Commentary and Change: The Teenager in Shakespeare and his Adaptions

Abstract

This thesis looks on how 10 Things I Hate About You acts as a commentary to The Taming of the Shrew as an adaption. By looking into history, sociology, and liminality, I draw parallels between the two pieces of works, as well as I look at what Shakespeare is missing, compared to the teen movie. What seems to be a similarity is the liminality depicted in both pieces. For the teenager, its existence in itself can be considered a liminal space. While for the English woman, it is, not completely unlike the teenager, it is the liminality of being a child and an adult at the same time, but also being treated as other as well. The way 10 Things I Hate About You acts as a commentary is through this liminality.