Kat is the protagonist of the text, with nearly every other character appearing to be an antagonist or foil to her perfect “I don’t give a crap” world. The characterisation that occurs within the film is directly linked to the extreme individualism that Kat portrays, and how it evolves as her relationship with Patrick does. She particularly dislikes her sister’s willingness to fit in and tells Bianca, “You don’t always have to be what other people want you to be”. She is cynical about many things, and does not believe she needs to conform to the vapid teenage culture that surrounds her, maintaining, “You forget I don’t care what other people think”. Kat is a very strong, independent and externally confident young woman. The character that the journey is taken through is Kat. The value of individualism is another theme explored intensely throughout the film, journeying through various forms and perceptions of individualism.
The plot is simple, but achieves its desired result… entertainment. The film's plot borrows heavily from that of The Taming of the Shrew, following a similar structure and timeline. This is resolved after they apologise to each other, and the film finishes stereotypically happy. The plot of the film reaches its complication when Kat discovers that Patrick is being paid to go out with her. Kat doesn’t want to date, so Bianca and Cameron attempt to find someone to take Kat on a date, Patrick.
Bianca desperately wants to date, but is only allowed to when Kat does. The film tells the story of the Stratford sisters, Michael explains “It is a widely known fact that the Stratford sisters don’t date”. The setting, representative of the context of the film, and theme of dating constitute the basis of the plot of 10 Things I Hate About You. She feels pressured by her friends, and the boy that is constantly asking her on dates, to “fit in” to teenage culture. Dating is shown as a result of peer pressure, Bianca constantly states, “I’m the only girl in school that doesn’t date”. In 10 Things I Hate About You (released in the late 1990’s), this has been appropriated, and dating has become a form of relationship that everyone obsesses over, especially in high school. In The Taming of the Shrew (created in the 1500’s), marriage is a union of relationship that the contextual society obsessed over. The use of setting by the writers of the film, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kristen Smith, are effective in expressing the obsessions 90’s teenage American’s had with labelling their relationships. The film is set in a 1990's American high school, Padua Stadium High School. This is no different in 10 Things I Hate About You. With previous sexist views aside, and further use of the five elements of fiction writing plot, characters, setting, theme and style, The Taming of the Shrew has been transformed into a teenage classic, in the form of 10 Things I Hate About You.ĭating an unavoidable element of teenage life, often something teenagers feel pressured into doing. Although set in a time of feminine power, the film still results to traditional views on dating and the archetypal “knight in shining armour” that every girl should find. In contrast to The Taming of the Shrew, the context in which 10 Things I Hate About You was created promotes female independence and control (resulting from the feminist movement), a huge societal evolution that impacts texts created so far apart. The film explores the ideas of dating, individualism and trust. The plot is based heavily on that of Shakespeare’s original, but has been heavily adapted to suit the 1990's society. As apposed the the first wave of feminism (1800's) which focused on legal boundaries for women, the second wave of feminism (60's-70's) sought to remove any inequalities that women experienced. Technology played a huge part in life (film, television, the internet etc.), the “free love” of the 60’s had evolved views on sex out of marriage and females had gained a lot of independence and power throughout the 70’s. America at the end of the 20th century had changed significantly from the 17th century. The film is based on Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, but has been appropriated to suit the audience and context of 1990’s America.
10 Things I Hate About You, a film directed by Gil Junger, is a teen culture classic that is still watched nearly 20 years after its release date.
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