It would be a gross error to say, though, that Shakespeare wholeheartedly endorses complete male rule. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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