Taming of the Shrew
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The Shrew places emphasis on situation, rather than character and contains an improbable plot and a vast array of slapstick humor, as did most farcical comedies composed in the 20th Century. The play was, without doubt, composed to entertain the often tempestuous Elizabethan audience, just as its pursuer, 10 Things was composed with the intention of entertaining a modern day audience. One feature of the two texts cultures that changed over time was the patriarchal society of the Elizabethan Era. The 16th century was male dominated and society deemed women inferior to men. This attitude can be seen in the play with statements such as that of Petruchio,
Women are made to bear, and so are you – [2.1.203]
In the play, societies attitudes toward women were addressed through the satirical elements rooted in the play. Katherines soliloquy [5.2.142-85] is evidence of this, and along with the relations between the sexes and the patriarchal notions of the play, helps to portray the values of Elizabethan society. Unlike 10 Things, post-marriage life is an issue addressed in the play that is evidently a popular topic for other literary works of the time. 10 Things tends to focus on the 20th Century American Culture and what is of value at that time. Featuring popular Hollywood stars such as Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, 10 Things reflects popular culture of the 20th Century. Materialistic things of value in American society such as cars, sex, money and education are all evident and portrayed in the movie. Modern American culture is associated with equality of the sexes; this leads us into the major themes of the texts.
A major theme in The Shrew that has been appropriated in 10 Things is marriage. In 10 Things the whole concept of marriage has been appropriated into the idea of dating as the film focuses on a younger generation and it portrays the changing values over four centuries. The Shrew associates marriage to be an economic institution and places great emphasis on the economic aspects of marriage, specifically how an economic consideration determines who marries whom. Due to this, marriage becomes a transfer of money, as shown in Baptistas decision for Biancas husband,
I must confess your offer is best
Now on the Sunday following shall Bianca
Be bride to you, if you make this assurance – [11.1.387-398]
A theme parallel in both texts is the theme of psychological disguises. The characters mask their personalities in order to be perceived by the public as someone that their not. This is a prime example of the appropriation from The Shrew, where Katherine acts like a shrew in order to hide her unhappiness with her social role of a maiden-in-waiting and also to gain attention, to 10 Things, where Kat acts like a heinous bitch to hide her need for attention and to feel loved. Statements from the The Shrew show that where Katherine is perceived to be acting maliciously, she is actually calling out for attention,
A pretty pet! It is best put finger in the eye, an she knew why. – [1.1.78-79]
The dominant theme in both texts is the universal theme that dictates most films, literature and music, the theme of love. Both texts show the tough journey to a happily-ever-after ending. Although in 10 Things the theme of love is obvious, it is quite hidden in The Shrew, but shown through such characters as Bianca and Lucentio, and eventually Kate and Petrichio. It is the universal themes in the Shakespearian play that allow the text to be appropriated and lay down the foundation for the text to be an immortal piece of literature.
Both texts are valued for their ability to reflect and demonstrate societys values, morals and standards at the time they were composed. The values such as the equality of the sexes, and the unique connections between husband and wife have been appropriated into the values of the 20th Century in 10 Things. 10 Things shows how society has changed from a male dominant society to a society were women have gained equality. Both texts are valued for their comic relief and satirical side, which has been appropriated from slapstick humor in The Shrew, to comedy relevant to the 20th Century in 10 Things. The overriding reasons the texts are valued is for the entertainment they provide, especially 10 Things as the film is valued for its ability to take a text, four centuries older, and transform it into a form of entertainment that is able to be enjoyed and valued in the 20th Century. Both texts are valued by modern audiences as they entail important life lessons that any audience, whether during the renaissance or 20th Century, can learn from. These issues developed in The Shrew and carried through to 10 Things are still being discussed in all kinds of current events around the world: how one should act, what love is all about, what womens roles are and how women should act, to name a few.
One main feature of the texts that have been appropriated to suit a 20th Century audience is language. The comical, sophisticated and witty language displayed in The Shrew plays a major role in shaping the values of the Elizabethan era. Many thoughts, emotions, intentions and personalities are displayed through the Shakespearian language. The type of language used in different social classes varies, allowing distinction to be made between social structures and allowing the audience to gain an insight into the class hierarchy. 10 Things recognises