Shakespeare, William The Taming Of The Shrew Play Critique Essays

Shakespeare, William: The Taming of the Shrew Play Critique A Brutally Honest Critique Recently, the National Shakespeare Company performed a rendition of William Shakespeare's The taming of the Shrew. The play was humorous and allowed for easy interpretation. The comic tone of the play made it a even easier to follow and all the more fun to watch. The play incorporates a variety of literary elements, which the Company did a superb job defining for the audience during the performance. The play is set in Padau, Italy where Luciento, a young gentleman, finds himself heart sick for a young lady named Bianca. Bianca has an older sister Kate, who is quite the ill tempered one. Their father Baptista insists that Kate, the older daughter, must be married off before he will allow Bianca to find a suitor. Petruchio, a gentleman from Verona, arrives in search of both a wife and wealth and decides that Kate's wealth is an even trade off for her rash ways. Comedy manifests itself in the developing plot as Petruchio attempts to "tame" Kate while Luciento, his servant and another of suitor of Bianca dress in disguises and attempt to win over Bianca's heart and her fathers financial interests. Clearly the play was well rehearsed and National Shakespeare Company deserves credit for their performance. Kate, played by Tracie Merrill, did a particularly outstanding job. Her enunciation and honed acting skills truly made the play worth watching. In addition, Petruchio played by Erik Singer, did an especially good job. His wit and charisma contrasted Kate's character well and really pulled the audience into the performance. In general, all of the characters seemed well cast and the use of props was satisfactory. Overall the play was a good performance. The use of literary techniques is evident through an examination of the play. It is clear that plot, theme and characters provided the action and the props provided the setting, combining in the deliverance of a great Shakespearean