Compare And Contrast Taming Of The Shrew And Ten Things I Hate About You

Comparative Essay

The Taming of the Shrew and Ten Things I Hate About You

Ten Things I Hate About You is a 1999 film based upon the play The Taming of the Shrew written by William Shakespeare in 1593. The storyline of these two texts is about a boy named Cameron (or Lucentio in the play) who falls in love with Bianca, a popular girl at his school. Due to her father’s orders, she isn’t allowed to date anyone until her older sister Kat (known as Katharina in the play) does. The trouble is, Kat is the opposite of Bianca - unpopular and not intending to date anyone any time soon. In an attempt to solve this problem, Cameron persuades Joey (both Hortensio and Gremio in the play), a wealthy boy who also has feelings for Bianca, to pay Patrick (or

There are many similarities and differences between each of the characters. For example, in the film Kat (Katharina) used to be popular and kind, but ever since she slept with Joey because “He said everyone was doing it,” she decided she would “never do anything just because ‘everyone else’ was doing it.” In the play, however, she had been unkind, unpopular and smart-mouthed her entire life. Another similarity between the two versions of the character is her age. Bianca portrays a very similar character in both the film and the play. She is a smart, pretty, popular and kind girl who is frustrated with her older sister, constantly venting out that frustration by saying things like “I think you're a freak. I think you do this to torture me. And I think you suck,” to Kat. Another similarity between Kat and Bianca’s characters is their age. Kat was 17 in the play, and Bianca was 16, (in the era in which the play was written, girls got married at a young age). In the film, Cameron represents Lucentio. He is very similar to Lucentio, disguising himself as a tutor in order to gain access to Bianca. Joey, the other boy who likes Bianca, represents both Gremio and Hortensio. However there are a few differences between these characters, such as the fact that Joey is a popular high school student in the film, however in the play Gremio is an older man and Hortensio disguises himself as a musician to gain access to Bianca, and Joey

The play is set in and around Padua, Italy. The Taming of the Shrew is largely based around education, learning and other similar experiences, which makes it perfect for being based in Padua, which is a college town known for it’s prestigious university. 10 Things I Hate About You is based in Padua High School and in the surrounding neighbourhood, located in America. The Location of the two texts is completely different, but they named the high school from the film after the location of the play. The play was created in the 16th century, whereas the film was made in the 20th century, so the social dynamics have changed dramatically since then. In Shakespeare’s time, it was the norm for girls to get married at a young age, mostly to older men. Most of the girls in that time didn’t even have a choice of whom they married; it was up to their father and the rest of the family. Nowadays, however, girls have a lot less pressure to get married at such a young age, and have the right to choose who they