In The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare uses verbal, dramatic, and situational irony.
An example of verbal irony is in act two, scene one. Petruchio describes Kate as having "wondrous qualities and mild behavior." This is ironic because we know Kate is not at all mild. She is temperamental and outspoken. What Petruchio says is not true, and he knows it as well as we do.
Once Kate and Petruchio are married, we expect Kate to be the tempermental one, but Petruchio shows bad behavior in mistreating his servants. This role reversal is ironic. Kate is hungry, but Petruchio throws out the meat, saying it was not worth eating
I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dried away, And I expressly am forbid to touch it;For it engenders choler, planteth anger; And better 'twere that both of us did fast, Since, of ourselves, ourselves are choleric, Than feed it with such over-roasted flesh.
This is not what we are expecting, and therefore it is an example of situational irony. It soon turns to dramatic irony, as Petruchio informs the audience of his plan.
Last night she slept not, nor to-night 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 reverend 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 clamour keep her still awake. This is a way to kill a wife with kindness, And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour.He that knows better how to tame a shrew
In scene three of this act, Kate laments on his treatment of her. She does not know why Petruchio is behaving this way, but we do—that is why it has become dramatic irony.
The more my wrong, the more his spite appears. What, did he marry me to famish me? Beggars that come unto my father's door 1960Upon entreaty have a present alms; If not, elsewhere they meet with charity; But I, who never knew how to entreat, Nor never needed that I should entreat, Am starv'd for meat, giddy for lack of sleep;
Kate begs Grumio for some food, and Grumio makes up excuses as to why it is not good for her. We know that it is really because Petruchio told him to starve her as his way of trying to "tame the shrew."
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