Taming Of The Shrew Induction Research Paper

Importance of the Induction in
The Taming of the Shrew

British Literature

April 17, 2005

Many acclaimed scholars argue that the Induction in William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is unnecessary and irrelevant to the main plot. (Bloom, 28) Shakespeare placed the induction into The Shrew for a specific dramatic purpose. The comedic tone of the play would be lost without the induction, resulting in a more literal interpretation of the play thus leaving the reader unable to distinguish the author's true intention. One cannot fully grasp the meaning of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew until one understands the importance of the tie between the induction and the main plot. Shakespeare reveals this tie with the use of
"Thus have I politicly begun my reign,/ And ‘tis my hope to end successfully./ My falcon now is sharp and passing empty,/ And till she stoop she must not be full gorged,/ For then she never looks upon her lure./ Another way I have to man my haggard,/ To make her come and and know her keeper's call,/ That is, to watch her as we watch these kites/ That bate and beat and will not be obedient./ She eat no meat today, nor none shall eat./ Last night she slept not nor, tonight she shall not./ As with the meat, some undeserved fault/ I'll find about the making of the bed,/ And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster,/ This way the coverlet, another way the sheets./ Ay, and amid this hurly I intend/ That all is done in reverent care of her,/ And in conclusion she shall watch all night./ And if she chance to nod I'll rail and brawl/ And with the clamor keep her still awake./ This is a way to kill a wife with kindness,/ And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humor./ He that knows better how to tame a shrew,/ Now let him speak- ‘tis charity to show."
Shakespeare uses the paintings in Sly's chamber as comparisons to the relationships in the main plot. The first painting depicts the myth of the lovers Adonis and Venus. In that myth Venus, the goddess of love, becomes smitten with the young hunter Adonis. Venus later begins to leave the young hunter but while she is leaving he is killed by a wild boar. This compares to the bond between Bianca and Lucentio. When Lucentio is wooing Bianca she is madly in love with him but at the end of the book when he bets against Petruchio (the boar) that Bianca is more obedient than Katherine she refuses to come and Lucentio loses the bet. The second picture illustrates the myth of Apollo and Daphne. In this myth Apollo falls in love with Daphne who resists his affections and flees from him. When he finally catches her she transforms into a laurel tree so she would be unable to be exploited by Apollo. Apollo then acknowledges defeat and says that since she can't be his wife he will decorate himself with her leaves (www.loggia.com). This is much the same as Petruchio and Katherine. Katherine is resistant to Petruchio throughout the play. When Petruchio finally "catches" her she acts obedient so that he cannot torment her anymore. Petruchio also "decorates" himself with his wife's new show of obedience with the bet at the end of the