Page "The Taming of the Shrew" Paragraph 48

Something similar is the case with regard to the Petruchio / Katherina story.

The basic elements of the narrative are present in the 14th-century Castilian tale by Don Juan Manuel of the " young man who married a very strong and fiery woman.

" Again however, there is no evidence that Shakespeare directly used this text during the composition of The Shrew.

Indeed, as with the Induction plot, the story of a headstrong woman tamed by a man was a universal and well known one, found in numerous traditions.

For example, according to The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, Noah ’ s wife was just such an individual ("" Hastow nought herd ", quod Nicholas, " also / The sorwe of Noë with his felaschippe / That he had or he gat his wyf to schipe ""; The Miller ’ s Tale, l. 352 – 354 ).

Historically another such woman is Xanthippe, Socrates ' wife, who is mentioned by Petruchio himself.

Such characters also occur throughout medieval literature, in popular farces both before and during Shakespeare's life, and in folklore.