The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare is contextually one of the most controversial plays within the Elizabethan era. Supposedly, merging the world’s most regarded dramatist with today’s most sought-after medium would prove to be problematic; however the morals represented in the text are still ubiquitous today, and in several aspects the film 10 Things I Hate About You has appropriated this classic masterpiece. Through this twentieth century contemporisation, it becomes evident that changing the components of a story establishes a stronger relevance to modern day audiences. Specifically through its exploration of the ideas of dating, individualism, and trust, it deliberately contrasts against the traditional views presented in The Taming of the Shrew — and further adaptations such as Kiss Me Kate and Shakespeare Retold justify this concept.
Dating is an unavoidable element of teenage life, as presented in 10 Things I Hate About You. Alternatively, within The Taming of the Shrew, marriage is referred to as a union of relationship that the situated society obsessed over. In order to adapt this traditional concept into a modern context, marriage was appropriated to dating (to fit the high school setting). Evidently, numerous teens at Padua High School validate themselves on the basis of their relationship status. This is justified by the character of Bianca, who constantly states that, “I’m the only girl in school that doesn’t date,” and she feels persistently pressured to ‘fit in’ to the teenage culture. The antiquated proclamations about wedlock that release women from under their father’s possession only to have their means taken over but heir husbands, is translated to an example of a father who is concerned about his daughters and their ability to lead a life away from promiscuity. Moreover, a father who renounces his power once both of his daughters have a steady boyfriend.
The merit of individualism is another concept explored intensely throughout the film 10 Things I Hate About You. It portrays a journey through numerous forms of perceptions of individualism, (and the negative connotations associated with it). In The Taming of the Shrew, possible sources of Katherina’s unhappiness may stem from feelings of undesirability, as well as proclamations of jealousy of her own sisters. The ill-tempered Katherina and pure Bianca were appropriated to the modern parallel of their characters. In order to portray Katherina’s biting displeasure that is so heavily represented in the original text, in 10 Things I Hate About You they made Katherine a feminist. Feminism, being a tendentious topic meant that the contemporised Kat was relate. It also implied that her anger was directed to the repressive patriarchal values that regulated her world. She is vocal about her dislike of the patriarchal society she lives in, and yet she is a character in a movie where the men are the ones that eventually get their way. Majority of the men are displeased by her attitude, and this is evidenced by the fact that Joey Denner refers to her as a “bitter self-righteous hag who has no friends”.
The underlying elements of relationships are common themes explored in The Taming of the Shrew, and just as it investigates the significance of faithfulness, alternatively, 10 Things I Hate About You examines trust in relationships. Trust is one of the major themes in the film. while it expresses the benefits of maintaining it in relationships. Exemplary of the of prejudiced and biased attitudes held towards teenagers, the character of Mr. Stratford lacks trust of his daughters — which ultimately sets boundaries for Kat and Bianca’s opportunities.
Therefore, changing the time, place and human element of a star to adapt it to different context does make it more relatable to modern day audiences. It provides universal themes that are relevant to to the ideas of dating, individualism, and trust. Appropriating Shakespeare’s texts is crucial to permit his works to be relatable and desirable in future years, and furthermore, to keep the messages of his works accessible for generations to come.