The Taming of the Shrew

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The Taming of the Shrew may be one of Shakespeare's most problematic plays due to the puzzle it presents with the Induction in which a full five-act play is framed within another play. The characters and story introduced within the Induction, on the surface, seem to have little or nothing in common with the main play and after the Induction, the characters are only once more briefly introduced. Critics disagree over and give various interpretations as to why Shakespeare included the Induction at all. It has been argued that the Induction and the character of Sly prepare the audience for the rest of the play by introducing the motifs of transformation, domestication, and the theme of how one's environment may determine one's behavior . Critics who agree with this argument like to draw parallels between Sly and Katherine where Katherine's eventual "taming" into a proper wife mirrors Sly's transformation into a lord. In both cases Sly and Katherine eventually take on the roles expected of them, yet they both benefit in some way from their changes. Most feminist's abhor this change in Katherine and consequently there is much disagreement over the context of her monologue in the final scene of the play. Although Katherine continuously establishes the man as a woman's sovereign in her speech, the speech can be interpreted so that it represents the concept of mutual support between women and men. Further, if Katherine and Sly are supposed to truly mirror one another, than it may be inferred that Katherine has not really transformed at the end of the play, but rather is only putting on an act so that she may cope with her assumed role in society. Based on close reading of the play, it seems most plausible that, in the end, Katherine confo...

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Lee, Michell. "Introduction to Metamorphosis in Shakespeare's Works." Shakespearean Criticism. Vol.96. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2006. 291-380
"Presenting Taming Of The Shrew To A Modern Day Audience." Presenting Taming Of The Shrew To A Modern Day Audience. N.p., n.d. Web. .
Smith, Cheryl. "Shakespeare on the Sly." By Cheryl Smith From Insights, 2004. N.p., n.d. Web. ..
"The Taming of the Shrew." The Taming of the Shrew. N.p., n.d. Web. .
"What Is the Purpose of the Induction in A Taming of the Shrew?" What Is the Purpose of the Induction in A Taming of the Shrew? N.p., n.d. Web. .

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