How is imagery used in The Taming of the Shrew?

Animal imagery is pervasive in The Taming of the Shrew, especially in regards to Kate. The very title associates her with a shrew, a small mammal, and Kate compares herself with a wasp, claiming her tongue is like a wasp's stinger. However, the other characters liken her to a cat due to her willful nature and willingness to show her claws, in a manner of speaking (such as when she strikes at Petruchio during their first meeting).

For example, Petruchio claims he will turn her from a wildcat into a house cat:

For I am he am born to tame you Kate,
And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate
Conformable as other household Kates.

Later on, he compares Kate to a falcon as well, specifically a falcon being trained by a falconer. By comparing Kate to a wildcat and a falcon, the play gives the sense that she is an animal being tamed. Whether or not she is genuinely tamed at all is up to each individual production, of course, as her conduct in the final scenes could either be taken as straightforward submission or sly trickery.

Ironically, the animal imagery also extends to Petruchio himself. He often acts in an animalistic way, with his bad manners and impulsive behavior. And when Kate strikes him, he shows he is just as willing to "cuff" her in return, suggesting he is not exactly a civilized human being above violence either.