<b>The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare</b>&nbsp;William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a&nbsp;framing device, often referred to as the&nbsp;induction,[a]&nbsp;in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken&nbsp;tinker&nbsp;named&nbsp;Christopher Sly&nbsp;into believing he is actually a nobleman himself. The nobleman then has the play performed for Sly&#39;s diversion.<br /><br />The main plot depicts the&nbsp;courtship&nbsp;of&nbsp;Petruchio&nbsp;and&nbsp;Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate&nbsp;shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship; however, Petruchio &quot;tames&quot; her with various psychological and physical torments, such as keeping her from eating and drinking, until she becomes a desirable, compliant, and obedient bride.<br /><br />The&nbsp;subplot&nbsp;features a competition between the suitors of Katherina&#39;s younger sister,&nbsp;Bianca, who is seen as the &quot;ideal&quot; woman. The question of whether the play is&nbsp;misogynistic&nbsp;has become the subject of considerable controversy, particularly among modern scholars, audiences, and readers.<br /><br /><i>The Taming of the Shrew</i>&nbsp;has been adapted numerous times for stage, screen, opera, ballet, and musical theatre; perhaps the most famous adaptations being&nbsp;Cole Porter&#39;s&nbsp;<i>Kiss Me, Kate;&nbsp;McLintock!</i>, a 1963 American Western comedy film, starring&nbsp;John Wayne&nbsp;and&nbsp;Maureen O&#39;Hara; and&nbsp;the 1967 film&nbsp;of the play, starring&nbsp;Elizabeth Taylor&nbsp;and&nbsp;Richard Burton. The 1999 high-school comedy film&nbsp;<i>10 Things I Hate About You</i>, and the 2003 romantic comedy&nbsp;<i>Deliver Us from Eva</i>&nbsp;are also loosely based on the play.