The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew is one of William Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, probably first performed around 1593. While the play’s depiction of women is the subject of much debate among modern readers and scholars, its popularity endures, and the play continues to be reproduced in various mediums. Notable adaptations include the 1967 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and the 1999 romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You.

This guide refers to the 2014 Folger Shakespeare Library edition of the play. Note that the references use line numbers rather than page numbers, so you can use this guide with different editions.

Plot Summary

The play begins with a frame story: A passing lord spots Christopher Sly, a drunken peddler, sleeping off a heavy night in the gutter and decides to play a trick on him, making him believe that he’s really a noble gentleman who’s been under the delusion he’s a lowly commoner. This plan works perfectly; believing himself a gentleman with a lovely lady wife (in fact a pageboy in disguise), Sly sits down to enjoy a night at the theater, watching The Taming of the Shrew itself.

As the play proper begins,

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