10 Things I Hate About You

10 Things I Hate About You is an American romantic comedy film, released March 31, 1999. The story is an adaptation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, set in an American high school. Exterior shots were filmed in Tacoma and Seattle, Washington; the high school's exterior belongs to Tacoma's Stadium High School. The film was directed by Gil Junger, and its screenplay was written by writing team Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith.

Shakespearean references

10 Things contains many relatively subtle references to Shakespeare's works. Careful comparison of The Taming of the Shrew and 10 Things I Hate About You reveals some similarities, mostly in character names and general plot ideas.

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For instance, the two sisters in The Taming of the Shrew are named Katherina and Bianca, while the two sisters in 10 Things are named Katarina and Bianca. Katarina and Bianca's last name is Stratford, making reference to Stratford-upon-Avon, the English town known worldwide as the birthplace of Shakespeare. Katarina's suitor in Shakespeare's play is Petruchio of Verona—becoming Patrick Verona in 10 Things. In 10 Things, the high school is named Padua, the city in which Shakespeare's play is set.

Related Topics:
Stratford-upon-Avon - English - Verona - Padua

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Comparison of the two works will also reveal similar plot ideas. For instance, like the character Cameron in the film, Shakespeare's Lucentio wishes to wed Bianca but cannot until her older sister Katarina is married. Knowing that Bianca cannot enter into any relationships, he poses as a tutor in order to become closer to Bianca—just as Cameron acts as a French tutor to Bianca in 10 Things. While still posing as Bianca's tutor, Lucentio confers with a somewhat wild character, Petruchio. Like Patrick, he is an out-of-towner and little is known about him. Petruchio agrees to marry Katarina simply for the dowry that comes along with her, allowing Lucentio to pursue Bianca—just as Patrick agreed to date Kat for the money offered to him by Joey. Some say that another plot idea is also shared—that, despite the initial monetary reasons the couples formed, both partners fell in love with each other.

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