The Taming of the Shrew, popularly regarded as rather sophisticated for such an early Shakespearean comedy, joins the rest of the works in the Shakespeare canon in its ability to extend its roots back to early sources. In addition to being linked to a specific source or two, though, Shrew is linked, as well, to literature, ballads, and courtesy books that council how to deal with a shrewish woman. Although today The Taming of the Shrew might seem chauvinistic to us because it celebrates the merits of male power and dominance, we must consider it within its historical context in order to distill the most meaning from the play. When we look at The Taming of the Shrew in this light, we see the main action of the play takes its cue from a long tradition of works dealing with shrews and shrew tamers. It would be a gross error to say, though, that Shakespeare wholeheartedly endorses complete male rule. Although Shrew does extol some of the common stereotypes of the shrewish woman (and her subsequent need for reformation), it also begins to challenge the common folklore, providing spectators with something familiar which also advances a more non-traditional theme when it comes to dealing with an unruly wife.
During the Renaissance, the controversy over women took various forms, sometimes debating their basic nature, their legal and moral rights, their clothing, and their behavior. The branch of the debate most central to The Taming of the Shrew, though, centers on appropriate and inappropriate female behavior (shrewishness and scolding), particularly within the confines of a marriage wherein the husband was traditionally viewed as the ultimate authority figure.
A Merry Jest of a Shrewd and Curst Wife Lapped in Morel's Skin, for Her Good Behavior, a popular and fairly lengthy ballad composed around 1550, is commonly regarded as one of the primary works in the public debate regarding the appropriate treatment for unruly women in Renaissance England. Although this work was printed only once and very few copies remain, Shakespeare would have undoubtedly been familiar with this ballad since its popularity led to the story circulating orally as an elaborate folktale.
