The Taming of the Shrew

One of Shakespeare’s most popular yet controversial plays, this edition of The Taming of the Shrew considers its reception in the light of the hostility and embarrassment it often arouses, taking account of both scholarly defences and modern feminist criticism of the play. For this updated edition Ann Thompson has added new sections to the Introduction which describe the ‘deeply problematic’ nature of debates about the play and its reception since the 1980s. She discusses recent editions and textual, performance and critical studies.

• Updated edition of a text which has been highly popular in the series since 1984 • Substantial additional section to the Introduction • Two new production photographs and a revised Reading List

Introduction, with new section on recent stage and critical interpretations; Note on the text; List of characters; The play; Textual analysis; Appendixes: Passages from A Shrew; The staging of Induction 2; Music in the play; Reading list.

‘Thompson … makes admirable use of the play’s stage history to show that its depiction of the woman-tamer has always disturbed people … hers remains the introductory essay I would most want my students to read.’ English

‘ … a radically fresh and challenging view of the play.’ The Times Higher Education Supplement