Two Ways of Taming a Shrew
Name: Oana- Maria Ungureanu
Email Address: oanyungureanu@yahoo.com
University: Babes-Bolyai University
Course title: Gender stereotyping/ Masculine universalism
Assignment number: 1
Interpretation title: Two ways of taming a shrew. A comparison between William Shakespeare’s ’’The Taming Of The Shrew’’ and ’’10 Things I Hate About You’’, the movie
William Shakespeare’s plays lend themselves to a world of interpretations. The ‘’Bard of Avon’’ composed in the late XVI ͭ ͪ century a controversial piece of literature that has been highly regarded for more than four centuries. The time-defying play is entitled ‘’The Taming Of The Shrew’’. Owing to the play’s time-enduring themes, it has repeatedly been adapted as to be valued in various periods of time. One such adaptation is the movie ‘’10 Things I Hate About You’’, written in 1999 by Karen McCullah and Kristin Smith. Both the play and the movie draw upon the everlasting theme of the battle of the sexes. Consequently, a comparison between the two versions of this theme will be further pursued.
In contrasting the original text and the modern appropriation, it can be observed that each text reflects the time in which it was composed. Plays, the most popular form of entertainment during the late XVI ͭ ͪ/ early XVII ͭ ͪ century, respond to the Elizabethan audience’s needs to be entertained. Although the exact dating of Shakespeare’s ‘’The Taming Of The Shrew’’ is difficult and uncertain, the play was published in 1594 under the title ’’ A Pleasant Conceited History, called The Taming of a Shrew’’. Being written at a time when women were deemed by society as inferior to men, various implications of the patriarchal society of the XVI ͭ ͪ century are reflected to a large extent in the text. Even from the Induction, the framing device used by Shakespeare as to provide a setting for the play proper, we are offered a brief sketch of the ideal behaviour befitting a wife in the XVI ͭ ͪ century. The Lord’s
Email Address: oanyungureanu@yahoo.com
University: Babes-Bolyai University
Course title: Gender stereotyping/ Masculine universalism
Assignment number: 1
Interpretation title: Two ways of taming a shrew. A comparison between William Shakespeare’s ’’The Taming Of The Shrew’’ and ’’10 Things I Hate About You’’, the movie
William Shakespeare’s plays lend themselves to a world of interpretations. The ‘’Bard of Avon’’ composed in the late XVI ͭ ͪ century a controversial piece of literature that has been highly regarded for more than four centuries. The time-defying play is entitled ‘’The Taming Of The Shrew’’. Owing to the play’s time-enduring themes, it has repeatedly been adapted as to be valued in various periods of time. One such adaptation is the movie ‘’10 Things I Hate About You’’, written in 1999 by Karen McCullah and Kristin Smith. Both the play and the movie draw upon the everlasting theme of the battle of the sexes. Consequently, a comparison between the two versions of this theme will be further pursued.
In contrasting the original text and the modern appropriation, it can be observed that each text reflects the time in which it was composed. Plays, the most popular form of entertainment during the late XVI ͭ ͪ/ early XVII ͭ ͪ century, respond to the Elizabethan audience’s needs to be entertained. Although the exact dating of Shakespeare’s ‘’The Taming Of The Shrew’’ is difficult and uncertain, the play was published in 1594 under the title ’’ A Pleasant Conceited History, called The Taming of a Shrew’’. Being written at a time when women were deemed by society as inferior to men, various implications of the patriarchal society of the XVI ͭ ͪ century are reflected to a large extent in the text. Even from the Induction, the framing device used by Shakespeare as to provide a setting for the play proper, we are offered a brief sketch of the ideal behaviour befitting a wife in the XVI ͭ ͪ century. The Lord’s
Bibliography: Hibbard, G.R. ‘’The Taming Of The Shrew’’, New Penguin Shakespeare, Ontario, 1968 See article ‘’The taming of the shrew vs. 10 things I hate about you’’ and ‘’A comparison of ten things I hate about you and Taming of the shrew’’ at http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2005/11/30/165618/14 See article ‘’Feminist Themes in and Critiques of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew’’at http://www2.cedarcrest.edu/academic/eng/lfletcher/shrew/efurstnau.htm -------------------------------------------- [ 2 ]. Introduction to William Shakespeare’s ’’ The Taming Of The Shrew’’, edited by G.R. Hibbard, New Penguin Shakespeare, 1968, p.8 [ 3 ]. See article ‘’Feminist Themes in and Critiques of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew’’ at http://www2.cedarcrest.edu/academic/eng/lfletcher/shrew/efurstnau.htm [ 4 ]. Ibidem [ 5 ]. Introduction to William Shakespeare’s ’’ The Taming Of The Shrew’’, edited by G.R. Hibbard, New Penguin Shakespeare, 1968, p.25 [ 6 ]. See course ‘’Masculine universalism’’ on EVAonlinecourses.eu