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The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare is probably one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies. Its plot is derived from the popular 'war of the sexes' theme in which males and females are pitted against one another for dominance in marriage. The play begins with an induction in which a drunkard is fooled into believing he is a king and has a play performed for him. The play he watches is what constitutes the main …

…Another favorable aspect of it is the subplot involving Lucentio and Bianca, which lends itself as the basis for many humourous moments, most notably between Lucentio, Hortensio and Bianca. The obvious sexist attitude of the play does not hinder it because of the reasons stated above. One must also take into account the attitudes of sixteenth century England and the fact that the play is a comedy and is not meant to be taken seriously.