These ideas can be contrasted and compared between the 1500 Elizabethan time of Shakespeare's play 'The Taming of the Shrew' and the present contemporary period of teenage movie '10 Thing I Hate About You'.
'The Power of Love' is portrayed in various themes throughout both. Some of which depict superficial love, motivation by money and love-at-first-sight. These ideas can be contrasted and compared between the 1500 Elizabethan time of Shakespeare's play 'The Taming of the Shrew' and the present contemporary period of teenage movie '10 Thing I Hate About You'.
The motif of motivation by money in love is a frequently suggested theme in both texts: - 'Taming of the Shrew' and '10 Things I Hate About You'. In 'The Taming of the Shrew' Petruchio is motivated by dowry money that he would receive if he married the shrewd and foul-tongued Katherina.
Petruchio:'I come to wive it wealthily in Padua; if wealthily then happily in Padua.'
Petruchio explains that the only way to a happy lifestyle is to marry a wealthy wife in Padua. His theory is that money will make him happy, although in contemporary society that hypothesis has been challenged.
Gremio: 'You shall have me assisting you in all. But will you woo1 this wildcat?' Petruchio: Will I live?...Think you a little din can daunt mine ears? Have I not in my time heard lions roar? Have I not heard the sea, puffed up with winds...and heavens artillery thunder in the skies?...And you do tell me of a woman's tongue, that gives not half so great a blow to heard.'
Petruchio boasts taming Katherina will not be difficult as he has experienced far worse in his life than just the scolding tongue of a woman. He highlights that he is fearless in his chase for Katherina and is not intimidated by her. Petruchio is willing to go to extreme lengths, even when warned by good friends Hortensio about Katherina's shrewdness.
The representation of status is also brought up repeatedly in this play as only well-known, respectable men could marry the most beautiful and modest women with large dowries. The language used by both Grumio and Curtis compared to that of Baptista and Gremio highlights the importance of language in determining levels of status.
Grumio: 'Why, give him gold enough and marry him to a puppet...or an old trot with ne'er a tooth in her head, though have as many diseases as two and fifty horses.'
Curtis: 'Come, you are so full of cony-catching. By this reckoning he is more shrew than she.'
The language of the slave/servant is less formal and use more colloquial language.
Baptista: 'Gentlemen, importune me no further, for how I firmly am resolved you know; that is, not to bestow my youngest daughter before I have a husband for the elder.
Hortensio: 'I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife, with wealth enough, and young and beauteous, brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman.'
These men are of higher status then of Grumio and Curtis as they use the English language and Latin very well. Status may justify Petruchio's significant mentioning of his ...
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The language of the slave/servant is less formal and use more colloquial language.
Baptista: 'Gentlemen, importune me no further, for how I firmly am resolved you know; that is, not to bestow my youngest daughter before I have a husband for the elder.
Hortensio: 'I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife, with wealth enough, and young and beauteous, brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman.'
These men are of higher status then of Grumio and Curtis as they use the English language and Latin very well. Status may justify Petruchio's significant mentioning of his father, Antonio.
Petruchio: 'Petruchio is my name, Antonio's son, a man well known throughout all Italy'.
This quote highlights Petruchio's suggestion of his status through the mentioning of his well-known father.
After Petruchio has successfully tamed (some argue that she is merely assimilating to what she thinks is her role. Refer to 'Katherina's Speech') he does not seem to have fallen in love with her. He is proud that he has tamed her, though the real thoughts and feelings of Petruchio are blurred as he does not make any statements that give away his state of mind at the end of the play.
Petruchio: 'We three are married, but you two are sped. (To Lucentio) 'Twas I won the wager, though you hit the white, and being a winner, God give you goodnight!'
During his last few lines, Petruchio boasts his winnings to the other men but does not deliver any words of love to Katherina.
In '10 things I Hate About You', the money that Patrick obtains to court Katherina is received from a side person called Joey. Joey pays Patrick to date Katherina so that he has a chance to court Bianca. As opposed to 'The Taming of the Shrew', in which the money had originated from Katherina's dowry money.
Further more, as Patrick in '10 Things I Hate About You' continues to develop a relationship with Katherina, he discovers he has fallen in love with her in the end.
Patrick: 'They paid me to date this really great girl, but I stuffed up. I fell for her.'
Patrick describes that even though he was initially paid to date Katherina, the most important thing was that he truly did love her. In 'Taming of the Shrew', even though Petruchio starts to show a liking towards Katherina he does not physically state that he loves her.
When Katherina in '10 Things I Hate About You' found out that Patrick was being paid to court her, she was genuinely upset, embarrassed and angry about the situation. As opposed to Katherina in 'The Taming of the Shrew', who accepted to dowry money as a 'norm'. This can highlight the differences in values, beliefs and attitudes between the 1500 Elizabethan period where dowries were considered acceptable and 'normal' and the present contemporary time where being paid to court someone is not seen as socially or morally acceptable.
Motivation by money is one of the themes used to represent 'the power of love'. Another important theme mentioned heavily in both texts is 'superficial love'.
'Superficial love' is love that is not genuine and exists even though the person may not realize the love interest's personality traits. In 'The Taming of the Shrew' Hortensio and Gremio are strong examples of superficial love. Both men desire to marry Bianca because they want a trophy wife, and do not even know Bianca's true personality. This can be conveyed by Gremio and Hortensio's quotes:-
Hortensio:' Tarry Petruchio, I must go with thee, for in Baptista's keep my treasure is. He hath the jewel of my life in hold, his youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca.'
Hortensio describes Bianca as his jewel which can also be related to a trophy and hails Bianca's beauty without noting any of her personality attributes.
Gremio: 'Baptista, to your youngest daughter - now is the day we long have looked for. I am your neighbour, and was suitor first.'
Tranio: 'And I am the one that loves Bianca more...'
Gremio: 'Skipper, stand back, 'tis age that nourisheth.'
To Gremio, the most important thing is that he was the first to be suitor for Binaca. He also uses the fact the he is Baptista's neighbour/good friend to justify his right to marry Bianca. Gremio expresses that age is what will give Bianca a good life a he is also rich and will leave a wealthy sum of money and property to her when he dies. Both men do not show real love for Bianca and are only attracted by her beauty and availability. Although they journey for an endless chase for Bianca, they eventually relinquish as Lucentio claims her and their 'superficial love' had not won them the prize.
'Superficial love is also displayed in '10 Things I Hate About You', though in different character roles. Bianca is attracted to Joey at first by his good looks and popularity but soon realizes that he is not what he appears. This is conveyed at a party they attend together. Joey continued to talk about his modeling career and showing off his modeling poses while Bianca, whit an utterly disgusted look on her face turns around and realizes that Joey's good looks does not equal to his personality.
There are similarities in both texts as 'superficial love' is depicted the same way. Both Gremio and Hortensio in 'Taming of the Shrew' show superficial love for Biance but both realize that it has not achieved them their goal. Biance in '10 Things I Hate About You' realizes that Joey is not worth 'wooing' and also abandons him for another. As 'superficial love is depicted strongly in both texts so is the largely mentioned theme of 'love at first sight'.
The world known cliché of 'love at fist sight' refers to the instant love that is conceived when two people first meet or see each other, thus the words, 'first sight'. Such a worldly renowned phrase has re-occurred as a popular theme for romance in many texts. In particular, 'love at first sight' has been appropriately displayed in the courtship between Bianca and Lucentio in 'Taming of the Shrew'.
Lucentio first perceives Bianca in a street where he quotes Bianca's: -
'Maid's mild behaviour and sobriety.'
Lucentio's mention of Bianca's mild behaviour is distinguishing her as the quiet peaceful sisterand also notes her modesty and womanly behaviour. These first few kind descriptive words that Lucentio utters are the start to his obsession with Bianca.
An important quote: -
'I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio. If achieve not this young modest girl.'
This is the exact point in which he falls in love with Bianca and starts his pursuit for her. Lucentio's love is showed in the way in which he describes her: -
'O yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face... Tranio, I saw her coral lips move, and with her breath she did perfume the air. Sacred and sweet was all I saw in her.'
Lucentio portrays her as innocent sweet and precious and gave her almost angelic qualities. He seems to be 'blinded by love' as those are the only qualities he sees in her.
Tranio: 'Nay, then 'tis time to stir him from his trance.'
This further justifies Lucentio's 'blinding by love' by Tranio mentioning that Lucentio was so deep in though about Bianca that he is in a 'trance'.
In '10 Things I Hate About You' the concept of 'love at first sight' is similar in that Cameron falls in love with Bianca at first sight of her in the school. The expression on his face indicates that he was transfixed and mesmerized by her presence. He also makes a quote that is taken from 'The Taming of the Shrew',
'I burn, I pine, I perish.'
This also hints an allusion from the 'The Taming of the Shrew' to '10 Things I Hate About You' This quote has been taken from The Shakespearean text as it highlights the similarities between the two texts relating to the concept of 'love at fist sight'. Cameron also makes positive comments about her innocence and beauty, offering relation to angelic qualities much like the words of Lucentio in 'Taming of the Shrew'. The film techniques of the scenes with Cameron admiring Bianca also contribute to his thoughts and feelings about her. When the camera is shot at her she is depicted walking slowly and sweetly, like and angel, while Cameron watches on in amazement. Similar to 'The Taming of the Shrew' Bianca also falls in love with Cameron and they attend the Prom together, which is the contemporary equivalent to the wedding of Lucentio and Bianca in 'The Taming of the Shrew'
All of the themes, 'motivation by money', 'superficial love' and 'love at first sight' are depicted strongly in both texts, the 1500 Elizabethan period of 'The Taming of the Shrew' and the modern contemporary time of '10 Things I Hate About You'. All these themes can be used to portray 'The Power of Love' and highlights the changes and continuities that have occurred over time.
Try to win a woman's hand in marriage; court
Linda Soo (c)2003
