"The Taming of the Shrew", this title might seem like an unexpected metaphor for the domestication of an animal, the domestication of a wife, or the queen then on the throne. In Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, it becomes obvious that the play is unexpected and unpredictable from start to finish. On every page there are twists of reality and unexpected events. The political influences of the time have a great influence on the format, content and theme of the work. It could be argued that the work is an analogy between queen and country, as between wife and husband. The theme of the play and the way it was formatted made the play seem silly and less harsh when dealing with the theme of the domestication of 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 nearly all of the characters, through the way the women behaved, and through the irony in Kate's domestication. Almost every character in the play was disguised by a false identity or an act to show off 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. Lucentio and Hortensio both act as teachers to gain Bianca's love and hand in marriage. Although Hortensio states that his infatuation with Bianca is unexpected, he stops trying her hand by claiming 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 false Vincentio talk to each other, the false Vincentio plays his role and along with this comes comedy. When the real Vincentio asks him if he is really Vincentio, the false Vincentio replies "Yes, sir, so says your mother, if I may believe you." (5.1.35-36). Shakespeare not only conveyed the theme through false identities, but... midway through the paper... he has the good sense to know that Vincentio is a man (4.5.41). Later, when Kate gives her speech about the obedience required of a woman from her husband, it becomes obvious that Kate knows her role and knows how to play it. Her father Baptista has also noticed this and is shocked by Kate's sudden change and says, "For she has changed as she never was" (5.2.128). Although Kate is partly transformed or staged, she still retains a part of herself and you can see this when she leaves after her speech instead of waiting for Petruchio in the film. In Shakespeare, 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 comes as a shock to the reader and entertains him. Nothing is ever really as it seems and all the instances present in the work communicate this message.