Gina Johnson
In William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, Christopher Sly is a minor character who undergoes a transformation while sleeping. Drunk and ejected from a bar, Sly is found by a wealthy lord who decides to play a prank on him. Dressed in fine apparel and surrounded by servants, Sly is convinced that he is an aristocrat when he wakes up. The lord's men even dress up one of their own as Sly's wife. The audience never sees Sly again, leaving his fate unknown, although one version of the play depicts him returning to his previous life, acknowledging the illusion of his aristocratic dream.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Christopher Sly |
| Occupation | Drunk, tinker, bearherd, cardmaker, peddler |
| State | Asleep, drunk |
| Transformation | From tinker to lord |
| Taming | Through luxury |
| Fate | Unknown, disappears after the first scene |
| Purpose | To reinforce the central theme of the play |
| Role | A foil to Petruchio |
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What You'll Learn
A lord plays a prank on Sly, dressing him in finery
In William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, Christopher Sly is a minor character who is a drunk and easily influenced by women. The play opens with Sly being ejected from a bar by the hostess, Marian Hacket, due to his unpaid tab. A wealthy lord finds Sly asleep in his drunken stupor outside his house and decides to play a prank on him.
The lord's men dress Sly in luxurious clothing and jewellery, and the lord himself dresses as a servant. They convince Sly that he is their master, an aristocrat, and even provide him with a "wife", who is actually the lord's pageboy, Bartholomew, in disguise. Sly is initially sceptical and protests that he is a poor tinker, but the servants plead and wail, convincing him that his memories are the result of madness.
Sly eventually believes their story, muttering:
> Am I a lord, and have I such a lady? / Or do I dream? Or have I dreamed till now? / I do not sleep: I see, I hear, I speak, / I smell sweet savors and I feel soft things. / Upon my life, I am a lord indeed, / And not a tinker nor Christopher Sly.
The prank sets the tone for the rest of the play, which explores the themes of transformation and taming. Sly's transformation from tinker to lord mirrors the main character Kate's transformation from a rich girl to experiencing the life of a poor beggar. The audience is left unsure of Sly's fate, as he disappears after the first scene and does not appear again in the published text. However, in one version, he is deposited back outside the tavern, saying he will return home to his shrewish wife, believing he has had a wonderful dream.
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Sly is convinced he's a lord, not a tinker
In William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, Christopher Sly is a minor character who undergoes a transformation while sleeping. Sly, a drunk man, falls asleep in front of a lord's house and becomes the subject of a prank played by the lord and his servants. They dress him in fine clothes and convince him that he is a lord when he wakes up.
Initially, Sly is sceptical and insists that he is a poor tinker, or mender of pots, but the lord and his servants persist in their deception. They tell Sly that his memories of being a tinker are a result of madness and even provide a wife for him, who is actually the lord's pageboy in disguise. Overjoyed that their master's memory has returned, the servants try to entertain him, and the "wife" apologetically explains that she must stay out of his bed for a while longer for his health.
Sly eventually becomes convinced that he is a lord and not a tinker. He is tamed by luxury and the illusion of a higher social status. This transformation is important as it prepares the audience for the larger change that the main character, Kate, will undergo in the play. While Sly is transformed by luxury, Kate, a spoiled rich girl, experiences the life of a poor beggar before committing to change.
Sly's language and behaviour provide comedic relief, as the audience is aware of the deception while Sly is confused and believes he is a lord. This situation also dramatizes the idea that a person's environment and the way they are treated by others can significantly influence their behaviour. The audience is complicit in the prank, adding to the comedic and illusory nature of the play's induction.
In one version of the play, Sly reappears at the end, deposited back outside the tavern, still drunk, and proclaiming that he had the best dream of his life, in which he learned how to "tame a shrew." This closing part adds to the comedic effect and reminds the audience of the transformation they just witnessed, leaving them with a lasting impression.
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He is given a wife, the lord's pageboy in disguise
In William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, Christopher Sly is a minor character who undergoes a transformation while he is sleeping. Sly is a drunkard who falls asleep outside a lord's house. The lord, finding Sly in his drunken stupor, decides to play a prank on him.
Sly is dressed in fine apparel and the lord's men dress up as servants. The lord's pageboy, Bartholomew, is instructed to disguise himself as a lady and play the part of Sly's wife. When Sly awakens, he is confused and skeptical, protesting that he is a poor tinker. However, he is convinced that he is a lord when he sees himself in luxurious clothing and surroundings. He even has lines that signal his transformation:
> Am I a lord, and have I such a lady? / Or do I dream? Or have I dreamed till now? / I do not sleep: I see, I hear, I speak, / I smell sweet savors and I feel soft things. / Upon my life, I am a lord indeed, / And not a tinker nor Christopher Sly.
Sly's transformation is important as it prepares the audience for the larger change that the main character, Kate, undergoes in the play. While Sly is tamed and transformed through luxury, Kate, a spoiled rich girl, experiences the life of a poor beggar and is tamed through deprivation and humiliation.
In one version of the play, Sly disappears after the initial scenes and is not seen again. In another version, he reappears at the end, deposited back outside the tavern, saying he will return home to his shrewish wife, believing that he has had "the best dream that ever I had in my life."
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Sly is tamed by luxury, not deprivation
In William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, Christopher Sly is a minor character who undergoes a transformation while asleep. Sly, a drunk beggar, falls asleep outside a lord's house. The lord, upon returning from hunting, decides to play a prank on Sly. He orders his servants to bring Sly inside, dress him in fine clothes, and convince him that he is the lord of the house.
When Sly awakens, he is initially confused and skeptical of his new identity as a lord. However, as he adapts to his luxurious surroundings and is treated as a nobleman, he eventually accepts the illusion. The transformation is complete when Sly utters the lines:
> "Am I a lord, and have I such a lady? / Or do I dream? Or have I dreamed till now? / I do not sleep: I see, I hear, I speak, / I smell sweet savors and I feel soft things. / Upon my life, I am a lord indeed, / And not a tinker nor Christopher Sly."
Sly's transformation is significant because it demonstrates the power of environment and treatment by others in shaping an individual's behavior. While Kate, the main female character in the play, is tamed through deprivation and humiliation, Sly is transformed through luxury and indulgence. He is dressed in fine apparel, surrounded by servants, and even given a "wife," all to convince him that he is a nobleman.
Sly's taming through luxury highlights the theme of transformation in the play and serves as a foil to the central male character, Petruchio, who is not dominated by women. Additionally, Sly's disappearance after the initial scenes creates a sense of curiosity and adds to the comedic theme of the play. His story also reinforces the idea that a person's behavior is influenced by their surroundings and treatment, similar to how Katherine's behavior is controlled by the men in her life.
Overall, Sly's transformation while asleep and his taming through luxury play a crucial role in setting the tone and themes of The Taming of the Shrew, showcasing Shakespeare's mastery in crafting complex and entertaining characters.
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The audience never sees Sly again
In the standard version of the play, the audience never sees or hears from Christopher Sly again, assuming that he has fallen asleep. This disappearance creates a sense of curiosity around Sly and maintains the magical transformation of Kate, the central female character in the play.
Sly's absence at the end may also serve a strategic purpose. The induction scene, where the audience first encounters Sly, transforms the audience by drawing them into a unique fictional world. By not concluding with Sly, Shakespeare could keep the audience immersed in this world for longer.
In another version of the play, there is a closing segment where Sly is deposited back outside the tavern, commenting that he will return home to deal with his wife, believing that he has just experienced the best dream of his life. This ending provides a reminder to the audience to take lessons from the play to enrich their lives.
The character of Sly is significant as his transformation dramatizes the idea that a person's behaviour is shaped by their environment and the treatment they receive from others. This theme is also explored in the main play through the character of Katherine, whose story parallels Sly's in terms of taming and transformation.
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Frequently asked questions
While Sly is sleeping, a wealthy lord finds him and decides to play a prank on him.
The lord dresses Sly in fine clothes and jewels and puts him in his bed. The lord then dresses up as a servant, and his pageboy, Bartholomew, dresses up as Sly's "wife".
At first, Sly is confused and skeptical of his new surroundings. However, he eventually begins to believe that he is a lord and adapts to his new life.
The scene, known as the "'Induction,'" dramatizes the idea that a person's behavior is influenced by their environment and how others treat them. It also serves to prepare the audience for the transformation and taming themes in the main play.
