The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by English playwright William Shakespeare, and has been frequently adapted for film and stage despite being one of the Bard's most controversial plays. The plot follows the free-spirited "shrew" Katherina whose notorious temper has kept men from seeking her hand in marriage. However, one man, Petruchio, steps up to marry Katherina and begins the long process of "training" his new bride through the use of reverse psychology, effectively molding her, as a result, into an ideal wife by the end of the play. Despite being cited by many critics (even during the time in which it was written) as being overly misogynistic, others dismiss the play's overt misogyny as being neutralized by its obvious farcical nature, and could in fact be looked at as a caricature of misogyny--highlighting the shallowness and vulgarity of the characters as opposed to presenting them in a manner to be emulated.