Taming The Shrew Vs. Ten Things I Hate About You

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 10th grade September 2001

download word file, 12 pages 5.0

A Brief History William Shakespeare lived in an era that is now known as England's "˜Golden Age.' Under the leadership of Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen, England began its dominance of world affairs and bringing European society out of the dark ages and into a new-enlightened era.

Coming of age in the midst of all the political and religious controversy engulfing Europe, a young William Shakespeare began what was to become the greatest collection of plays, sonnets, and storys that has ever been written. The Taming of the Shrew was an early work, probably written between 1590 and 1594, and was a direct reflection of English life and customs at the time. During this time, marriages were not about love, but about convenience. Most were created by parents eager to get rid of a child (usually a daughter). The reasoning behind it was mainly to gain more money and social standing by merging with better-connected families.

It was never anything more than a business deal.

Taming of the Shrew When William Shakespeare wrote Taming of the Shrew, he created a wild beast named Kathrina, who seemed virtually impossible to tame. She is the eldest daughter of a wealthy Italian nobleman named Baptista, and the sister of a girl named Bianca. Bianca is a beautiful and popular girl in her little English town, but untouchable when it comes to marriage. Baptista made it seem almost impossible when he made a house rule that said Bianca couldn't marry until Kathrina did. No one in the town, including Baptista, ever thought that was going to be possible until Petrucio came along. He saw Kathrina as nothing more than a challenge. Petrucio arrived into the picture after his father died, and he set out to look for a wife. Many people tried to warn him...