In William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew, the initial two scenes, which are composed of a drunk who is tricked into believing that he is a nobleman, serve as an outer crust for the actual play. These two scenes cause the actors to become the audience and the audience then becomes a part of the play. The play within a play technique that Shakespeare employs invites and almost obligates the audience into the play. When the initial actors (Christopher Sly, the Lord, the Lord’s attendants, and the Page) actually take a seat in the audience to have the play performed for them, the audience is then included in the play. It serves to lure the audience into participating in the play.
Also, because the overall theme of the play is a love story, Shakespeare uses his genius induction technique to mix genres. Since the play consists of Lucentio, Gremio, and Hortensio chasing after the lovely Bianca while simultaneously seeking a suitor (Petruchio) for the oldest daughter Katharina, it serves as the “romance,” and the induction, with the Lord playing pranks on the drunkard Christopher Sly, is the comic relief. By mixing these two themes, he has created one of the first romantic-comedies.
In addition to obligating the audience to participate and mixing genres, Shakespeare sets up the play so that the audience assumes that the play within the play has something to do with the induction. It leaves you wondering when and how the play will eventually affect the actors in the induction (Christopher Sly, the Lord, etc.).
With all of that said, it is interesting that Shakespeare took a low class individual (Christopher Sly) and, although it was done as a prank, he elevated his social status during the play. Then he shows him sleeping throughout either because he’s bored or drunk. It seems that Shakespeare was making an effort to make fun of social hierarchy.
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