ENG 4140 DMWA Berggren
PAPER ASSIGNMENT
The significance of fashion in
The Taming of the Shrew
DUE: Tuesday, 20 September
LENGTH: 2-3 double-spaced word-processed pages
TOPIC: Petruchio pays a great deal of attention to clothing and fashion, both for himself and for Katharine, and in one of the central scenes in the play, he ostentatiously rejects a gown that has been custom made for his new bride. In this essay, you are to offer a close reading of the passage in which he justifies his sartorial philosophy (4.3.166-81) and then to speculate on the reasons why he and the play demonstrate so much interest in choice of clothes.
WRITING PAPERS: Re-read the play, keeping in mind the particular focus that you need to discuss. Make note of any speeches or actions that seem related to this focus, so that you have a sense of the context in which they occur. Then find an organizing idea that will provide you with a thesis statement—the key point that you want to make. Remember that an essay needs an introduction that leads to a statement of your thesis: it should be several sentences in length and include brief reference to the play’s title and any information that seems relevant to your theme. Please do not bother with broad generalizations that, for example, extol Shakespeare or explain what the Renaissance was. Consider, instead, your reader’s needs: your audience is another student who has read the play but not re-read it or thought about it. Guide that student to understand the key points you want to make without reviewing plot materials that will already be familiar. Follow this with the body of your essay, in which you support your thesis from different perspectives, in several paragraphs. And then end in a conclusion that does not simply repeat what you’ve already said, but rather suggests why it was important to say it. A good conclusion answers the challenge: so what? Once you finish your first draft, review it to check that your thesis really leads into what you’ve actually said. It is often necessary to reshape your thesis if your ideas have taken you in a new direction. And when you know what you’ve argued, be sure to pick an appropriate title for your paper.
WRITING THIS PAPER: Spend most of your time on a careful explication of Petruchio’s speech, explaining his choice of language and the resulting tone of his words. What kinds of comparisons does he draw? Of what is he trying to convince Kate? Once you have dealt with these specifics, move on to the broader interpretive question. What do clothes have to do with establishing the kind of marriage he wants to achieve with his new wife? Based on your understanding of this scene and others, what is your evaluation of the relationship he seeks with her?
