"The Taming of the Shrew", this title may seem an unexpected metaphor from the taming of an animal to the taming of a woman or regarding the queen on the throne at the time. . In Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, it becomes clear that, from start to finish, the play is unexpected and unpredictable. There are twists of reality and unexpected events on every page. The political influences of the time had a great influence on the format, content and theme of the play. It could be argued that the play is an analogy between queen and country and between wife and husband. The theme of the play and the way it was formatted made the play look ridiculous and less harsh in regards to the theme of taming a woman, especially with Queen Elizabeth I on the throne. The theme of "Nothing is as it seems" becomes evident through the false identities of almost every character, through the way the women behaved, and through the irony of Kate's taming. Almost every character in the play was masked by a false identity or an act that they made available to the audience. In this aspect of the theme, "nothing is as it seems" is where the comedic elements of the play come into play. Both Lucentio and Hortensio act as teachers to obtain Bianca's love and hand. Even though Hortensio claims that his infatuation with Bianca is unexpected, he stops trying his luck at marriage, saying that he would never fall in love with such a woman who could fall in love with a commoner like Cambio. When the real Vincentio and the fake Vincentio talk to each other, the fake Vincentio plays his role and with that comes the comedy. When the real Vincentio asks him if he is really Vincentio, the fake Vincentio replies "Yes, sir, that's what his mother says, if I can believe her." (5.1.35-36). Shakespeare not only conveyed the theme through false identities, but...... middle of paper ......h she has the best sense of knowing that Vincentio is a man (4.5.41). Later, when Kate gives her speech about the obedience required of a wife to her husband, it becomes clear that she knows her role and knows how to play it. Her father Baptista has even noticed and is shocked by Kate's sudden change and says, "For she is changed as she never was" (5.2.128). Even though Kate has partly transformed or taken on a role, she is still holding on to a part of herself and you can see this when she leaves after her speech instead of waiting for Petruchio in the movie. In Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, the theme is conveyed in several ways. This allows the reader to expect the unexpected. Almost every situation that occurs shocks and entertains the reader. Nothing is really what it seems and all instances in the play communicate this message..