a musical
stage play and film based on the comedy The Taming of the Shrew by
English poet and dramatist
William Shakespeare (1564- 1616). The
play tells of a young Italian gentleman, Petruchio who marries sharptongued Katherine. With many comical clashes between the two, Petruchio, after systematically humiliating his wife to cure her of her
temper, succeeds in his plan to make her an obedient wife. He then reveals himself as a real gentleman and genuinely fond of Katherine. Originally appearing on
Broadway in 1948 the
play also appeared on film.