The Taming of the Shrew - AO4 (comedic elements)

Question 1

What are 3 key examples of comedic concepts in the induction?

Answer 1

Hunting imagery

• The Lord is hunting Sly as if he’d hunt animals. This could hint at the Social Class Hierarchy, because he sees Sly as easy to manipulate due to him being of a lower class.
• Lord sees Sly as prey (the trick on Sly is like a hunt). This relationship reflects the power dynamic between classes - prey and predator shows how upper classes had more power over lower classes.
• It also foreshadows Petruchio’s challenging hunt to tame Katherina.

Representation of gender

• The patriarchy is evident and sets up how it will be a recurring theme throughout the play.
• Women feel inferior to their men and how they are like their possessions.

Illusions, pretense and theatre

• The page pretends to be Sly’s wife
• The entire Induction is a pretense
• Sly and the page sit down to watch the play that the Lord’s actors perform for them (theatre)