Excerpts from "The Taming of the Shrew"

In the reading excerpts from the first two acts of William Shakespeare's play "The Taming of the Shrew," the audience is introduced to Petruchio and his love for money. This sets the stage for how far he would go to woo a willful woman. In the excerpts intended for group performances, the focus is still on Petruchio and Katherine, but more acts and characters are covered to show the development of their conflict and relationship.

Here are all the word lists to support the reading of Grade 6 Unit 4's texts from SpringBoard's Common Core ELA series: Shakespeare dumbed down, Shakespeare's Life, Reading Shakespeare's Language, The Southpaw, A Book of Nonsense, The Millionaire Miser, Oranges; Jabberwocky; Fireflies, The Taming of the Shrew
30 words 213 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. suffice
    be adequate, either in quality or quantity
    Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as we
    Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know
    One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife
  2. amiss
    in an imperfect or faulty way
    Why, nothing comes amiss,
    so money comes withal.
  3. chide
    scold or reprimand severely or angrily
    Thou know'st not gold's effect.
    Tell me her father's name, and 'tis enough;
    For I will board her though she chide as loud
    As thunder when the clouds in autumn crack.
  4. dowry
    money brought by a woman to her husband at marriage
    Here is a gentleman whom by chance I met,
    Upon agreement from us to his liking,
    Will undertake to woo curst Katherine,
    Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.
  5. daunt
    cause to lose courage
    Think you a little din can daunt my ears?
  6. ordnance
    large but transportable armament
    Have I not heard great ordnance in the field,
    And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies?
  7. dissemble
    make believe with the intent to deceive
    Of all thy suitors here I charge thee tell
    Whom thou lov'st best. See thou dissemble not.
  8. flout
    treat with contemptuous disregard
    Her silence flouts me, and I'll be revenged!
  9. virtuous
    morally excellent
    Pray, have you not a daughter
    Called Katherine, fair and virtuous?
  10. affability
    a disposition to be friendly and approachable
    hearing of her beauty and her wit,
    Her affability and bashful modesty,
    Her wondrous qualities and mild behavior,
    Am bold to show myself a forward guest
  11. consolation
    the comfort you feel when soothed in times of disappointment
    Take this of me, Kate of my consolation
  12. waspish
    very irritable
    If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
  13. remedy
    a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieves pain
    My remedy is then to pluck it out.
  14. chafe
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
    I chafe you, if I tarry; let me go.
  15. sullen
    showing a brooding ill humor
    'Twas told me you were rough, and coy, and sullen,
    And now I find report a very liar
  16. slanderous
    harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign
    Why does the world report that Kate doth limp?
    O sland'rous world!
  17. conformable
    disposed or willing to comply
    For I am he am born to tame you, Kate,
    And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate
    Conformable as other household Kates.
  18. entreat
    ask for or request earnestly
    I am content you shall entreat me stay;
    But yet not stay, entreat me how you can.
  19. surly
    unfriendly and inclined toward anger or irritation
    'Tis like you'll prove a jolly surly groom
    That take it on you at the first so roundly.
  20. chattel
    personal property, as opposed to real estate
    I will be master of what is mine own--
    She is my goods, my chattels, she is my house,
    My household stuff, my field, my barn,
    My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything
  21. disquiet
    make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed
    I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet;
    The meat was well, if you were so contented.
  22. choler
    a humor that was once believed to be secreted by the liver and to cause irritability and anger
    I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dried away,
    And I expressly am forbid to touch it;
    For it engenders choler, planteth anger;
    And better 'twere that both of us did fast,
    Since of ourselves, ourselves are choleric
  23. politic
    marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness
    Thus have I politicly begun my reign
  24. reverend
    worthy of adoration or respect
    Ay, and amid this hurly I intend
    That all is done in reverend care of her.
  25. curb
    put down by force or authority
    This is a way to kill a wife with kindness,
    And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour.
  26. diligent
    characterized by care and perseverance in carrying out tasks
    Here, love, thou seest how diligent I am,
    To dress thy meat myself, and bring it thee.
  27. revel
    celebrate noisily or engage in uproarious festivities
    And now, my honey love,
    Will we return unto thy father's house
    And revel it as bravely as the best
  28. vow
    promise
    Forward, I pray, since we have come so far,
    And be it moon, or sun, or what you please;
    And if you please to call it a rush-candle,
    Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
  29. venture
    put at risk
    Twenty crowns?
    I'll venture so much of my hawk or hound,
    But twenty times so much upon my wife.
  30. supremacy
    power to dominate or defeat
    Marry, peace it bodes, and love, and quiet life,
    An awful rule, and right supremacy
Created on Fri Aug 15 20:53:32 EDT 2014 (updated Fri Aug 15 22:52:47 EDT 2014)

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