Othello vs The Taming of the Shrew: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Dramatic production, Stage history, Drama, Fiction
Othello
“Roderigo and lago rouse Brabantio from his bed to tell him of Desdemona's rebellion.”
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Shakespeare's tragedy of jealousy and suspicion presented scene by scene in comic book format.
The Taming of the Shrew
“CHRISTOPHER SLY for a range of sly's manifestations, see Introduction pp. 51-64.”
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This play within a play is a delightful farce about a fortune hunter who marries and tames" the town shrew. The comedy, often produced today because of its accessibility, is one of the plays Shakespeare intended for the…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Taming of the Shrew has the widest readership — 183652 ratings behind its score.
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Scores by source
| Othello | The Taming of the Shrew | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (101) | 3.7 (183652) |
| Hardcover | 3.8 (498) | 3.6 (212) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (89) | 4.0 (47) |
| LiveLib | — | 4.2 (3552) |
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Reception
| Othello | The Taming of the Shrew | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 498 | 183652 |
| Editions | 807 | 1126 |
| Citations | 17 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 42 | 76789 |
| Reading it now | 12 | 3123 |
| Written reviews | 2 | 6441 |
| Wikipedia attention | 46432 | 29172 |
| Pages | 151 | 120 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Othello or The Taming of the Shrew?
Othello has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Othello 3.9/5, The Taming of the Shrew 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Othello or The Taming of the Shrew?
The Taming of the Shrew is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Taming of the Shrew (120 pages, ≈ 2 h 13 m); Othello (151 pages, ≈ 2 h 48 m).
Which is harder to read: Othello or The Taming of the Shrew?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Othello: Demanding; The Taming of the Shrew: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
Othello: 5 film adaptations; The Taming of the Shrew: 5 film adaptations.