The story of `The Taming of the Shrew' is one that raises many important issues in both its original and appropriated versions. Although there are many similarities between the plots of the original Shakespearean play and Gil Junger's 20th century transformation, the cultures in which the two texts were composed in are very different. Each composer's use of the story as well as language, form and values reflect this.

William Shakespeare depicts a society dominated by patriarchal values and social conformity in the original version of the story. Written in the 1590s, this Shakespearean play was a comedy based on courtship, marriage and the role of gender. This selection of themes was appropriate as the gender roles were profoundly relevant to the Elizabethan society, providing a reflection of the culture in which the play was composed.

The title of the play reinforces the patriarchal values of Elizabethan society...