10 Things I Hate About You was a retelling of Taming of the Shrew that was released in 1999. Petruchio of Verona becomes Patrick Verona and Katharina becomes Kat Minola. The difference is the ages of the characters. Instead of adult characters, the characters are all in high school. Kat has turned from the true "shrew" and into a very opinionated young woman. Kat is still very much a hard person to handle.
There are many differences from the original show. Patrick is still very much interested in the money offered by Joey Donner, who takes the role of Hortensio, but Patrick is a much softer version of the Petruchio seen in Taming of the Shrew. Patrick is less interested in "taming" her and more interested in simply getting her to really care about him. This shows more of the modern ideals of what that kind of relationship would entail. The modern world frowns upon domestic abuse, as it should, and so there is the heavier idea of truly trying to woo someone who is so hard to woo.
Eventually, he succeeds and a very similar ending to Taming of the Shrew is achieved. One of the most interesting points that is missed in this adaptation is that there is no test of Bianca and Cameron's, Lucentio's parallel, love compared to that of Kat and Patrick's. It seems to be glimpsed over and explained by the idea that Bianca and Cameron are younger high school students. Both are shown as sophomores in high school, and love at that time can surely be fleeting. Then again, the viewers see how much of a test Kat and Patrick put on their relationship. Unfortunately, the lack of that comparison almost weakens the plot of this adaptation. There is no true revelation that Kat and Patrick are more deeply in love than Bianca and Cameron.
ShakespeaRe-Told: Taming of the Shrew
ShakespeaRe-Told: Taming of the Shrew is very much an exact adaptation of the original play into a modern time. The eldest sister, Katherine, is 38-years-old and a member of the British political system. Petruchio is a man with a title, but no money. Petruchio is portrayed as a rather harried, very young-hearted man. He is childish and reckless to an extreme. This is an extreme take on the original Petruchio's eccentricities. Instead of simply showing up to his wedding to Katherine drunk and dressed in very silly clothing, in this telling Petruchio arrives in women's clothing and admits that he is a cross dresser. This portrayal is interesting because Petruchio does have the usual instabilities, but he also tames Kate in the exact way that was done in the original play. In modern times, none of the methods used would be considered a proper relationship. In fact, it is considered mental abuse. However, this portrayal shows the same acts only in the current time.
Other characters have been given interesting changes as well. Harry, taking the part of Hortensio, is still shown as Petruchio's best friend and a long time suitor of Bianca. However, this version suggests that, at one time, Bianca and Harry were definitely involved in a romantic relationship. This changes the relationship between the two and brings a new reason for Harry to wish Petruchio to marry Kate. Lucentio was also changed quite a bit. He is portrayed as a young 19-year-old that Bianca meets on a plane. This shows more of the superficial side of their relationship. He is quite a bit younger, and he only speaks Italian, creating a language barrier between the two. However, the two are still engaged and getting married at the end of the show.
One of the biggest surprises in this version of the show is the comparison between the three relationships. There is Harry and the Widow, which is changed to the mother of Bianca and Kate, Lucentio and Bianca, and Petruchio and Kate. Instead of showing the difference of the trust of the other person by which wife answers to her husband's call, the show picked the modern idea of a prenuptial agreement. The Widow, Ms. Minola, and Bianca ask their respective husbands to sign a prenuptial agreement because the Minola family is very wealthy. Both prospective husbands have their doubts about how much their wives trust and love them, while Petruchio is secure in his relationship with Kate. Kate did not require a prenuptial agreement of Petruchio, either due to blind love or truly trusting her partner. Kate's final words to her mother and sister are a nearly exact quote from the original play itself. She also shows the give and take of their relationship by saying, "I would, if he asked me to. But he won't ask me to, because he feels the exactly the same way about me. And he wouldn't expect anything from me that I wouldn't expect from him...." I thought this was an absolutely brilliant way to finish up the group dynamic. After that statement, Kate and Petruchio have a private conversation that finishes up their business with each other about said prenuptial agreement.