The mood of the play remains quite lighthearted throughout, with characters bantering effortlessly amongst themselves, almost gliding over the scenes. Shakespeare does not attempt to mix tragedy and comedy in this play, so serious or intense moments are rare. This focus on comedic writing as artistic craft keeps the mood of the play almost airy.
The airiness of The Taming of the Shrew is a by-product of the play's plot and general ethos. One of Shakespeare's principal endeavors in The Taming of the Shrew is to deconstruct performance. In effect, the central story of the play is a performance itself, presented to an unknowing Christopher Sly as part of a prank. Several characters within the main story arc recapitulate this performance element, ranging from Katherine and Bianca—whose personalities are revealed to be performances by the end of the play—to Tranio and Lucentio, who swap places as a part of Lucentio's scheme to win over Bianca. This perpetual role exchange between characters impacts not only the plot and the play's thematic concerns, but its mood as well. Such frequent swapping of identities becomes humorous in The Taming of the Shrew, and may even turn downright ridiculous when portrayed onstage during a live performance. It is Shakespeare's joy in playing with identity and performance that lends the play a comedic, lighthearted mood.
