Once married, Petruchio aligns Kate with his "horse," his "ox," and his "ass," and later compares her to a falcon, a bird of prey he must starve and deprive of sleep in order to break or tame. Punning on the name "Kate" and "cat," Petruchio threatens to turn Kate from a "wild Kate" to a "household Kate" (2.1.39). In the Induction, the Lord refers to Sly as a "swine" and a "beast" before transforming him into a "nobleman." Kate, of course, is referred to throughout the play as a "shrew," a derogatory term for opinionated and aggressive women that derives its name from a small, feisty animal. The play (including its title) is full of animal imagery, especially as it relates to the training and domesticating or hunting of birds and beasts.
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