The Taming of the Shrew

In act 4 of Taming of the Shrew by William Shkspeare, answer question about Petruchio's speech below!

In Petrruchio's speech in act 4, he compares his methods of taming Kate to that of taming a falcon. Female hawks were the ones taught to hunt. By definition falconry is an aristocratic sport of hunting with trained falcons in the Medieval and Renaissance times. Explore the sport of falconry. How appropriate is this comparison? If Petruchio lived in modern times, what sports comparison might he make when planning his taming?

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I think the metaphor of falconry to taming of women is rooted in patriarchal misogynistic attitudes of the time. The falcon is a wild predatory bird. Shakespeare personifies this bird in Kate. The time, care and expertise to tame a falcon is compared to the effort that Petruchio must put into taming Kate. From a misogynistic point of view, I suppose the comparison works. Modern audiences find this comparison absurd and humorous but under the context of Kate's fiery personality, the metaphor can be forgiven. I really don't think that Petruchio could get away with what he says and does in a modern Western context. We would hope that women have by now escaped such insults. Still if you had to pick a modern activity, the domestication of any wild animal would fit.