10 Things I Hate About Shrew Shelby Smith 11th Grade

The themes of William Shakespeare’s classic plays still ring true today, and audiences everywhere continue to enjoy them, both through the traditional play performances and through more contemporary interpretations. Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You, a modern day rendition, revolve around two sisters, one of whom detests the status-quo and does not involve herself romantically, the other of whom is widely sought after by a range of suitors. However, young Bianca is not permitted to have a romantic relationship until her shrewish sister, Kate, does first. Bianca’s admirers devise a solution to this problem: to pay a man with a strong spirit to become involved with Kate. The film effectively embodies Shakespeare’s original characters, while also examining softer sides of their personalities that are not expressed in the play. Additionally, the film highlights the discrepancies between a courtship in the late 1500s and dating in the 1990s.

The characters of Patrick Verona and Petruchio provide a contrast to Shakespeare’s ideas as well as a modern parallel. Both characters were compensated to make advances on a difficult, strong-willed woman. How they chose to treat the...