The Taming of the Shrew - Blog #1

"O monstrous beast, how like a swine he lies!
Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image!
Sirs, I will practice on this drunken man.
What think you: if he were conveyed to bed,
Wrapped in sweet clothes, rings put upon his fingers,
A most delicious banquet by his bed,
And brave attendants near him when he wakes,
Would not the beggar than forget himself?"
Induction, Scene 1, Lines 30-37


This passage, spoken by the lord, basically summarizes the whole induction of The Taming of the Shrew. This section precedes the actual play part of the story, and it's about a lord who sees a drunken man (Christopher Sly) on the street and decides to take him into his house and trick him into thinking he's really a lord. At the lord's house, a group of actors will be performing The Taming of the Shrew, which will make up the rest of the play.

Right now I'm wondering why Shakespeare decided to create this play-within-a-play. It's possible that the outside situation will somehow connect to the story of Taming, or maybe Shakespeare just wanted to create a humorous, lighthearted opening act. Either way, the characterizations of the lord and Sly are very vivid and provide an interesting opening to the play. This passage reflects the characterization of the lord and his light, jokish nature. Throughout the induction, the lord enjoys himself as he watches Sly fight through his post-drunken confusion to "discover" that he is, in fact, really a lord. Because of this, the whole induction is very light and comedic.