Shakespeare has been noted in all of his works for including characters that provide comic relief. In the Taming to the Shrew, Grumio is the character that serves this purpose. He is the constant source of berating by his lord Petruchio and often seems the most dim-witted out of all the characters in the play. In the film version of the play that was shown in class, the actor that portrayed Grumio had a Hackney accent and was dressed in worn-out clothing. This further indicates Grumio’s lowly status in the play and his role as the comic relief.
In addition, the lines that Shakespeare writes for Grumio are in plain English and few in number throughout the play. For instance, when Grumio is told by Petruchio to knock on a door, Grumio’s stupidity serves as a foil to Petruchio and is somewhat comical. As the book states, “Grumio: Knock, sir? Whom should I knock? Is there any man rebused to your worship?...My master grows quarrelsome. I should knock your first, and then I know after who comes the worst (Act. I, Sc. II). In this scene, all that is asked of Grumio is that he knock on Hortensio’s door. However, he makes a fool out of himself by not doing as he told and questioning his master’s request. Thus, Shakespeare uses Grumio as a comic relief in the play and as a foil to Petruchio.
