"Ten Things I Hate about You" and Shakespeare

“Ten Things” Adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew"

Jan 18, 2009

Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" is one of many of his play that has been adapted into a teen movie. One popular adaptation is "Ten Things I Hate about You."

Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” is a classic play with a common theme, sibling rivalry. In the play, a gentleman named Baptista Minola has two sisters, Katherine and Bianca. Bianca, the youngest, has a number of suitors who want to marry her. However, Baptista says that this can’t happen until a suitor can be found for his headstrong older daughter, Katherine. Finally, Petruchio is able to tame the strong-willed Katherine and Bianca can marry.

In 1999, the film Ten Things I Hate about You, directed by Gil Junger, is released. It follows the general plot of the original Shakespearean play. Julia Stiles plays Kat Stratford and Larisa Oleynik plays Bianca Stratford, the two sisters. Late actor Heath Ledger plays Patrick Verona, the man chosen to woo Kat. However, the movie adds a few plot changes in order to appeal to a younger audience.

Kat Stratford, like Katherine, is strong-willed and not particularly nice to the opposite sex. Unlike her Shakespearean counterpart, however, she is more of a teenage feminist than just a mean girl. Although she is intelligent and headed to the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College, she is an unpopular outcast among her fellow classmates at Padua High School. She is unafraid to be honest, even if they hurt the recipient. Thus, she has no social life.

Unlike Kat, Bianca is popular in their high school, a fashionista and guys love her. However, their father (Larry Miller) won’t allow her to date until Katherine dates. Two potential suitors, Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Joey (Andrew Keegan), vie for her affections. Yet, Stratford family rules prevent her from taking them up on their offer. Like her Shakespearean counterpart, Bianca with the help of Cameron finds someone who is strong enough to put up with Katherine’s strong-willed personality.

In order to woo Katherine, Bianca’s suitors hire Patrick Verona to date her. Patrick is portrayed as a rebel who hangs out in pool halls, drinks and smokes. In addition, there are a number of rumors about his past. Initially, Patrick does it only for the money, but like Petruchio, he begins to have feelings for Katherine.

Of course, as with teen movies, the plot is revealed and mayhem ensues. Bianca adopts Katherine’s strong-willed personality. When she finds out Jeff made a bet to sleep with her, Bianca punches him in the face. As Bianca becomes more aggressive, Katherine softens.

Like Kate in Shakespeare’s play, Katherine makes an impassionate speech at the end of the film. While Shakespeare’s female character relates her love for Petruchio, in “Ten Things I Hate about You,” she reads a poem about why she hates Patrick.

Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” and the film Ten Things I Hate about You illustrate that many of the themes in teen are similar. However, in order to appeal to a younger audience, they must present characters and plotlines that are relevant to them.

Ten Things I Hate about You. Dir. Gil Junger. Perfs. Julia Stiles, Larisa Oleynik, Heath Ledger. Touchstone Pictures, 1999.

The copyright of the article "Ten Things I Hate about You" and Shakespeare in Romantic Comedy Films is owned by Cicely A. Richard. Permission to republish "Ten Things I Hate about You" and Shakespeare in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.