The Taming of the Shrew was one of Shakespeare's earlier comedies, and as such many argue that it is an imperfect play written before Shakespeare had fully discovered his niche and honed his play-writing talents. Despite these criticisms, however, The Taming of the Shrew continues to resonate with modern audiences. It has been adapted both for the theater and for film, with many modern adaptations contributing alterations to the plot of the original play.
Notable adaptations include Sam Taylor's 1929 film The Taming of the Shrew starring Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, as well as Franco Zeffirelli's 1967 film of the same name starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. In 1948, Cole Porter presented Kiss Me Kate, a musical based on the original play. That musical was then adapted for the screen in 1953. Other film adaptations of the play include McLintock! (1963), Il Bisbetico Domato (1980), 10 Things I hate About You (1999), and Deliver Us from Eva (2003). The 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You famously altered the original plot of the play, dispelling with Petruchio's (Patrick) plot to "tame" Kate (Kat) and instead showing their courtship as a plot hatched by Cameron (a stand-in for Lucentio) and his friend Michael. This adaptation – likely the most well-known – is set at an American high school and stars Julia Stiles as Kat and Heath Ledger as Patrick.
