Taming of the Shrew Modern Day Appropriation Comparison
“Ten things I hate about you is a good appropriation of Shakespeare’s play ‘taming of the shrew’.”
‘Ten things I hate about you’ (ten things) is a movie, which was released in 1999. It is meant to be an appropriation of shakspeares play ‘taming of the shrew’. But my question is, has it done so successfully?
Even though he directors of ’10 things’ have changed a significant amount of the play, the main story line has been preserved,. there are obvious similarities between the two texts. For instance in the taming of the shrew, Lucentio wishes to marry Bianca, so in order to get close to her he poses as a Tudor, Then in ‘Ten things’ when Cameron pretends to be a French tutor for Bianca..
The character list has been changed to fit our modern society. Katherine (the shrew) refers to Katarina (Kat), in the play the tamer of the shrew corresponds too Petruccio while in the movie refers to Patrick or (or ‘pat’). The changes in the names are quite noticeable. In both the play and the movie Katherine’s and Katarina’s sisters name is the same, Bianca.
The language of the text is an obvious sign of the type culture present in shakspeare’s era. Shakspearean English is more poetic and advanced then our present day lingo.
In the film ’10 things’ the language is quite informal and coarse. The people at her school refer to Kat as a ‘heinous bitch’, Even the school principal, someone who has authority, has no problem with passing that information on to Kat. This is a huge contrast between the ‘Katherina’ of the shakespearen text, whom others called a ‘shrew’ or a ‘wild beast’.
In the Taming of the Shrew Katherina is forced to marry Petruchio and she is not given any choice in the matter because it is unacceptable to go against the will of one's father. The culture of the early 17th century placed strong emphasis on the respect that children must show for their parents. Although Katherina rebels against many other customs she reluctantly marries out of respect for
‘Ten things I hate about you’ (ten things) is a movie, which was released in 1999. It is meant to be an appropriation of shakspeares play ‘taming of the shrew’. But my question is, has it done so successfully?
Even though he directors of ’10 things’ have changed a significant amount of the play, the main story line has been preserved,. there are obvious similarities between the two texts. For instance in the taming of the shrew, Lucentio wishes to marry Bianca, so in order to get close to her he poses as a Tudor, Then in ‘Ten things’ when Cameron pretends to be a French tutor for Bianca..
The character list has been changed to fit our modern society. Katherine (the shrew) refers to Katarina (Kat), in the play the tamer of the shrew corresponds too Petruccio while in the movie refers to Patrick or (or ‘pat’). The changes in the names are quite noticeable. In both the play and the movie Katherine’s and Katarina’s sisters name is the same, Bianca.
The language of the text is an obvious sign of the type culture present in shakspeare’s era. Shakspearean English is more poetic and advanced then our present day lingo.
In the film ’10 things’ the language is quite informal and coarse. The people at her school refer to Kat as a ‘heinous bitch’, Even the school principal, someone who has authority, has no problem with passing that information on to Kat. This is a huge contrast between the ‘Katherina’ of the shakespearen text, whom others called a ‘shrew’ or a ‘wild beast’.
In the Taming of the Shrew Katherina is forced to marry Petruchio and she is not given any choice in the matter because it is unacceptable to go against the will of one's father. The culture of the early 17th century placed strong emphasis on the respect that children must show for their parents. Although Katherina rebels against many other customs she reluctantly marries out of respect for