The Taming of the Shrew (Annotated‪)‬

The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, thought 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 Sly's diversion.

The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship, but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments—the "taming"—until she becomes a compliant and obedient bride. The subplot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina's more desirable sister, Bianca. The play's apparent misogynistic elements have become the subject of considerable controversy, particularly among modern scholars, audiences and readers.


This edition has been formatted for your reader, with an active table of contents.  This version is also annotated, with additional information about the play and William Shakespeare, such as an overview, characters, plot, sources, date, texts, analysis, context, biographical and bibliographical information.