About the work
Shakespeare likely wrote the comedy in the early 1590s; no exact date of composition or first performance survives. An entry in Philip Henslowe's diary from June 1594 may record an early performance, though it is unclear whether it refers to Shakespeare's play or the related anonymous play "The Taming of a Shrew". The first unambiguously documented performance took place only in 1633 at the court of Charles I. The text was first printed in the First Folio of 1623.
Plot
The drunken tinker Christopher Sly is tricked by a nobleman into believing he is a lord himself and is shown the actual play as entertainment. In it, the wealthy Baptista refuses to let his desirable younger daughter Bianca marry before her older sister Katharina, feared as a "shrew," is wed. The penniless Petruchio takes up the challenge, marries Katharina and "tames" her through unconventional means, while Bianca is courted by several suitors.
Cultural significance
The play remains one of Shakespeare's most frequently performed comedies, though its portrayal of marital submission is still debated and often reinterpreted on stage. It inspired numerous adaptations, including the musical "Kiss Me, Kate".