The Taming of the Shrew: a comedy by William Shakespeare (1590 - 1592)

The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592.The play begins with a framing device often referred to as the induction in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Christopher Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself. The nobleman then has the play performed for Slys diversion.The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio and Katherina the headstrong obdurate shrew. Initially Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship however Petruchio tames her with various psychological torments such as keeping her from eating and drinking until she becomes a desirable compliant and obedient bride. The subplot features a competition between the suitors of Katherinas younger sister Bianca who is seen as the ideal woman. The question of whether the play is misogynistic has become the subject of considerable controversy particularly among modern scholars audiences and readers.The Taming of the Shrew has been adapted numerous times for stage screen opera ballet and musical theatre perhaps the most famous adaptations being Cole Porters Kiss Me Kate and the 1967 film of the play starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The 1999 high school comedy film 10 Things I Hate About You is also loosely based on the play.Prior to the first act an induction frames the play as a kind of history played in front of a befuddled drunkard named Christopher Sly who is tricked into believing that he is a lord. The play is performed in order to distract Sly from his wife who is actually Bartholomew a servant dressed as a woman.In the play performed for Sly the shrew is Katherina the eldest daughter of Baptista Minola a lord in Padua. Numerous men including Tranio deem Katherina an unworthy option for marriage because of her notorious assertiveness and willfulness. On the other hand men such as Hortensio and Gremio are eager to marry her younger sister Bianca. However Baptista has sworn Bianca is not allowed to marry until Katherina is wed this motivates Biancas suitors to work together to find Katherina a husband so that they may compete for Bianca. The plot thickens when Lucentio who has recently come to Padua to attend university falls in love with Bianca. Overhearing Baptista say that he is on the lookout for tutors for his daughters Lucentio devises a plan in which he disguises himself as a Latin tutor named Cambio in order to woo Bianca behind Baptistas back and meanwhile has his servant Tranio pretend to be him.In the meantime Petruchio accompanied by his servant Grumio arrives in Padua from Verona. He explains to Hortensio an old friend of his that since his fathers death he has set out to enjoy life and wed. Hearing this Hortensio recruits Petruchio as a suitor for Katherina. He also has Petruchio present himself to Baptista disguised as a music tutor named Litio. Thus Lucentio and Hortensio attempt to woo Bianca while pretending to be the tutors Cambio and Litio.