The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a Shakespearean play which encompasses a variety of humour techniques, many of which, are utilised effectively in the play. The majority of the play's humour comes from the way in which the characters create false realities by disguising themselves as other people. This device is first introduced in the induction, in which Christopher Sly is lead into believing he is someone which he is not. Techniques such as mistaken identity, witty repartee, ridiculous situations, sexual innuendo, irony and slapstick can also be observed in The Taming of the Shrew, particularly through the characters of Petruchio and Katherina. These two characters are responsible for generating a good deal of the humour in the play and hence presenting it to the audience in an entertaining fashion.In summary, Shakespeare creates humour in The Taming of the Shrew by creating false realities, for example, occurrences which would seldom take place in real life. He also utilises a number of effective humour techniques, adding to the humour created in the play.The way in which Shakespeare is able to create humour is much due to his use of mistaken identity, which often is intended to generate confusion and anger amongst the charac
A humour technique used by Shakespeare regularly in The Taming of the Shrew is the implication of ridiculous situations, such as unexpected or unbelievable events. In Scene 2 of Act 3, a ridiculous situation is illustrated when Petruchio arrives at his own wedding not only late, but dressed in a mad attire. "Vincentio: "Art thou his father?"Merchant: "Ay, sir, so his mother says, if I may believe her. Biondello's description of his appearance raises the expectations of the audience and sets up the humour which is created through Petruchio's horrible conduct throughout his wedding:Biondello: "Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an old jerkin; a pair of old breeches thrice turned; a pair of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, another laced. This is the use of clever and cheeky remarks by the characters, often in the form of sarcasm or simply contradicting another character in a way which is humorous to an audience. False realities are formed by the characters disguising themselves as other people, firstly visible in the induction. "This example of sexual innuendo would have appeal to most audiences, and Shakespeare is able to incorporate it well into the scene to create humour. Humour is created in The Taming of the Shrew through false realities and a variety of humour techniques. An example of witty repartee occurs in Scene 3 of Act 4, when Petruchio and Katherina argue over the time:Katherina: "I dare assure you, sir, 'tis almost two, and 'twill be supper-time ere you come there. This irony occurs in the fact that Bianca, the supposedly perfect wife, refuses to come to Lucentio upon his command, yet Katherina, the 'shrew', returns to Petruchio immediately. These examples of slapstick used by Shakespeare are quite effective in creating humour in the play. Shakespeare not only uses false realities to create humour in the play however, he also uses techniques such as mistaken identity, witty repartee, ridiculous situations, sexual innuendo, irony and slapstick, methods which are clearly visible in the play. His father is come from Mantua and here looking out at the window. It is through scenes such as these that Shakespeare is able to create much of the humour in The Taming of the Shrew.
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