The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device often referred to as the induction in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Christopher Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself. The nobleman then has the play performed for Sly's diversion.
The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio and Katherina the headstrong obdurate shrew. Initially Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship; however Petruchio "tames" her with various psychological and physical torments such as keeping her from eating and drinking until she becomes a desirable compliant and obedient bride. The subplot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina's younger sister Bianca who is seen as the "ideal" woman. The question of whether the play is misogynistic has become the subject of considerable controversy particularly among modern scholars audiences and readers.