Question

In Taming of the Shrew, Gremio, the old foolish suitor who is chasing Bianka, a girl a quarter his age, is an example of a Elizabethan "stock character" called a what?

1) Fool
2) Petruchio
3) Shrew
4) Pantaloon

Answer 1

Gremio in 'The Taming of the Shrew' is a stock character known as a Pantaloon, which is a foolish older man chasing after a much younger woman.

Step-by-step explanation:

In The Taming of the Shrew, Gremio is an example of a stock character often seen in Elizabethan drama, and in this particular case, he represents a type called a Pantaloon. This archetype typically portrays an older man, usually foolish or dotingly fond of a much younger woman, which aligns with Gremio's pursuit of Bianka. The term Pantaloon originates from the Italian commedia dell'arte, which was a form of theatre popular in Italy where actors used improvisation and stock characters. One of these characters, Pantalone, was known to be a greedy old man, which influenced subsequent depiction of similar characters in European comedy, including the works of Shakespeare.