Shakespeare for the Audience of a Different Century

Shakespeare is one of the most famous play writers in history. His writings contain a variation of themes and a complex language. This essay contains a compare and contrast between the play, Taming of the Shrew (See Figure 1), and the movie, 10 Things I Hate About You (See Figure 2). Taming of the Shrew is based on the conquest for Bianca's hand between Hortensio, Gremio, and Lucentio. They need to find a husband for her older sisters in order to any one of them win Bianca's love. The older sister is a shrewdest girl which is known for her bad attitude, sharp tongue, and other qualities which is uncommon for a woman of that time. Luckily, they find a man who can tame her, a man with interest only in the money. 10 Things I Hate About You is a movie where Cameron falls for Bianca, but to get to her, he needs a man to date her oldest sister. So Cameron and Michael decided to elaborate a plan to bribe Patrick, the school's bad boy. The bribe consisted in going out with Kat, Bianca's older sister; but things change when Patrick starts falling in love with her. Both the film and the play contain a very similar plot, since one is written by Shakespeare and the other is a modern adaptation of the play. Taming of the Shrew is a play written in the 15th century, comparing it with the movie, 10 Things I Hate About You belongs in to the 21st century obtain a different perspective about family relationship and how the female role elaborates.

The differences and similarities between them go farther than the plots which we can observe through the adaption of the characters. Some of the most familiar characters are Bianca Stratford and Bianca Minola; both of these women are self-centered and only are focused on one thing, which is their beauty. But, there is a slight change, in the movie, 10 Things I Hate About You, she decides to change her self-centered ways the moment that she starts a relationship with Cameron. Cameron James, who plays the role of Lucentio in the movie, also falls for Bianca the minute he sees her. Another similarity found in the movie and book is the moment where he tutors Bianca in order to get her attention; but on the way they execute it is very different. In the play, Lucentio disguises himself as a schoolmaster; while in the movie, Cameron pretends to be a French tutor, when actually he doesn't even master the language. Another main character that is mostly similar is Katherina in Taming of the Shrew and Kat from the movie. These two characters play the part of Bianca’s eldest sister; they are both known to be sharp tongue and feminist. There are other small differences that vary; for example in the movie, when Kat accepts that she is in love with Patrick Verona, who plays the role of Petruchio a young man who comes to Padua in search for a bride.

They also share other similarities, in both the film and the play, both characters accept a bribe; but each has a different reason, one receives it, if he can get Kate to marry him and the other if he can get Kat to date him. The difference is that Petruchio only marries Kate for the money, while Patrick later understands that he loves Kat and realizes that he did wrong by accepting and keeping the bribes. The name of Kate and Bianca’s father, in the play, is Baptista. He is known to be a rich man in Padua. Baptista is on a search for a man for a man who is willing to marry his oldest daughter and restricts the younger one to marry until he does so. In the movie, the one who plays this role is Walter Stratford; he, like Baptista, sets the rule that Bianca couldn't date until Kat does. He always tells Bianca to be more like Kat, while in the play, Baptista tells Kate to be more like Bianca. The character that helps Lucentio in his quest for Bianca's love is Tranio, in the play; Michael, in the movie. In both cases, Michael or Tranio helps Lucentio to plan how to get to Bianca, and convince the bribed man to go out with Kate. The only extra detail is that in the movie, where Michael has a date for prom that is full of references to Shakespeare called Mandella. In the play, Hortensio is the one to convince Petruchio to accept the bribe; in the movie, Hortensio is represented by Joey who convices Patrick. Joey and Hortensio they both try very hard to get Bianca's love, but they failed. Joey is a model who is confident and his appearance will get Bianca's attraction, and Hortensio disguises himself as a music teacher to get Bianca's love. There are much more characters who do not aport in the movie, even when they have a special role in the play. Some the chracters which important roles that are missing are Biondello, Gremio, Vincentio,

The plots are mainly reflected by the relationships between characters, including the ones that change throughout the play or movie. The difference between the relationships can affect different things, such like the audience attention or be can misguided during course of the plot. One of the most important relationships in the play is the one between Kate and Petruchio; Kate is known to be the shrewdest woman in all Padua and it is Petruchio’s duty to tame her. In their relationship, there is no sign of love or affection in either side. In the same way, this relationship helps reflect on the opinion of the time, in which a woman’s only job was to serve the man, while the man marries to satisfy his benefits. But, in 10 Things I Hate About You, Patrick and Kat have a different type of relationship, even if the characters are based on the original. The relationship between them starts of as a rocky start, Kat’s battling on whether or not to trust Patrick while, Patrick only had his eyes for the money.

Surprisingly, they end up with a relationship filled with of love, compassion and happiness. Continuing the movie’s plot, Cameron and Bianca's relationship starts off one of interest, but this only on Cameron side. Bianca only sees Cameron as a friend and a tutor., Bianca realize that Joey is not the guy for her and chooses Cameron, the relationship passes to a lovely, concerned. Differently, Lucentio and Bianca start with a relationship where both feel attraction to each other, in which they even marry in secret. Another important relationship is Baptista relationship with his daughters. First of all, Baptista relationship with Bianca is very communicative, protective, and he is proud of her interest in her studies. In comparison, Kate's relationship with her father is not so good. Baptista loves her, but her strong attitude affects it, even so, he worries about her and looks for a man for her. In the same topic, the relationship between the sisters is unsuccessful. Kate lives jealous of Bianca’s beauty, and because Bianca their father’s favorite. This relationship, in the movie, starts full of discord, but it gets better as the plot courses. The main relationships forms and describes the story, also helps the readers know farther than what the text can tell us.

In conclusion, Taming of the Shrew and 10 Things I Hate About You describes the audience of their time. Taming of the Shrew reflects the role of the man of its time that is to command woman and to marry only for their benefits, and the woman's role that is to serve the man. Also, fathers want to marry their daughters fast so they can have a strong respected man to look after them. In the other hand, 10 Things I Hate About You reflects in favor of feminist and equality, that men are the ones who have to change for woman. In the same, relationship only works through love. Fathers want their daughters to be mature, independent, and professional before getting married. Both stories successfully satisfy the audience without depending in which time or society they are reading it.