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Taming Of The Shrew By William Shakespeare And 10 Things I Hate About You By Gil Junger

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“Literature has documented the familiar yet profound transformation of sex roles associated with the process of societal modernisation” (Ronald Inglehart, Rising Tide: Gender Equality and Cultural Change Around The World, 2003)

Detecting the intertextual relationship between Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare and 10 Things I Hate About You by Gil Junger, has greatly enhanced and enriched my understanding of love and gender and it’s varying ideals throughout the centuries. Taming of the Shrew depicts the quintessential features of a 16th century marriage, whilst 10 Things I Hate About You, its 21st century counterpart, has been rebooted to match the modern cultural expectations and ideals of love, relationships and marriage. The…show more content…
(Act 5, Scene 2, page 9).
Kate is discussing the cultural idea of Elizabethan societies women being refined and restrained. The 16th century “was a time dominated by men while women themselves remained meek and submissive — these traits were crucial in their belonging and survival in both their family and society” (Pople, 2015). Kate is denouncing the ability of women as a gender and their capacity to be equals to their husbands - heavily influenced by the Elizabethan cultural idea that women existence is based around serving their husband and being submissive to their dominance. Kat’s changing role in 10 Things I Hate About You embodies the shift in cultural and social expectations of a 21st century female. Kat’s independence and autonomous is a result of movements such as 3rd Wave feminism and the Riot Grrrl movement which were prevalent during the 90s, and the consequent social expectation for a character with self-importance, confidence and assertiveness. Kat expresses to Patrick
“Why should I live up to other people’s expectations instead of my own?”
Kat is reaffirming the feminist belief that personal happiness and achievement will always come before satisfying the needs of the opposite gender and impressing others. Kat is demonstrating her self-dependance and aspiration to live in liberation: as her own
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