Reading Journal 4 (GB 2)

    William Shakespeare reveals through The Taming of the Shrew how easy it is to mimic another person’s identity, highlighting the gradual harm it can bring. In the very beginning of the play, the stage is set when a rich lord decides to play a prank on a drunk beggar. The lord plays the part of a mere servant and manages to convince Sly that he is actually the rich lord, “Thou art a lord, and nothing but a lord; / Thou hast a lady far more beautiful / Than any woman in this waning age” (Ind. Sc. 2. 61-63). Sly easily accepts this new identity because it’s easier to pretend to be something he is not, rather than to accept his known fate. He says,

Am I a lord, and have I such a lady? / Or do I dream? Or have I dreamed until 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. / Well, bring our lady hither to our sight, / And once again a pot o’ the smallest ale. (Ind. Sc. 2. 68-75)

Sometimes, a person pretends to be something he is not because it seems to be the easier option to solve a harsh problem. However, one can realize from Shakespeare that this kind of pretense can simply lead to more chaos and destruction.