Shrew (archetype)
Encyclopedia
In the English language
, the word shrew is used to describe a woman given to violent, scolding, particularly nagging treatment, as in Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew
. The animals of the same name
were believed historically to behave aggressively and with cruelty, and to have a venomous bite; the term "shrew" was then applied to a person thought to have a similar disposition.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, the word shrew is used to describe a woman given to violent, scolding, particularly nagging treatment, as in Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
. The animals of the same name
Shrew
A shrew or shrew mouse is a small molelike mammal classified in the order Soricomorpha. True shrews are also not to be confused with West Indies shrews, treeshrews, otter shrews, or elephant shrews, which belong to different families or orders.Although its external appearance is generally that of...
were believed historically to behave aggressively and with cruelty, and to have a venomous bite; the term "shrew" was then applied to a person thought to have a similar disposition.