Shrew.

I've always hated The Taming of the Shrew. It's just so sexist! I couldn't understand why Shakespeare would write that when his other plays are so not-sexist. Of course, I'm not alone here; most people have felt this way since the play was first released.

Then, a few weeks ago, I went to a Twelfth Night feast held by my sister's Shakespeare class. They performed a lot of scenes from various plays, including the scene from The Taming of the Shrew where they argue about the sun. Suddenly, I realized that the play wasn't necessarily sexist at all. Yes, most people perform it that way. But it seemed to me (and here I differ from all Shakespeare scholars and critics) that gender was merely a convenient plot device. It's not about domination/submission. It's just about civility. Petruchio was giving Katherina a taste of her own medicine, making her realize that it sucks to be treated the way she treats people, and that being civil makes life more enjoyable for everybody.

I think I had this revelation because the kids performing were barely even pubescent, incapable of acting with sexuality, thereby removing the sexual nature adults interpret into the play.

How accurate is my interpretation? To really scrutinize my idea, I'll have to read the play again (and interpret the last bit ironically), which I haven't yet. But this is what I'm going to choose to believe.