watch another adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, such as the 2016 version directed by Barry Avrich. Have students write an essay comparing and contrasting each film’s version of the scene when Katherine and Petruchio first meet and how the actors’ interpretations help students better understand the characters’ relationship.

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