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Michael Finocchiaro's Reviews > The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
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Michael Finocchiaro's review
bookshelves: english-16th-c, shakespeare, theatre, comedic-plays, classics
Jun 10, 2020
bookshelves: english-16th-c, shakespeare, theatre, comedic-plays, classics
Not the bard’s greatest work, Taming of the Shrew tends more towards gender stereotypes (plus a few anti-Semitic asides) and, to my view, lacked memorable monologues. The humor was occasionally ok but no belly laughs provoked for me. The play within a play idea was interesting, but William sort of left the ending hanging. I suppose I should seek some archival footage of stage or screen interpretations of this one.
On to Henry VI Parts 1-3!
Fino's Reviews of Shakespeare and Shakespearean Criticism
Comedies
The Comedy of Errors (1592-1593
The Taming of the Shrew (1593-1594)
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594-1595)
Love's Labour's Lost (1594-1595)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595-1596)
The Merchant of Venice (1596-1597)
Much Ado About Nothing (1598-1599)
As You Like It (1599-1600)
Twelfth Night (1599-1600)
The Merry Wives of Windsor (1600-1601)
All's Well That Ends Well (1602-1603)
Measure for Measure (1604-1605)
Cymbeline (1609-1610)
A Winter's Tale (1610-1611)
The Tempest (1611-1612)
Two Noble Kinsmen (1612-1613)
Histories
Henry VI Part I (1589-1590)
Henry VI Part II (1590-1591)
Henry VI Part III (1590-1591)
Richard III (1593-1594)
Richard II (1595-1596)
King John (1596-1597)
Edward III (1596-1597)
Henry IV Part I (1597-1598)
Henry IV Part II (1597-1598)
Henry V (1598-1599)
Henry VIII (1612-1612)
Tragedies
Titus Andronicus (1592-1593)
Romeo and Juliet (1594-1595)
Julius Caesar (1599-1600)
Hamlet (1600-1601)
Troilus and Cressida (1601-1602)
Othello (1604-1605)
King Lear (1605-1606)
Macbeth (1605-1606)
Anthony and Cleopatra (1606-1607)
Coriolanus (1607-1608)
Timon of Athens (1607-1608)
Pericles (1608-1609)
Shakespearean Criticism
The Wheel of Fire by Wilson Knight
A Natural Perspective by Northrop Frye
Shakespeare After All by Marjorie Garber
Shakespeare's Roman Plays and Their Background by M W MacCallum
Shakespearean Criticism 1919-1935 compiled by Anne Ridler
Shakespearean Tragedy by A.C. Bradley
Shakespeare's Sexual Comedy by Hugh M. Richmond
Shakespeare: The Comedies by R.P. Draper
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics by Stephen Greenblatt
1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare by James Shapiro
Collections of Shakespeare
Venus and Adonis, the Rape of Lucrece and Other Poems
Shakespeare's Sonnets and a Lover's Complaint
The Complete Oxford Shakespeare
On to Henry VI Parts 1-3!
Fino's Reviews of Shakespeare and Shakespearean Criticism
Comedies
The Comedy of Errors (1592-1593
The Taming of the Shrew (1593-1594)
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594-1595)
Love's Labour's Lost (1594-1595)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595-1596)
The Merchant of Venice (1596-1597)
Much Ado About Nothing (1598-1599)
As You Like It (1599-1600)
Twelfth Night (1599-1600)
The Merry Wives of Windsor (1600-1601)
All's Well That Ends Well (1602-1603)
Measure for Measure (1604-1605)
Cymbeline (1609-1610)
A Winter's Tale (1610-1611)
The Tempest (1611-1612)
Two Noble Kinsmen (1612-1613)
Histories
Henry VI Part I (1589-1590)
Henry VI Part II (1590-1591)
Henry VI Part III (1590-1591)
Richard III (1593-1594)
Richard II (1595-1596)
King John (1596-1597)
Edward III (1596-1597)
Henry IV Part I (1597-1598)
Henry IV Part II (1597-1598)
Henry V (1598-1599)
Henry VIII (1612-1612)
Tragedies
Titus Andronicus (1592-1593)
Romeo and Juliet (1594-1595)
Julius Caesar (1599-1600)
Hamlet (1600-1601)
Troilus and Cressida (1601-1602)
Othello (1604-1605)
King Lear (1605-1606)
Macbeth (1605-1606)
Anthony and Cleopatra (1606-1607)
Coriolanus (1607-1608)
Timon of Athens (1607-1608)
Pericles (1608-1609)
Shakespearean Criticism
The Wheel of Fire by Wilson Knight
A Natural Perspective by Northrop Frye
Shakespeare After All by Marjorie Garber
Shakespeare's Roman Plays and Their Background by M W MacCallum
Shakespearean Criticism 1919-1935 compiled by Anne Ridler
Shakespearean Tragedy by A.C. Bradley
Shakespeare's Sexual Comedy by Hugh M. Richmond
Shakespeare: The Comedies by R.P. Draper
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics by Stephen Greenblatt
1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare by James Shapiro
Collections of Shakespeare
Venus and Adonis, the Rape of Lucrece and Other Poems
Shakespeare's Sonnets and a Lover's Complaint
The Complete Oxford Shakespeare
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Reading Progress
September 26, 2019
– Shelved
September 26, 2019
– Shelved as:
to-read
June 10, 2020
–
Started Reading
June 10, 2020
–
Finished Reading
June 14, 2020
– Shelved as:
english-16th-c
June 14, 2020
– Shelved as:
shakespeare
June 14, 2020
– Shelved as:
theatre
June 14, 2020
– Shelved as:
comedic-plays
June 14, 2020
– Shelved as:
classics
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BAM doesn’t answer to her real name
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rated it 2 stars
Jun 10, 2020 02:05PM
This is my least favorite of his works. It physically hurts my head to read it.
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Well, it is reassuring to know that someone otherwise so perfect could bellyflop sometimes and was thus merely human
So funny, but this was one of my faves as a teen, but I read it a few years ago and didn't like it at all. I can get past the stereotypes as that is what all plays were based on at the time, but the humor seems incredibly forced.
I agree. Two Gentleman of Verona was much funnier (despite the misogyny and anti-Semitism) and especially the Lance/Crab asides were hilarious. No such breaks in the heavy-handed Shrew
Michael wrote: "I agree. Two Gentleman of Verona was much funnier (despite the misogyny and anti-Semitism) and especially the Lance/Crab asides were hilarious. No such breaks in the heavy-handed Shrew"I once saw a magnificent version of Romeo and Juliet, a tragedy, but some of the roles were played with such comedic brilliance that the ending was all the more tragic. I love contrast in story telling, especially when conveyed well. : )
Shakespeare is so incredibly good at that at times. I felt that, rereading Richard II while watching the BBC production of it from 2012's The Hidden Crown have me a whole new perspective.
definitely not his finest work, but I'm still quite fond of it.
