The Importance of Christopher Sly

While I know that the inductions at the start of the play, The Taming of the Shrew have no direct impact on the main play itself, I predict that it still has an importance overall. When the lords play the practical joke on Christopher Sly, they are taking him from one environment (which has already shaped his characteristics) to another environment (which changes Sly's characteristics). As a result, it is the enviornment and the way other characters treat Sly that changes his personality and behavior. By taking the plot theme that, it is the enviornment that shapes your personality and applying it to the characters in the main play, we might be able to predict plot events to come. One such plot event, is that I see Sly's story as foreshadowing a change that might occur with Katherine. The powerfull men in Katherine's life are similar to the lords in Christopher Sly's story. Katherine is forced to pretend to be a wife. Katherine rejects this in a similar way that Christopher Sly rejects the idea of him being a wealthy lord. Both were forced into their situations against their own free will. However, Christopher Sly comes to accept that he is a lord, and quickly begins the transition into a new self as seen by the quote:

"Upon my life, I am a lord indeed
And not a tinker, nor Christopher Sly.
Well, bring our lady hither to our sight,
And once again a pot o'th'smallest ale," (Induction 2, 70-73)

Not only does Christopher sly accept that he is a lord, but it is clear in the quote above that he is happy he is a lord and not his old self. While he obviously says things a true lord wouldn't say and doesn't play the part of a lord well, his willingness to accept his new life is the initiating point when his transformation begins.

Thus, if my theory is right, then Katherine will also come to accept the idea of marriage, and become a new self. Both of them will have become transformed characters as a result of the events forced upon them. Of course this is all just a prediction and may have nothing to do with what happens. Guess have to read on and find out! Stay tuned!!!