Rating: 
Summary: 10 Things I Hate About You
Review: Is it because of my endless watching of this comedies movie adaption, 10 Things I Hate About You, or this book was very easy to comprehend. I have never found Shakespeare terribly difficult to understand and this was enjoyable.
A play within a play, this comedy was engaging and quite different than his other comedies. This play, I found foreshadowed his latter dark comedies including Romeo and Juliet and MacBeth.
I liked Katherine and the way she interacted with her suitors. For a lady of that time, I found this to be very bold behaviour and brave. Bianca, a sweet thing, I pity in some respects in the way she was catered to. These two sisters no doubt has misery towards one another but also, it was obvious they had love and respect for one another. If not jelousy of each others lives.
The humour of the book bumped up my rating, otherwise it would be at a mere 3/3.5. Not my favourite Shakespeare comedy but, still one that is enjoyable and a fun read.
Rating: 
Summary: Clever and witty play
Review: Of all of Shakespeare's plays that I have read, this is the most enjoyable. The characters are real and engaging - the sweetly stupid Bianca and her hoard of suitors, Baptista, who is more interested in selling his daughters to rich husbands than making them happy, the sly and masterful Petruchio, and most of all, Katherine, the Shrew. The play is full of action, comedy, and enough mistaken and hidden identities to keep the reader happily confused.Katherine, who appears to be "tamed" by Petruchio's cruelties, learns the art of subtlety and diplomacy that will enable her to survive in a society ruled by men. Her speech in the last scene is not a humbling affirmation of the superiority of men, but a tounge-in-cheek ridicule of Petruchio, Lucentio, and Hortensio, who think that a woman can be tamed like a wild animal by a few days of bumbling controll. The Folger Library of Shakespeare's plays are the most readable editions that I have seen. There are detailed side notes and definitions of unfamiliar words, which are perfect for the reader who is not familiar with Shakespearean English.
Rating:
Summary: Great Classic Comedy
Review: Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew is dramatic, witty, and hilarious all at the same time. The plot itself borders on ridiculous, as it is unlikely anything like it would happen in real life. However, the play is made plausible by realistic characters. Perhaps Shakespeare's characters are so believable because they all seem like people we could know today. The shrewish Kate and the seamless Bianca may as well be sisters in the house down your street. The doting Lucentio, Gremio, and Hortensio are reminiscent of high school teens trying to win the head cheerleader. In the end, this play not only takes us back to a time not so different from our own, but teaches us some lessons as well.
This comedy has a lot to offer readers. It reasons that like Petruchio with Katherina, sometimes it takes a little cruelty to show kindness. After days of starvation and punishment all under the guise of love, Kate learns to respect her husband. At the same time, she learns to love him.
Overall, this classic play is definitely worth reading. Those who take the time won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Taming of the Shrew
Review: Taming of the Shrew is not my favorite Shakespearean work. Actually, it's not even my favorite of his comedies, but it's a pretty good read. I didn't like it as much as I liked reading Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet, or Macbeth. It drags a little despite the humor in it. I was annoyed that Baptista Minola allowed men to buy Bianca's hand rather than letting his daughters choose their husbands, although I realise that was the way things were done in Shakespeare's day. I think Bianca is a pampered little fool. She is spoiled by all the male attention she gets and by her father's undivided adoration. I think it's natural that she becomes the less perfect wife in the end. She was never very nice in my opinion. She ought to have been angry at her father for not allowing her to marry until Katherine married, not be angry at Katherine for not marrying against her will. I'm not sure whether to admire Petruchio's eventual love for Kathrine or hate him for initially marrying for money alone. The one character I definitely feel for is Katherine. I blame her initial shrewishness on the inattention of her family and the men of Padua. In the end, she loves and tries to please Petruchio. I think she will get her way with him in private. I can picture her speaking her submission with a glint in her eye and a plan for the future once she has his trust.
Rating: 
Summary: Good play
Review: The synopsis made simple for the Taming of the Shrew is: Katharina is a 'shrew,' with a flaring temper, a streak of sarcasm, and is less elegant as her sister Bianca. She is then betrothed to Petruchio, who uses the 'cruel to be kind' method to try to change Katharina's personality by being cruel and uncompromising towards her. In the end it ultimately works, and Katharina becomes more subtle, respectful, and ultimately falls in love w/ Petruchio. It is a great play by Shakespeare, very humorous (with a genius use of sarcasm wit and puns), and it is one of his more rewarding plays on many levels. Not only is it a pleasure to read, but the theme of the story, by transforming a shrew into a better person, is very positive, a relief from the darker subjects Shakespeare used in his more famous plays (i.e. Romeo & Juliet).
Rating:
Summary: A Magnum Opus
Review: The Taming of the Shrew is a comedic play by our favorite playwright Shakespeare. It is a unique love story with hidden comedy throughout. Though a tad difficult to keep the many characters and their doubles straight, it is an enjoyable read. The plot revolves around an overprotective father who is unwilling to let his attractive younger daughter, Bianca, wed, until his shrewish older daughter, Katherine, is married first. A brave young man, Petruchio decides to test his intellectual and mental capabilites, by marrying Katherine. His goal is to turn her into a good,submissive wife, hence the title, The Taming of the Shrew. After Katherine is wed the courtship of beautiful Bianca begins. Throughout Katherine's courting, only teachers would be admitted near Bianca. The plot deepens as two men in competition for Bianca's hand pose as teachers. One proves to be victorious, the other a milksop, settling for a wealthy widow as his newylwed. Petruchio and his recalcitrant wife appear continously through the duration of the play, providing the majority of the comedic entertainment. All in all, a great choice.
Rating:
Summary: A Magnum Opus
Review: The Taming of the Shrew is a comedic play by our favorite playwright Shakespeare. It is a unique love story with hidden comedy throughout. Though a tad difficult to keep the many characters and their doubles straight, it is an enjoyable read. The plot revolves around an overprotective father who is unwilling to let his attractive younger daughter, Bianca, wed, until his shrewish older daughter, Katherine, is married first. A brave young man, Petruchio decides to test his intellectual and mental capabilites, by marrying Katherine. His goal is to turn her into a good,submissive wife, hence the title, The Taming of the Shrew. After Katherine is wed the courtship of beautiful Bianca begins. Throughout Katherine's courting, only teachers would be admitted near Bianca. The plot deepens as two men in competition for Bianca's hand pose as teachers. One proves to be victorious, the other a milksop, settling for a wealthy widow as his newylwed. Petruchio and his recalcitrant wife appear continously through the duration of the play, providing the majority of the comedic entertainment. All in all, a great choice.
Rating:
Summary: Shrew Review
Review: The Taming of the Shrew is a great read for high school literature classes. Shakespeare uses love in this play to set up many comical situations. It is a nice change of pace from the traditional Shakespearian love tragedy which we have all been subjected to. This book is easily related to by teens. I personally related to the two suitors for Bianca. They both wanted her more than anything and were forced to wait because of a shrewd sister and an overbearing father. This was one book that I had no problem sitting down, reading, and enjoying on my own time. This book is a necesity for all high school literature classes.
Rating:
Summary: Shrew Review
Review: The Taming of the Shrew is a great read for high school literature classes. Shakespeare uses love in this play to set up many comical situations. It is a nice change of pace from the traditional Shakespearian love tragedy which we have all been subjected to. This book is easily related to by teens. I personally related to the two suitors for Bianca. They both wanted her more than anything and were forced to wait because of a shrewd sister and an overbearing father. This was one book that I had no problem sitting down, reading, and enjoying on my own time. This book is a necesity for all high school literature classes.
Rating:
Summary: The Taming of the Shrew
Review: The Taming of the Shrew is a play within a play. It starts out with a drunkard, Sly, and a lord. The lord bets that he can trick Sly into thinking he is a lord. When Sly wakes up he doesn't understand, but eventually accepts who they say he is. After a few minutes he becomes bored and the play, "Taming of the Shrew" comes on. It is a play that has men dressing as women, other men, and women dressing as men. I would recommend it to someone who is looking for a book that will have a geat beginning, middle, end, and will keep you wanting to read the next page.
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