Composers often use different methods to portray similar ideas to their audience. How have the two texts you have studied reflect the same ideas in different ways? Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and Jill Junge's 10 Things I Hate about You.
English Transformation Practice Essay
Composers often use different methods to portray similar ideas to their audience. How have the two texts you have studied reflect the same ideas in different ways?
Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and Jill Junge's 10 Things I Hate about You are examples of where composers have used different methods to portray similar ideas to their audience. This essay will compare the three common themes the texts share, including marriage and dating, deception and disguise and the role and hierarchy of women in society. By comparing the dramatic and film techniques used in each of these respective texts, the common themes are expressed in their individual ways which ultimately are able to engage their audiences.
Traditionally, economics and financial gain have been the more important aspect in relationships, especially marriage, as opposed to love. The marriage and dating customs of society have remained relatively similar overtime. In Taming of the Shrew, the audience is given an exclusive view into what marriage meant to society and individuals of the Elizabethan period. William Shakespeare conveyed how marriage as a financial gain was specifically applied to peoples during his era in Taming of the Shrew, where in Act 1 Scene 2, Petruchio and his servant Grumio visit Hortensio's house. Petruchio boldly announces his quest to wed a rich wife.
"...I come to wive it wealthily in Padua, if wealthily then happily in Padua." Such a blunt statement clearly shows Petruchio's 'gold digger' of a personality and his values when it comes to marriage, most likely influenced by the society he lives in. When Hortensio refers Petruchio to Katherina as part of a devious scheme for Bianca, the dramatic irony only further enhances how when it comes to women, men of Petruchio's standard prioritize marriage as a financial transaction first, then their own feelings or even the feelings of the intended and that the view of the female is not taken into account. In this way, Shakespeare is able to demonstrate the value of marriage and by comparing this to 10 Things I Hate about you, it is evident that the same values still apply.
The modern day teenage filmic text is still able to portray marriage and dating mostly as a profitable process through a different setting. When Joey asked Patrick to take out Kat, again, for his own warped benefit, including the punchline that if Patrick were to make Kat his own problem, a generous compensation would be rewarded, Patrick immediately becomes interested. "...you're going to pay me to take out some chick? How much?". This question highlights Patrick's cleverly concealed interest in this deal because it ultimately involves money. Throughout this scene, Joey is seen mostly cast in sunlight, which ...
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The modern day teenage filmic text is still able to portray marriage and dating mostly as a profitable process through a different setting. When Joey asked Patrick to take out Kat, again, for his own warped benefit, including the punchline that if Patrick were to make Kat his own problem, a generous compensation would be rewarded, Patrick immediately becomes interested. "...you're going to pay me to take out some chick? How much?". This question highlights Patrick's cleverly concealed interest in this deal because it ultimately involves money. Throughout this scene, Joey is seen mostly cast in sunlight, which suggests an almost innocent like motive to his request, where as Patrick is seemingly more of the selfish, sullen and nasty party in his business deal, because it is all for money, and he is completely disregarding or holding no respect for what Kat's opinion and emotions might be on this matter if she heard of it. Jill Junge also makes effective use of medium shots, where the surly facial expressions of Patrick and arrogant body language of Joey and Patrick can be observed in more detail during their conversation. It also shows the reactions and emotions of them both whilst finalizing their business deal. The camera works and techniques of Jill Junge in this scene evidently express the monetary benefits of marriage and dating throughout time, from Shakespeare's time well into the modern day.
Deception and disguise in the two set texts involves harmlessly deceiving one, or multitudes of people by impersonating someone, or good at something they're in actual fact not, the result of which is gaining something in personal value. Shakespeare expresses his interpretation of deception and disguise through Act I Scene II where upon arrival in Padua Lucentio and Tranio swap identities with each other as part of the plan to capture Bianca's heart. Tranio assures "...when I am alone, why then I am Tranio, but in all places else, your master Lucentio." Master and servant are well disguised as someone they're not, and the chess pieces are set. Furthermore, Baptista, Bianca, Petruchio and the others of the story are deceived by the role swapping of Lucentio and Tranio. Again, the use of dramatic irony further increases the 'masquerade' atmosphere developing in this scene, thus supporting the theme of deception and disguise, for masquerades often involve not knowing the identity of anyone as their face is so effectively shielded with masks. Shakespeare cleverly inserts the concept of deception and disguise within his play that it becomes an important and crucial element to the plot, and when compared back to 10 Things I Hate about You, deception and disguise is another important and crucial element to the plot.
Cameron's disguise and deception as an adequate French tutor as a desperate attempt to attract the attention of Bianca in 10 Things I hate About you is an example of where deception and disguise becomes a key theme in the story. Cameron and Michael are discussing Bianca one more when Michael reveals that Bianca is actually looking for a French tutor an opportunity deemed perfect by Cameron. Michael then asks if Cameron even speaks French, and Cameron's reply "Well no, but I will" is self explanatory. Jill Junge uses a close-up from the shoulders up to express the exasperated and jovial emotions and reactions of Cameron and Michael. The characters are smack in the middle of the screen as the camera revolves around them, giving insight into the setting and happenings of the high school world. Such mise en scene also sheds light on the fact that the world still continues while Cameron plans any opportunity to interact with the girl of his dreams, and that their scheme of deception and disguise is only a mere few meters away from the target girl herself. These film techniques help to establish the theme and role of deception and disguise in both Taming of the Shrew and 10 Things I hate About You.
The role of women in relationships or societies in both Taming of the Shrew and 10 Things I Hate About You have generally been portrayed as one that requires very meek, submissive and humble behaviour, though obviously, there are some exceptions. In Taming of the Shrew, Katherina started off as a very emotional, angry, witty and independent woman who refused to listen to all men alike. However, as evident in her speech at the wedding banquet of Bianca and Lucentio, her values, opinion and demeanour upon husbands in particular seem to dramatically change. "...Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign one who cares for thee." The use of such respectful words of gratitude and admiration for a husband conveys how she ultimately sees her role as a wife and woman. Shakespeare creates her monologue at the end to signify the importance of her speech and reveal the seemingly dramatic change of the 'shrew', which was once angry and uncontrollable, now turned over a new leaf. Katherina Minola's monologue which reveals the role of women in society and in a relationship at the end of the play can be compared once again to that of Kat Stratford's own monologue at the end of the filmic text.
Although Kat lives in a modern high school world where the role of women in society isn't challenged as significantly and her role in her relationship with Patrick isn't specifically relevant, Jill Junge also tries and recreates the similar idea of a 'shrew being tamed down'. At the end, Kat offers to come to the front of her class, and read out her poetry assignment. "...but mostly I hate the way I don't hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all". This simple statement gives such a deep insight into Kat's personality, and the audience learns that though she may maintain a violent, livid and ill-tempered façade on the outside, inside, she is still very much a human being capable of feeling complex emotions. During this scene, the camera gradually zooms closer into her face, so that the anguish and hurt she expresses is conveyed very directly, her tears and facial expressions not omissible.
In conclusion, through comparison of dramatic and film techniques alike used for the three common themes evident in the two set texts of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and Junge's 10 Things I Hate About You, marriage and dating, deception and disguise and the role of women in society/relationships, the composers have been able to convey similar ideas through different methods.
Bethany Lee
