Christopher Sly is a drunken beggar, who begins the play by being thrown out of a tavern. A noble lord passing by decides to play a joke on him and dresses him up in noble clothes. Sly awakes in a lavish room, and the lord and his attendants pretend that Sly is a nobleman who has recently been mad and had forgotten his real identity. Sly accepts his new identity and enjoys a play put on by a group of traveling players, which turns out to be the real play of The Taming of the Shrew.
Christopher Sly Quotes in The Taming of the Shrew
The The Taming of the Shrew quotes below are all either spoken by Christopher Sly or refer to Christopher Sly. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Induction, Scene 1
Quotes
What think you, if he were conveyed to bed,
Wrapped in sweet clothes, rings put upon his fingers,
A most delicious banquet by his bed,
And brave attendants near him when he wakes,
Would not the beggar then forget himself?
Related Characters:
A Lord (speaker), Christopher Sly
Related Symbols:
Clothing
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Induction, Scene 2
Quotes
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.
Related Characters:
Christopher Sly (speaker), Bartholomew the Page
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Christopher Sly Character Timeline in The Taming of the Shrew
The timeline below shows where the character Christopher Sly appears in The Taming of the Shrew. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Induction, Scene 1
The play opens with a beggar named Christopher Sly getting thrown out of a bar by a hostess. Sly refuses to pay for some...
(full context)
...enters, having just finished a hunting trip, along with several hunstmen. He notices the sleeping Sly and decides to play a prank on him. He wonders if the beggar would "forget...
(full context)
...traveling players (that is, actors) arrive. The Lord asks them to perform for a lord (Sly). He then orders a servant to tell his page Bartholomew to dress like a woman...
(full context)
Induction, Scene 2
Christopher Sly awakes and is confused when servants address him as a lord, offering him fancy food...
(full context)
The Lord tells Sly, "O noble lord, bethink thee of thy birth," (Induction 2.30) and catalogues all the luxuries...
(full context)
Sly begins to question his own identity and finally agrees that he is indeed a wealthy...
(full context)
...group of players the Lord earlier hired is ready to perform. The messenger says that Sly's doctor thinks it will be good for him to see a play. Sly asks the...
(full context)
Act 1, Scene 1
Meanwhile, Christopher Sly is watching the play (just like Shakespeare's audience). One of his servants nudges him and...
(full context)
