About this title: This newly revised Signet classic includes an extensive overview of Shakespeare's life, a unique introduction to the play, a comprehensive stage history of notable actors, and historical and contemporary dramatic criticism.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Date Published: 2000
ISBN-13:9780671740795ISBN:0671740792
Description: Fine in fine dust jacket. Like New, Unread, not previously owned. May show signs of wear including remainder marks or stickers on book or cover., In like new dust jacket. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Signet Classics
Date Published: 1966
ISBN-13:9780451521262ISBN:0451521269
Description: Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Book is in near brand new condition-ONLY flaw is extremely minimal edgewear on cover. Pgs are clean and tight. SHIPS V FAST! ! Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 232 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9780671722890ISBN:0671722891
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 304 p. Contains: Illustrations. New Folger Library Shakespeare (Paperback). Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Washington Square Press, New York
Date Published: 1963
Description: Fair. No Jacket. 16mo-over 5¾"-6¾" tall. The book is very solid with browned pages. The cover has moderate shelf wear & minor edge wear with a crease on the upper back edge. read more
"Just finished The Taming of the Shrew. It was definitely better than I expected. So long as you don't take offense to the blatant sexism Shakespeare is endorsing, the word play is brilliant, the language beautiful and the story is more than interesting. Additionally, as far as language goes, it was probably the most accessible work of his I have read. On the other hand I was more than disappointed that we don't here from Sly again once the play is going, but the introduction was still just unbelievably amazing and shows how far Shakespeare was ahead of his times. The self-referencing and discussion of art, imagination and story telling is more profound than 99% of similar attempts by postmodernists and more natural and less contrived than 100% of them. The Taming was great, but doesn't match his best works in my opinion. 8.5/10"
"I can understand how readers might not care for this play because of the misogyny and cruelty it displays. Yet it's a comedy (I was laughing out loud as I read it) in the spirit of the old Greek comedies, and a mistake, in my opinion, to think that Shakespeare is somehow endorsing the mistreatment he mocks. Petruchio and Kate are most likely based on Shakespeare's sister (Mary de Vere) and brother-in-law (Peregrine Bertie) whose story closely parallels the "two raging fires" of the play which meet together and "consume the thing that feeds their fury." The play is high satire, too, the last scene mocking the Bible as Kate delivers her long (which is partly why it's funny)speech about how women must be subservient to their husbands. One should remember Shakespeare wrote in the time of Queen Elizabeth (and indeed had a close relationship with her), when a big question was whether she would marry and have children to succeed to the Crown. It's hilarious to picture Elizabeth being subservient to a husband in the way Kate describes, even if that's what the Bible says she must do. No wonder the Queen never married!"
"Well I read my first full play of Shakespeare. I am glad that I started off with something a bit smaller, I don't think I am quite ready for the heavy long stuff just yet, I will have to work my way up to that. I did enjoy this play, I wouldn't say that I loved it, but I definately didn't hate it. It was quite confusing in the beginning, so I had to make a little cheat sheet of all the characters so I would be able to remember who was who and who changed into who when ever they did the switching places and such. I also am not very good at reading stuff in that time period, especially Shakesspeare, so I read a summary of the acts before I read each act and that helped me a lot. I will definately do that again the next time I read one of his plays. I also enjoyed doing it for a book group so that we could discuss it after I read it, that helped to understand it a bit more as well."
"I recently went to see a wonderful production of The Taming of the Shrew - western style - through Shakespeare Dallas, which really helped jump start my personal goal of finding more of an appreciate for the Bard's works. I have my favorites as I'm sure all of us do, but outside of the ones I've seen performed or been forced given the opportunity to read in school, I rarely pick up Shakespeare's works on my own. Even though I recently saw it performed, I thought I begin with an old favorite of mine: The Taming of the Shrew.
Basically, Lucentio wants to marry Baptista's youngest daughter, Bianca, but Baptista denies his, Gremio, and Hortensio's suits because he wants his eldest daughter, the shrew Kate, to marry first. Along comes Petruchio, who is more interested in Kate's dowry, claiming to be in love with Kate, and Baptista quickly says yes to Petruchio's offer of marriage. Kate is furious, but is married off to Petruchio anyways while Lucentio disguises himself as a tutor in order to woo Bianca. Petruchio carries Kate off and proceeds to starve her of sleep and food in order to make her an obedient wife, and Lucentio and Bianca elope in order to make sure Baptista can't split them up or accept old Gremio's suit.
Quite a few people call this play horribly sexist and deeming towards women, and for the most part it is as it has a tendency to glorify what we would nowadays call spousal abuse. But The Taming of the Shrew is also one of the funniest plays Shakespeare wrote. Grumio, Patruchio's manservant, and Tranio, Lucentio's manservant, steal the show through their antics, especially Tranio's impersonation of Lucention. And, as I told my father, " The Taming of the Shrew may have man end up on top, but All's Well that End's Well has woman on top so it all works out in the end."
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