Three Shrew Plays: Shakespeare's, The Taming of the Shrew; with The Anonymous, The Taming of a Shrew, and Fletcher's, The Tamer Tamed

Barry Gaines · Margaret Maurer

Sep 2010 · Hackett Publishing

About this ebook

Unusual among Shakespeare's plays in that it drew theatrical responses from the outset, The Taming of the Shrew continues to inspire adaptations and interpretations that respond to its fascinating, if provocative, representation of a husband's dominance of his wife. 

This annotated collection of three early modern English plays allows readers to explore the relationship between Shakespeare's Shrew and two closely related plays of the same genre, the earlier of which, the anonymous The Taming of a Shrew (whether inspired by Shakespeare's play or vice-versa), once enjoyed a level of popularity that likely surpassed that of Shakespeare's play. 

The editors' Introduction brilliantly illuminates points of comparison between the three, their larger themes included, and convincingly argues that Shakespeare's Shrew is seen all the more vividly when the anonymous A Shrew and Fletcher's table-turning The Tamer Tamed are waiting in the wings.

About the author

Barry Gaines is Professor of English, The University of New Mexico.

Margaret Maurer is William Henry Crawshaw Professor of Literature, Colgate University.