In the conversation between Baptista and Biondello discussing Petruchio's arrival to the wedding (III:ii,73-79), a series of sexual puns on the word "come" is made by Biondello.
Baptista- "I am glad he’s come, howsoe'er he comes."
Biondello- "Why, sir, he comes not."
Baptista- "Didst thou not say he comes?"
Biondello- "Who? That Petruchio came?"
Baptista- "Ay, that Petruchio came."
Biondello- "No, sir, I say his horse comes, with him on his back."
In this conversation, Biondello puns on the word "come" and uses "horse" as a metaphor for women whom Petruchio ride. Biondello tells Baptista that Petruchio has arrived at the church but has not come or came, instead that his horse has come with him on its back. The sexual pun meaning Petruchio has not ejaculated but when he is on his back having sex, the woman ejaculates.
Another conversation which contains a sexual puns on a word with two meanings is between Petruchio and the widow. (V:ii,23-24)
Widow- "Thus I conceive by him."
Petruchio- "Conceives by me? How likes Hortensio that?"
Petruchio plays a pun on the word "conceive" which is used by the widow. The widow is using the word conceive to mean that is what she thinks about Hortensio, while Petruchio replies with using the sexual meaning of the word conceive to mean Petruchio has impregnated the widow.
The first meeting between Katherine and Petruchio (II:i,190-293) is home to many metaphors and puns. In seeing through Petruchio's games and knowing he was put up to the meeting by her father, Katherine states, (II:i,206) "You were a moveable." This is a furniture metaphor because Katherine is calling Petruchio a stool. Stools are easily moved for whatever use you need them for and so Katherine is saying Petruchio is easily moved around. As a rebuttal to Katherine's name calling, Petruchio says, (II:i,209) "Come, sit on me." Taken as its literal meaning, Petruchio is telling Katherine to sit on him since she called him a tool but this can also be looked at as a sexual pun. As an offer to sit on him, Petruchio is telling Katherine to have sex with him. Continuing with the sexual puns, Petruchio tells Katherine, (II:i,211) "Women are made to bear, and so are you." In this statement there is a pun because "women are made to bear" can be interpreted several different ways; women are made to be annoying and tolerated by men, women are made to endure the man's weight during sex, and women are made to give birth to children. Taking the pun in its sexual meaning of enduring the man during sex, Katherine returns with, (II:i,212) "No such jade as you, if me you mean." Petruchio, not actually a jade (a worthless horse without endurance), is being mocked by Katherine. This is an animal metaphor as well as a sexual metaphor to describe Petruchio's sexual capabilities because she is saying he does not have the endurance to have sex with her. (II:i,231) "What, with my tongue in your tail?" Said by Petruchio to Katherine, this is a sexual metaphor because Katherine does not have a tail for Petruchio to put his tongue in. The meaning of the metaphor is Petruchio asking Katherine if she wanted to have his tongue in her ass. Rejecting his offer of sex once more after he compares himself to a rooster, Katherine states, (II:i,241) "No cock of mine." Katherine is punning on the nickname of roosters, which is cock. With the pun on the word cock, Katherine is stating in this line that his penis not for her.
Not entirely composed of sexual metaphors and puns, food metaphors exist as well in the play. (I:i,136-137) "There's small choice in rotten apples" Said to Gremio in relation to their predicament of getting Katherine married, Hortensio is saying in this quote that they have no choice but to deal with the situation they are in. This is a food metaphor because Gremio and Hortensio are not actually choosing from rotten apples but instead are in a dilemma where there are no good options to choose from. (I:i,28) "To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy". Philosophy, not actually being sweet or having sweets to suck from it, is being compared to fruit in this food metaphor. The speaker, Tranio, is expressing how interesting and wonderful the study of philosophy is by giving it characteristics of ripe fruit.
(I:i,163) "If love have touched you". Tranio speaking to Lucentio, love is being personified here to have the ability to touch. Love not actually being able to touch Lucentio, Tranio uses this metaphor to mean if you are in love. Tranio then warns Lucentio of love's dangers. (I:i,164) "Redime te captum quam quaes minimo". Spoken in Italian and meaning ransom yourself from capture with as little money as possible, Tranio is speaking metaphorically because Lucentio is not literally captured by anything. Tranio speaks as if love has captured Lucentio, and Lucentio needs to do whatever it takes to free himself. Continuing with the idea of being captured by his love for Bianca, Lucentio says, (I:i,225-226) "That maid whose sudden sight hath thralled my wounded eye". This is a metaphor because although he has fallen madly in love with Bianca at first sight, Lucentio's eye is neither literally controlled nor wounded by Bianca. In saying this to Tranio, Lucentio merely means that he is mesmerized by Bianca. (I:i,176-177) "I saw her coral lips to move, and with her breath she did perfume the air.". Metaphorically describing Bianca's astonishing beauty, Lucentio calls Bianca's lips corals and her breath perfume. This is a metaphor because Bianca's lips are not corals but instead resemble the vibrant color of corals, and her breath is not perfume but instead smells as heavenly as an extravagant perfume.
In the taming of Katherine, Petruchio goes through a process in which he starves and deprives Katherine of sleep. (IV:i,155) "I know you have a stomach". Told to Katherine in an attempt to seem as though he is not starving her and is being sympathetic, Petruchio is telling her that he knows she is hungry. This is a metaphor because Petruchio is not telling Katherine that he is aware that she has a stomach but instead that he is aware she is hungry. In the taming of his shrew, Petruchio tells Curtis and Grumio, (IV:i,190) "My falcon now is sharp and passing empty,". Not actually having a falcon that is sharp and empty, this is a metaphor for Katherine's state. In using this metaphor, Petruchio is comparing Katherine to a falcon he is training, who is obedient and starving. Referring to the same type of bird metaphor, Petruchio states to Curtis and Grumio, (IV:i,193-194) "Another way I have to man my haggard, to make her come and know her keeper’s call.". The statement is another bird metaphor used to describe his taming of Katherine because she is being compared to a haggard (wild falcon) who must learn its keeper's call. Katherine is not actually a wild falcon but Petruchio is metaphorically stating that he is teaching Katherine how to obey his commands. In response to his control and abuse, Katherine states to Petruchio, (IV:iii,109) "you mean to make a puppet of me". Knowing Petruchio is not literally making a puppet out of her flesh, Katherine is metaphorically stating that Petruchio is trying to control her and manipulate her.
With the introduction of Petruchio and Grumio, a series of puns on the word "knock" come into play. (I:ii,5-12)
Petruchio-"Here, Grumio, knock I say"
Grumio-"Knock, sir? whom should I knock? is there any man has rebused your Worship?"
When Petruchio tells Grumio to knock on Hortensio's door, Grumio takes it as if Petruchio wants him to hit Petruchio, and therein lies the pun on the word knock. When Grumio continues to fool around with the pun, Petruchio replies, (I:ii,16-18) "Faith, sirrah, an you’ll not knock, I’ll ring it. I’ll try how you can sol, fa, and sing it." Telling Grumio that he will hit him if he won't knock on the door, there is a musical metaphor because Grumio will not actually sing the musical scale of sol, fa. By this Petruchio means he will see how loud Grumio will yell when he hits Grumio.
