Historical Context - Week 5 - Part 1 - Taming of the Shrew

Analysing Contemporary Shakespeare Productions

There have been several adaptations of Shakespeare plays - Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night. 

Taming of the Shrew

Taming of the Shrew is a classic Shakespeare story where there are two sisters - one pretty, one feisty - one can only marry if the other does. So it is Bianca's mission to find her wretched sister a husband. He turns out to be a massive Arse and abuses Kate into loving him. Turns up to their wedding drunk and dressed as a woman and denies her certain pleasures and eventually she 'falls' in love with him. So both sisters end up happily married - THE END. 


There have been many adaptations of this story - "10 things I hate about you" starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles was made into a hilarious film showing it in a Teenage environment. Some how they made an olden time chick flick into a modern day chick flick - I guess it shows how timeless Shakespeare's stories are. They however did not use Shakespearean language but did reference the play a few times. I have put a link to the whole film that is on youtube - the quality isn't that good but it is an opportunity to watch a slightly funny film with great Actors in it. 

The BBC also did a modern adaptation of it - The woman playing Kate is truly terrifying and chilled me to the core. They really do show the contrast in the sisters. Shirley Henderson and Rufus Sewell are a hilarious duo which made very good abusive characters. 

I do think that film adaptations of Taming of the Shrew really do contrast to what might of been depicted on stage. The films have really dusted off the idea of domestic abuse that might be brought up in the play - and by transforming it into modern language and having american teenagers playing the parts we really do loose the rawness of the message. I think that modern language does loose some of the comedy and insults along the way - For example - 

'Think'st thou though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?'

They are literally referring Kate to Hell! Insulting and derailing this woman who has a hating for anyone who shows her empathy or kindness. The american film '10 things I hate about you' does loose those insults that can't be said in any other way than the Shakespeare way.