10 Things I Hate About You Literary Analysis

Despite the continuous evolution of society over time, and the subsequent development of social standards and expectations, some values and issues are perpetuated over the years. William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and its modern appropriation, Gil Junger’s 10 Things I Hate About You, demonstrate how texts can effectively portray the ideals and concerns present in changing social, cultural and historical contexts. However, due to differing contexts and societal values, the responses given within each text vary, emphasising how texts are products of their time and place. The plot of both texts revolves around the concept of relationships, such as the idea of marriage as an institution in Renaissance Italy and the process of dating in the late 90’s American society. Both texts discuss and challenge the recurring issues caused by the social expectations and defined role society places upon women, as well as the development of identity and the idea of individualism in relation to social constructs. The juxtaposition of The Taming of the Shrew and 10 things I hate about you accentuates how ideas and concepts are preserved and shaped within various texts to suit different …show more content…
Framed upon Shakespeare’s play, the film holds its own unique textual integrity, as the similarities and differences between the texts are a result of the placement of Elizabethan values into a modern context. Hence, due to the shift in context, both texts present different responses to suit the audience and the time period in which they were composed. To fully assimilate this notion, it is necessary to analyse and comprehend the intertextuality between The Taming of the Shrew and its modern appropriation, thus enhancing and affirming that every text is the product of its unique time and