A comedy, The Taming of the Shrew may have been written between 1590 and 1592. There have been many adaptations of this beautiful play by Shakespeare.
Christopher Sly, a tinker by profession, was tricked into believing that he was a nobleman. In order to entertain him, his tricksters performed a play that centered on taming a shrew.
Katherine was considered a shrew because she was very assertive and did not heed any man. Bianca, her sister, on the other hand, was considered a desirable woman. Petruchio, fortune seeker, was directed to woo Katherine. There were many suitors for Bianca. Through unpredictable twists and turns, the play progresses as each man tried to woo his lover. In the end, the shrew was tamed and women in the Play learned the lesson that they should obey their men.
The play has been criticised severely for its loud misogynistic tone in the modern times. The message that the play conveys may not be palatable to the contemporary audience as it sees women as naturally subservient to men. ‘There’s small choice in rotten apples’ and ‘The poorest service is repaid with thanks’ are two of the most popular lines from the play.
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