The Taming of the Shrew | Criticism

  • Overviews of Taming of the Shrew

    Selected critical excerpts explore the action and structure of Taming of the Shrew, including a discussion of the relationship between Katherine and Petruchio.

  • Gender Roles in Taming of the Shrew

    A selection of critical excerpts exploring gender roles in the play; in particular, these excerpts highlight the critical controversy between the play as a sexist work versus those who view it as a a tongue-in-cheek view of traditional gender roles.

  • Appearance versus Reality in Taming of the Shrew

    A selection of critical excerpts exploring the contradiction between appearance and reality, which constitutes a central issue in The Taming of the Shrew and figure in many discussions of the play's other themes and of the development of its characters.

  • Games and Role-Playing

    Selected criticism on role-playing in the work.

  • Imagery in Taming of the Shrew

    Selected critical excerpts discussing the prevalence of animal imagery in The Taming of the Shrew and the various ways in which it has been interpreted.

  • Katherina

    Critical excerpts on the various interpretations of Katherina's character.

  • Petruchio

    Critical excerpts on the character of Petruchio, addressing the question of whether Petruchio is an admirable character or an offensive one.