By Naomi Foster

There are four predictable stages that couples experience in a romantic relationship, a process formally known as courting.  “Some states may take longer than others as some individuals need more time to process the situation at hand.  Stage one is the initial meeting. The pair may be introduced by mutual friends or dumb luck, either way, something pages one or both parties which makes them want to pursue a relationship(Connolly). Stage two relates to curiosity and infatuation. During the second stage, attraction and infatuation are most pronounced. Early attraction often involves the physical attributes of the partner. Stage three entails the actual coupling. At this point, one or both parties indicate that their attraction is beyond physical.  During this stage of a relationship “hormones are calming down, and reality sets in. Couples often go “deeper” in their connection. In modern times this is known as “going steady” or becoming “exclusive”. The final stage, of course, is engagement. At this stage in a relationship, both individuals should have a good understanding of each other’s values, lifestyle, and goals. If they see that they’re a good match the pair embarks on a relationship. This is typically how a stable relationship begins. Unfortunately, some people don’t fully experience and process each stage as an opportunity for personal growth or to make a healthy evaluation of the relationship or themselves, which often results in divorce or an abusive cycle”(Connolly). This failure to observe the respective stages of courtship is seen in Shakspeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, which revolves around the tumultuous marriage of Petruchio and Katherina. Already at odds from the time they were introduced, the couple rushes through each stage, which only results in turmoil for the unsuspecting Katherina.  Petruchio makes no effort to court his bride before or after the marriage, which in turn altered her behavior and led to a build-up of negative emotions on Katherina’s behalf. On the contrary, in the 1999 film adaptation, 10 Things I Hate About You, Patrick and Kat go through each stage of courtship together. We see the push and pull until they finally come together despite the obstacles, and betrayal because they took the time to fully get to know one another. Petruchio and Katherina skip the courting stage altogether. Instead, they embark on this relationship journey after being promised to one another. The entire town is watching, waiting for everything to crumble. Instead of trying to get to know the woman he married, he spent his time trying to force Katherina to be someone she’s not.  The lack of courting is accompanied by misery and abuse, forcing her into submission as a way to protect herself. 

It is the actual process of courting that makes all the difference. When one or both parties attempts to form a bond before committing, there is a greater chance of a successful relationship.  Without courtship, there is no tension, no chase. The relationship is doomed from the start. Though Katherina in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and Kat in Gil Junger’s film adaptation, 10 Things I Hate About You, both end up in relationships, and in turn, they are both considered “tame” by the end of the performance, their attitudes are quite different. Katherina is bitter and angry and Kat has abandoned her rigid non-conformist attitude. These varying outcomes in the attitudes of both Kat and Katherina can be attributed to the courting styles or lack thereof implemented by their male counterparts. 

In Shakespeare’s  The Taming of the Shrew, a wealthy Padua merchant, Baptista of Minola, has two daughters. One of them is the fair and noble, Bianca. Her older sister, Katherina, is her polar opposite, spewing venom and antagonizing all men who cross her path.  One day Lucentio, a student, comes to Padua, sees Bianca, and falls madly in love with her. He has heard that Baptista will not allow Bianca to be married before her older sister. The issue is that no one is willing to marry Katherina because of her scornful attitude. Two local men, Hortensio and Gremio are pursuing Bianca but she has no interest in either of them so they have to resort to a range of tactics to try to win her over. Gremio hires Lucentio, disguised as a Latin tutor, to woo Bianca on his behalf. While the trio attempts to woo Bianca, Hortensio’s friend, Petruchio of Verona, pays a visit and hears the story about the feisty Katherina. He sees her as a challenge, convinced that he will be the one to “tame the shrew”. Baptista welcomes this, as he is fed up with Kate’s disruptive behavior. He accepts Petruchio’s offer of marriage and although Kate opposes it, she cannot do anything about a father’s right to marry his daughter.  Following the wedding, the newlyweds set off for Verona. During the journey, Kate rebels against her husband but he begins “training” her to obey him. Upon arrival, Petruchio mistreats her and instructs his servants to do the same. She is denied everything she wants for civilized life, including food and sleep. He wears her resistance down and eventually, she submits and becomes an obedient wife. 

The 1999 film adaptation puts a modern spin on the courtship tale focusing on teenage romance as opposed to “adulthood”. Cameron James (Lucentio), a new student at Padua High School in the Seattle area, is instantly smitten with popular sophomore Bianca Stratford. His wingman, Michael Eckman(Tranio) warns him that Bianca is out of reach, as her overprotective father does not allow Bianca or her older sister, the shrewish Kat, to date. Bianca wishes to date affluent senior Joey Donner(Gremio/Hortensio), but her father will not allow his daughters to date until they graduate. Frustrated by Bianca’s insistence and Kat’s rebelliousness, Walter declares that Bianca may date only when Kat does, knowing that Kat’s attitude makes this unlikely. When Cameron asks Bianca out, she informs him of her father’s new rule and suggests that Cameron find someone willing to date Kat. Cameron selects “bad boy” Patrick Verona, but Patrick is uninterested. Michael assists by convincing Joey to pay Patrick to take out Kat, under the pretense that this will allow Joey to date, Bianca. Patrick agrees to the deal, but Kat rejects his first few advances. Michael and Cameron help him by prying Bianca for information on Kat’s likes and dislikes. Armed with this knowledge, Patrick begins to win Kat’s interest. Later in the film, Kat finds out that Joey paid Patrick to court her.  She flees the scene and Patrick is left standing there on the dancefloor. The next day back at school Kat reads a poem aloud in which she professes her love for Patrick, despite the betrayal. After school, the pair exchange words and reconcile with a kiss.

One story ends in a bitter, spiteful submission while the other is sealed with a kiss. Katherina was driven to the brink of insanity before finally accepting defeat. She’s been hurt physically and emotionally by the man that she was forced to marry. In an attempt to spare some of her dignity and put the tortious acts to an end, she gives a speech declaring her loyalty and position as a wife, advising women to do the same. As an audience, we are meant to sympathize with Katherina. An independent young woman ripped from her comforts and promised to a man, who couldn’t care less about her. 

Then there’s Kat, die-hard feminist, Stratford, who was courted for months by a handsome transfer student, Patrick until she finally lets her guard down. As she gets more comfortable with Patrick, she loses the hard exterior that made her socially rejected months prior. Kat wasn’t expecting to find love let alone be wooed for the entirety of her senior year. She protested the same as Katherina Minola did.  The major difference is the way that the men relate to the lady’s objection. Petruchio would hear none of it, making false claims that “ How much she loves me!, the kindest Kate!/She hung about my neck, and kissed on kiss/ She vied so fast, protesting oath on oath/ That in a twink she won me to her love”, even after Katherina had expressed her disdain ( II. 2. 30 1-305 ). He doesn’t respect Katherine enough as a person to fully accept or consider her opinion. 

Petruchio made up his mind that his bride would be “tame”, civil, and obedient by any means necessary. While Patrick granted Katherina space each time, she rejected his advances. Instead of harassing or degrading Kat, he simply walks away. Just like that Patrick fits the mold of the modern gentleman. Patrick took the time to study her and became the man she needed him to be. Instead of chalking up Patrick’s style of courting to being a decent human being, I’ll take it a step further and say that Patrick and Pertruchio’s treatment of women stray beyond their personalities. The differing social values of the time dictate the way men and women interact.  The further back in time we go, it is clear that patriarchal ideals were encouraged and upheld by the sort of violent, boarish behavior exhibited by Petruchio. Jumping into the twentieth century, there had been laws enacted, two completed feminist movements, and a third in progress at the time Patrick met Kat. The standards were different. It was no longer acceptable to speak to women as though they were disobedient children nor would it would be socially acceptable to humiliate one’s partner for the sake of validation.

 The  “shrew” narrative has shifted over time. Differing social climates dictate how the rest of society reacts to the shrew, which carries over to the way she is treated by her romantic partner. The Taming of the Shrew is set in the sixteenth century, a time when women were expected to be quiet and subservient, and the interactions between men and women throughout the play reflect these values. The film adaptation 10 Things I Hate About You is set in the twenty-first century, a time where gender inequality still existed but ideals and expectations of the “ideal woman” had changed greatly. How they dealt with Kat and Katherina can be attributed to the different societal norms. “Certain aspects of Shakespeare’s play do not find equivalents so easily in the world of teen comedy. In particular, the figure of the shrew and her eventual taming by her partner are especially difficult to translate into a genre that post-dates the feminist movement because the values expressed by the shrew-taming action clash with a contemporary sense of the proper treatment of women”(Friedman 2004). Being that the play takes place during the Renaissance, a time before any sort of feminist moment resulting in women’s liberation/independence it was much easier for a woman to be considered a shrew. If she spoke too loud or pushed back against authority or even raised questions about the rigid structure of her society, the woman was cast out from society and labeled “shrew” without delay. The twentieth-century adaptation takes place in a society, where women are still judged for behaving outside of the social norm, but it takes more than a slight denial of gratification from a man for a woman to be considered a shrew.  The term “shrew” was borrowed so that it only applied to a certain type of woman. Friedman argues that the film solves this difficulty of “equivalents in aspects” by reconceiving what it means to be a shrew in America in the 1990s and by reconsidering what it would take to “tame” such a woman.  He claims that  “Shakespeare’s play characterizes the shrew as a female who expresses her resistance to male dominance with her scolding tongue, [while] 10 Things I Hate About You refigures this verbally aggressive woman as a modern feminist”(Friedman 2004). Feminism is of the most if not the most significant factors in the way women are treated by their male counterparts. 

Katherina and Kat were seen as “man-haters”. At the start of the play, Katherina damns all suitors and men who have rejected her because of her non-conformist attitude. Katherina’s shrewishness is shown in her scolding tongue and loud raucous voice, with occasional bursts into physical violence. For example, she breaks a lute over Hortensio’s head and hits Petruchio and Grumio. The men insist “…that she is intolerable curst, And shrewd and forward, so beyond all measure, That, where my state is far worse than it is, I would not wed her for a mine of gold. (l. 2. 86-89-). and those men even call her “Katherine the curst” (I. II. 125) or “wild cat”(I. II. 192

This constant disrespect is exactly why Katarina is wary of men. Moreover, this rude statement was said in Petruchio’s presence and he did not attempt to defend her.  A woman who goes against the social norms doesn’t submit to the patriarchy and is not a woman worthy of respect and so Katherina was constantly being disrespected by the men closest to her. By not defending Katherina’s honor and allowing her to be torn to shreds verbally it shows how little he cares about her. There is no genuine interest on Petrcuhio’s behalf. It’s about the money and the title. Immediately the courtship is off to a bad start. Not only is he involving himself with Kat for selfish reasons he will not attempt to win her affection because he doesn’t care about how she feels towards him or in general.

A similar scenario can be observed in one of the classroom scenes, in which Kat’s teacher, Mr. Morgan asks the class  “What did everyone think of The Sun Also Rises?” 

A girl raises her hand and offers her review. The young woman raves about the novel, calling it “romantic”. A disgusted Kat Stratford barks back at the young woman, “Romantic?  Hemingway?!  He was an abusive alcoholic   misogynist who squandered half his life hanging around Picasso trying to nail his leftovers” (Junger 00:05:50- 00:06:18).

  The other students roll their eyes, as though they’ve heard this “I-hate-men ” shtick many times before.  Joey makes fun of her from his row, calling her  “a bitter self-righteous hag who has no friends”. The rest of the class giggles in agreement and Kat shoots back, “I guess in this society, being male and an asshole makes you worthy of our time.” This scene establishes Kat as an outspoken, antagonistic young woman out of step with her popularity-conscious peers. Unlike Shakespeare’s Katherine, however, Kat’s shrewishness also takes on a political dimension, not only the authority of particular men but the inequities of patriarchal culture( Friedman 2004). This passionate outburst is best identified as second-wave feminism. Known for its rigid pervasive nature,  second-wave feminism Kat’s feminist bitchiness most closely corresponds to the shrewishness of Shakespeare’s Katherine in that both women converse freely and abrasively with men(Friedman 2004). Whereas Kate Minola speaks harshly to Bianca’s suitors and Petruchio, Kat Stratford turns her sharp tongue against her English teacher and her male classmates.

If one of the men in the play or film were to voice their opinion on femininity and what they desire in a woman, no one would bat an eye. Because of misogyny and the patriarchal values reinforced in our society we believe that the woman must be at fault. “Katharina’s shrewishness is abhorrent and undesirable, even when they serve as a psychological defense or arise from real provocation, while Pettuchio’s violence is well legitimized, and regarded as a male prerogative”(Zou, 2018).  We are made to believe that Petrchio’s attitude and mannerisms are justifiable because of his predicament(man with a miserable wife). He had the eyes of an entire county watching him with the “cursed” woman. He has to prove everyone wrong and save his reputation. In doing so, he destroys any chance at “love” in their marriage. “Petruchio’s behavior is even worse than Katharina’s, but he is never criticized by those characters in the play. Male supremacy in marriage denies a woman’s humanity and reason”(Zou 2018).  

While Katherina does have occasional outbursts of violence and yelling, if provoked, she never attempts to abuse or humiliate her husband.  Her behavior is not meant to prompt a laugh from her peers or agitate her husband, It’s a means of self-preservation. In behaving this way, she  steps out of her sister’s shadow. “There is no one she can turn to, so she must learn to protect herself. Every time she fights back, she fights for her self-respect and dignity which are insulted by those male characters. Her shrewishness is a tool to protect herself and at the same time to challenge the prevailing patriarchal authority”(Zou 2018). 

Observing the courting processes of Patrick and Petruchio, reflective of the periods, the drastically different outcomes make more sense. The treatment that both Kat and  Katherina received from their partners is directly linked to their attitudes at the end of each performance. Patrick takes a more gentle approach seeing that woman with a cold exterior can be thawed if the right accommodations are made. He realized that Kat would not be so easily won with a cheap pickup line like “Hey there girlie! How you doin’?” Patrick invites Kat to see the movie, which she bluntly declines( Junger 00:23:57-00:24:38). Kat proceeds to decline his next three advances with sarcastic remarks. It becomes clear that Kat is not interested in dating Patrick or anyone for that matter. For Patrick to catch her attention, he needed to stand out from the rest of the “mouthbreathers” and conformists Kat despised. Patrick’s courting process started with habitual change. He altered the way he lived his life in a way that was subtle, but just enough for her to notice. First, Patrick quits smoking after learning Kat is repulsed by cigarettes. He then makes an appearance at a punk club called: Club Skunk after receiving word that Kat will be attending a performance.  Kat spots him in the crowd and yells “Are you stalking me now?” Instead of denying Kat the satisfaction of a simple“yes”, Patrick brushes her off, insisting that he’s trying to focus on the music.  She then remarks, “you’re not surrounded by your usual cloud of smoke, to which he nonchalantly replies “Yeah, I quit. They’re bad for you”(Junger 00:37:38-00:38:30). For the first time in the film, he’s not chasing her or behaving in a seemingly disparate manner. He acts unphased by her presence and he sells the idea of a transformed man, hoping that she’ll be impressed and finally take him up on the offer to go out on a date. From this point on she is intrigued by the new and improved Patrick Verona, under the impression that he is more similar to her than she initially believed.

  Though Kat hasn’t completely warmed up to Patrick, her smirk tells the audience that she wants to, which is why when Patrick requests that she accompany him to Bogey Lowenstein’s house party she says, ‘you never give up do you?’ instead of her usual decline. This shows that she acknowledges his effort but still doesn’t take him seriously as a romantic prospect as of yet. 

Patrick arrives at the house at nine o’clock sharp and Kat insists that she drive. Once they arrive at the party, Kat starts throwing back shots of vodka. In a state of drunkenness, she performs a solo dance to Biggie’s “Hypnotize” on a dining room table. Patrick watches from the floor, mesmerized, as she gyrates her hipsThe show is cut shortly after Kat hits her head on the chandelier, causing her to be nearly unconscious. Patrick catches her and escorts her out of the party. The pair sit on a bench outside. An inebriated Kat demands sleep but Patrick fears that she might have a concussion and so he watches over her until she has recovered enough to return home without seeing her father in a frenzy.  We watch as he pets her hand and leans into her, offering support in her time of need. The pair engaged in a meaningful conversation and for a brief moment, Kat allowed herself to be vulnerable, instead of putting up the defensive wall which has caused many to label her as a shrew in the first place. On the ride home, an intoxicated Cat confesses that she wants to start a band. This is the first time in the film that we see her express genuine happiness that is not directly linked to some aggressive feminist rant or the plight of another person. She feels heard and seen by Patrick. In a moment of passion, she leans in for a kiss and Patrick remains still, as though to say “not like this”. He didn’t want their first kiss to be something she might not remember. 

It’s important to note that Patrick was still being paid to take Kate out on dates. After-care and heart-to-heart conversations were not a part of the deal. He’s doing more than what was asked of him because he wants to.  

The following Monday, Kat is being ridiculed by her peers who are in attendance at the house party, all of whom had seen her solo act. That sort of mockery was to be expected, as Kat seemed relatively unfazed by it. What pained her the most was being rejected at the moment when she felt most vulnerable. Taking the advice from Cameron and “[sacrificing] himself on the altar of dignity and even the score,  Patrick pays the marching band to aid him in his live performance of Frank Sinatra’s “I Love You Baby” in front of the entire school(Junger 01:01:31-01:02:38).  Kat watched from the soccer field with a bearded face and a cheeky smile. She saw that he was willing to humiliate himself if it meant putting a smile on her face, making her more drawn to him. It is around this point that we see a shift in Patrick’s morals. He is no longer ok with the idea of being paid to spend time with Kat, telling Joey “I’m sick of playing your little games” (Junger 01:00:02-1:00:26). Joey ups the payment to three hundred fifty for prom and Patrick takes the money, this time with a tinge of guilt. 

Patrick is growing fond of Kat. She’s not like the other girls at Padua high. She’s self-assured and passionate, argumentative, and downright belligerent, and Patrick finds her biting personality amusing at best. The things that other people find irritating about Kat, Patricks starts to appreciate. This gradual infatuation is the real reason why Patrick is hesitant to take the money. It serves as a reminder that his entire “relationship” is transactional. 

 As for Patrick’s stunt, he received after-school detention. Kat feels the need to make it up to him and so she distracts the teacher by showing him her breasts, which grants Patrick enough time to sneak out of the window. This back and forth exchange of reparations is also part of a competitive dynamic that marks her relationship with Patrick (Mclennan, 2014). It suggests that there is some kind of traction and romantic tension. It’s not just about the money for Patrick just as it’s not about competing with Kat (seeing how she can outdo his efforts). Though the intention was to “tame” Kat through courting,  he found himself falling in love. Patrick wanted to change for Kat. He started doing things outside of his comfort zone like attending Club Skunk, attending prom, going out on dates, and talking about his feelings, a far cry from the  James Dean-esquedelinquent we were introduced to at the beginning of the film. 

Following the detention rescue, the pair go for a paddleboat ride on Lake Union. This is yet another heart-to-heart moment for the pair We see both Patrick and Kat allowing themselves to be vulnerable. Kat drops the act of being an anti-romantic and Patrick suspends his mysterious persona for the afternoon(Junger 01:07:55- 01:08:25):

Patrick: “ So, what’s your excuse?”

Kat: For?

Patrick: Acting the way we do?

Kat: I don’t like to do what other people expect. Why should I listen to other people’s expectations instead of my own? 

Patrick: So, you disappoint them from the start, and then now you’re covered right? 

Kat: Right.

Patrick: Then you screwed up.

Kat: How?

Patrick: You never disappointed me

The pair lock eyes and exchange timid smiles. He’s finally gotten through to her and instead of rushing him away, she allows herself to be loved.  

Moments later, the pair is seen donning goggles and white bodysuits, launching paintballs. It’s their first date. We watch as they go around in circles chasing each other, playfully, until finally, he pulls her in for a kiss. In a way, this scene represents their natural relationship. Up until this point, Kat feared romance and vulnerability but after going around in circles with Patrick and watching him put in the effort to be with her, Kat finds herself enamored with Patrick and him with her. 

The same cannot be said for Katherina and Petruchio. His style of courting is lackluster in comparison to Patrick’s. It can also be argued that Petruchio doesn’t court Katherina at all as they get married after kneeling each other for a few days. Rather than trying to woo Katherina with gifts or falsehoods, giving her the chance to fall in love with the man she married or at least accept the marriage on her terms, he subjects her to torture in hopes that she will be so tired of resisting that she becomes “tame”.  The methods administered by Petruchio border on abusive and neglectful. Shortly after the marriage, Petruchio decided that the pair would visit his home in Verona.  In the time that it took to travel to the city, Kate was denied food and sleep. 

The third scene of Act Four opens with Kate and Grumio at Petruchio’s house. A very hungry and sleep-deprived Kate attempts to convince Grumio to bring her some nourishment. Grumio taunts Kate with tasty treats like ox foot and tripe but ends up offering only mustard. Kate beats him and shames him for his lack of manners, reminding him that she is a noblewoman and he is only a servant… She then confesses that she has been:

 “Starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep,

With oaths kept awake, and with brawling fed.

And that which spites me more than all these wants,

He does it under the name of perfect love,

Who should say, if I should sleep or eat

‘Twere deadly sicknesses or else present death. (IV.III. 3-16) 

Moments later, Petruchio and Hortensio show up with a plate full of meat but, when Petruchio sees that Katherina is upset, he uses it as an excuse not to feed her. He orders the meat taken away until Katherina apologizes for being ungrateful. Katherina, still starving, pleads for food yet again. Petruchio insists that she cannot have any food until she thanks him for providing it and reluctantly she gives in and receives her meal. Moments later,  Petruchio declares that he and Katherine will celebrate Bianca’s upcoming marriage at her father’s house, for which Katherina will be styled by a tailor and hairdresser. The haberdasher presents a hat, but Petruchio rejects it. Katherine says that it is fine and that it is the sort of hat gentlewomen wear. Petruchio replies that she can wear one like it when she is gentle. Petruchio’s method of “taming” is humiliating and treats Katherine like a pet animal. She gives in, thanking Petruchio for the food he has brought. 

The clothes that Petruchio has made for Katherine (but then rejects) again show how Petruchio is desperate to assert his dominance over Katherina. He is threatened by her sense of self. For this reason, Petruchio breaks her both physically and mentally. 

Moving forward, ​​Katherine protests, telling Petruchio, “I am no child, no babe,” (IV .III.79) but he sends the haberdasher off and asks the tailor to show them Katherine’s gown. As with the hat, he acts as if the gown is hideous and unacceptable. The tailor says that he made it just as he was ordered to, and Katherine expresses her fondness for the gown. Petruchio acts as if the tailor is insulting Katherine by offering it, and orders him to leave. The tailor reads out the written instructions he was given for the gown, but Petruchio and Grumio still deny that the gown is as they ordered. Petruchio sends the tailor away but has Hortensio go and tell the tailor that he will be paid tomorrow. Petruchio continues to act irrationally. He wants Katherine to obey his every word, no matter how wrong or illogical. It’s as though he’s trying to toy with her mental stability and sanity. He prevents her from having peace whether that be in slumber or a dress fitting. 

Next, Petruchio tells Katherine that they will go to her father’s in their casual attire, minimizing the importance of outward appearances. As they prepare to leave, he says that it is seven o’clock and she corrects him: it is two o’clock. Petruchio tells her, “It shall be what o’clock I say it is,” (IV.iii.189). Katherina, tired of arguing, concedes and admits that  Petruchio is correct. 

First, I would like to point out that Petruchio is constantly trying to degrade and humiliate his wife. He makes her beg for food like an animal, doesn’t let her sleep like a servant, and capitalizes on any opportunity to assert his dominance, making her look and feel like some sort of half-wit. 

 Petruchio regards Katharina as his property, he says that “She is my household stuff, my field, my barn, my horse, my ox, my ass, my anything”(III. II. 225-226). And he compares Katharina to a hawk that must be tamed by deprivation. “ From his perspective, women have no status outside of their husband—they are not even independent human beings. Like property or some accessories, they are just something that can be used to exchange for financial interest when it is necessary”. He begins to “tame” her right after he gets the allowance from Katharina’s father to marry Katharina. He humiliates Katharina by wearing odd clothes and behaving rudely. After getting married, he denies her every wish and comfort, stamping, shouting, reducing her to exhaustion, etc. His friend knows about the taming things, but none of them considers it inappropriate, on the contrary, they quite appreciate Petruchio’s tricks (Zou, 2018). At the time, a woman was seen as subhuman, some make sense that his friends would encourage his appalling behavior.  

Manipulative behavior can be observed when Petruchio deliberately calls the sun the moon and mistakes the old and wrinkled man for a young and charming lady. At first, Katharina holds her opinion and corrects her husband’s mistakes, but later under the threat of never going to her father’s house, she gives in and says what her husband wants to hear. She says Forward, I pray since we have come so far, And be it moon, or sun, or what you please. And if you please call it a rush candle, Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me. (IV. 5. 12-15) Realizing how absurd her husband’s statement is, she just doesn’t want to further such a ridiculous argument with him. So, she says what he says to put an end to the constant physical and psychological anguish. Petruchio can’t accept that a woman has her views, so he demands his wife to agree with his irrational and ridiculous opinion. “When his authority…is threatened by his wife, he will threaten her and deprive her of basic needs like eating, sleeping, and wearing decent clothes to force the poor woman to be submissive (Zou 2018). Katherina’s concession and ultimate “taming” are directly linked to Petruchio’s bullying.  She starts to agree with the outlandish claims and “submit” to her husband’s authority, not out of fear or weakness, but strength.

We see the effects of courtship or the lack of it on others at the end of both performances. Katherina morphs into a shell of the woman she used to be, while Kat seems to be more open to the idea of a romantic relationship and can accept love from another person. The woman who was properly courted found herself in a healthy, loving relationship while the woman who was humiliated and mistreated became more bitter and angry than ever before. Katherina changed everything about herself from her mannerism to her tone of voice.

That being said, Katherina’s transformation had nothing to do with her love for Petruchio; she resents him for humiliating and mistreating her. He uses her to boost his self-esteem and social status, Katherina realizes that the only way to preserve her dignity is to concede and let him think he won. At the end of the play, the shrew, Katharina delivers a long soliloquy that defines what means to be a woman and offers a “correct way” to handle the relationship between husband and wife, which seems that she is tamed by her husband to be an admired and qualified wife that conforms to the socially acknowledged woman (Zou, 2018).  Here, Katharina appears not only to accept her husband as her lord, her keeper, and her life but also to persuade other wives to be “tame” like her. This behavior is random and unexpected. As an audience, we know that Katherina is too headstrong to relinquish her feminist values to please a man. It’s all an act. From the wide eyes to the cheery smile, Katejrina is mocking the patriarchy.  She views them as submissive and weak. By acting just like them, she secures her freedom. Moreover, Katherina never allows herself to be verbal or honest with Petruchio because she doesn’t trust him. 

Quite the contrast, Kat’s final monologue confirms that she is in fact in love with Patrick. Though she’s not necessarily proud to be a lovesick teenager, she has come to terms with reality and mustered up the strength to tell him how she feels. His courting has led her to make the move to stage four By professing her love to him, she sends the message that she would like to be in a relationship with him. 

 In her English class, Kat recites a Plath-Esque poem in which she lists all of the things she “hates” about Patrick. She lists off little things that she “hates” like his haircut, combat boots, and the way he drives her car. The beginning of the poem is admittedly nitpicky but in the middle of the poem is a shift. She takes a deep breath and looks quickly at Patrick, who stares at the floor.  She continues “ I hate the way you’re always right/ I hate it when you lie/ I hate it when you  make me laugh/ even worse when you make  me cry/ I hate it that you’re not around/ and the fact that you didn’t call/ But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you/ not even close, not even a little bit/ not even  at all” (Junger 1:29:45- 1:30:31).

Kat has fallen madly in love with Patrick. He isn’t like the other guys she knows. He took the time to get to know her and didn’t allow her reputation as a shrew to interfere with their relationship. Also, he didn’t use her shrewish nature as a reason to insult or degrade her like everyone else in her life sees the real her and that was enough for her to let down her guard and accept Patrick’s love. 

Following her breakdown in front of the class, Kat runs out of the room. Patrick looks off into the distance, longingly. He’s hurt the girl that he loves. The courtship is nearing its end. Patrick has done something to show Kat that the entire courtship was more for financial gain. He needed to prove that he fell in love with the “shrew”.

 In the last few minutes of the film, Kat is seen walking across the parking lot, preparing to leave school. When she arrives at her car, she notices a guitar, specifically the Fender Strat that she had been eyeing the day Patrick barged into the store and asked for a copy of The Feminine Mystique. With a low-hanging jaw, Kat reaches out for the guitar and Patrick approaches slowly. Immediately she is disarmed, relieved even to see him. Even after the betrayal and embarrassment she endured, she overlooked it because she knew what she had with Patrick was real. She asks coyly, “Is it for me?” To which he affirms, “Yeah, I thought you could use it. When you start your band”(Junger 01:31:08- 01:31:19).

 She doesn’t answer but hides a smile, so he walks closer. He goes on to joke about the situation as a way to break the tensions, saying “Besides, I had some extra cash. Some asshole paid me to take out a great girl …  but I screwed up. I fell for her”(Junger 1:31:21-01:31:37). He then references the time when she “flashed” the teacher to get him out of detention.  Kat looks up, surprised and embarrassed that he found out. No longer able to contain her joy, she let out a laugh and her face went red. He takes her upturned face as a sign to kiss her and he does. Mid-kiss, Kat pulls away to remind him that a guitar is not a substitute for an apology and it certainly won’t work every time. “I know”, he says before quieting her with another kiss. Which she breaks off again  And don’t just think you can—”(Junger 01:31:57-1:32:15). For a moment she’s prepared to yield to her shrewish defensive nature and the need to have the last word. He kisses her again, not letting her end it this time. Music plays and the camera zooms until they are just two out of hundreds of students. In the final moments together, they are truly happy. Stage four is complete, the pair will become an official couple and Kat is no longer a shrew. It wasn’t because of harassment from her peers or pressure from her sister, or even Cameron’s master plan. It was how he courted her. He showed her love doesn’t need to be tied to conformity nor did it mean surrendering her freedom. Patrick allows her to be her authentic self. He took time to get to know her and tailored himself to her liking instead of trying to force her to change as Petruchio does with Kat. 

In their final interaction, Petruchio makes it known that he views Katherina as less than. He instructs Lucentio to summon Katherina. He immediately exclaims that she will not be summoned, assuming that she is still bitter and angry as she was in the beginning. To Petruchio’s surprise, Katherina comes willingly, bright-eyed and smiling. 

“What is your will, sir, that you send for me?”(Act 5 Scene 2). Notice how she refers to him as sir, it’s a sign of respect, based on her previous behavior, we have reason to believe that she is being sarcastic.  This presentation of a kind and gentle woman is a last-ditch effort to save herself from the wrath of her new husband. Taken aback by her new subtle manner, he assumes he’s won. Instead of acknowledging the range in demeanor with some sort of positive reinforcement, he barks at her to say, “Go fetch them hither: if they refuse to come. Swing me soundly forth unto their husbands Away, I say, and bring them hither straight”(V. II. 116-118). He shoos her away like an animal. Petruchio has no intention of scaling back his brute-like behavior. In his eyes, Katherina is meant to serve him.

 As Katherina makes her exit the men begin to praise Petruchio, He has done the impossible. He tamed the shrew. Though his methods were abusive, he was able to make an “honest woman” out of the angry vixen. Impressed with Pertrchio’s  “work”, Baptista grants permission for Bianca to wed. Petruchio basks in his glory, shouting “Nay, I will win my wager better yet”(V.II.129-131). He insists that he “show more signs of her obedience, Her new-built virtue and obedience (V.II.130-131). In an attempt to exercise Kat’s newfound submission, Petruchio commands Katherina, “that cap of yours becomes yours not: Off with that bauble, throw it under-foot”(V. II. 135-136). The other woman gasped in shock; the strong, independent woman they knew and feared was long gone. She had been replaced by a puppet of the patriarchy.  He then insists that she instructed all other women on how to treat their husbands., which she then does in her final monologue. In their final moments, Petruchio makes a mockery out of Katherina. He sees that she’s trying to be submissive like he wants, instead of appreciating the change in behavior he chooses to humiliate and degrade her further. It becomes clear to the audience that Petruchio is not in love with Katherina any more than she is in love with him. They are caught in a loveless marriage. Katherina is forced to mask her personality and suppress her emotions for fear of her safety. Petruchio’s methods of courting have left Katherina no choice but to change. It is the only way for her to survive.

Though Katherina in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and Kat in Gil Junger’s film adaptation, 10 Things I Hate About You, are considered “tamed” by their partners. their attitudes are quite different. The word “tame takes on a new meaning in both realms. In the play, “tame” is synonymous with submission and restriction. While the film suggests that to be tame is to be calm, to let down your guard. These varying outcomes in the attitudes of both Kat and Katherina can be attributed to the methods of taming implemented by their male counterparts. Patrick Verona uses charm and charisma to portray the venomous Kat Stratford. At first, she is resistant, but he is persistent. Eventually, she warms up to him and allows herself to experience love without the fear of being disappointed or viewed in a negative light. The way that the women were treated determined how they would behave. Since Kat was treated with respect and kindness, she was positively posted to Patrick, which in turn made her more agreeable and sociable.  Katherina was ridiculed and abused, leading to pent-frustration and the ultimate sacrifice of self. 

This idea of a “tame” woman extends far beyond multimedia—it’s a social issue.  A woman that dares to step outside of the boundaries set by dominant male figures is seen as a threat.  She’s not so easily moved by stares and scoffs, so she is labeled as a “bitch” or a “hag”. We live in a society that believes women should and will derive their entire value based on other people’s views of her. I believe that as a collective we have moved past the point of allowing ourselves to rule our lives. To all of the women who have ever been told to smile more or be more agreeable, labeled as a shrew of some sort, I applaud you. We should all embrace our inner shrew.  After all, it was Katherina’s shrewish nature that enabled her to build up the strength to tolerate her husband. And it was Kat’s shrewishness that shielded her from narcissists like Joey Donner and weeded out men who were quick to make snap judgments. So again I say, “embrace your inner shrew”.