The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew comedy by William Shakespeare. It was one of his earlier plays, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1594. The play begins with a framing device in which a drunkard is deceived into thinking he is a nobleman who then watches the "play" itself, which depicts a nobleman, Petruchio, who marries an outspoken, intelligent, and bad-tempered shrew named Katherine. Petruchio manipulates and "tames" her until she is obedient to his will. The main subplot features the courting of Katherine's more conventional sister Bianca by numerous suitors. The content has become the subject of considerable controversy. The play has been adapted numerous times for opera, stage, screen and musical theatre, including Cole Porter's well-known version, ''Kiss Me Kate''. The basic elements of the story are present in the 14th-century Castilian tale of the "young man who married a very strong and fiery woman". The play's subplot, involving the characters Bianca and Lucentio,... full article at wikipedia