Sandbox Shakespeare Edition Spring 2021

The SANDBOX

Spring Shakespeare Edition

The Why and
How of
Exploring
Shakespeare
Together
page 4
Eat like
Shakespeare
page 14
Discuss
Big Ideas
page 24

…NO LEGACY IS SO CONTENTS
RICH AS HONESTY.
4 Why Study Shakespeare
—William Shakespeare
All’s Well That Ends Well The why behind the four-week plan
for family fun with Shakespeare’s
The Taming of the Shrew

6 What Shakespeare Knew
about Perpetual Motion
and the Busy Monster

Writer’s Circle article by Jen Greenholt

10 NAMES

A handy breakdown of how what we
do this month helps to cultivate the
Five Core Habits

12 Word Play

Incorporate four Shakespearean words
a week into your everyday family life

14 Eat

Recipes to help you get a taste of the
Renaissance

16 Create

Ideas for activities, poetry, and crafts
to help your family explore through
both verbal and kinesthetic learning
experiences

18 Characters

Familiarize yourself with the characters
of the play

20 Plot Summary

An abridged overview of the entire play

22 Set the Stage

Learn the vocabulary of the theater

24 Discuss Big Ideas

A tool to help your whole family
discuss this month’s focus scene using
the Five Common Topics

26 Annotated Focus Scene

The scene of the play we are focusing
on with words and cultural references
defined alongside the text for easy
understanding

32 Printables

Word play flashcards and two different
memory passages laid out for you in
weekly bite-size pieces for easy print
and display use, along with coloring
pages and paper puppets

Questions? Feedback?
Email [email protected]

Contributors: Amy Jones,
Sarah Pederson, Lin Tomkinson,
Melisa Weaver, Kelli Wilt

2 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

MAY Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
SPECIAL EDITION Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
Shakespeare And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
The works of William Shakespeare And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
have been essential elements in Western And every fair from fair sometime declines,
education. Not only do they exemplify lin- By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
guistic craftsmanship by a master artist, but But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
they also address societal issues with poi- Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
gnant insight. Our Challenge curriculum Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,
includes several of his plays, providing older When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st.
students opportunities to ruminate on his
artistic handling of big ideas. Foundations So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
students may not be ready to grapple with So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
the weightier issues in Shakespeare’s works,
but they are not too young to begin to —William Shakespeare
play with his words, laugh at his jokes, and Sonnet 18
act out parts of the plays he created. Early
playful experiences with Shakespeare can
become the inception of an appreciation for
the beauty found in his work.
You don’t need to be a Shakespearean
expert to understand and enjoy this
month’s focused activities. We have
curated activities for your whole family
to experience the world of Shakespeare
together. These activities will help you to:

• understand and incorporate
Shakespeare’s English into your
everyday life

• explore the food and dress of his time
• familiarize your family with a small

scene from The Taming of the Shrew
(this entire play is read in Challenge I)
• map out a plan to help you memorize
a section over the course of four weeks
and act it out together!
These experiences are designed to bring
delight to all ages and provide a platform
for family fun, as together, you explore
the world of Shakespeare.

3

WHY SHAKESPEARE?

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This summer, no matter where you are in your relationship to Shakespeare, we invite you to
take a journey with us. No experience or expertise will be necessary to begin to understand his
language and digest a bite of the literary feast Shakespeare has served us. Need convincing? Here
are just a few of the many reasons to study Shakespeare with your children:

1. Shakespeare is one of the two greatest literary bedrocks of our English contribution
to Western civilization (the first being the King James Bible).

2. It gives increased vocabulary and literary skills. Helping our children to memorize
and digest small bites of dialogue will help them to slow down and understand each
word.

3. Modern cinema and literature are full of examples from and echoes of Shakespeare’s
works. Knowing the original helps us understand the modern works.

4. Learning the plays of Shakespeare helps us study human nature and grapple with big
life questions.

5. As your children grow in understanding and mastery of Shakespeare, their
self-confidence will also grow.

6. IT’S FUN!

Our goal is to help you as you guide your children (Foundations through Challenge) in
playful exploration of  The Taming of the Shrew. Be prepared to act, memorize, eat, watch,
read, and revel in the world of Shakespeare! Here is the plan:

WEEK 1 WEEK 3
1. Choose another activity to do together.
1. Start by reading the contents of this e-zine and gathering 2. Introduce the next four Shakespearean words into everyday
supplies you may need. (Some activities are specifically aimed
at the youngest learners, while others may be better suited for conversations.
those in high school.) 3. Read through the whole scene again as a family, taking time

2. Read a book such as Bard of Avon: The Story of William to make sure that everyone understands the words. Try using
Shakespeare by Diane Stanley to introduce Shakespeare to your voices or accents to portray the different characters.
children. 4. Post the third-week memory work around your home and
practice as a family. As you recite the memory work, try differ-
3. Start incorporating Shakespeare’s words into everyday ent physical movements that you think would help Biondello
conversations. express himself. Review Week 1 and Week 2 memory work and
see if you can do all three weeks together.
4. Read the brief synopsis of The Taming of the Shrew’s storyline to
your children.

5. After reading the plot synopsis as a family, watch the scene. (A WEEK 4
list of recommended online performances can be found here.)
1. Choose another activity to do together. This is a great week for
6. Choose one of the two memory work options. Discuss Week 1, a Shakespearean feast and production of your scene!
post around your home, and practice daily as a family.

WEEK 2 2. Introduce the next four Shakespearean words into everyday
conversations.

1. Choose an activity to do together. 3. Consider watching the section of the play together again in
2. Introduce the next four Shakespearean words into everyday either a different production or the same production you began
with.
conversations.
3. Ask your children if they remember the characters and basic 4. Review all memory work together and have fun trying to
say it fast, say it slow, and say it with fun voices and staged
plot of the play. Remind them of any parts they have forgotten. movement. Consider performing the whole scene. This could
4. Read the section on iambic pentameter together and play with be done around the dinner table as a radio play, by staging and
dressing in costumes, with finger puppets, with an actionable
the poetic meter. diorama, or with stuffed animals manipulated from behind a
5. Read together and discuss this week’s memory work. Post couch! Have fun with it and take turns playing different roles.

around your home and practice the lines as a family. Try using
silly accents or voices while practicing. Review Week 1 phrases
and put them together with Week 2 as you are able.

6. For Challenge students, read the entire scene out loud together. 5
Take your time and get to know unfamiliar words. Do just a
couple of lines a day for younger children and try to act them
out. It is better to savor a little than lose interest trying to get
through too much.

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What Shakespeare Knew about

Perpetual Motion and the Busy Monster

by Jen Greenholt

I recently asked my mom, a longtime Challenge Tutor, what she planned to do with
her summer, teasing that she would be at a loss for what to do once her students were
gone. She replied that she thought summer leisure time was a myth, adding, “The
time always gets eaten up by other activities.” What an image! I could not help but
envision a great green Busy Monster with garden trowels for hands and dirty plates for
eyes. In my imagination, he was wearing a beach towel for a toga, a camp counselor’s
lanyard, and a pair of paint-splattered sandals. The Busy Monster would go around
finding a spare day on the calendar or a spare hour in the itinerary and gulping it
down like a juicy wedge of watermelon. Anyone found to be idle would be startled
into motion like a reluctant sheep.

The literature lover in me felt intuitively that Shakespeare would approve of my
Busy Monster. He did, after all, coin the phrase “green-eyed monster” in reference to
jealousy, and, furthermore, his characters knew the fear of being perennially active.

In Henry IV, part 2, Shakespeare’s roguish character Falstaff exclaims to the Lord
Chief Justice, “I were better to be eaten to death with a rust than to be scoured to
nothing with perpetual motion” (act 1, scene 2). Now, I am not saying that Falstaff is
an exemplar of industriousness or work ethic (far from it: he lives to eat, drink, and
be merry, as the saying goes), but his statement does invite further thought about
what it means to live in perpetual motion, whether in early modern England or in the
present-day United States.

You see, when Henry IV appeared in English playhouses between 1596 and 1599,
Europe was in the midst of a Renaissance not only of art and theatre, but also of
exploration, invention, and engineering. In the world of invention, perpetual motion
was pursued only a little less hotly than the fabled Fountain of Youth or the philoso-
pher’s stone.

Less than ten years after Shakespeare’s play was written, in 1607, a Dutch
engineer named Cornelius Drebbel would dedicate his “perpetuum motion machine”
to King James I of England. He was not alone. Bavarians, Indians, Frenchmen, and
Italians—including the great Leonardo da Vinci—had been playing with designs for
perpetual motion machines since the eighth century AD. The machines these men
devised ranged from self-moving wheels and self-blowing windmills to overbalancing
weights and water wheels. They used weights, magnets, water, or mercury to produce
and recycle energy. Somehow, every one of these efforts ultimately failed.

By now, you may be wondering, justly, what this long explication of perpetual
motion has to do with the Busy Monster. To answer, I want to draw your attention
to one key fact that the inventors of perpetual motion machines failed to realize:
perpetual motion is only possible in a vacuum. In order for perpetual motion to
continue, friction must be taken out of the equation.

7

Likewise, when we allow our lives to be swept up in thrall to
the Busy Monster, we cannot help but be defeated in our pursuit of
perpetual motion. We are left frustrated and resentful. After all, what
are children, relationships, family, and friends if not a source of fric-
tion? What are the little mishaps that turn into treasured memories?
Friction. What are the wrong turns that produce grand adventures?
Friction. Put simply, when we live in perpetual motion, we leave no
room for the sources of friction that have been placed in our lives to
slow us down and smooth our rough edges.

This summer, I am challenging myself—and you—to fight back
against the Busy Monster. Let go of the dream that you might one
day become the fabled perpetual motion machine. Instead, savor
food. Take time to sit down over a meal with your family or friends.
Close the computer and put away your phone. Notice the food you
put in your mouth. Savor faces. Even if you can give only five min-
utes, share a cup of morning coffee with your spouse or take a short
walk with your teenage son or daughter. Give the face opposite yours
your full attention for those few minutes. Savor words. Rather than
rushing through a long book list, choose a line of poetry or a verse to
relish all day long. Tape it to your mirror. Think about it, one word
at a time. Taste every syllable. Finally, savor friction. Give yourself
permission to laugh at your own mistakes. Watch your children grow
and change before your eyes as they discover and smooth their own
rough edges. Marvel at the beautiful humanity of the people around
you.

After all, who really wants to be a perpetual motion machine? If
we are honest with ourselves, I think we have to admit that the only
one who stands to gain from our perpetual busyness is the one whose
opinion should matter least: the Busy Monster.

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Savor

☐ Take a walk together
☐ Savor a good cup of coffee in the

morning

☐ Take time to play outside with your

children

☐ Savor a kiss goodbye before your

spouse leaves for work

☐ Spend an afternoon at the beach
☐ Use your nicest dishes for a meal

together

☐ Go for a walk and notice the smells of

spring

☐ Wake up early and savor the quiet of

the morning

☐ Choose a Scripture verse and put it

up in the house in multiple places . . .
meditate on it throughout the day

☐ Eat a fresh piece of fruit and savor its

flavor

☐ Lay in the grass and read a good book

out loud

☐ Lay outside and gaze at the stars
☐ Hold hands
☐ Go outside, breathe deeply and inhale

the smell of spring

9

NA

NAMING ATTENDING

Cultivating WORD PLAY READ THROUGH THE
PLOT SUMMARY
the CORE Learn the vocabulary words
HABITS and their definitions each week. Pay attention to who the
They will add fun color to your characters are and what the plot
While conversations. of the story is. Who is your
favorite character? What action
EXPLORING PARTS OF A STORY/ did he or she take?
PLAY
SHAKESPEARE READ THROUGH THE
Help your children discover the ANNOTATIONS OF THE
To learn more parts of a story such as plot, FOCUS SCENE
about the Five Core character, and setting.
Read through the memorization
Habits, refer to IAMBIC PENTAMETER sentences together to make sure
your Foundations that everyone understands what
Learn what meter, iambic, and is being said. Can you find some
Curriculum, unstressed and stressed syllables of the “Word Play” words in the
pages 18–20. mean, and then play with poetic scene?
meter.
SAVOR
SET THE STAGE
Slow down enough to attend to
Get ready for your performance beauty in the details of your life
by learning the lingo of the and savor them.
theater world.

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ME S

MEMORIZING STORYTELLING

DAILY MEMORY WORK EXPRESSING RECITE

Take time each morning to work COOKING Once your family has memo-
on the short sentences from the rized the small bit of memory
memory work. Try a few of the recipes or food work, recite it together, taking
ideas as a way to incorporate turns saying different parts.
WORD PLAY the senses of taste and smell
into your Shakespearean PUPPET SHOW
Practice using the four Shake- experience.
spearean words of the week in Try acting out the plot sum-
everyday conversation. It will be CREATE mary! Have one person read the
fun and will aid in memorizing. summary while puppets do the
There are a number of ideas in actions.
SAVOR the “Create” section to help your
family get expressive! Kinesthetic EAT
One of the ideas on the “Savor learning is a powerful way to ce-
List” is to choose a Scripture ment ideas in the mind through Have your friends or family over
and memorize it, savoring every the “doing” of the body. for a night of Shakespearean fun
word. with a feast and table reading of
COLORING PAGES the focus scene.
EAT
Coloring pages for your children ACT IT OUT
Review the math memory work to enjoy are in the back of the
from Foundations Weeks 12–13 e-zine. Feeling ambitious? Dress in
(teaspoons, tablespoons, and costume and act out the focus
liquid measurements) while CHALLENGE I scene with the dialogue! Create
cooking up some fun recipes. PROJECTS props and a stage setting for
your performance.
It is so exciting to see how
Challenge I students around the RETELLING 11
country are expressing as they
learn from The Taming of the Can you retell the story in your
Shrew! own words? What morals or
lessons can you learn from our
focus scene? Retell the story and
discuss.

WORD PLAY

William Shakespeare was an artist, questioning: (n.) the act of inquiring or interrogating
craftsman, and inventor of words! (As You Like It, act 5, scene 4)
hurry: (v.) to act or move quickly
Our English language bears his fingerprints almost four (The Comedy of Errors, act 5, scene 1)
hundred years after his death. From Shakespeare, we get skim milk: (n.) milk with its cream removed
such phrases as: (Henry IV, part 1, act 2, scene 3)
yelping: (adj.) uttering sharp, high-pitched cries
Dead as a doornail (Henry VI, part 1, act 4, scene 2)
Love is blind lonely: (adj.) feeling sad due to lack of companionship
Bated breath (Coriolanus, act 4, scene 1)
alligator: (n.) a large, carnivorous reptile closely related
Flesh and blood
In a pickle to the crocodile
A sorry sight (Romeo and Juliet, act 5, scene 1)
dwindle (v.) to become smaller and smaller; shrink;
Wild goose chase
Cruel to be kind waste away
Wear your heart on your sleeve (Henry IV, part 1, act 3, scene 3)
downstairs: (adv.) on a lower floor; down the steps
Turn of phrase is only the beginning. In addition to (Henry IV, part 1, act 2, scene 4)
skillfully wielding the words at hand, William Shakespeare eyeball: (n.) the round part of the eye; organ for vision
invented words when he could not find an existing word to (Henry VI, part 1, act 4, scene 7)
suit him.

There are over 1,700 words that
Shakespeare invented or introduced
which are still in use today.

Among them are:* It is unfortunate that the words, which Shakespeare left
bedroom: (n.) a room for sleeping; furnished with a bed behind as a rich and varied legacy, are also the things which
(A Midsummer Night’s Dream, act 2, scene 2) cause many people to stumble. His words can seem foreign
to our ears, and they are often arranged into a word order
puppy dog: (n.) a young, domestic dog which trips over our expectations. However, children are
(King John, act 2, scene 1) verbal sponges, digesting new words and phrases every day.
They will enjoy playing with new words with you, and the
kissing: (ppl. adj.) touching with the lips; exchanging stage will be set for a lifelong love of language.
kisses

(Love’s Labour’s Lost, act 5, scene 2)

* Words and their definitions are found on www.shakespeare.org.uk

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One of the ways you can
encourage delight in the
language of Shakespeare is to
include bits of his English in
everyday conversations.

This month, sixteen words from The Taming of the
Shrew have been curated for you. They were mined
from throughout the entire play and have been selected for
various reasons. Some, like the word “quaff,” were chosen
because they are just plain fun to say. Others such as “me
thinks,” or “passing,” were selected because of the frequent
opportunities you will have to use them.

Here are some easy steps to follow:

1. Print the vocabulary cards as single-sided pages and cut
them apart. There are four per page.

2. Each week, read through four of the words with your
family. A sample sentence has been given to help
launch the use of the word in everyday interactions.

3. Hang the words of the week up in a prominent
location in your home so that all family members see
the words regularly and are reminded to use them.

4. Practice replacing your regular vocabulary with fitting
words from Shakespeare’s world.

It’s that simple! Soon you will be reveling in the bard’s
English as you wax eloquent playing with the words of
Shakespeare!

13

Saffron Broth “TrenchersT”renchers

Feeling adventurous? Try this Before plates were common, people 2. Place dough on a lightly floured sur-
recipe taken right out of the 1525 ate their food on thick slices of stale face and knead for 15–20 minutes
Italian cookbook, Platina. bread called “trenchers.” Trenchers are (10 minutes in a stand mixer).
mentioned in eleven of Shakespeare’s
7 egg yolks plays. Food would be served on the 3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl
2 T. verjuice (or 1 T. vinegar + bread, and then at the end of the meal, and allow to rise for at least an hour
the trencher could be eaten with sauce (dough will not double in size, but it
1 T. water) or gravy; however, they were more should puff up).
21 oz. (2 cans) chicken broth frequently given as alms to the poor.
1/8 tsp. loose saffron 4. Knock air out of the dough and
1/2 tsp. cinnamon INGREDIENTS form into a ball. Allow to puff up
“spices”: 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1 c. whole wheat flour for 20 minutes.
½ c. dark rye flour
1/8 tsp. nutmeg ½ c. oat flour 5. Place a baking sheet into the oven
dry yeast (1 packet) and preheat to 450° F.
STEPS 2 ½ c. warm water
Put thirty egg yolks, verjuice, the 6. Score the loaf and put it in the
juice of veal or capon, saffron, a little (Instead of dark rye and oat flour, you oven for 10 minutes, then drop
cinnamon together into a bowl and can use any other whole wheat flour the temperature to 375° F for 20
blend. Pass them through a strainer you wish. If using whole wheat, the minutes or until the loaf is baked
into a pot. Cook it down slowly and dough must be kneaded until stiff. through.
stir it continuously with a spoon until Brush the outside with water for a
it begins to thicken. For then it is tak- more supportive crust.) 7. Remove the loaf from the oven and
en from the hearth and served to ten allow to cool completely. Once cool,
guests. While in the dishes, sprinkle STEPS do not wrap the loaf, but leave out
with spices. 1. Mix ingredients together in a large to become stale (3–5 days). Then
slice horizontally, 2" thick.
bowl, and work to bring together
into a ragged dough.

AT.

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Quick & Simple

Eating like they did in Shakespeare’s
time doesn’t require an afternoon in the
kitchen! Take these shortcuts to get “close
enough” for some culinary fun.

Peasants did not eat much meat.
Instead, they ate mush or soup for
almost every meal. Mush was a boiled
grain such as oats, grits, polenta, or
wheat. Try a bowl of cheesy polenta
topped with an egg or a bowl of
oatmeal.

Try a pot of soup and crusty bread.

Grilled TTurkey Legs During feasts, there were many types
of meat served such as swan, peacock,
Start by brining your turkey legs for eight hours or overnight. You will need: goose, rabbit, turkey, or venison. Try
roasting a meat you haven’t had
INGREDIENTS before, such as venison, goose, or a
1 gal. water whole turkey cooked on a grill.
1 c. kosher salt
1/4 c. brown sugar At the end of the meal for dessert, a
8 turkey legs “fruit course” was often served that
(You might consider adding aromatics to your brine, such as peppercorns, included fruit, nuts, cheeses, and
rosemary, bay leaves, and thyme, to suit your taste.) jellies.
Try serving a tray with fruit, nuts,
STEPS cheeses, and jellies for dessert.
1. In a large container, combine brining ingredients and stir until dissolved.
Common vegetables were carrots,
2. Add turkey legs, making sure they are completely submerged. Cover and potatoes, and asparagus.
refrigerate.

3. Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse well, and dry with paper towels. Junket
4. Grill directly over coals, turning every 5 minutes until skin is crispy.
5. Move turkey legs to a location of non-direct heat, shut lid, and let cook for Junket, a type of jam, is mentioned
as being served at Katherine and
approximately 40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest Petruchio’s wedding feast. Junket is
part of the leg reaches 165° F. made by mixing gelatin, sugar, and
cream, then molding the mixture into
Fun Facts a wine glass to make a wobbly dessert
not unlike Jell-O™.

• During the Renaissance, most people ate with their hands! Here is a simplified version of a
• The first cookbook during the Renaissance was the English On Right junket:
Use either a cook-and-serve or instant
Pleasure, published in 1475, followed by the German Kuchenmeystery lemon Jell-O™, chill in wine glasses,
(1485), the English Boke of Cookery (1500), and the Italian Platina (1525). and add a teaspoon of jam on top
before serving.

15

The Globe Theatre Family Crest

Consider making a three-dimensional When Katherine first meets Petruchio Your children could design a family
model of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. in act 2, scene 1 of The Taming of the crest and Coat of Arms:
You could do this out of Popsicle® Shrew, they are having an agitated 1. Draw a family crest and Coat
sticks or toothpicks, or by printing banter during which she asks him
out the free paper model from about his crest: “What is your crest? of Arms on a piece of paper.
papertoys.com. A coxcomb?” (A coxcomb was a type (Consider going to https://visual.ly/
of a hat that was worn by fools and community/Infographics/history/
Make Puppets jesters.) A family crest is a symbol used beginners-guide-understanding-
to identify families or individuals. They coat-arms to learn more about the
A fun way to act out a scene of The were commonly used throughout the design and symbology of the Coat
Taming of the Shrew is with puppets. eleventh through seventeenth centuries, of Arms.)
There are many variations of puppets and they included symbols which 2. Cut cardboard or poster board into
that can be made. Sock puppets, finger represented a family’s achievements or shields, or large butcher paper into
puppets, wooden spoons with the status in society. Common symbols banners.
spoon section decorated to be a face, for family crests included a lion, 3. Use acrylic or tempera paint to
or even drawings that are colored and cross, tiger, horse, and many more. paint your design onto the shield or
taped to the end of Popsicle® sticks The family crest was placed at the crest, banner.
are just some of the types of puppets or top, of a knight’s Coat of Arms
that can be made. A wonderful set of which decorated his shield, horses’
paper dolls have been created based coverings, and flag.
on the drawings of Ingrid Olson, a
Challenge I student from Rochester,
Minnesota, that can be used to create
your scene.

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REATE.

Iambic Pentameter Build a Lute

Shakespeare wrote the majority of First WERE we SAD, Signior Baptista pays for music lessons
The Taming of the Shrew (about fearING you WOULD on the lute while his daugher Bianca
80 percent) in a poetic meter (or not COME, waits for her older sister to be mar-
rhythm) called iambic pentameter. ried. Your children can build their own
Now SADder THAT you lute out of simple materials.
Iamb: Two syllables (called a foot) COME so UNproVIDed.
made of one unstressed syllable and MATERIALS
one stressed syllable. (Examples: Fie, DOFF* this HABit,
deLIGHT, the SUN, my LOVE) SHAME to YOUR esTATE • large cereal or cracker box
• cardboard tube
Pentameter: A line with five feet. (A An EYEsore TO our SOLemn • scissors
foot is comprised of one unstressed FEStiVAL. • rubber bands
and one stressed syllable; therefore, • duct tape
pentameter is five sets of unstressed/ Here are some fun ways to explore
stressed syllables.) this poetic meter with your DIRECTIONS
family:
“Amazing Grace” is written with an 1. Cut a hole on the front of the box
iambic meter: • compose notes to one another for the sound hole and on top of
aMAZing GRACE, how SWEET the in iambic pentameter the box to attach the guitar neck.
SOUND that SAVED a WRETCH
like ME! • sing the nursery rhyme “Jack 2. Make small cuts around one end
and Jill” and listen for iambic of the tube.
Here are some lines from act 3, meter
scene 2 of The Taming of the Shrew 3. Insert the bottom of the tube into
that are said by Signior Baptista to • look for iambic pentameter in the hole at the top of box and
Petruchio when Petruchio arrives late the memory lines secure with duct tape.
for his wedding to Katherine, dressed
in strange clothes and riding on a • write a poem or small scene in 4. Wrap rubber bands from the top
sickly horse. iambic pentameter of the tube to the bottom of the
box, securing them in the cuts you
made before. Tape in place.

* Fie is an expression of anger or disgust, and doff means to take off. 5. Encourage your child to rock out 17
with his or her favorite song or
one he or she creates.

The Taming In our focus scene: In the rest of the play:
of the Shrew Katherine: the oldest daughter of Bianca: younger daughter of Signior

CHARACTERS Signior Baptista; known throughout Baptista; pursued by Gremio, Hortensio,
her town of Padua for her angry and and Lucentio but cannot marry until her
aggressive temperament older sister is married

Signior Baptista: a very wealthy Hortensio: a suitor to Bianca;

man in the city of Padua who has two disguises himself as Litio, the music tutor
daughters: Katherina and Bianca
Lucentio: the son of Vincentio; is in
Tranio: the servant of Lucentio; at the
love with Bianca and disguises himself as
beginning of the play, he and Lucentio a tutor to Bianca to win her
agree to switch identities in order to aid
Lucentio in obtaining Bianca’s love Gremio: an older foolish man who

Biondello: the servant of Lucentio wants to marry Bianca
Vincentio: a gentleman of Pisa and the
Petruchio: a man from Verona, who, father of Lucentio

hearing of Katherine with her dowry and Widow: marries Hortensio at the end
mad temperament, decides to marry her
to obtain her money and tame her of the play

Grumio: Petruchio’s servant

18 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

BBC Television PERFORMANCES
Shakespeare (1980)

Starring John Cleese and Sarah Badel
(Amazon Prime)
Act 3, scene 2: 53:37
Memorization section: 55:00

Royal Shakespeare
Company on Broadway
(2019)

Starring Amanda Harris and Joseph Arkley
(Amazon Broadway Channel)
Act 3, scene 2: 1:06:35
Memorization section: 1:09:56
*All the men’s roles are played by women
and the women’s roles played by men in
this version. This odd role reversal draws
attention to interesting aspects of the
story and the memory work is delivered
in the fastest monologue ever!

The Taming of the Shrew
(1967)

Starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard
Burton (rent or buy on Amazon)
Act 3, scene 2: 54:04
Memorization section: 59:00
There is a great deal of cinematographic
license taken with this version (including
script changes) which help the viewer
understand the emotions and societal
pressures of the scene.
Look for a live performance near you!

19

TheP LOT S U M M A RY Taming ACT 1
of the Shrew
Lucentio, a young man who has
traveled from Florence with his servant
Tranio, arrives in the city of Padua
and secretly witnesses an interesting
scene. They see Signior Baptista with
his daughters Katherine and Bianca,
and two men. Both of the men are
asking to marry Bianca, but Baptista
refuses to even consider the option
until the older daughter Katherine is
married. The problem, as the two men
point out, is that Kate is so unruly and
aggressive that no one wants to marry
her. Resolved in his decision, Baptista
decides to hire tutors for his girls so
that can continue their education until
Kate is married.

Lucentio, who has been listening and Most scholars agree that William Shakespeare wrote thirty-eight plays
watching, reveals to Tranio that he has altogether: twelve were histories, twelve were tragedies, and fourteen were
fallen utterly in love with Bianca. The comedies, such as The Taming of the Shrew.
two make a plan to switch identities so
that Lucentio can disguise himself as ACT 2
her tutor in hopes that he will win her
love. Kate enters, dragging her tied-up sister and yelling at
Shortly after this, Petruchio and his her. The audience gets a little glimpse into the jealousy
servant Grumio arrive in Padua. and feelings of rejection that are fueling Kate’s anger.
Petruchio has come to town to find a Baptista enters, the girls leave, and the men arrive.
wealthy woman to marry so that he can Hortensio and Gremio offer to pay for tutors for the
have her dowry. His friend, Hortensio, girls in hopes of winning favor with Baptista and Bianca.
informs him he knows just the woman. Baptista accepts the gifts of tutors, is introduced to
He tells Petruchio of her dowry and Petruchio, and discusses Kate’s dowry. Baptista says that
that she is an unmanageable and rough when he has won her love, then he may marry her.
woman. Petruchio doesn’t care. He Petruchio then meets Kate, complimenting her profusely
declares that he will marry any woman in spite of the knowledge he has of her temperament.
if her dowry is large enough. Hortensio Kate does not kindly receive his words and a banter of
agrees to introduce Petruchio to Signior insults results. Despite Kate’s angry rejection of his ad-
Baptista, and on their way, they meet vances, Petruchio proclaims to her father they are in love
Gremio. Tranio goes along. and will be married the next Sunday!

20 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

ACT 3 Hortensio. The final scene of the play is at the wedding
party. The men make a bet to see whose wife will come
The wedding day arrives, and all is ready, but Petruchio when called. Lucentio and Hortensio call for their wives
does not appear at the appointed time. When he finally and they don’t come, but when Petruchio calls for Kate,
arrives, he is dressed in old, mismatched clothing and much to everyone’s surprise, she comes right away and
riding on a disease-ridden old horse, purposely causing makes a speech to all about a wife’s duty to her husband.
an uproar. At the wedding ceremony, he acts without Petruchio and newly tamed Kate leave the banquet.
decorum and then insists he and Kate leave without
attending the wedding banquet.

When the newlyweds arrive at Petruchio’s house, Kate is
denied food or sleep as part of Petruchio’s plan to tame
her. Back at Baptista’s house, Hortensio realizes that
Bianca is in love with her tutor, Cambio (the real Lu-
centio). He renounces his pursuit of Bianca and vows to
marry a rich widow. This makes opportunity for Lucen-
tio to marry Bianca; however, Baptista says he must meet
Vincentio, Lucentio’s father, in order to confirm Lucen-
tio’s riches. Tranio finds a stranger and convinces him
to impersonate Vincentio. After a conversation with the
imposter, Baptista agrees to the marriage, Biondello in-
forms Cambio (the real Lucentio), and a secret marriage
between Bianca and the real Lucentio is arranged.

Back at Petruchio’s house, Kate is under the hand of
Petruchio’s seemingly erratic behavior. When he finally
provides Kate with some food, he threatens to remove it
if she doesn’t thank him properly. Next, he offers her fine
clothing to wear to her sister’s wedding, only to
reject the dress and hat when they are brought to the
house. Once they finally are on their way to the
wedding, Petruchio claims the sun is the moon
and refuses to let the traveling party continue
until Kate agrees with him. She realizes that if
she agrees with whatever he says, they will move
forward, but if she argues, he threatens to return
home. They meet the real Vincentio on the
way, and he travels with them.

Confusion and hilarity ensue when Vincen- This lovely Elizabethan dress is similar to one Katherine or
tio comes upon Baptista and the man imper- Bianca would have worn during the Renaissance time period.
sonating him and announces his identity.
Eventually, all truth comes out, and
Lucentio and Bianca share that they have
been secretly married. The play ends
with a banquet in honor of all the
newlyweds: Kate and Petruchio, Bianca
and Lucentio, and the Widow and

21

Set the Stage

After you have worked to act: (n.) one of the main
memorize your lines, it is divisions of a play; (v.) to
time to set the stage and pretend
put on a performance! actor/actress: (n.) a man or woman who acts in a stage play,
Here is a list of words that motion picture, or television show
you will need to know applause: (n.) hand clapping as a demonstration of approval,
in order to further your appreciation, or acclamation
career in the theater! audience: (n.) the group of spectators at a public event such as a
theater or concert
audition: (n.) to try or compete to obtain an acting role in a
play, movie, or television show
blocking: (v.) the process of arranging moves to be made by the
actors during a play
“break a leg”: a superstitious and widely accepted alternative to
“good luck”
cast: (n.) the people acting in a play
cue: (n.) 1) the command given to technical departments to
carry out operations such as lighting cue, fly cue, or sound
cue, 2) any signal (spoken line, action, or count) that indicates
another action should follow, such as: “The actor’s cue to enter
is when the maid says, ‘I hear someone coming!’”
curtain call: (n.) The bows actors make at the end of the perfor-
mance when the audience gives applause.
cut: (v.) to stop a scene
dress rehearsal: (n.) a full rehearsal, with all technical and cre-
ative elements brought together

22 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

farce: (n.) a light, particular spot, as on a small area of a stage or in a
humorous play in which the plot depends television studio, for making some object, person, or
upon a skillfully exploited situation rather group especially conspicuous
than upon the development of a character stage directions: downstage: (n.) the part of the stage
front house: (n.) every part of the theater in closest to the audience
front of the stage; includes foyer areas open to stage directions: stage right/left: (n.) right/left as seen
the general public from the actor’s point of view on stage
house: (n.) the area where the audience sits stage directions: upstage: (n.) the part of the stage
lines: (n.) words in a script that are to be spoken by the furthest from the audience
actors understudy: (v.) to learn a role in order to replace the
monologue: (n.) a form of dramatic entertainment, regular actor or actress if necessary
comedic solo, or the like by a single speaker wings: (n.) the out-of-view areas which are to either
playwright: (n.) a person who writes plays side of the acting area of the stage
prop: (n.) furnishings, set dressings, and all items large
and small which cannot be classified as scenery or “All the world’s a
wardrobe stage, and all the
rehearsal: (n.) a session of practice, usually private, in men and women
preparation for a public performance merely players.”
scene: (n.) a division of a play or of an act of a play,
usually representing what passes between certain AsYou Like It, act 2, scene 7
actors in one place
set: (n.) the complete stage setting for a scene or act
soliloquy: (n.) an utterance or discourse by a person
who is talking to himself or herself or is disregarding
of or oblivious to any hearers present
spot light: (n.)
a strong,
focused light
thrown
upon a

23

Homeschooling provides
a platform for parents to
disciple their children through
their education journey. By

reading literature together and discussing
it, we have a rich opportunity to talk about the relationships, decisions, and consequences of
the characters, and from them, to learn important values and lessons.

The way we approach our discussion sets the tone for our discipleship. A
question-driven conversation seeks to draw out the child and their thoughts. This enables us to
intimately know the precious souls God has entrusted into our care, and it gives us
the opportunity to speak truth into their lives. Handle their opinions gently
by listening to their thoughts quietly and responding with further
questions. If your children have perspectives that you find
concerning, first pause and breathe, and then think of a
Common T question that might help them grow in their biblical
world view on the topic. For example, “I hear you
saying that you think marriage is an outdated,
man-made institution. Do you know of
any Scriptures that talk about God’s
perspective on marriage?”
We can craft questions to help
us explore any topic from five
different vantage points. These
vantage points are called “The
Five Common Topics.” On
opics the right, you will see a
list of questions for each
of the Five Common
Topics. We encourage you to
use these questions as a launch-
ing pad to launch your family’s
discussion about our focus scene
from The Taming of the Shrew.
You do not have to use them all.
Use the ones you like and consider
creating more of your own to guide
the conversation where you would like
it to go.

24 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

DEFINITION May the Lord fill
your summer with
What is a purpose of a wedding? conversations that
What is a bride? What is a groom?
What was Petruchio’s original motivation for marriage? are full of His
What is a dowry? life-transforming
What does propriety mean? What does etiquette mean?
What is a rhetorical device? What are metaphor, simile, alliteration, assonance, presence.
anaphora, riddle, and epistrophe? (All are found in our scene. See Rhetoric Triv-
ium Table or Wakeful Words for clues.) 25

COMPARISON

How does Petruchio’s outfit compare to a regular groom?
What was Katherine’s opinion of Petruchio when he was late to the wedding?
What is Tranio’s?
How are they the same, and how are they different?
Compare the role of women in society today to that in the play.

RELATIONSHIP

Why was Baptista worried that Petruchio would not follow through and come
to marry Katherine?
Why did Baptista say he was “sadder” once Petruchio arrived?
What happens in a relationship when you offend the other person? In what
ways did Petruchio offend Katherine and Baptista? What do you think his
motives were?
How could the arrival of Petruchio and the affect Bianca and her Prospects?

CIRCUMSTANCE

Why was Signior Baptista worried about Petruchio’s arrival? (late)
Are appearances indicators of character? Why or why not?
What legal transaction took place that would cause Petruchio to compare
Katherine to his oxen and physical belongings?
Where did this story take place?

TESTIMONY

How did Shakespeare describe Petruchio’s appearance when he came to the
wedding?
What Bible verses relate to our scene?
Have you ever attended a wedding?
How did the bride and groom look and behave?
What was Katherine afraid people would say about her if Petruchio didn’t
come? What does the Bible say about marriage?

The Taming of the Shrew

Act 3, Scene 2

Below is the portion of the play that is our focus. The left column is the dialogue of the script, and in the right
column you will find definitions and explanations to the highlighted words in the text. There are two memory work
portions. Choose the one that best suits your family. The pink box is a very simple comedic interchange between
Signior Baptista and Biondello as Biondello announces Petruchio is finally arriving for the wedding. The second,
which is boxed in blue, is a detailed description of what Petruchio and his horse look like as they come down the
road.

BAPTISTA ’pointed day: appointed day
[To TRANIO] Signior Lucentio, this is the mockery: subject of ridicule
’pointed day.
That Katherine and Petruchio should be married,
And yet we hear not of our son-in-law.
What will be said? What mockery will it be,
To want the bridegroom when the priest attends
To speak the ceremonial rites of marriage?
What says Lucentio to this shame of ours?

KATHERINE forsooth: truly, certainly, indeed
No shame but mine: I must, forsooth, be forced rudesby: ruffian, unmannerly fellow
To give my hand, opposed against my heart full of spleen: full of irritability, malice, bad temper
Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen; woo’d: won over, persuaded, coaxed
Who woo’d in haste and means to wed at leisure. bitter: sharp, shrewd, keen
I told you, I, he was a frantic fool, jests: amusements
Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behavior: blunt behavior: rough, unrefined, uncivilized behavior
And, to be noted for a merry man, banns: curse, malediction
He’ll woo a thousand, ’point the day of marriage,
Make feasts, invite friends, and proclaim the banns;
Yet never means to wed where he hath woo’d.
Now must the world point at poor Katherine,
And say, ‘Lo, there is mad Petruchio’s wife,
If it would please him come and marry her!’

TRANIO, as Lucentio passing: very
Patience, good Katherine, and Baptista too. withal: nevertheless, notwithstanding
Upon my life, Petruchio means but well,
Whatever fortune stays him from his word:
Though he be blunt, I know him passing wise;
Though he be merry, yet withal he’s honest.

KATHERINE
Would Katherine had never seen him though!
(Exits weeping, followed by BIANCA and others)

BAPTISTA vex: afflict, torment, torture
Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep;
For such an injury would vex a very saint,
Much more a shrew of thy impatient humor.

(Enter BIONDELLO)

26 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

BIONDELLO jerkin: close fitting jacket (often made of leather)
Master, master! News, old news, and such news as you never breeches: pants, trousers
heard of! thrice-turned: worn until soiled and then turned inside out
BAPTISTA
Is it new and old too? How may that be? and worn (three times over)
BIONDELLO that have been candle-cases: the boots were used to store old
Why, is it not news to hear of Petruchio’s coming?
BAPTISTA candles
Is he come? ta’en: taken
BIONDELLO town-armory: location in town where men train, as well as
Why, no, sir.
BAPTISTA store their arms
What then? hilt: the handle of a sword, dagger, or knife
BIONDELLO chapeless: without a sheath
He is coming. two broken points: tagged lace (especially for attaching hose
BAPTISTA
When will he be here? to the doublet)
BIONDELLO hipped: with an injured hip, lame
When he stands where I am, and sees you there. of no kindred: the stirrups didn’t match
TRANIO, as Lucentio glanders: horse disease affecting the nose and jaw
But say, what to thine old news? like to mose in the chine: end stage of glanders
BIONDELLO lampass: horse disease affecting the mouth
Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an old fashions: horse disease affecting the nose and mouth
jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, a pair wingdalls: soft tumor on a horse’s leg
of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled,
another laced, an old rusty sword ta’en out of the
town-armory, with a broken hilt, and chapeless;
with two broken points: his horse hipped with an
old mothy saddle and stirrups of no kindred;
besides, possessed with the glanders and like to mose
in the chine; troubled with the lampass, infected
with the fashions, full of wingdalls, sped with
spavins, rayed with yellows, past cure of the fives,
stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the
bots, swayed in the back and shoulder-shotten;
near-legged before and with a half-chequed bit
and a head-stall of sheep’s leather which, being
restrained to keep him from stumbling, hath been
often burst and now repaired with knots; one girth
six time pieced and a woman’s crupper of velure,
which hath two letters for her name fairly set down
in studs, and here and there pieced with packthread.

27

BAPTISTA sped with: to bring an end to
Who comes with him? spavins: swelling of a horse’s leg joint
BIONDELLO rayed with yellows: disfigure, stain or blemish with jaundice
O, sir, his lackey, for all the world caparisoned fives: horse disease of parotid gland
like the horse; with a linen stock on one leg and a staggers: horse disease marked by a staggering movement
kersey boot-hose on the other, gartered with a red begnawn with the bots: gnaw away by stomach worms
and blue list; an old hat and the humor of forty
fancies’ pricked in ’t for a feather: a monster, a affecting horses
very monster in apparel, and not like a Christian near-legged before: knock-kneed in front legs
footboy or a gentleman’s lackey. half-chequed bit: has only one of the two needed parts
TRANIO, as Lucentio head stall: part of a horse’s bridle that goes over the head
’Tis some odd humor pricks him to this fashion; Yet girth: a belt which goes around the horses belly and holds the
oftentimes he goes but mean-apparell’d.
BAPTISTA saddle in place
I am glad he’s come, howsoe’er he comes. crupper of velure: saddle-strap on a horse usually made of
BIONDELLO
Why, sir, he comes not. leather
BAPTISTA lackey: footman, minion, flunky
Didst thou not say he comes? caparisoned: dressed, decked out, arrayed
BIONDELLO stock: stocking
Who? That Petruchio came? kersey: coarsely woven plain woolen cloth
BAPTISTA boot-hose: over-stocking covering the whole lower leg
Ay, that Petruchio came! gartered: a band worn around the leg to keep up a stocking or
BIONDELLO
No, sir, I say his horse comes with him on his back. sock
BAPTISTA list: cloth edging
Why, that’s all one. the humor of forty fancies pricked in ’t for a feather: forty

holes pricked in the hat for a feather
pricks: urges, incites
mean-apparell’d: humbly dressed, in poor clothes

Ay: Yes

28 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

BIONDELLO Nay: denial, refusal, rejection
Nay, by Saint Jamy,
I hold you a penny, gallants: fine gentlemen of fashion
A horse and a man
Is more than one, Not so well apparell’d: Not so well dressed
And yet not many. methinks: I think
(Enter PETRUCHIO and GRUMIO) goodly: splendid, excellent, fine
PETRUCHIO prodigy: omen, portent, sign
Come, where be these gallants? Who’s at home? unprovided: unprepared
BAPTISTA fie: an exclamation of disgust or indignation
You are welcome, sir. doff: throw off, get rid of
PETRUCHIO habit: outfit
And yet I come not well. estate: rank or station
BAPTISTA import: importance
And yet you halt not. hither: here
TRANIO, as Lucentio
Not so well apparell’d as I wish you were.
PETRUCHIO
Were it better I should rush in thus.
But where is Kate? Where is my lovely bride?
How does my father? Gentles, methinks you frown:
And wherefore gaze this goodly company,
As if they saw some wondrous monument,
Some comet or unusual prodigy?
BAPTISTA
Why, sir, you know this is your wedding day:
First were we sad, fearing you would not come;
Now sadder, that you come so unprovided.
Fie, doff this habit, shame to your estate,
An eye-sore to our solemn festival!
TRANIO, as Lucentio
And tell us, what occasion of import
Hath all so long detain’d you from your wife,
And sent you hither so unlike yourself?
PETRUCHIO
Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear:
Sufficeth I am come to keep my word,
Though in some part enforced to digress;
Which, at more leisure, I will so excuse
As you shall well be satisfied withal.
But where is Kate? I stay too long from her:
The morning wears, ’tis time we were at church.

29

TRANIO, as Lucentio unreverent: disrespectful, unseemly
See not your bride in these unreverent robes:
Go to my chamber, put on clothes of mine. Good sooth: Truly
ha’: contracted form of have
PETRUCHIO accoutrements: clothes
Not I, believe me: thus I’ll visit her.
BAPTISTA mad attire: strange, bizarre, weird clothes
But thus, I trust, you will not marry her.
PETRUCHIO
Good sooth, even thus; therefore ha’ done with words:
To me she’s married, not unto my clothes:
Could I repair what she will wear in me,
As I can change these poor accoutrements,
’Twere well for Kate and better for myself.
But what a fool am I to chat with you,
When I should bid good morrow to my bride,
And seal the title with a lovely kiss!
(PETRUCHIO exits, with GRUMIO.)
TRANIO, as Lucentio
He hath some meaning in his mad attire:
We will persuade him, be it possible,
To put on better ere he go to church.
BAPTISTA
I’ll after him, and see the event of this.

All definitions are from Shakespeare’s Words: A Glossary & Language Companion by David Crystal and Ben Crystal.

30 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Where Did Shakespeare Stage His Plays?

William Shakespeare started his career in the theater world as an actor, but he also became a savvy businessman and a play-
wright. In 1599, Shakespeare and other actors/investors pooled their money and built The Globe Theatre. It was named “The
Globe” because of a famous Latin saying, Totus mundus agit histrionem, which means “The whole world is a playhouse.” This
Latin phrase became the motto of the playhouse. When The Globe Theatre opened, the motto was inscribed above the door of
the theater and placed on a flag which pictured Hercules holding the globe on his shoulders.
The building itself was a three-story, twenty-sided (almost round) amphitheater with a thatched roof above the seating area, a
covered staged that jutted out into the middle of the circle, and an area for the cheaper admission attendees who were willing
to stand in front of the stage no matter the weather. Because there were no lights in the theater and because they did not have
money to light the entire theater with candles, plays were held at two o’clock in the afternoon so that they would be well lit.
The original investment in the theater paid off! The Globe Theatre was the first to be built specifically for an existing acting
company and financed by the company itself. The company did well. Shakespeare wrote many plays to be performed at “The
Globe,” including As You Like It, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Othello, All’s Well That Ends Well, and many others. The original the-
ater burnt to the ground in 1613 as the result of the thatched roof catching fire from a cannon shot during a performance of
Henry VIII. This did not stop Shakespeare and his friends. Because of the success of The Globe Theatre, the company of actors
had enough money to rebuild even better than before. Shakespeare and his friends were both talented actors and businessmen,
leaving a legacy that has endured.

31

good sooth: give me leave: 32 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
in truth permit me to
continue
Good sooth, I love
summer the best. Give me leave for fifteen more
minutes please.
belike: perhaps,
probably tarry: wait

Why isn’t the garden growing Tarry here while I go get
well? Belike for want of water. the snacks.

33

quaff: drink me thinks: I think

Did you quaff all your milk? Me thinks I shall go for a walk.
Yes, I quaffed all my milk.

passing: very bid: invite

I am passing hungry! I bid you to come to the beach
When will dinner be ready? with us for the afternoon.

ere: before stay my leisure: 34 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
wait until I am
We need to do what we ready
have to do ere we do
what we want to do. Can we leave yet? No, you will
have to stay my leisure.
forthwith:
immediately would: wish

Please wash the I would we could
dishes forthwith! go to the park.

35

quoth: said plash: puddle or
small pool
What time did your dad say
you needed to be home? It just rained. May I go splash
in the plashes?
“At ten o’clock,” quoth he.

savors: odors bestraught:
distracted
I smell sweet savors; what are
you baking? Have you finished your chores?
No, I have been bestraught with

my phone.

36 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Memory Pages
Option 1

These pages contain lines 41–62 from act 3, scene 2.

  On the following pages you will find two sections of memory work. The first is an easy comedic
interplay, and the second is an advanced section with challenging vocabulary. There are pages for
three weeks. The fourth week, practice saying the entirety each day. As you memorize the lines,
read through the accompanying notes together, in order to make sure everyone understands what
is being said in each phrase.

BIONDELLO
Master, master! News, old news, and such
news as you never heard of!

 

BAPTISTA
Is it new and old too? How may that be?

Option 1, Week 1, page 1

38 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. BIONDELLO
Why, is it not news, to hear of Petruchio’s
coming?

 

BAPTISTA
Is he come?

BIONDELLO
Why, no, sir.

Option 1, Week 2, page 1

BAPTISTA
What then?

 

BIONDELLO
He is coming.

Option 1, Week 2, page 2

39

40 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. BAPTISTA
When will he be here?

 

BIONDELLO
When he stands where I am, and sees you
there.

Option 1, Week 3, page 1

BIONDELLO
Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an
old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice-turned,
a pair of boots that have been candle-cases,
one buckled, another laced;

Option 2, Week 1, page 1

41

42 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. BIONDELLO
an old rusty sword taken out of the town
armory, with a broken hilt, and chapeless; with
two broken points; his horse hipped with an
old mothy saddle and stirrups of no kindred;

 

Option 2, Week 1, page 2

BIONDELLO
besides, possessed with the glanders and like
to mose in the chine; troubled with the
lampass, infected with the fashions,

 

Option 2, Week 2, page 1

43

44 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. BIONDELLO
full of wingdalls, sped with spavins, rayed with
yellows, past cure of the fives, stark spoiled
with the staggers, begnawn with the bots,
swayed in the back and shoulder-shotten;

Option 2, Week 2, page 2

BIONDELLO
near-legged before and with a half-chequed
bit and a head-stall of sheep’s leather which,
being restrained to keep him from stumbling,
hath been often burst and now repaired with
knots;

 
Option 2, Week 3, page 1

45

46 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. BIONDELLO
one girth six time pieced and a woman’s
crupper of velure, which hath two letters for
her name fairly set down in studs, and here
and there pieced with packthread.

 

Option 2, Week 3, page 2

Shakespeare's
Globe theatre

1 fold

3

fold fold
2 1

fold fold 3
2 fold
Folding instruction
fold
47

48 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

49

50 © 2021 Classical Conversations® MultiMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.