(P1) TTOTS: AO2 literary devices Flashcards
structure
climax
ACT 5, SCENE 2
this scene marks petruchio and katherina’s journey to bianca and lucentio’s wedding.
language
understatement
“Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy soverign; one that cares for thee… but love, fair, looks and true obedience– too little payment for so great a debt, such a duty as the subject owes the prince, even such a woman oweth to her husband”
In the latter half of the play, Katherina’s monologue can be interpeted as an understatement for audiences who do not believe Kate has been truly transformed. Her words merely become a pretense of obedience rather than a genuine reflection of who she is.
structure
paradox
“I pray you, sir, is it your will / To make a stale of me amongst these mates?”
“Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy soverign; one that cares for thee…”
Kate’s transformation represents a paradox, as she changes from a headstrong and indignant woman to an obedient and submissive wife over the course of the play. Because of the unlikelihood of such a transformation, many believe that Kate is merely performing obedience in order to appease Petruchio. However, this interpretation raises the question of whether genuine submissiveness and performed obedience are really any different to begin with.
structure
parallelism
“Upon my life, I am a lord indeed, / And not a tinker nor Christophero Sly.”
“You may deny me; but I’ll be your servant, / Whether you will or no.”
The transformation of Sly into a nobleman parallels Kate’s transformation from a “wild” thing to an obedient wife.
structure/form
meta-theatre
the induction acts as a frame for the play. it represents illusions, deception, disguise and foreshadows katherina’s transformation
language
animal imagery
The play (including its title) is full of animal imagery, especially as it relates to the training and domesticating or hunting of birds and beasts. In the Induction, the Lord refers to Sly as a “swine” and a “beast” before transforming him into a “nobleman.” Kate, of course, is referred to throughout the play as a “shrew,” a derogatory term for opinionated and aggressive women that derives its name from a small, feisty animal. Punning on the name “Kate” and “cat,” Petruchio threatens to turn Kate from a “wild Kate” to a “household Kate” (2.1.293). Once married, Petruchio aligns Kate with his “horse,” his “ox,” and his “ass,” and later compares her to a falcon, a bird of prey he must starve and deprive of sleep in order to break or tame.
structure
motifs
ANIMALS
Animals are an important motif in The Taming of the Shrew, and in fact the very notion of referring to a woman as a “shrew” derives from the name of a small, temperemental animal. But the likening of Kate to a shrew is not the only zoomorphic comparison in the play. Sly, for example, is deemed a “beast” before his transformation in the induction, which foreshadows Kate’s own transformation from a rebellious woman to obedient wife. The frequent appearance of animals therefore emphasizes the play’s focus on wildness and taming, as well as the questions it raises about gender and power.
CLOTHING
Clothing appears in the play as another motif related to power and control. That Petruchio shows up to his wedding dressed in an absurd outfit (and therefore embarrasses Kate) is his way of communicating that Kate’s opinions have no bearing on his behavior. Conversely, Petruchio controls Kate’s own apparel toward the end of the play, when he insists that they wear rags to Bianca’s wedding and reminds Kate that she has no say in how she dresses herself. Petruchio’s regulation of both his and Kate’s clothing mirrors his quest to “tame” his rebellious bride.
- subversion of sumptuary laws
DEVILS
Just as characters refer to Kate frequently as a “shrew,” they also refer to her as a devil or demon throughout the play. When Petruchio boasts of his ability to “tame” Kate, he praises his power in subduing her “devilish” behavior. Thus, at the same time Petruchio and other male characters cast Kate as a demonic presence, Petruchio assumes for himself a godlike role in his proclamation of superiority and strength over Kate’s rebelliousness.
language
witty dialogue/reparte
P: “Am I not wise?”
K: “Yes keep you warm”
P: “Marry, so I mean, sweet Katherina, in thy bed.”
witty dialogue and reparte between katherina and petruchio emphaises their chemistry and sexual tension. they both appear to be a perfect match for one another through bawdy, crude humour.
language
soliloquy
