Full text of "The taming of the shrew"

See other formats

Lib.

t^/iUy^U-^ J^ • Ar>^^^-^t>-^

Petruchio : " Why, what, o' devil's name, tailor, call'st thou this ? "
The Taming of the S hew Ac^ IV Scene 3

THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY

COLLEG
LIBRARY

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, /q /

Preface.

The Editions. The Taming of The Shrezv was first
printed in the First Folio, A Quarto edition appeared in
1631, with the following title-page: —

*' A wittie and pleasant Coniedie called the Taming of
the Shrezi'. As it was acted by His Majesties servants at
The Blacke Friers and the Globe. Written by Will,
Shakespeare, London. Printed by W, S. for lohn
Sniethzi'icke, and are to be sold at his shop at Saint Dun-
stones Churchyard under the Diall. 1631."

This Quarto was certainly printed from the Folio;
Smethwicke (or Smythick) was one of the publishers of
the latter, and to him, moreover, there was transferred, on
Nov. 19th, 1607, an old play called The Taming of A
Shrezi', which had been previously issued in 1594, 1596,
and 1607, by different owners. It would seem that
Smythick, in 1631, issued the Quarto of 'The Shrezv'
instead of 'A Shrezi'/ the copyright of which he had se-
cured.

The Taming of A Shrew. The old original of The
Taming of The Shrezv is extant, and has been often re-
printed in modern times {cp. Steevens' Six Old Plays,
1776; The Shakespeare Society publications, 1S44; Haz-
litt's Shakespeare's Library, &c.). The play was first
published, anonymously, in 1594, under the title of 'A
pleasant conceited Historic, called The taming of A
Shrezv, as it zuas sundry times acted by the Earl of Pcni-
brook his servants.' (A specimen of the play will be
found at the back of the title-page of this volume.) Pope
actually attributed this crude effort to Shakespeare him-

Preface THE TAMING

self; Mr. Fleay assigns it to Shakespeare and ^Marlowe
— their joint-production in 1589 — and various similar sug-
gestions have been made by critics. We know absolutely
nothing about its authorship, but we may safely assert that
it contains no single line from Shakespeare's pen. It is
an important document, though its intrinsic value is
naught. Its affected classicism, its poetic rant, its cheap
lyrism, its strange mixture of hyperbole and bathos, all
indicate that the play was the work of some poetaster of
the pseudo-Marlowan school, writing about the year
1590-2.

The Date of Shakespeare's Adaptation. The Taming
of The Shreiv is not mentioned by Mertes in 1598 ; unless,
as seems unlikely, it is to be identified with Loves Labour
Won. Nevertheless the internal evidence points to an
early date. Mr. Stokes contends that even ' as far back
as May, 1594, TJie Taming of a Shrezv was believed to be
Shakespeare's in some sense' {cp. Chronology of Shake-
speare's Plays, pp. 33-35)-

Its omission by Meres is not very singular, when the
possible history of Shakespeare's connexion with his origi-
nal is considered.* It is very possible that an enlarged
version of the play once existed intermediate between ' A
Shrezi', and the play as we have it in First Folio ; Shake-
speare in fact seems mainly answerable for the revision
of the Induction and scenes in which Katharina, Pe-
truchio, and Grumio are the prominent figures. The in-
termediate adapter knew his Marlowe well ; no less than
ten Marlowan reminiscences may be detected in the non-
Shakespearian portion of ' The Shrezv.'

These considerations make it difficult to assign a date to
the play ; on the one hand, there are the alleged non-
Shakespearian portions of the play ; on the other, Shake-

* Meres mentions King John, though also an adaptation of an
older play; but the re-cast of his original was altogether of a dif-
ferent nature than in the case of ' The Shrezv.' One should note,
loo, the mention of Titus, and the omission of i, 2, 3 Henry VL

OF THE SHREW Preface

speare's own work belonging to different periods. The
style and versification of the more characteristic parts
point to about 1597, while the doggerel and quibbles sug-
gest an early date.

At one time we are reminded of Adriana, Luciana, and
the Dromios of The Comedy of Errors; at another, of
Hotspur, Kate, and Falstaff of Henry IV:^ Hence the
play is dated by some 1594, by others 1596-7; while cer-
tain critics assign it to the years 1601-3. (It is perhaps
significant that Dekker's Patient Grissel was produced in
1597, and his Medicine for a Curst Wife soon after (pub-
lished in 1602.)

Shakespeare's Share in the Play. As regards the In-
duction, opinion is divided ; but a careful comparison
of the two versions leaves little doubt that the revision
was Shakespeare's. Act I. is almost unanimously as-
signed to the unknown adapter. Act II. i. is only partly
Shakespeare's ; the Shakespearian portion has been vari-
ously assigned: — 11. 169-326; 115-326, with the omission
of 11. 241-254; 115-326. Act III. I. may be safely pro-
nounced non-Shakespearian. Act III. ii. is claimed for
Shakespeare, with the exception of 11. 130-150, or pos-
sibly of 11. 1-88, 126-185. Act lY. I. iii. V. are throughout
Shakespeare's, while Act IV. ii. iv.. Act V. i. are simi-
larly throughout non-Shakespearian. Act V. Ii. 1-175 (or
1-181), certainly Shakespeare. {Cp. Fleay's Shake-
speare Manual, p. 185; Furnlvall, Trans. Nezv Shake-
speare Society, 1874; Tolman, Modern Language Asso-
ciation of America, 1890.)

* The only valuable piece of internal evidence puts us in the
same dilemma : in the first Scene of the Induction, line 88 is as-
signed to ' Sinklo,' in the Folio; ' Sinklo ' acted in 3 Henry VI..
an early play. r\nd 2 Henry /F. {c. 1597. 8) : in the former his
name appears instead of 'a keeper'; in the latter instead of 'a
beadle.'

[' Nicke,' the messenger, mentioned In Act I. i, probably stands
for Nicholas Tooley, one of the actors in Shakespeare's company ;
but nothing is to be inferred from this point.]

Preface THE TAMING

* The Shrew ' and * A Shrew ' : some noteworthy Va-
riations, (i.) The old play has been thoroughly trans-
formed as far as diction and characterisation is concerned,
though the plot has been on the whole faithfully followed,
(ii.) The part of Sly has been considerably curtailed in
* The Shrezv ' ;* in the original we are throughout re-
minded of his existence, and he is disposed of at the end
of the play : — " Then enter two bearing off Sly in his own
apparell again, and leave him where they found him, and
then goe out. Then enter the Tapster." An amusing
colloquy follows. Sly explains that he has had ' the bra-
vest dream that ever thou heardest in all thy life,' &:c. (iii.)
Further, the scene of action has been changed from
'Athens' to 'Padua.' (iv.) The vulgar and mercenary
tyrant ' Ferardo ' has given place to the ' whimsical and
boisterous affectations of the good-natured Petruchio.*
(v.) Kate in 'A Shrezv' has two sisters, Philema and
Emilia, represented by Bianca (and the widow whom
Hortensio ultimately weds) in ' The Shrezv/ (vi.) The
plot of the old play has been rendered more complex by
the addition of a comedy of intrigue — viz., the story of
Bianca and Lucentio.

The Sources, (i.) The Induction. The idea of the
Induction is thoroughly oriental, and is familiar to readers
of the ' Arabian Nights' whence it probably passed into
European literature. It is said that a similar incident ac-
tually took place at the marriage of Duke Phillip the Good
of Burgundy, about the year 1440. Perhaps the good
Duke Phillip was wishful to emulate the example of the
good Caliph Haroun Al Raschid. The pedigree of the
chief English versions of this world-wide story, drama-
tised by Chalderon in his 'La Vida es Siieno {'Life's a
Dream' c. 1633), probably from Rojas' ' Viaje Entre-
tenido' is perhaps as follows : —

* From an artistic point of view, Sly's comments at the end of
Act I. i. seem quite out of place, and are certainly not Shake-
speare's.

OF THE SHREW

Preface

The Arabian Nights : ' The Sleeper Aivakened.''

Heuterus de Rebus Burgundicis [from an Epistle of Ludo'vicus Vfves).
I

English Version in Richard Ed'ward''s
Collection of Tales (1570, and later').

Induction : A Shreiv.
Induction : The Shreiv.

Barkley's Discourse on
The Felicitie of Man

I
Ballad of The
Frolicsome Duke,

or the Tinker'' s

Good Fortune Goulart^ Tresor

{Percy's

ReliqueSy
? Date).

Burton's Anatomy of
Melancholy (1621).

d'histoires admirables

et mar-veilleuses

(c. 1600).

English Version by
Grimston (1607).

(ii.) The Main Plot. The nearest analogue in Eliza-
bethan literature to The Taming of the Shrezv is to be
found in a popular poem entitled, ' A Merry Geste of a
Shrezi'd and Curst Wife in lapped Morrelles Skin'^ (he-
fore 1575), but this poem cannot be considered the direct
source of the play. Several similar stories are to be
found in Italian literature ; perhaps the most noteworthy
is to be found in the Notte piacevoli of Straparolo, VIII.
2 (pubHshed in 1550).

(iii.) The Under Plot. The story of Bianca and her
lovers was taken directly from Acts IV. and V. of Gas-
coigne's Supposes (an English version of Ariosto's Gli
Siippositi), the first English prose comedy, acted at Gray's
Inn, 1566.1

(iv.) The Latin Lesson. This element (Act III. i.)

* Printed, together with the Taming of A Shrew, in the (old)
Shakespeare's Society's pubHcation.

t From this same source, too, the name ' Petruchio ' was, per-
haps, derived.

Preface THE TAMING

may have been suggested by a passage in an old play, The
Three Lords and Three Ladies of London, printed 1590
(Hazlitt's Dodsley's Old Play, VI. 500).

The Duration of Action. According to Mr. Daniel's
analysis, five or six days are represented on the stage,
with intervals, which amount to something under a fort-
night.

Day I. Act I. Day 2. Act II. Interval of a day or
two. Petruchio proposes to go to Venice to buy apparel.
Day 3. Act III. i. Saturday, eve of the wedding. Day
4. Act III. ii. ; Act IV. i. Sunday, the wedding-day.
Interval (?). Day 5. Act IV. ii. ^Interval (?). Day
6. Act IV. iii., iv., v., and Act V. ( ? The second Sunday).

Possibly Acts I. and II. should be considered as one
day. " Time, however," adds Mr. Daniel, " in this play
is a very shppery element, difficult to fix in any com-
pletely consistent scheme. In the old play the whole story
is knit up in the course of two days." (Trans, of New
Shakespeare Society, 1877-79, p. 168).

The Tamer Tamed. Fletcher attempted a companion
picture to the ' Taming of the Shrew' in his ' IVoman's
Prize, or the Tamer Tamed' (written before 1633) ; in
this play we are introduced to our old friend Petruchio
again, but Katharina is dead and ' eke her patience,' and
in her place we are introduced to her successor, Maria,
the ' masculine ' daughter of Petronius, who tries a proc-
ess of taming on her own account, aided by faithful allies,
to wit, her sister Livia, her cousin and ' Commander-in-
chief ' Bianca, ' city wives,' ' county wives,' &c. In the
end Petruchio confesses himself, in more senses than one,
' born again,' and the Epilogue sums up as follows : —

' The Tamer's Tamed; hut so, as nor the men
Can -find one just cause to complain of, when
They fitly do consider, in their lives
They should not reign as tyrants o'er their wives

OF THE SHREW Preface

Nor can the women from this precedent

Insult, or triumph; it being aptly meant,

To teach both sexes due equality,

And as they stand hound to love mutually.

If this effect arising from a cause

Well laid and grounded may deserve applause.

We something more than hope our honest ends

Will keep the men, and women too, our friends.'

THE TAMING

Critical Comments.
I.

Argument.

Induction. A tinker named Christopher Sly is found
in a drunken stupor by a lord, who, to make sport,
causes him to be conveyed to the castle, clothed in the
costliest apparel and placed in the richest bed. Upon
awakening- Sly finds himself surrounded by attendants
who persuade him that he is a nobleman who for many
years has been mentally deluded. And in his honour the
following play is presented : —

I, Baptista, a rich gentleman of Padua, has two
daughters, Katharina and Bianca. The latter, because of
her gentleness and charm, has numerous admirers. But
her father refuses to listen to any of them until her elder
sister is married, which event seems doubtful on account
of Katharina's shrewish disposition. The several lovers
of Bianca are in despair until the advent of a peculiar
Veronese gentleman, Petruchio, whose hasty tempera-
ment seems well suited to the shrew.

Among Bianca's admirers is Lucentio, a native of Pisa,
who decides to disguise himself and engage with Bap-
tista as tutor for Bianca, giving over his proper name and
rank to Tranio, his servant.

II. Tranio sues as Lucentio for Bianca's hand, while
the real Lucentio obtains the position as tutor, intending
thus to try to win her covertly. In the meantime, Petru-
chio obtains Baptista's willing consent to his suit for
Katharina, and woos her in singular fashion, overriding

OF THE SHREW Comments

all her harshness and disdain with the abrupt declaration
that they shall be married on the next Sunday.

III. At the appointed time the wedding-party assem-
bles without the bridegroom. But he appears after an
interval clad in most incongruous apparel, which he per-
sists in wearing to the church — despite the open disap-
proval of the party — declaring : " To me she 's married,
not unto my clothes." Immediately after the ceremony he
departs for home with Katharina, not even tarrying for
the wedding-feast, although his bride first entreats and
then storms.

IV. At his country-house Petruchio treats Katharina
rigorously, while pretending to be assiduous in his care
of her. She gets very little to eat, because he claims that
the food is not cooked properly ; and the new gar-
ments which have been ordered for her are re-
jected, although she is very well pleased with them.
He is so harsh with the servants and so dogmatic in his
statements, that his wife forgets her own arbitrary dis-
position in the desire to keep his temper even. Finally
she becomes quite submissive to his will.

In Padua the fictitious Lucentio obtains Baptista's con-
sent to his suit for Bianca, while the real Lucentio suc-
ceeds in winning the lady. The presence of Lucentio's
father becomes necessary, and Tranio presses an aged
schoolmaster into service to play this part.

V. At this juncture the real father arrives and en-
counters Tranio in his master's garments. Tranio must
needs face it out to gain time for Lucentio, and is on the
point of causing the arrest of the father, when Lucentio
and Bianca arrive as man and wife. Mutual explana-
tions follow, and the entire party gather at a banquet at
Lucentio's home in Padua. Katharina and Petruchio are
among the guests. After the feast is over and the ladies
have withdrawn into another room, the gentlemen dis-
cuss obedience as a wifely virtue, and the opinion is ex-
pressed that Petruchio's wife must be " the veriest shrew
of all." A wager is made, and to the surprise of all,

Comments THE TAMING

Katharina shows herself to be more gentle and yielding
than Bianca or another bride there present.

McSpadden : Shakespearian Synopses.

II.

Katharina.

When the play commences, Katharina appears instated
in the character of a shrew, rough, peevish, petulant, irri-
table, and therefore, however she obtained the character,
in a false position which aggravates itself. Her younger
and milder mannered sister is beset with suitors, and upon
her she vents her petulance in terms which show how far
her continued single state reacts upon the testiness that
already deprives her of suitors, and the mischief repro-
duces itself. To such a state of things Petruchio was
born to put an end ; there is thus much sympathy between
the two at starting, that well provided married state is
their common object with secondary interest in the indi-
vidual to be chosen. The simple difficulty to be appre-
hended of cross purposes, and repulsion at first en-
counter, is happily obviated by positive determination to
take and admit of nothing other than as desired ; and
accordingly, after a scene of the strangest pertinacity, in
which Petruchio mingles a fair proportion of flattery
with banter and defiance, he makes such progress that my
lady takes refuge in the sulks, and with protesting
grumblings and compliant gestures she gives her hand
when he asks for it for the ceremonious betrothal, nay
without protesting or resisting so far gives a parting kiss
when he asks it that he takes it without ceremony and
then she withdraws silent, but by that very token not ill
satisfied.

We may guess how far the pair are suited when we
find her still more disappointed than piqued when he is
unheard of on the day fixed for marriage. He arrives at

OF THE SHREW Comments

last, and rough as he is and rudely accoutred she marries
him notwithstanding, and no declared and obstinate oppo-
sition do we hear of until they are surely tied. Then for
the first time resistance openly appears ; she will stay for
the bridal dinner will he or not, and now the true con-
flict and the taming begins. The moral of the contest
proves merely this, that with equal spirit and determina-
tion on either side, the balance of physical power, of
muscular strength, of capability of watching, of fasting,
of enduring fatigue, so far preponderate on the side of the
husband that the weaker sex has no chance in a protracted
opposition and must ultimately be wearied and tired out.
The matter however does not rest there ; if we might ap-
ply the moral of the tale generally, Shakespeare would be
an authority to back the adage : —

" A spaniel, a woman, and walnut tree,
The more you beat them the better they be."

Katharina at last does not remain in mere compelled
obedience ; her very spirit is subdued to the quality of
natural subordination. With spaniel-like subservience
she now turns on Hortensio's widow, when she hints that
Petruchio is not absolute, and at last delivers a homily
with no hint of insincerity, on the law of nature as illus-
trative of feminine subjugation : —

" Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth,
Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,
But that our soft conditions and our hearts
Should well agree with our external parts? "

Lloyd : Critical Essays on the Plays of Shakespeare.

HI.

Pretruchio.

Petruchio is like Faulconbridge in making himself out
worse than he really is. Though he declares his object

Comments THE TAMING

is only to wive wealthily, and Grumio says he M marry
any foul old hag with money, yet this is plain exaggera-
tion. He 's one of those men who like a bit of devil in the
girl he marries and the mare he rides. '* None of your
namby-pamby ones for me." He knows he can tame her :
if she is sharp-tempered, he is sharper. It 's a word and
a blow with him, as Grumio has experienced. When he
hears of Kate, he won't sleep till he sees her; when she
comes, he takes the lead and keeps it. He means to have
it and her. He ridicules her in such a pleasant, madcap
fashion, that one can 't help Hking him. He understands
women, and flatters her. Note the limping touch. He
praises her beauty ; promises her finery ; keeps her wait-
ing; makes her put up with his dress, and tremble at
church; outs with his sword and makes her go with him;
declares his wife's his chattel; leaves her horse on her
when she falls during the journey, and makes her beg
for Grumio ; will give no choleric food to choleric folk ;
in fact he " kills her in her own humour "; tames her by
pretended love; starves her till she thanks him for meat
he 's dressed; and then whenher food has made her saucy,
and she rebels again about her dress (which was indeed
enough to make the most angelic woman's temper rise),
he beats her in the old way by pretending to sympathize
with her. Then he stops her going home, because she
won't say two is seven. When she gives in, he no doubt
tries her too hardly, but then she has tried him before,
and the result is that they two alone are married, while
the other two, Hortensio and Lucentio, are only '' sped."
("Let us hope though," says Miss Constance O'Brien,
" that Petruchio gave up choosing Kate's dresses and
caps.") If Petruchio is not a gentleman, and Kate not
a lady, their day differed from ours : they were a happy
couple, \VQ may be sure. Kate would obey him with a
will, for her husband had fairly beaten her at her own
game, and won her respect.

FuRNivALL : The Leopold Shakspere.

OF THE SHREW Comments

IV.

The Subordinate Parts.

The subordinate parts of the play — the intrigues of
Bianca's suitors against one another, the love affairs of
Gremio, of Hortensio and the widow, of Lucentio and
Bianca — are, as already remarked, but very loosely in-
terwoven with the main action, and thus stand opposed
to it in the form of a second, independent half. This is a
defect which Shakspeare could, indeed, not very well have
avoided unless he meant entirely to change the old play.
And yet upon a closer examination there are nevertheless
indications which point to the fundamental motive of the
whole, and thus connect the subordinate portions with
the principal part. A character like Katharina can be
accounted for only by her having received an entirely
wrong education, and a false mode of treatment; the
father of such a daughter must have wholly misunder-
stood his position as a father, and, in place of ruling his
house with paternal strictness and manly authority, must
have abandoned himself to effeminacy and weakness. And
this is precisely what good old Baptista appears to have
done, for although he makes no secret of his daughter's
faults he does not even attempt to correct them. Vin-
centio also, to judge from the little we see of the develop-
ment of his character, must have suffered from a similar
weakness, otherwise Lucentio, his light-headed son, would
not have so entirely forgotten all filial duty and respect
towards him as to venture to pass off a ridiculous pedant
as his own father, merely to promote his own interests ;
and Vincentio himself would not have permitted his son to
be accompanied by servants equally inconsiderate of their
position as servants. Gremio, the old suitor, is very
rightly outwitted and made laughing-stock for forgetting
his years and becoming the rival of a spirited youth for
ihe love of a pretty girl. Lastly, Lucentio and Hortensio
lose their wager against Petruchio, and are deservedly

Comments THE TAMING

put to shame for perpetually playing the part of devoted
and obsequious lovers, and thus losing sight of the
seriousness of their" position as men, and their dignity
as husbands, accordingly, for having likewise placed
themselves in a false and unbecoming position.

Ulrici : Shakespeare's Dramatic Art.

The Induction and the Two Plots.

The critics have been very warm and unanimous in
praise of Shakespeare's Induction, some, however, won-
dering and regretting that he did not keep it up to the
end of the play, others suspecting that he did so keep
it up, but that the continuation has been lost. We are
otherwise minded, being convinced that in this as in other
things the Poet was wiser than his critics. For the pur-
pose of the Induction was but to start an interest in the
play; and he probably knew that such interest, once
started, would be rather hindered than set forward by
any comings-in of other matter; that there would be
no time to think of Sly amidst such a whirlwind of oddi-
ties and whimsicalities as he was going to raise. Never-
theless, the regret in question well approves the good-
ness of the thing; for the better the thing, the more apt
men are to think they have not enough until they have
too much of it.

As to the Induction itself, we confess with Hazlitt, that
if forced to give up this or the play we should be not
a little puzzled to choose. But then this, no doubt, is
partly because the play, though abounding in well-aimed
theatrical hits, is one of comparatively little merit. The
Induction is wonderfully stuffed with meat, and that, too,
of the most savoury quality; the free, varied transpira-
tion of character crowded into it is literally prodigious
for so small a space. And yet how the whole thing

OF THE SHREW Comments

swims in a stream of the most racy and delicate humour!
and therewithal has a light aerial grace, touched occa-
sionally with the richest colours of poetry, hovering over
it; all, together, making it one of the most expressive
and delectable things we shall anywhere find.

The two plots of the play, as Johnson observes, are
skilfully interwoven, so as to give a wide variety of comic
incident, without running into perplexity. And such
variety was the more needful here, forasmuch as the in-
terest turns in a very unusual degree upon the incidents;
though the thought and speech are everywhere sprightly
and brisk enough. For if the dialogue seldom rise to
poetry, it never becomes vapid and fiat, these being qual-
ities of which Shakespeare was hardly capable. As to
Bianca and the proceedings of her suitors, they seem of
little consequence anyway save as helping to make up an
agreeable variety of matter. Bianca apparently has not
force of character enough to do anything wrong, else
she had probably been as naughty as her sister.

Hudson : The Works of Shakespeare.

VI.

Shakespeare and His Original.

The refined instinct, artistic judgement, and consum-
mate taste of Shakespeare were perhaps never so won-
derfully shown as in his recast of another man's work —
a man of real if rough genius of comedy — which we get
in The Taming of the SJirczv. Only the collation of scene
with scene, then of speech with speech, then of line with
line, will show how much may be borrowed from a
stranger's material and how much may be added to it
by the same stroke of a single hand. All the force and
humour alike of character and situation belong to Shake-
speare's eclipsed and forlorn precursor ; he has added
nothing; he has tempered and enriched everything. That

Comments THE TAMING

the luckless author of the first sketch is like to remain
a man as nameless as the deed of the witches in Macbeth,
unless some chance or caprice of accident should sud-
denly flash favouring light on his now impersonal and
indiscoverable individuality, seems clear enough when
we take into account the double and final disproof of his
imaginary identity w^ith Marlowe, which Mr. Dyce has
put forward with such unanswerable certitude. He is a
clumsy and coarse-fingered plagiarist from that poet, and
his stolen jewels of expression look so grossly out of
place in the homely setting of his usual style that they
seem transmuted from real to sham. On the other hand,
he is of all the Pre-Shakespeareans known, to us incom-
parably the truest, the richest, the most powerful and
original humourist; one indeed without a second on that
ground, for " the rest are nowhere."

Swinburne : A Study of Shakespeare.

VII.

Salient Features.

The Taming of the Shrezu is almost the only one of
Shakespear's comedies that has a regular plot and
downright moral. It is full of bustle, animation, and
rapidity of action. It shows admirably how self-will is
only to be got the better of by stronger will, and how
one degree of ridiculous perversity is only to be driven
out by another still greater. Petruchio is a madman in
his senses; a very honest fellow, who hardly speaks a
word of truth and succeeds in all his tricks and impos-
tures. He acts his assumed character to the Hfe, with
the most fantastical extravagance, with complete pres-
ence of mind, with untired animal spirits, and without a
particle of ill-humour from beginning to end. The situa-
tion of poor Katherine, worn out by his incessant per-
secutions, becomes at last almost as pitiable as it is ludi-

OF THE SHREW Comments

crous, and it is difficult to say which to admire most, the
unaccountableness of his actions or the unalterableness
of his resohitions. It is a character which most hus-
bands ought to study, unless the very audacity of Pe-
truchio's attempt might alarm them more than his suc-
cess would encourage them.

Hazlitt : Characters of Shakespear's Plays.

VIII.

Shakespeare and Italy.

The opening of the comedy, which speaks of Lom-
bardy and the University of Padua, might have been
written by a native Itahan: —

" Tranio, since for the great desire I had
To see fair Padua, nursery of arts,
I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy,
The pleasant garden of great Italy;

Here let us breathe, and haply institute

A course of learning and ingenious studies."

The very next line I found myself involuntarily repeat-
ing, at the sight of the grave countenances within the
walls of Pisa: —

" Pisa, renowned for grave citizens."

They are altogether a grave people, in their demeanour,
their history, and their literature, such as it is. I never
met with the anomaly of a merry Pisan. Curiously
enough, this line is repeated, word for word, in the fourth
act.

Lucentio says, his father came "of the Bentivolii":
this is an old Italian plural; a mere Englishman would
write " of the Bentivolios." Besides, there was, and is,
a branch of the Bentivolii in Florence, where Lucentio
says he was brought up.

Comments

But these indications, just at the commencement of the
play, are not of great force. We now come to something
more important; a remarkable proof of his having been
aware of the law of the country in respect to the betroth-
ment of Katharina and Petruchio, of which there is not
a vestige in the older play. The father gives her hand to
him, both parties consenting, before two witnesses, who
declare themselves such, to the act. Such a ceremony
is as indissoluble as that of marriage, unless both parties
should consent to annul it. The betrothment takes place
in due form, exactly as in many of Goldoni's comedies: —

Bap. . . . Give me your hands ;
God send you joy, Petruchio! 't is a match.

Gre. . . . Tra. Amen ! say we ; we will be witnesses.

Instantly Petruchio addresses them as '' father and wife " ;
because from that moment he possesses the legal power
of a husband over her, saving that of taking her to his
own house. Unless the betrothment is understood in
this light, we cannot account for the father's so tamely
yielding afterwards to Petruchio's whim of going in his
" mad attire " with her to the church. Authority is no
longer with the father ; in vain he hopes and requests that
the bridegroom will change his clothes ; Petruchio is per-
emptory in his lordly will and pleasure, which he could
not possibly be without the previous Italian betrothment.
Padua lies between Verona and Venice, at a suitable
distance from both for the conduct of the comedy. Pe-
truchio, after being securely betrothed, sets off to Ven-
ice, the very place for finery, to buy " rings and things,
and fine array " for the wedding; and, when married, he
takes her to his country-house, in the direction of Ve-
rona, of w^hich city he is a native. All this is complete,
and in marked opposition to the worse than mistakes in
the Tzi'o Gentlemen of Verona, which was written when he
knew nothing whatever of the country.

Brown : Shakespeare's Autobiographical Poems.

The Taming of the Shrew.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

A Lord.

Christopher Sly, a tinker. ) p • 7

Hostess, Page, Players, Huntsmen, >■ ^ , .

J „ ^ \ Induction.

and Servants. )

Baptista, a rich gentleman of Padua.

ViNCENTio, an old gentleman of Pisa.

LucENTio, son to Vincentio, in love zvith Bianca.

Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, a suitor to Katharina.

Gremio, , .

>• suitors to Bianca
Hortensio

Tranio, ,

_ y servants to Lucentio.

BlONDELLO,

„}

Grumio, ) „ , .

^ >• servants to Petruchio.

Curtis, )

A Pedant.

Katharina, the shrew

BiancAj

Widow.

_, r daughters to Baptista.

Bianca, )

Tailor, Haberdasher, and Servants attending on Baptista
and Petruchio.

Scene: Padua, and Petruchio' s country house.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW.

INDUCTION.

Scene I.

Before an alehouse on a heath.

Enter Hostess and Sly.

Sly. I '11 pheeze you, in faith.

Host. A pair of stocks, you rogue!

Sly. Y' are a baggage : the Slys are no rogues ; look

in the chronicles; we came in with Richard

Conqueror. Therefore paucas pallabris; let

the world slide: sessa!
Host. You will not pay for the glasses you have

burst?
Sly. No, not a denier. Go by, Jeronimy : go to thy

cold bed, and warm thee. lo

Host. I know my remedy; I must go fetch the

thirdborough. [Exit.

Sly. Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I '11 answer

him by law: I '11 not budge an inch, boy: let

him come, and kindly. [Falls asleep.

Horns winded. Enter a lord from hunting, zvith his train.

Lord. Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my hounds :
Brach Merriman, the poor cur is emboss'd ;
And couple Clowder with the deep-mouth'd brach.
Saw'st thou not, boy, how Silver made it good
At the hedge-corner, in the coldest fault? 20

Induction. Sc. i. THE TAMING

I would not lose the dog for twenty pound.

First Hun. Why, Belman is as good as he, my lord;
He cried upon it at the merest loss,
And twice to-day pick'd out the dullest scent:
Trust me, I take him for the better dog.

Lord. Thou art a fool: if Echo were as fleet,
I would esteem him worth a dozen such.
But sup them well and look unto them all:
To-morrow I intend to hunt again.

First Hun. I will, my lord. 30

Lord. What 's here? one dead, or drunk? See, doth
he breathe?

Sec. Hun. He breathes, my lord. Were he not warm'd
with ale,
This were a bed but cold to sleep so soundly.

Lord. O monstrous beast! how like a swine he lies!

Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image!

Sirs, I will practise on this drunken man.

What think you, if he were convey'd to bed,

Wrapp'd in sweet clothes, rings put upon his fingers,

A most delicious banquet by his bed,

And brave attendants near him when he wakes, 40

Would not the beggar then forget himself?

First Finn. Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose.

Sec. Hun. It would seem strange unto him when he
waked.

Lord. Even as a flattering dream or worthless fancy.
Then take him up and manage well the jest:
Carry him gently to my fairest chamber
And hang it round with ah my wanton pictures :
Balm his foul head in warm distilled waters
And burn sweet wood to make the lodging sweet:
Procure me music ready when he wakes, 50

OF THE SHREW Induction. Sc. i.

To make a dulcet and a heavenly sound ;

And if he chance to speak, be ready straight

And with a low submissive reverence

Say ' What is it your honour will command? '

Let one attend him with a silver basin

Full of rose-water and bestrew'd with flowers;

Another bear the ewer, the third a diaper,

And say ' Will 't please your lordship cool your

hands? '
Some one be ready with a costly suit,
And ask him what apparel he will wear; 60

Another tell him of his hounds and horse,
And that his lady mourns at his disease:
Persuade him that he hath been lunatic;
And when he says he is, say that he dreams,
For he is nothing but a mighty lord.
This do and do it kindly, gentle sirs ;
It will be pastime passing excellent,
If it be husbanded with modesty.

First Hiin. Aly lord, I warrant you we will play our part,
As he shall think by our true diligence 70

He is no less than what we say he is.

Lord. Take him up gently and to bed with him ;
And each one to his oihce when he wakes.

[Some hear out Sly. A trumpet sounds.
Sirrah, go see what trumpet 'tis that sounds :

[Exit Servingman.
Belike, some noble gentleman that means,
Travelling some journey, to repose him here.

Re-enter Servingman,

How now ! who is it ?
Serv. An 't please your honour, players

Induction. Sc. i. THE TAMING

That offer service to your lordship.
Lord. Bid them come near.

Enter Players.

Now, fellows, you are welcome.

Players. We thank your honour. 80

Lord. Do you Intend to stay with me to-night?

A Player. So please your lordship to accept our duty.

Lord. With all my heart. This fellow I remember,
Since once he play'd a farmer's eldest son:
'Twas where you woo'd the gentlewoman so well:
I have forgot your name; but, sure, that part
Was aptly fitted and naturally perform'd.

A Player. I think 'twas Soto that your honour means.

Lord, 'TIs very true: thou didst It excellent.

Well, you are come to me In happy time; 90

The rather for I have some sport In hand

Wherein your cunning can assist me much.

There is a lord will hear you play to-night:

But I am doubtful of your modesties;

Lest over-eyeing of his odd behaviour, —

For yet his honour never heard a play, —

You break into some merry passion

And so offend him ; for I tell you, sirs.

If you should smile he grows impatient.

A Player. Fear not, my lord: we can contain ourselves.
Were he the veriest antic in the world. loi

Lord. Go, sirrah, take them to the buttery,
And give them friendly welcome every one:
Let them want nothing that my house affords.

[Exit one with the Players.
Sirrah, go you to Bartholomew my page,

OF THE SHREW Induction. Sc. i.

And see him dress'd in all suits like a lady:
That done, conduct him to the drunkard's chamber;
And call him ' madam,' do him obeisance.
Tell him from me, as he will win my love,
He bear himself with honourable action, no

Such as he hath observed in noble ladies
Unto their lords, by them accomplished :
Such duty to the drunkard let him do
With soft low tongue and lowly courtesy.
And say, ' What is 't your honour will command.
Wherein your lady and your humble wife
May show her duty and make known her love? '
And then with kind embracements, tempting kisses.
And with declining head into his bosom,
Bid him shed tears, as being overjoy'd 120

To see her noble lord restored to health.
Who for this seven years hath esteemed him
No better than a poor and loathsome beggar:
And if the boy have not a woman's gift
To rain a shower of commanded tears.
An onion will do well for such a shift,
Which in a napkin being close convey'd
Shall in despite enforce a watery eye.
See this dispatch'd with all the haste thou canst:
Anon I '11 give thee more instructions. 130

[Exit a Servingman.
I know the boy will well usurp the grace.
Voice, gait and action of a gentlewoman :
I long to hear him call the drunkard husband,
And how my men will stay themselves from laughter
When they do homage to this simple peasant.
I '11 in to counsel them; haply my presence
25

Induction. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

May well abate the over-merry spleen
Which otherwise would grow into extremes.

[Exeunt.
Scene II.

A bedchamber in the Lord's house.
Enter aloft Sly, zvith Attendants; some zvith apparel,
others with basin and ewer and other appur-
tenances, and Lord.
Sly. For God's sake, a pot of small ale.
First Serv. Will 't please your lordship drink a cup of

sack?
Sec. Serv. Will 't please your honour taste of these con-
serves ?
Third Serv. W^hat raiment will your honour wear to-day?
Sly. I am Christophero Sly; call not me 'honour'
nor ' lordship ' : I ne'er drank sack in my Hfe ;
and if you give me any conserves, give me
conserves of beef; ne'er ask me what raiment
I '11 wear; for I have no more doublets than
backs, no more stockings than legs, nor no more lo
shoes than feet; nay, sometime more feet than
shoes, or such shoes as my toes look through
the overleather.
Lord. Heaven cease this idle humour in your honour!
O, that a mighty man of such descent,
Of such possessions and so high esteem,
Should be infused with so foul a spirit!
Sly. What, would you make me mad? Am not I
Christopher Sly, old Sly's son of Burton-heath,
by birth a pedlar, by education a card-maker, 20
by transmutation a bear-herd, and now by
present profession a tinker? Ask Marian
Hacket, the fat ale-wife of Wincot, if she
26

OF THE SHREW Induction. Sc. ii.

know me not: if she say I am not fourteen
pence on the score for sheer ale, score me up
for the lyingest knave in Christendom. What!
I am not bestraught : here 's —

Third Serv. O, this it is that makes your lady mourn!

Sec. Serv. O, this is it that makes your servants droop!

Lord. Hence comes it that your kindred shuns your
house, 30

As beaten hence by your strange lunacy.
O noble lord, bethink thee of thy birth,
Call home thy ancient thoughts from banishment,
And banish hence these abject lowly dreams.
Look how thy servants do attend on thee.
Each in his ofhce ready at thy beck.
Wilt thou have music ? hark ! Apollo plays, [Music.
And twenty caged nightingales do sing:
Or wilt thou sleep? we '11 have thee to a couch
Softer and sweeter than the lustful bed 40

On purpose trimm'd up for Semiramis.
Say thou wilt walk; we will bestrew the ground:
Or wilt thou ride? thy horses shall be trapp'd,
Their harness studded all with gold and pearl.
Dost thou love hawking? thou hast hawks will

soar
Above the morning lark: or wilt thou hunt?
Thy hounds shall make the w^elkin answer them,
And fetch shrill echoes from the hollow earth.

First Serv. Say thou wilt course; thy greyhounds are as
swift
.As breathed stags, ay, fleeter than the roe. 50

Sec. Serv. Dost thou love pictures? we will fetch thee
straight
Adonis painted by a running brook,

Induction. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

And Cytherea all in sedges hid,

Which seem to move and wanton with her breath,

Even as the waving sedges play with wind.
Lord. We '11 show thee lo as she was a maid

And how she was beguiled and surprised.

As lively painted as the deed was done.
Third Serv. Or Daphne roaming through a thorny wood

Scratching her legs that one shall swear she bleeds.

And at that sight shall sad Apollo weep, 6i

So workmanly the blood and tears are drawn.
Lord. Thou art a lord and nothing but a lord :

Thou hast a lady far more beautiful

Than any woman in this waning age.
First Serv. And till the tears that she hath shed for thee

Like envious floods o'er-run her lovely face,

She was the fairest creature in the world;

And yet she is inferior to none.
Sly. Am I a lord ? and have I such a lady ? 70

Or do I dream ? or have I dream'd till now ?

I do not sleep: I see, I hear, I speak;

I smell sweet savours and I feel soft things:

Upon my life, I am a lord indeed.

And not a tinker nor Christophero Sly.

Well, bring our lady hither to our sight;

And once again, a pot o' the smallest ale.
Sec. Serv. Will 't please your mightiness to wash your
hands?

O, how we joy to see your wit restored!

O, that once more you knew but what you are! 80

These fifteen years you have been in a dream;

Or when you waked, so waked as if you slept.
Sly. These fifteen years ! by my fay, a goodly nap.

OF THE SHREW Induction, Sc. ii.

But did I never speak of all that time ?

First Serv. O, yes, my lord, but very idle words:

For though you lay here in this goodly chamber,
Yet would you say ye were beaten out of door;
And rail upon the hostess of the house ;
And say you would present her at the leet,
Because she brought stone jugs and no seal'd

quarts :
Sometimes you would call out for Cicely Racket. 91

Sly. Ay, the woman's maid of the house.

Third Serv. Why, sir, you know no house nor no such
maid,
Nor no such men as you have reckon'd up.
As Stephen Sly and old John Naps of Greece
And Peter Turph and Henry Pimpernell
And twenty more such names and men as these
Which never were nor no man ever saw.

Sly. Now Lord be thanked for my good amends!

All. Amen. 100

Sly. I thank thee : thou shalt not lose by it.

Enter the Page as a lady, attended.

Page. How fares my noble lord?

Sly. Marry, I fare well; for here is cheer enough.

Where is my wife?
Page. Here, noble lord : what is thy will with her ?
Sly. Are you my wife and will not call me husband?

My men should call me 'lord': I am your

goodman.
Page. My husband and my lord, my lord and husband;

I am your wife in all obedience.
Sly. I know it well. What must I call her? no

Lord. Madam.

Induction. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

Sly. Al'ce madam, or Joan madam?

Lord. ' Madam ' and nothing else: so lords call ladies.

Sly. Madam wife, they say that I have dream'd
And slept above some fifteen year or more.

Page. Ay, and the time seems thirty unto me,

Being all this time abandon'd from your bed.

Sly. 'Tis much. Servants, leave me and her alone.
Aladam, undress you and come now to bed

Page. Thrice-noble lord, let me entreat of you 120

To pardon me yet for a night or two;
Or, if not so, until the sun be set :
For your physicians have expressly charged,
In peril to incur your former malady,
That I should yet absent me from your bed:
I hope this reason stands for my excuse.

Sly. Ay, it stands so that I may hardly tarry so long.
But I would be loath to fall into my dreams
again: I will therefore tarry in despite of the
flesh and the blood. 130

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. Your honour's players, hearing your amendment,
Are come to play a pleasant comedy;
For so your doctors hold it very meet.
Seeing too much sadness hath congeal'd your blood,
And melancholy is the nurse of frenzy:
Therefore they thought it good you hear a play
And frame your mind to mirth and merriment.
Which bars a thousand harms and lengthens life.

Sly. Marry, I will, let them play it. Is not a com-

onty a Christmas gambold or a tumbling-trick? 140

Page. No, my good lord ; it is more pleasing stufif.

OF THE SHREW Act I. Sc. i.

Sly. What, household stuff?
Page. It is a kind of history.
Sly. Well, we '11 see 't. Come, madam wife, sit by

my side and let the world slip : we shall ne'er

be younger.

Flourish.

ACT FIRST.
Scene I.

Padua. A public place.

Enter Lucentio and his man Tranio.

Luc. Tranio, since for the great desire I had
To see fair Padua, nursery of arts,
I am arrived for fruitful Lombardy,
The pleasant garden of great Italy ;
And by my father's love and leave am arm'd
With his good will and thy good company,
My trusty servant, well approved in all,
Here let us breathe and haply institute
A course of learning and ingenious studies.
Pisa renowned for grave citizens lo

Gave me my being and my father first,
A merchant of great traffic through the world,
Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.
Vincentio's son brouglit up in Florence
It shall become to serve all hopes conceived,
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds:
And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study,
Virtue and that part of philosophy
Will I apply that treats of happiness

Act I. Sc. i. THE TAMING

By virtue specially to be achieved. 20

Tell me thy mind; for I have Pisa left
And am to Padua come, as he that leaves
A shallow plash to plunge him in the deep,
And with satiety seeks to quench his thirst.

Tra, Mi perdonato, gentle master mine,
I am in all affected as yourself;
Glad that you thus continue your resolve
To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy.
Only, good master, while we do admire
This virtue and this moral discipline, 30

Let 's be no stoics nor no stocks, I pray;.
Or so devote to Aristotle's checks
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjured :
Balk logic with acquaintance that you have,
And practise rhetoric in your common talk;
Music and poesy use to quicken you;
The mathematics and the metaphysics,
Fall to them as you find your stomach serves you.
No profit grows where is no pleasure ta'en:
In brief, sir, study what you most affect. 40

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise.
If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore.
We could at once put us in readiness.
And take a lodging fit to entertain
Such friends as time in Padua shall beget.
But stay a while: what company is this?

Tra. Master, some show to welcome us to town.

Enter Baptista,Katharina, Bianca, Gremio, and Hortensio.
Liicentio and Tranio stand by.

Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no farther,

OF THE SHREW Act I. Sc. i.

For how I firmly am resolved you know ;

That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter 50

Before I have a husband for the elder:

If either of you both love Katharina,

Because I know you well and love you well,

Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.

Gre, [Aside] To cart her rather: she's too rough for
me.
There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife?

Kath. I pray you, sir, is it your will

To make a stale of me amongst these mates?

Hor. Mates, maid ! how mean you that ? no mates for
you.
Unless you were of gentler, milder mould. 60

Kath. V faith, sir, you shall never need to fear:
I wis it is not half way to her heart ;
But if it were, doubt not her care should be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd stool
And paint your face and use you like a fool.

Hor. From all such devils, good Lord deliver us!

Grc. And me too, good Lord!

Tra. Husht, master ! here 's some good pastime toward :
That wench is stark mad or wonderful froward.

Luc. But in the other's silence do I see 70

Maid's mild behaviour and sobriety.
Peace, Tranio!

Tra. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your fill.

Bap. Gentlemen, that I may soon make good
What I have said, Bianca, get you in :
And let it not displease thee, good Bianca,
For I will love thee ne'er the less, my girl.

Kath. A pretty peat! it is best

Put finger in the eye, an she knew why.

Bian. Sister, content you in my discontent. 80

Act L Sc. i. THE TAMING

Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe:
My books and instruments shall be my company,
On them to look and practise by myself.

Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva speak.

Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange?
Sorry am I that our good will effects
Bianca's grief.

Gre. Why will you mew her up,

Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,
And make her bear the penance of her tongue?

Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolved: 90

Go in, Bianca : [Exit Bianca.

And for I know she taketh most delight
In music, instruments and poetry,
Schoolmasters will I keep within my house.
Fit to instruct her youth. If you, Hortensio,
Or Signior Gremio, you, know any such,
Prefer them hither; for to cunning men
I will be very kind, and liberal
To mine own children in good bringing-up:
And so farewell. Katharina, you may stay; 100
For I have more to commune with Bianca. [Exit.

Kath. Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not?
What, shall I be appointed hours; as though,
belike, I knew not what to take, and what to
leave, ha? [Exit.

Grc. You may go to the devil's dam: your gifts are
so good, here 's none will hold you. Their love
is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our
nails together, and fast it fairly out: our cake 's
dough on both sides. Farewell: yet, for the no
love I bear my sweet Bianca, if I can by any

OF THE SHREW Act I. Sc. i.

means light on a fit man to teach her that
wherein she deHghts, I will wish him to her
father.

Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio : but a word, I pray.
Though the nature of our quarrel yet never
brooked parle, know now, upon advice, it
toucheth us both, that we may yet again have
access to our fair mistress, and be happy rivals
in Bianca's love, to labour and effect one thing 120
specially.

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry, sir, to get a husband for her sister.

Gre. A husband ! a devil.

Hor. I say, a husband.

Gre. I say, a devil. Thinkest thou, Hortensio,
though her father be very rich, any man is so
very a fool to be married to hell ?

Hor. Tush, Gremio, though it pass your patience

and mine to endure her loud alarums, why, man, 130
there be good fellows in the world, an a man
could light on them, would take her with all
faults, and money enough.

Gre. I cannot tell ; but I had as lief take her dowry
with this condition, to be whipped at the high-
cross every morning.

Hor. Faith, as you say, there 's small choice in rotten
apples. But come; since this bar in law makes
us friends, it shall be so far forth friendly main-
tained till by helping Baptista's eldest daughter 140
to a husband we set his youngest free for a
husband, and then have to 't afresh. Sweet
Bianca! Happy man be his dole! He that

Act I.Sc. i. THE TAMING

runs fastest gets the ring. How say you,
Signior Gremio?

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the
best horse in Padua to begin his wooing that
would thoroughly woo her, wed her and bed
her and rid the house of her! Come on.

[EA-eunt Gremio and Hortensio.

Tra. I pray, sir, tell me, is it possible 150

That love should of a sudden take such hold!

Liic. O Tranio, till I found it to be true,
I never thought it possible or likely;
But see, while idly I stood looking on,
I found the effect of love in idleness:
And now in plainness do confess to thee.
That art to me as secret and as dear
As Anna to the Queen of Carthage was,
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,
If I achieve not this young modest girl. 160

Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst;
Assist me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt.

Tra. Master, it is no time to chide you now;
Affection is not rated from the heart :
If love have touch'd you, nought remains but so,
^ Redime te captum quam queas minimo.'

Luc. Gramercies, lad, go forward; this contents:
The rest will comfort, for thy counsel 's sound.

Tra. Master, you look'd so longly on the maid,

Perhaps you mark'd not what 's the pith of all. 170

Luc. O yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face.
Such as the daughter of Agenor had.
That made great Jove to humble him to her hand,
When with his knees he kiss'd the Cretan strond.

OF THE SHREW Act I. Sc. i.

Tra. Saw you no more? mark'd you not how her sister
Began to scold and raise up such a storm
That mortal cars might hardly endure the din?

Luc. Tranio, I saw her coral lips to move

And with her breath she did perfume the air:
Sacred and sweet was all I saw in her. i8o

Tra. Nay, then, 'tis time to stir him from his trance.
I pray, awake, sir: if you love the maid.
Bend thoughts and wits to achieve her. Thus it

stands:
Her elder sister is so curst and shrewd
That till the father rid his hands of her,
Master, your love must live a maid at home;
And therefore has he closely mew'd her up,
Because she will not be annoy'd with suitors.

Liic. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father 's he!

But art thou not advised, he took some care 190
To get her cunning schoolmasters to instruct her?

Tra. Ay, marry, am I, sir; and now 'tis plotted.

Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Tra. Master, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.

Luc. Tell me thine first.

Tra. You will be schoolmaster

And undertake the teaching of the maid:
f That 's your device.

Luc. It is : may it be done ?

Tra. Not possible; for who shall bear your part,
And be in Padua here Vincentio's son;
Keep house and ply his book, welcome his
friends, 200

Visit his countrymen and banquet them?

Liic. Basta; content thee, for I have it full.

Act I. Sc. i. THE TAMING

We have not yet been seen in any house,

Nor can we be distinguish'd by our faces

For man or master ; then it follows thus ;

Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead.

Keep house and port and servants, as I should:

I will some other be; some Florentine,

Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.

'Tis hatch'd and shall be so: Tranio, at once 210

Uncase thee; take my colour'd hat and cloak:

When Biondello comes, he waits on thee;

But I will charm him first to keep his tongue.

Tra. So had you need.

In brief, sir, sith it your pleasure is,

And I am tied to be obedient,

For so your father charged me at our parting;

* Be serviceable to my son,' quoth he,

Although I think 'twas in another sense;

I am content to be Lucentio^ 220

Because so well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be so, because Lucentio loves:
And let me be a slave to achieve that maid
Whose sudden sight hath thrall'd my wounded eye.
Here comes the rogue.

Enter Biondello.

Sirrah, where have you been?
Bion. W^^re have I been! Nay, how now! where

are you? Master, has my fellow Tranio stolen

your clothes? Or you stolen his? or both?

pray, what 's the news?
Luc. Sirrah, coine hither: 'tis no time to jest, 230

And therefore frame your manners to the time.

OF THE SHREW Act I. Sc. i.

Your fellow Tranio here, to save my life,
Puts my apparel and my countenance on,
And I for my escape have put on his;
For in a quarrel since I came ashore
I kill'd a man and fear I was descried:
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes.
While I make way from hence to save my life:
You understand me?

Bion. I sir! ne'er a whit.

Luc. And not a jot of Tranio in your mouth: 240

Tranio is changed into Lucentio.

Bion. The better for him: would I were so too!

Tra. So could I, faith, boy, to have the next wish after.
That Lucentio indeed had Baptista's youngest

daughter.
But, sirrah, not for my sake, but your master's I ad-
vise
You use your manners discreetly in all kind of com-
panies:
When I am alone, why, then I am Tranio;
But in all places else your master Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, let's go: one thing more rests, that

thyself execute, to make one among these 250
wooers: if thou ask me why, sufficeth, my
reasons are both good and weighty. [Exeiuit.

The presenters above speak.

First Serv. My lord, you nod ; you do not mind the play.
Sly. Yes, by Saint Anne, do L A good matter,

surely: comes there any more of it?
Page. My lord, 'tis but begun.
Sly. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work, madam

lady: would 'twere done! [They sit and mark.

Act I. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

Scene II.

Padua. Before Hortensio's house.
Elite?' Petruchio and his man Grumio.

Pet. Verona, for a while I take my leave,
To see my friends in Padua, but of all
My best beloved and approved friend,
Hortensio; and I trow this is his house.
Here, sirrah Grumio; knock, I say.

Gru. Knock, sir! whom should I knock? is there
any man has rebused your worship?

Pet. Villain, I say, knock me here soundly.

Gru. Knock you here, sir! why, sir, what am I, sir,

that I should knock you here, sir? lo

Pet. Villain, I say, knock me at this gate

And rap me well, or I '11 knock your knave's pate.

Grii. My master is grown quarrelsome. I should knock
you first.
And then I know after who comes by the worst.

Pet. Will it not be?

Faith, sirrah, an you '11 not knock, I '11 ring it;
I '11 try how you can sol, fa, and sing it.

{He zvrings him by the ears.

Gru. Help, masters, help! my master is mad.

Pet. Now, knock when I bid you, sirrah villain!

Enter Hortensio.

Hor. How now! what 's the matter? My old friend 20
Grumio! and my good friend Petruchio! How
do you all at Verona?

Pet. Signicr Hortensio, come you to part the fray?
* Con tutto il core ben trovato,' may I say.

OF THE SHREW Act I. Sc. ii.

Hor. ' Alia nostra casa ben venuto, molto honorato
signor mio Petrucio.'
Rise, Grumio, rise: we will compound this quarrel.

Gru. Nay, 'tis no matter, sir, what he 'leges in Latin.
If this be not a lawful cause for me to leave his
service, look you, sir, he bid me knock him and 30
rap him soundly, sir: well, was it fit for a
servant to use his master so, being perhaps, for
aught I see, two-and-thirty, a pip out?
Whom would to God I had well knock'd at first,
Then had not Grumio come by the worst.

Pet. A senseless villain! Good Hortensio,
I bade the rascal knock upon your gate
And could not get him for my heart to do it.

Gru. Knock at the gate! O heavens! Spake you

not these words plain, ' Sirrah, knock me here, 40
rap me here, knock me well, and knock me
soundly '? And come you now with, ' knocking
a.t the gate '?

Pet. Sirrah, be gone, or talk not, I advise you.

Hor. Petruchio, patience; I am Grumio's pledge:
Why, this 's a heavy chance 'twixt him and you,
Your ancient, trusty, pleasant servant Grumio..
And tell me now, sweet friend, what happy gale
Blows you to Padua here from old Verona?

Pet. Such wand as scatters young men through the

world, 50

To seek their fortunes farther than at home.
Where small experience grows. But in a few,
Siguier Hortensio, thus it stands with me :
Antonio, my father, is deceased;
And I have thrust myself into this maze,

Act I. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

Haply to wive and thrive as best I may:
Crowns in my purse I have and goods at home,
And so am come abroad to see the world.

Hot. Petruchio, shall I then come roundly to thee,

And wish thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife? 60

Thou 'Idst thank me but a Httle for my counsel:
And yet I'll promise thee she shall be rich,
And very rich: but thou 'rt too much my friend,
And I '11 not wish thee to her.

Pet. Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as we
Few words suffice ; and therefore, if thou know
One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife.
As wealth is burden of my wooing dance.
Be she as foul as was Florentius' love.
As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd 70

As Socrates' Xanthippe, or a worse,
She moves me not, or not removes, at least,
Affection's edge in me, were she as rough
As are the swelling Adriatic seas :
I come to wive it wealthily in Padua ;
If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

Gru. Nay, look you, sir, he tells you flatly what his
mind is: why, give him gold enough and marry
him to a puppet or an aglet-baby; or an old trot
with ne'er a tooth in her head, though she have 80
as many diseases as two and fifty horses: why,
nothing comes amiss, so money comes withal.

Hor. Petruchio, since we are stepp'd thus far in,
I will continue that I broach'd in jest.
I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife
With wealth enough and young and beauteous,
Brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman:
42

OF THE SHREW Act I. Sc. ii.

Her only fault, and that is faults enough,
Is that she is intolerable curst
And shrewd and froward, so beyond all meas-
ure, 90
That, were my state far worser than it is,
I would not wed her for a mine of gold.

Pet. Hortensio, peace! thou know'st not gold's effect :
Tell me her father's name and 'tis enough ;
For I will board her, though she chide as loud
As thunder when the clouds in autumn crack.

Hor. Her father is Baptista IMinola,

An affable and courteous gentleman:

Her name is Katharina Minola,

Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue. loo

Pet. I know her father, though I know not her;
And he knew my deceased father well.
I will not sleep, Hortensio, till I see her;
And therefore let me be thus bold with you
To give you over at this first encounter,
Unless you will accompany me thither.

Gru. I pray you, sir, let him go while the humour
lasts. O' my word, an she knew him as well as
I do, she would think scolding would do little
good upon him: she may perhaps call him half no
a score knaves or so: why, that's nothing; an
he begin once, he '11 rail in his rope-tricks. I '11
tell you what, sir, an she stand him but a little,
he win throw a figure in her face and so dis-
figure her with it that she shall have no more
eyes to see withal than a cat. You know him
not, sir.

Hor. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee;
For in Baptista's keep my treasure is:
He hath the jewel of my life in hold,

Act I. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca; 120

And her withholds from me and other more,

Suitors to her and rivals in my love;

Supposing it a thing impossible,

For those defects I have before rehearsed,

That ever Katharina will be woo'd;

Therefore this order -hath Baptista ta'en,

That none shall have access unto Bianca

Till Katharine the curst have got a husband.

Grn. Katharine the curst!

A title for a maid of all titles the worst. 130

Hor. Now shall my friend Petruchio do me grace;
And offer me disguised in sober robes
To old Baptista as a schoolmaster
Well seen in music, to instruct Bianca;
That so I may, by this device, at least
Have leave and leisure to make love to her.
And unsuspected court her by herself.

G)'i[. Here's no knavery! See, to beguile the old
folks, how the young folks lay their heads to-
gether! 140

Enter Grcinio and Luccntio disguised.

blaster, master, look about you: who goes there, ha?
Hor. Peace, Grumio! it is the rival of my love.

Petruchio, stand by a while.
Gni. A proper stripling and an amorous!
Grc. O, very well; I have perused the note.

Hark you, sir; I '11 have them very fairly bound:

All books of love, see that at any hand;

And see you read no other lectures to her:

You understand me: over and beside

Signior Baptista's liberality, 150

OF THE SHREW Act I. Sc. ii.

I '11 mend it with a largess. Take your paper too,
And let me have them very well perfumed:
For she is sweeter than perfume itself
To whom they go to. What will you read to her?

Luc. Whate'er I read to her, I '11 plead for you
As for my patron, stand you so assured,
As firmly as yourself were still in place:
Yea, and perhaps with more successful words
Than you, unless you were a scholar, sir.

Grc. O this learning, what a thing it is! i6o

Gru. O this woodcock, what an ass it is!

Pet. Peace, sirrah!

Hor. Grumio, mum! God save you, Signior Gremio.

Git. And you are well met, Signior Hortensio.

Trow you whither I am going? To Baptista Minola.

I promised to inquire carefully

About a schoolmaster for the fair Bianca:

And by good fortune I have lighted well

On this young man, for learning and behaviour

Fit for her turn, well read in poetry 170

And other books, good ones, I warrant ye.

Hor. 'Tis well; and I have met a gentleman
Hath promised me to help me to another,
A fine musician to instruct our mistress;
So shall I no whit be behind in duty
To fair Bianca, so beloved of me.

Gre. Beloved of me; and that my deeds shall prove.

Gru. And that his bags shall prove.

Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love:

Listen to me, and if you speak me fair, 180

I '11 tell you news indififerent good for either.
Here is a gentleman whom by chance I met,

Act I. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

Upon agreement from us to his liking,
Will undertake to woo curst Katharine,
Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.

Grc. So said, so done, is well.

Hortensio, have you told him all her faults?

Pet. I know she is an irksome brawling scold:
If that be all, masters, I hear no harm.

Gj-e. No, say'st me so, friend? What countryman? 190

Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's son:

]\Iy father dead, my fortune lives for me;
And I do hope good days and long to see.

Ore. O sir, such a life, with such a wife, were strange!
But if you have a stomach, to 't i' God's name :
You shall have me assisting you in all.
But will you woo this wild-cat?

Pet. Will I live?

Gru. Will he woo her ? ay, or I '11 hang her.

Pet. WHiy came I hither but to that intent?

Think you a little din can daunt mine ears? 200

Have I not in my time heard lions roar?

Have I not heard the sea puff 'd up with winds

Rage like an angry boar chafed with sweat?

Have I not heard great ordnance in the field,

And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies?

Have I not in a pitched battle heard

Loud 'larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets' clang?

And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,

That gives not half so great a blow to hear

As will a chestnut in a farmer's fire? 210

Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs.

Gru. For he fears none.

Gre. Hortensio, hark:

OF THE SHREW Act I. Sc. ii.

This gentleman is happily arrived,

My mind presumes, for his own good and ours.

Hor. I promised we would be contributors

And bear his charge of wooing, whatsoe'er.

Gre. And so we will, provided that he win her.

Grii. I would I were as sure of a good dinner.

Enter Tranio brave, and Biondello.

Tra. Gentlemen, God save you. If I may be bold,

Tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest way

To the house of Signior Baptista Minola? 221

Bion. He that has the two fair daughters : is 't he

you mean?
Tra. Even he, Biondello.
Ore. Hark you, sir; you mean not her to —
Tra. Perhaps, him and her, sir : what have you to do ?
Pet. Not her that chides, sir, at any hand, I pray.
Tra. I love no chiders, sir. Biondello, let 's away.
Luc. Well begun, Tranio.
Hor. Sir, a word ere you go ;

Are you a suitor to the maid you talk of, yea or no?
Tra. And if I be, sir, is it any offence? 231

Gre. No ; if without more words you will get you hence.
Tra. Why, sir, I pray, are not the streets as free

For me as for you?
Gre, But so is not she.

Tra. For what reason, I beseech you ?
Gre, For this reason, if you '11 know,

That she 's the choice love of Signior Gremio.
Hor. That she 's the chosen of Signior Hortensio.
Tra. Softly, my masters ! if you be gentlemen,

Do me this right ; hear me with patience.

Act I. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

Baptista is a noble gentleman, 240

To whom my father is not all unknown ;
And were his daughter fairer than she is,
She may more suitors have and me for one.
Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers ;
Then well one more may fair Bianca have :
And so she shall ; Lucentio shall make one,
Though Paris came in hope to speed alone.

Gre. What, this gentleman will out-talk us all !

Luc. Sir, give him head : I know he '11 prove a jade.

Pet. Hortensio, to what end are all these words? 250

Hor. Sir, let me be so bold as ask you.

Did you ever see Baptista's daughter?

Tra. No, sir ; but hear I do that he hath two,
The one as famous for a scolding tongue
As is the other for beauteous modesty.

Pet. Sir, sir, the first 's for me ; let her go by.

Gre. Yea, leave that labour to great Hercules ;
And let it be more than Alcides' twelve.

Pet. Sir, understand you this of me in sooth :

The youngest daughter wdiom you hearken for 260

Her father keeps from all access of suitors ;

And will not promise her to any man

Until the elder sister first be wed :

The younger then is free and not before.

Tra. If it be so, sir, that you are the man

Must stead us all and me amongst the rest ;

And if you break the ice and do this feat.

Achieve the elder, set the younger free

For our access, whose hap shall be to have her

Will not so graceless be to be ingrate. 270

Hor. Sir, you say well and well you do conceive ;

OF THE SHREW Act II. Sc. i.

And since you do profess to be a suitor,
You must, as we do, .gratify this gentleman,
To whom we all rest generally beholding.

Tra. Sir, I shall not be slack : in sign whereof,
Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress' health.
And do as adversaries do in law,
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gnc. Bion. O excellent motion ! Fellows, let 's be gone.

Hor. The motion 's good indeed and be it so, 281

Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto. [Exeunt,

ACT SECOND.
Scene I.

Padua. A room in Baptista's house.
Enter Katharina and Bianca.

Bian. Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself.
To make a bondmaid and a slave of me ;
That I disdain ; but for these other gawds.
Unbind my hands, I '11 pull them off myself.
Yea, all my raiment to my petticoat ;
Or what you will command me will I do.
So well I know my duty to my elders.

Kath, Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee, tell

Whom thou lovest best: see thou dissemble not.

Bian. Believe me. sister, of all the men alive 10

I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.

Kath. Minion, thou liest. Is 't not Hortensio ?

Bian. If you affect him, sister, here I swear

Act II. Sc. i. THE TAMING

I '11 plead for you myself, but you shall have him.
Kath. O then, belike, you fancy riches more :

You will have Gremio to keep you fair.
Bian. Is it for him you do envy me so?

Nay then you jest, and now I well perceive

You have but jested with me all this while : 20

I prithee, sister Kate, untie my hands.
Kath. If that be jest, then all the rest was so. [Strikes her.

Enter Baptista.

Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this inso-
lence ?

Bianca, stand aside. Poor girl ! she weeps.

Go ply thy needle ; meddle not with her.

For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,

Why dost thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee ?

When did she cross thee with a bitter word ?
Kath. Her silence flouts me, and I '11 be revenged.

[Flies after Bianca.
Bap. What, in my sight ? Bianca, get thee in. 30

[Exit Bianca.
Kath. What, will you not suffer me ? Nay, now I see

She is your treasure, she must have a husband ;

I must dance bare-foot on her wedding day

And for your love to her lead apes in hell.

Talk not to me : I will go sit and weep

Till I can find occasion of revenge. [Exit.

Bap. Was ever gentleman thus grieved as I ?

But who comes here?

Enter Gremio, Lucentio in the habit of a mean man;
Petnichio, with Hortensio as a musician; and Tranio,
with Biondello hearing a lute and hooks.

Gre. Good morrow, neighbour Baptista.

OF THE SHREW Act II. Sc. i.

Bap. Good morrow, neighbour Gremio. God save 40
you, gentlemen !

Pet. And you, good sir ; Pray, have you not a daughter
Call'd Katharina, fair and virtuous ?

Bap, I have a daughter, sir, called Katharina.

Gre. You are too blunt : go to it orderly.

Pet. You wrong me, Signior Gremio : give me leave.
I am a gentleman of Verona, sir,
That, hearing of her beauty and her wit,
Her affability and bashful modesty.
Her wondrous qualities and mild behaviour, 50

Am bold to show myself a forward guest
Within your house, to make mine eye the witness
Of that report which I so oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,
I do present you with a man of mine,

[Presenting Hortensio.
Cunning in music and the mathematics.
To instruct her fully in those sciences.
Whereof I know she is not ignorant :
Accept of him, or else you do me wrong:
His name is Licio, born in Mantua. 60

Bap. You 're welcome, sir ; and he, for your good sake.
But for my daughter Katharine, this I know.
She is not for your turn, the more my grief.

Pet. I see you do not mean to part with her.
Or else you like not of my company.

Bap. Mistake me not ; I speak but as I find.

Whence are you, sir ? what may I call your name ?

Pet. Petruchio is my name; Antonio's son,
A man well known throughout all Italy.

Bap. I know him well : you are welcome for his sake. 70

Act II. Sc. i. THE TAMING

Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray,

Let us, that are poor petitioners, speak too :
Baccare ! you are marvellous forward.

Pet. O, pardon me, Signior Gremio; I would fain be
doing.

Gre. I doubt it not, sir ; but you will curse your wooing.
Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am sure
of it. To express the like kindness, myself,
that have been more kindly beholding to you than
any, freely give unto you this young scholar
[presenting Lucentio], that hath been long 80
studying at Rheims ; as cunning in Greek, Latin,
and other languages, as the other in music and
mathematics : his name is Cambio ; pray, accept
his service.

Bap. A thousand thanks, Signior Gremio. Welcome,
good Cambio. But, gentle sir [To Tranio], me-
thinks you walk like a stranger: may I be so
bold to know the cause of your coming ?

Tra. Pardon me, sir, the boldness is mine own ;

That, being a stranger in this city here, 90

Do make myself a suitor to your daughter.

Unto Bianca, fair and virtuous.

Nor is your firm resolve unknown to me,

In the preferment of the eldest sister.

This liberty is all that I request.

That, upon knowledge of my parentage,

I may have welcome 'mongst the rest that woo

And free access and favour as the rest :

And, toward the education of your daughters,

I here bestow a simple instrument, 100

And this small packet of Greek and Latin books :

If you accept them, then their worth is great.

OF THE SHREW Act II. Sc. i.

Bap. Lucentio is your name ; of whence, I pray ?
Tra. Of Pisa, sir ; son to Vincentio.
Bap. A mighty man of Pisa ; by report

I know him well : you are very welcome, sir.

Take you the lute, and you the set of books ;

You shall go see your pupils presently.

Holla, within!

Enter a Servant.

Sirrah, lead these gentlemen
To my daughters ; and tell them both no

These are their tutors : bid them use them well.

[Exit Servant, zuith Luc. and Hot., Bion. following.
We will go walk a little in the orchard.
And then to dinner. You are passing welcome.
And so I pray you all to think yourselves.

Pet. Signior Baptista, my business asketh haste.
And every day I cannot come to woo.
You knew my father well, and in him me.
Left solely heir to all his lands and goods.
Which I have better'd rather than decreased :
Then tell me, if I get your daughter's love, 120

What dowry shall I have with her to wife ?

Bap. After my death the one half of my lands.
And in possession twenty thousand crowns.

Pet. And, for that dowry, I '11 assure her of

Her widowhood, be it that she survive me,
In all my lands and leases whatsoever :
Let specialties be therefore drawn between us,
That covenants may be kept on either hand.

Bap. Ay, when the special thing is well obtain'd,

That is, her love ; for that is all in all. 130

Act 11. Sc. i. THE TAMING

Pet, Why, that is nothing ; for I tell you, father,
I am as peremptory as she proud-minded ;
And where two raging fires meet together
They do consume the thing that feeds their fury :
Though little fire grows great with little wind.
Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all :
So I to her and so she yields to me ;
For I am rough and woo not like a babe.

Bap. Well mayst thou woo, and happy be thy speed !

But be thou arm'd for some unhappy words. 140

Pet. Ay, to the proof ; as mountains are for winds,
That shake not, though they blow perpetually.

Re-enter Hortcnsio, with his head broke.

Bap. How now, my friend ! why dost thou look so pale ?

Hor. For fear, I promise you, if I look pale.

Bap. What, will my daughter prove a good musician ?

Hor. I think she '11 sooner prove a soldier.
Iron may hold with her, but never lutes.

Bap. Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute?

Hor. Why, no ; for she hath broke the lute to me.

I did but tell her she mistook her frets, 150

And bow'd her hand to teach her fingering ;
When, with a most impatient devilish spirit,
' Frets, call you these ? ' quoth she ; 'I '11 fume with

them ' :
And, with that word, she struck me on the head.
And through the instrument my pate made way ;
And there I stood amazed for a while.
As on a pillory, looking through the lute ;
While she did call me rascal fiddler
And twangling Jack ; with twenty such vile terms,

OF THE SHREW Act II. Sc. i.

As she had studied to misuse me so. i6o

Pet. Now, by the world, it is a histy wench ;
I love her ten times more than e'er I did :
O, how I long to have some chat with her !

Bap. Well, go with me and be not so discomfited :
Proceed in practice with my younger daughter ;
She 's apt to learn and thankful for good turns.
Signior Petruchio, will you go with us,
Or shall I send my daughter Kate to you?

Pet. I pray you do ; I will attend her here,

[Exeunt Baptista, Gremio, Tranio, and Hortensio.
And woo her with some spirit when she comes. 170
Say that she rail ; why then I '11 tell her plain
She sings as sweetly as a nightingale ;
Say that she frown ; I '11 say she looks as clear
As morning roses newly wash'd with dew ;
Say she be mute and will not speak a word :
Then I '11 commend her volubility.
And say she uttereth piercing eloquence :
If she do bid me pack, I '11 give her thanks.
As though she bid me stay by her a week :
If she deny to wed, I 'U crave the day ^ 180

When I shall ask the banns, and when be married.
But here she comes ; and now, Petruchio, speak.

Enter Katharina.

Good morrow, Kate ; for that 's your name, I Hear.
Kath. Well have you heard, but something hard of
hearing :

They call me Katharine that do talk of me.
Pet. You lie, in faith ; for you are call'd plain Kate,

And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst ;

Act II. Sc. i. THE TAMING

But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom,
Kate of Kate-Hall, my super-dainty Kate,
For dainties are all Kates, and therefore, Kate, 190
Take this of me, Kate of my consolation ;
Hearing thy mildness praised in every town,
Thy virtues spoke of, and thy beauty sounded.
Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs,
Alyself am moved to woo thee for my wife.

Kath. Aloved ! in good time : let him that moved you
hither.
Remove you hence : I knew you at the first
You were a moveable.

Pet. Why, what 's a moveable ?

Kath. A join'd-stool.

Pet. Thou hast hit it : come, sit on me.

Kath. Asses are made to bear, and so are you. 200

Pet. Women are made to bear, and so are you.

Kath. Xo such jade as you, if me you mean.

Pet. Alas, good Kate, I will not burden thee !

For, knowing thee to be but young and light, —

Kath. Too light for such a swain as you to catch ;
And yet as heavy as my weight should be.

Pet. Should be ! should — buzz !

Kath. Well ta'en, and like a buzzard.

Pet. O slow-wing' d turtle! shall a buzzard take thee!

Kath. Ay, for a turtle, as he takes a buzzard.

Pet. Come, come, you wasp ; i' faith, you are too angry.

Kath. If I be waspish, best beware my sting. 211

Pet. My remedy is then, to pluck it out.

Kath. Ay, if the fool could find it where it lies.

Pet. Who knows not where a wasp does wear his
sting ? In his tail.

OF THE SHREW Act II. Sc. i.

Kath. In his tongue.

Pet. Whose tongue ?

Kath. Yours, if you talk of tails : and so farewell.

fct. What, with my tongue in your tail ? nay, come again,

Good Kate ; I am a gentleman.
Kath. That I '11 try. [She strikes him. 220

Pet. I swear I '11 cuff you, if you strike again.
Kath. So may you lose your arms :

If you strike me, you are no gentleman ;

And if no gentleman, why then no arms.
Pet. A herald, Kate ? O, put me in thy books !
Kath. What is your crest? a coxcomb?
Pet. A combless cock, so Kate will be my hen.
Kath. No cock of mine ; you crow too like a craven.
Pet. Xay, come, Kate, come ; you must not look so sour.
Kath. It is my fashion, when I see a crab. 230

Pet. Why, here 's no crab ; and therefore look not sour.
Kath. There is, there is.
Pet. Then show it me.

Kath. Had I a glass, I would.

Pet. What, you mean my face?

Kath. Well aim'd of such a young one.

Pet. Now, by Saint George, I am too young for you.
Kath. Yet you are wither'd.

Pet. 'Tis with cares. 240

Kath. I care not.

Pet. Nay, hear you, Kate : in sooth you scape not so.
Kath. I chafe you, if I tarry : let me go.
Pet. No, not a whit : I find you passing gentle.

'Twas told me you were rough and coy and sullen,

And now I find report a very liar ;

For thou art pleasant, gamesome, passing courteous,

Act II. Sc. i. THE TAMING

But slow in speech, yet sweet as spring-time flowers :

Thou canst not frown, thou canst not look askance,

Nor bite the lip, as angry wenches will, 250

Nor hast thou pleasure to be cross in talk,

But thou with mildness entertain'st thy wooers,

With gentle conference, soft and affable.

Why does the world report that Kate doth limp?

O slanderous world! Kate like the hazel-twig

Is straight and slender, and as brown in hue

As hazel-nuts and sweeter than the kernels.

O, let me see thee walk : thou dost not halt.

Kath. Go, fool, and whom thou keep'st command.

Pet. Did ever Dian so become a grove 260

As Kate this chamber with her princely gait ?
O, be thou Dian, and let her be Kate ;
And then let Kate be chaste and Dian sportful !

Kath. Where did you study all this goodly speech ?

Pet. It is extempore, from my mother-wit.

Kath. A witty mother ! witless else her son.

Pet. Am I not wise ?

Kath. Yes ; keep you warm.

Pet. IMarry, so I mean, sweet Katharine, in thy bed :

And therefore, setting all this chat aside, 270

Thus in plain terms : your father hath consented
That you shall be my wife ; your dowry 'greed on ;
And, will you, nill you, I will marry you.
Now, Kate, I am a husband for your turn ;
For, by this light, whereby I see thy beauty,
Thy beauty, that doth make me like thee well,
Thou must be married to no man but me ;
For I am he am born to tame you, Kate,
And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate

OF THE SHREW Act II. Sc. i.

Conformable as other household Kates. 280

Here comes your father : never make denial ;
I must and will have Katharina to my wife.

Re-enter Baptista, Gremio, and Tranio.

Bap. Now, Signior Petruchio, how speed you with my

daughter ?
Pet. How but well, sir? how but well?

It were impossible I should speed amiss.
Bap. Why, how now, daughter Katharine ! in your

dumps ?
Kath. Call you me daughter ? now, I promise you

You have show'd a tender fatherly regard,

To w^ish me wed to one half lunatic ;

A mad-cap ruffian and a swearing Jack, 290

That thinks with oaths to face the matter out.
Pet. Father, 'tis thus : yourself and all the world,

That talk'd of her, have talk'd amiss of her :

If she be curst, it is for policy.

For she 's not f roward, but modest as the dove ;

She is not hot, but temperate as the morn;

For patience she will prove a second Grissel,

And Roman Lucrece for her chastity

And to conclude, we have 'greed so well together.

That upon Sunday is the wedding-day. 300

Kath. I '11 see thee hang'd on Sunday first.
Gre. Hark, Petruchio ; she says she '11 see thee hang'd

first.
Tra. Is this your speeding? nay, then, good night our

part!
Pet. Be patient, gentlemen ; I choose her for myself :

If she and I be pleased, what 's that to you ?

Act II. Sc. i. THE TAMING

'Tis bargain'd 'twixt us twain, being alone,

That she shall still be curst in company.

I tell you, 'tis incredible to believe

How much she loves me : O, the kindest Kate !

She hung about my neck ; and kiss on kiss 310

She vied so fast, protesting oath on oath.

That in a twink she won me to her love.

O, you are novices ! 'tis a world to see,

How tame, when men and women are alone,

A meacock wretch can make the curstest shrew.

Give me thy hand, Kate : I will unto Venice,

To buy apparel 'gainst the wedding-day.

Provide the feast, father, and bid the guests ;

I will be sure my Katharine shall be fine.

Bap. I know not what to say : but give me your hands ;
God send you joy, Petruchio! 'tis a match. 321

Gre. Tra. Amen, say we : we will be witnesses.

Pet. Father, and wife, and gentlemen, adieu ;
I will to Venice ; Sunday comes apace
We will have rings, and things, and fine array ;
And, kiss me, Kate, we w411 be married o' Sunday.

[Exeunt Petruchio and Katharina severally.

Gre. Was ever match clapp'd up so suddenly ?

Bap. Faith, gentlemen, now I play a merchant's part,
And venture madly on a desperate mart.

Tra. 'Twas a commodity lay fretting by you : 330

'Twill bring you gain, or perish on the seas.

Bap. The gain I seek is quiet in the match.

Gre. No doubt but he hath got a quiet catch.

But now, Baptista, to your younger daughter :
Now is the day we long have looked for :
I am your neighbour, and was suitor first.

OF THE SHREW Act II. Sc. l

Tra. And I am one that love Bianca more

Than words can witness, or your thoughts can guess.

Gre. YoungHng, thou canst not love so dear as I.

Tra. Greybeard, thy love doth freeze.

Gre. But thine doth fry. 340

Skipper, stand back : 'tis age that nourisheth.

Tra. But youth in ladies' eyes that flourisheth.

Bap. Content you, gentlemen : I will compound this strife.
'Tis deeds must win the prize ; and he, of both,
That can assure my daughter greatest dower
Shall have my Bianca's love.
Say, Signior Gremio, what can you assure her?

Gre. First, as you know, my house within the city
Is richly furnished with plate and gold ;
Basins and ewers to lave her dainty hands ; 350

My hangings all of Tyrian tapestry ;
In ivory coffers I have stuff'd my crowns ;
In cypress chests my arras counterpoints,
Costly apparel, tents, and canopies,
Fine linen, Turkey cushions boss'd with pearl,
Valance of Venice gold in needlework,
Pewter and brass and all things that belong
To house or housekeeping : then, at my farm
I have a hundred milch-kine to the pail,
Sixscore fat oxen standing in my stalls, 360

And all things answerable to this portion.
Myself am struck in years, I must confess ;
And if I die to-morrow, this is hers.
If whilst I live she will be only mine.

Tra. That ' only ' came Well in. Sir, list to me :
I am my father's heir and only son :
If I may have your daughter to my wife,

Act II. Sc. i. THE TAMING

I '11 leave her houses three or four as good,

Within rich Pisa walls, as any one

Old Signior Gremio has in Padua ; 370

Besides two thousand ducats by the year

Of fruitful land, all which shall be her jointure.

What, have I pinch'd you, Signior Gremio?

Grc. Two thousand ducats by the year of land !
My land amounts not to so much in all :
That she shall have ; besides an argosy
That now is lying in Marseilles' road.
What, have I choked you with an argosy?

Tra. Gremio, 'tis known my father hath no less 379

Than three great argosies ; besides two galliasses.
And twelve tight galleys : these I will assure her,
And twice as much, whate'er thou offer'st next.

Gre. Nay, I have offer'd all, I have no more ;
And she can have no more than all I have :
If you like me, she shall have me and mine.

Tra. Why, then the maid is mine from all the world,
By your firm promise : Gremio is out-vied.

Bap. I must confess your offer is the best ;

And, let your father make her the assurance.

She is your own ; else, you must pardon me, 390

If you should die before him, where 's her dower?

Tra. That 's but a cavil : he is old, I young.

Gre. And may not young men die, as well as old ?

Bap. Well, gentlemen,

I am thus resolved : on Sunday next you know
My daughter Katharine is to be married :
Now, on the Sunday following, shall Bianca
Be bride to you, if you make this assurance ;
If not, to Signior Gremio :
62

OF THE SHREW Act III. Sc. i.

And so, I take my leave, and thank you both. 400
Gre. Adieu, good neighbour. [Exit Baptista.

Now I fear thee not :
Sirrah, young gamester, your father were a fool
To give thee all, and in his waning age
Set foot under thy table : tut, a toy !
An old Italian fox is not so kind, my boy. [Exit.

Tra. A vengeance on your crafty wither'd hide !
Yet I have faced it with a card of ten,
'Tis in my head to do my master good :
I see no reason but supposed Lucentio
Must get a father, call'd — supposed Vincentio ; 410
And that 's a wonder : fathers commonly
Do get their childern ; but in this case of wooing,
A child shall get a sire, if I fail not of my cunning.

[Exit.

ACT THIRD.
Scene I.

Padua. Baptista' s house.
Enter Lucentio, Hortensio, and Bianca.

Lite. Fiddler, forbear; you grow too forward, sir:
Have you so soon forgot the entertainment
Her sister Katharine welcomed you withal?

Hor. But, wrangling pedant, this is

The patroness of heavenly harmony:
Then give me leave to have prerogative ;
And when in music we have spent an hour,
Your lecture shall have leisure for as much.

Luc. Preposterous ass, that never read so far

Act ITT. Sc. i. THE TAMING

To know the cause why music was ordain'd ! lo

Was it not to refresh the mind of man
After his studies or his usual pain ?
Then give me leave to read philosophy,
And while I pause, serve in your harmony.

Hor. Sirrah, I will not bear these braves of thine.

Bian. Why, gentlemen, you do me double wrong.
To strive for that which resteth in my choice :
I am no breeching scholar in the schools ;
I '11 not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times,
But learn my lessons as I please myself. 20

And to cut off all strife, here sit we down :
Take you your instrument, play you the whiles ;
His lecture will be done ere you have tuned.

Hor. You '11 leave his lecture when I am in tune ?

Luc. That will be never ; tune your instrument.

Bian. Where left we last?

Luc. Here, madam :

* Hie ibat Simois ; hie est Sigeia tellus ;
Hie steterat Priami regia celsa senis.'

Bian. Construe them. 30

Luc. ' Hie ibat,' as I told you before, — ' Simois,'
I am Lucentio, — ' hie est,' son unto Vincentio
of Pisa, — ' Sigeia tellus,' disguised thus to get
your love ; — ' Hie steterat,' and that Lucentio
that comes a-wooing, — ' Priami,' is my man
Tranio, — ' regia,' bearing my port, — ' celsa
senis,' that we might beguile the old pantaloon.

Hor. Madam, my instrument 's in tune.

Bian. Let 's hear. Ofie! the treble jars.

Luc. Spit in the hole, man, and tune again. 40

Bian. Now let me see if I can construe it :

OF THE SHREW Act III. Sc. i.

* Hie ibat Simois,' I know you not, — ' hie est
Sigeia tellus,' I trust you not, — * Hie steterat
Priami,' take heed he hear us not, — ' regia,'
presume not, — ' celsa senis,' despair not.

Hor. jNIadam, 'tis now in tune.

Luc. All but the base.

Hor. The base is right; 'tis the base knave that jars.
[Aside] How fiery and forward our pedant is !
Now, for my life, the knave doth court my love :
Pedascule, I '11 watch you better yet. 50

Bian. In time I may believe, yet I mistrust.

Luc. Mistrust it not; for, sure, ^acides

Was Ajax, call'd so from his grandfather.

Bian. I must believe my master ; else, I promise you,
I should be arguing still upon that doubt.
But let it rest. Now, Licio, to you :
Good masters, take it not unkindly, pray.
That I have been thus pleasant with you both.

Hor. You may go walk, and give me leave a while :

My lessons make no music in three parts. 60

Luc. Are you so formal, sir ? well, I must wait,

[Aside] And watch withal; for, but I be deceived,
Our fine musician groweth amorous.

Hor. Madam, before you touch the instrument,
To learn the order of my fingering,
I must begin with rudiments of art ;
To teach you gamut in a briefer sort,
More pleasant, pithy, and effectual.
Than hath been taught by any of my trade :
And there it is in writing, fairly drawn. 70

Bian. Why, I am past my gamut long ago.

Hor. Yet read the gamut of Hortensio.

Act III. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

Biaji. [Reads] " ' Gamut ' I am, the ground of all accord,
'A re,' to plead Hortensio's passion ;

* B mi,' Bianca, take him for thy lord,

' C fa ut,' that loves with all affection :

* D sol re,' one clef, two notes have I :

* E la mi,' show pity, or I die."
Call you this gamut ? tut, I like it not :

Old fashions please me best ; I am not so nice, 80
To change true rules for old inventions.

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Mistress, your father prays you leave your books,
And help to dress your sister's chamber up :
You know to-morrow is the wedding-day.

Bian. Farewell, sweet masters both ; I must be gone.

{Exeunt Bianca and Servant.

Luc. Faith, mistress, then I have no cause to stay. [Exit.

Hor. But I have cause to pry into this pedant :
Methinks he looks as though he were in love :
Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca, be so humble.
To cast thy wandering eyes on every stale, 90

Seize thee that Hst : if once I find thee ranging,
Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing. [Exit.

Scene II.

Padua. Before Baptista's house.

Enter Baptista, Gremio, Tranio, Katharina, Bianca,
Litcentio, and others, attendants.

Bap, Signior Lucentio [To Tranio], this is the 'pointed
day.
That Katharine and Petruchio should be married,
And yet we hear not of our son-in-law.
66

OF THE SHREW Act III, Sc. ii.

What will be said? what mockery will it be,
To want the bridegroom when the priest attends
. To speak the ceremonial rites of marriage !
What says Liicentio to this shame of ours ?

Kath. No shame but mine : I must forsooth, be forced
To give my hand, opposed against my heart.
Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen ; lo

Who woo'd in haste, and means to wed at leisure.
I told you, I, he was a frantic fool,
Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behaviour:
And, to be noted for a merry man.
He '11 woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage,
Make friends, invite, and proclaim the banns ;
Yet never means to wed where he hath woo'd.
Now must the world point at poor Katharine,
And say, ' Lo, there is mad Petruchio's wife.
If it would please him come and marry her ! ' 20

Tra. Patience, good Katharine, and Baptista too.
Upon my life, Petruchio means but well.
Whatever fortune stays him from his word:
Though he be blunt, I know him passing wise ;
Though he be merry, yet withal he 's honest.

Kath. Would Katharine had never seen him though !

[Exit zceeping, foUozved by Bianca and others.

Bap. Go, girl ; I cannot blame thee now to weep ;
For such an injury would vex a very saint,
Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour.

Enter Biondello.

Bion. Master, master! news, old news, and such 30

news as you never heard of!
Bap. Is it new and old too? how may that be?

Act III. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

Bion. Why, is it not news, to hear of Petruchio's
coming ?

Bap. Is he come ?

Bion. Why, no, sir.

Bap. What then?

Bion. He is coming.

Bap. When will he be here?

Bion. When he stands where I am and sees you there. 40

Tra. But say, what to thine old news ?

Bion. Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and
an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice
turned, a pair of boots that have been candle-
cases, one buckled, another laced, an old rusty
sword ta'en out of the town-armoury, with a
broken hilt, and chapeless ; with two broken
points : his horse hipped with an old mothy
saddle and stirrups of no kindred; besides,
possessed with the glanders and like to mose in 50
the chine; troubled with the lampass, infected
with the fashions, full of windgalls, sped with
spavins, rayed with the yellows, past cure of the
fives, stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn
with the bots, swayed in the back and shoulder-
shotten; near-legged before and with a half-
cheeked bit and a head stall of sheep's leather
which, being restrained to keep him from stum-
bling, hath been often burst and now repaired
with knots; one girth six times pieced and a 60
woman's crupper of velure, which hath two let-
ters for her name fairly set down in studs, and
here and there pieced with pack-thread.

Bap. Who comes with him ?

OF THE SHREW Act III. Sc. ii.

Bion. O, sir, his lackey, for all the world caparisoned
like the horse ; with a linen stock on one leg, and
a kersey boot-hose on the other, gartered with
a red and blue list ; an old hat, and * the humour
of forty fancies ' pricked in 't for a feather : a
monster, a very monster in apparel, and not like 70
a Christian footboy or a gentleman's lackey.

Tra. "Tis some odd humour pricks him to this fashion ;
Yet oftentimes he goes but mean-apparell'd.

Bap. I am glad he 's come, howsoe'er he comes.

Bion. Why, sir, he comes not.

Bap. Didst thou not say he comes ?

Bion. Who? that Petruchio came?

Bap. Ay, that Petruchio came.

Bion. No, sir ; I say his horse comes, with him on his

back. 80

Bap. Why, that 's all one.

Bion. Nay, by Saint Jamy,
I hold you a penny,
A horse and a man
Is more than one.
And yet not many.

Enter Petruchio and Grumio.

Pet. Come, where be these gallants ? who 's at home ?

Bap. You are welcome, sir.

Pet. And yet I come not well.

Bap. And yet you halt not.

Tra. Not so well apparell'd

As I wish you were. 9°

Pet. Were it better, I should rush in thus.

But where is Kate? where is my lovely bride?

Act III. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

How does my father ? Gentles, methinks you frown :
And wherefore gaze this goodly company,
As if they saw some wondrous monument,
Some comet or unusual prodigy?

Bap. Why, sir, you know this is your wedding-day:
First were we sad, fearing you would not come ;
Now sadder, that you come so unprovided.
Fie, doff this habit, shame to your estate, lOO

An eye-sore to our solemn festival !

Tra. And tell us, what occasion of import

Hath all so long detain'd you from your wife.
And sent you hither so unlike yourself ?

Pet, Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear :
Sufficeth, I am come to keep my word,
Though in some part enforced to digress ;
Which, at more leisure, I will so excuse
As you shall well be satisfied withal.
But where is Kate? I stay too long from her: no
The morning wears, 'tis time we were at church.

Tra. See not your bride in these unreverent robes :
Go to my chamber ; put on clothes of mine.

Pet, Not I, believe me : thus I '11 visit her.

Eap, But thus, I trust, you will not marry her.

Pet. Good sooth, even thus ; therefore ha' done with
words :
To me she 's married, not unto my clothes :
Could I repair what she will wear in me.
As I can change these poor accoutrements,
'Twere well for Kate and better for myself. 120
But what a fool am I to chat with you,
When I should bid good morrow to my bride,
And seal the title with a lovely kiss !

[Exeunt Petruchio and Grumio.

OF THE SHREW Act III. Sc. ii.

Tra. He hath some meaning in his mad attire :
We will persuade him, be it possible,
To put on better ere he go to church.

Bap. I '11 after him, and see the event of this.

[Exeunt Baptista, Gremio, and attendants.

Tra. But to her love concerneth us to add

Her father's liking : which to bring to pass,

As I before imparted to your worship, 130

I am to get a man, — whate'er he be,

It skills not much, we '11 fit him to our turn, —

And he shall be Vincentio of Pisa;

And make assurance here in Padua

Of greater sums than I have promised.

So shall you quietly enjoy your hope,

And marry sweet Bianca with consent.

Luc. Were it not that my fellow-schoolmaster
Doth watch Bianca's steps so narrowly,
'Twere good, methinks, to steal our marriage ; 140
Which once performed, let all the world say no,
I '11 keep mine own, despite of all the world.

Tra. That by degrees we mean to look into.
And watch our vantage in this business :
We '11 over-reach the greybeard, Gremio,
The narrow-prying father, Minola,
The quaint musician, amorous Licio ;
All for my master's sake, Lucentio.

Re-enter Gremio.

Signior Gremio, came you from the church ?
Ore, As willingly as e'er I came from school. 150

Tra, And is the bride and bridegroom coming home ?
Ore. A bridegroom say you ? 'tis a groom indeed,

Act III. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find.

Tra. Curster than she ? why, 'tis impossible.

Gre. Why, he 's a devil, a devil, a very fiend.

Tra. Why, she 's a devil, a devil, the devil's dam.

Gre, Tut, she 's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him !
I '11 tell you. Sir Lucentio: when the priest
Should ask, if Katharine should be his wife,
' Ay, by gogs-wouns,' quoth he ; and swore so loud,
That, all amazed, the priest let fall the book ; i6i
And, as he stoop'd again to take it up.
This mad-brain'd bridegroom took him such a cuff
That down fell priest and book, and book and

priest :
* Now take them up,' quoth he, * if any list.'

Tra. What said the wench when he rose again ?

Ore. Trembled and shook; for why he stamp'd and
swore.
As if the vicar meant to cozen him.
But after many ceremonies done,
He calls for wine : * A health ! ' quoth he ; as if 170
He had been aboard, carousing to his mates
After a storm : quaff' d off the muscadel,
And threw the sops all in the sexton's face;
Having no other reason
But that his beard grew thin and hungerly
And seem'd to ask him sops as he was drinking.
This done, he took the bride about the neck
And kiss'd her lips with such a clamorous smack
That at the parting all the church did echo :
And I seeing this came hence for very shame; 180
I And after me, I know, the rout is coming.
Such a mad marriage never was before:
Hark, hark ! I hear the minstrels play. [Music,

OF THE SHREW Act III. Sc. ii.

Re-enter Petruchio, Katharina, Bianca, Baptista, Hor^
tensio, Grumio, and train.

Pet. Gentlemen and friends, I thank you for your pains :
I know you think to dine with me to-day,
And have prepared great store of wedding cheer ?
But so it is, my haste doth call me hence,
And therefore here I mean to take my leave.

Bap. Is 't possible you will away to-night ?

Pet. I must away to-day, before night come : 190

Make it no wonder ; if you knew my business,
You would entreat me rather go than stay.
And, honest company, I thank you all.
That have beheld me give away myself
To this most patient, sweet, and virtuous wife :
Dine with my father, drink a health to me ;
For I must hence ; and farewell to you all.

Tra. Let us entreat you stay till after dinner.

Pet. It may not be.

Gre. Let me entreat you.

Pet. It cannot be.

Kath. Let me entreat you. 200

Pet. I am content.

Kath. Are you content to stay ?

Pet. I am content you shall entreat me stay ;
But yet not stay, entreat me how you can.

Kath. Now, if you love me, stay.

p^l^ Grumio, my horse.

Grii. Ay, sir, they be ready : the oats have eaten the
horses.

Kath. Nay, then.

Do what thou canst, I will not go to-day ;

Act III. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

No, nor to-morrow, not till I please myself.

The door is open, sir; there lies your way; 210

You may be jogging whiles your boots ar'e green ;

For me, I '11 not be gone till I please myself :

'Tis like you '11 prove a jolly surly groom,

That take it on you at the first so roundly.

Pet. O Kate, content thee ; prithee, be not angry.

Kath. I will be angry: what hast thou to do?
Father, be quiet : he shall stay my leisure.

Gre. Ay, marry, sir, now it begins to work.

Kath. Gentlemen, forward to the bridal dinner:

I see a woman may be made a fool, 220

If she had not a spirit to resist.

Pet. They shall go forward, Kate, at thy command.
Obey the bride, you that attend on her ;
Go to the feast, revel and domineer.
Carouse full measure to her maidenhead.
Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves :
But for my bonny Kate, she must with me.
Nay, look not big, nor stamp, nor stare, nor fret ;
I will be master of what is mine own :
She is my goods, my chattels ; she is my house, 230
My household stuff, my field, my barn,
My horse, my ox, my ass, my any thing ;
And here she stands, touch her whoever dare ;
I '11 bring mine action on the proudest he
That stops my way in Padua. Grumio,
Draw forth thy weapon, we are beset with thieves ;
Rescue thy mistress, if thou be a man.
Fear not, sweet wench, they shall not touch thee,

Kate:
I '11 buckler thee against a million.

{Exeunt Petnichio, Katharina, and Grumio.
74

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. i.

Bap. Nay, let them go, a couple of quiet ones. 240

Gre. Went they not quickly, I should die with laughing.
Tra. Of all mad matches never was the like.
Luc. Mistress, what 's your opinion of your sister ?
Bian. That, being mad herself, she 's madly mated.
Gre. I warrant him, Petruchio is Kated.
Bap. Neighbours and friends, though bride and bride-
groom wants

For to supply the places at the table.

You know there wants no junkets at the feast.

Lucentio, you shall supply the bridegroom's place ;

And let Bianca take her sister's room. 250

Tra. Shall sweet Bianca practise how to bride it?
Bap. She shall, Lucentio. Come, gentlemen, let 's go.

[Exeunt.

ACT FOURTH.
Scene I.

Petruchio's country house.

Enter Grumio.

Gru. Fie, fie on all tired jades, on all mad masters,
and all foul ways ! Was ever man so beaten ?
was ever man so rayed ? was ever man so weary ?
I am sent before to make a fire, and they are
coming after to warm them. Now, were not I a
little pot, and soon hot, my very lips might freeze
to my teeth, my tongue to the roof of my mouth,
my heart in my belly, ere I should come by a fire
to thaw me : but I, with blowing the fire, shall
warm myself; for, considering the weather, a ro

Act IV. Sc. i. THE TAMING

taller man than I will take cold. Holla, ho!
Curtis !

Enter Curtis.

Curt. Who is that calls so coldly ?

Gru. A piece of ice: if thou doubt it, thou mayst
slide from my shoulder to my heel with no
greater a run but my head and my neck. A fire,
good Curtis.

Curt. Is my master and his wife coming, Grumio?

Gru. O, ay, Curtis, ay : and therefore fire, fire ; cast

on no water. 20

Curt. Is she so hot a shrew as she 's reported?

Gru. She was, good Curtis, before this frost: but,
thou knowest, winter tames man, woman, and
beast ; for it hath tamed my old master, and my
new mistress, and myself, fellow Curtis.

Curt. Away, you three-inch fool ! I am no beast.

Gru. Am I but three inches ? why, thy horn is a foot ;
and so long am I at the least. But wilt thou
make a fire, or shall I complain on thee to our
mistress, whose hand, she being now at hand, 30
thou shalt soon feel, to thy cold comfort, for
being slow in thy hot office?

Curt. I prithee, good Grumio, tell me, how goes the
world ?

Gru. A cold world, Curtis, in every office but thine ;
and therefore fire : do thy duty, and have thy
duty, for my master and mistress are almost
frozen to death.

Curt. There 's fire ready ; and therefore, good Gru-
mio, the news. 40

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. i,

Gru. Why, ' Jack, boy! ho! boy!' and as much news
as thou wilt.

Curt. Come, you are so full of cony-catching !

Gru. Why, therefore fire ; for I have caught extreme
cold. Where 's the cook ? is supper ready, the
house trimme.d, rushes strewed, cobwebs swept ;
the serving-men in their new fustian, their white
stockings, and every officer his wedding-garment
on ? Be the jacks fair within, the jills fair with-
out, the carpets laid, and every thing in order? 50

Curt. All ready ; and therefore, I pray thee, news.

Gru. First, know, my horse is tired ; my master and
m.istress fallen out.

Curt. How?

Gru. Out of their saddles into the dirt ; and thereby
hangs a tale.

Curt. Let 's ha 't, good Grumio.

Gru. Lend thine ear.

Curt. Here.

Grii. There. [Strikes him. 60

Ctirt. This is to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.

Gru. And therefore 'tis called a sensible tale: and
this cuff was but to knock at your ear, and be-
seech listening. Now I begin : Imprimis, we
came down a foul hill, my master riding behind
my mistress, —

Curt. Both of one horse?

Gru. What 's that to thee ?

Curt. Why, a horse.

Gru. Tell thou the tale : but hadst thou not crossed

me, thou shouldst have heard how her horse 70
fell and she under her horse ; thou shouldst
have heard in how miry a place, how she was

Act IV. Sc. i. THE TAMING

bemoiled, how he left her with the horse upon
her, how he beat me because her horse stumbled,
how she waded through the dirt to pluck him
off me, how he swore, how she prayed, that
never prayed before, how I cried, how the horses
ran away, how her bridle was burst, how I lost
my crupper, with many things of worthy mem-
ory, which now shall die in oblivion and thou 80
return unexperienced to thy grave.

Curt. By this reckoning he is more shrew than she.

Grii. Ay ; and that thou and the proudest of you
all shall find when he comes home. But what
talk I of this? Call forth Nathaniel, Joseph,
Nicholas, Philip, Walter, Sugarsop and the rest :
let their heads be sleekly combed, their blue
coats brushed, and their garters of an indifferent
knit : let them curtsy with their left legs, and
not presume to touch a hair of my master's 90
horse-tail till they kiss their hands. Are they all
ready ?

Cti7't. They are.

Gru. Call them forth.

Ctirt. Do you hear, ho? you must meet my master
to countenance my mistress !

Gru. Why, she hath a face of her own.

Curt. Who knows not that ?

Gru. Thou, it seems, that calls for company to coun-
tenance her.

Curt. I call them forth to credit her. 100

Gru. Why, she comes to borrow nothing of them.

Enter four or five serving-men.

Nath. Welcome home, Grumio!

or THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. i.

Phil. How now, Grumio !

Jos. What, Grumio !

Nich. Fellow Grumio !

Nath. How now, old lad?

Grn. Welcome, you ; — how now, you ; — what, you ;

— fellow, you; — and thus much for greeting.

Now, my spruce companions, is all ready, and '

all things neat? no

Nath. All things is ready. How near is our master ?
Grn. E'en at hand, alighted by this ; and therefore

be not — Cock's passion, silence! I hear my

master.

Enter Petruchio and Katharina.

Pet. Where be these knaves ? What, no man at door
To hold my stirrup nor to take my horse !
Where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip ?

All Serv. .Here, here, sir; here, sir.

Pet. Here, sir ! here, sir ! here, sir ! here, sir !

You logger-headed and unpolish'd grooms! 120

What, no attendance? no regard? no duty?
Where is the foolish knave I sent before ?

Gru. Here, sir, as foolish as I was before.

Pet. You peasant swain ! you whoreson malt-horse
drudge !
Did I not bid thee meet me in the park.
And bring along these rascal knaves with thee?

Gru. Nathaniel's coat, sir, was not fully made,

And Gabriel's pumps were all unpink'd i' the heel ;
There was no link to colour Peter's hat, 129

And Walter's dagger was not come from sheathing:
There were none fine but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory ;
The rest were ragged, old, and beggarly ;
Yet, as they are, here are they come to meet you.

Act IV. Sc. i. THE TAMING

Go, rascals, go, and fetch my supper in.

[Exeunt Servants.

[Singing] Where is the Ufe that late I led —

Where are those — Sit down, Kate, and welcome. —
Soud, soud, soud, soud !

Re-enter Servants with supper.

Why, when, I say? Nay, good sweet Kate, be

merry.
Off with my boots, you rogues ! you villains, when ?

[^'/no-j] It was the friar of orders grey, 140

As he forth walked on his way : —

Out, you rogue ! you pluck my foot awry :
Take that, and mend the plucking off the other.

[Strikes him.
Be merry, Kate. Some water, here ; what, ho !
Where 's my spaniel Troilus ? Sirrah, get you hence.
And bid my cousin Ferdinand come hither :
One, Kate, that you must kiss, and be acquainted

with.
Where are my slippers ? Shall I have some water ?

Enter one with water.

Come, Kate, and wash, and welcome heartily.

You whoreson villain ! will you let it fall !

[Strikes him.
Kath, Patience, I pray you ; 'twas a fault unwilling. 151
Pet. A whoreson beetle-headed, flap-ear'd knave !

Come, Kate, sit down ; I know you have a stomach.

Will you give thanks, sweet Kate ; or else shall I ?

What 's this ? mutton ?

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. i.

First. Serv. Ay.

Pet. Who brought it ?

Peter. I

Pet. 'Tis burnt ; and so is all the meat.

What dogs are these ! where is the rascal cook ?
How durst you, villains, bring it from the dresser,
And serve it thus to me that love it not?
There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all : i6o
[Throius the meat, etc., about the stage.
You heedless joltheads and unmanner'd slaves !
What, do you grumble ? I '11 be with you straight.

Kath. I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet :
The meat was well, if you were so contented.

Pet. I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dried away ;
And I expressly am forbid to touch it.
For it engenders choler, planteth anger ;
And better 'twere that both of us did fast,
Since, of ourselves, ourselves are choleric.
Than feed it with such over-roasted flesh. 170

Be patient ; to-morrow 't shall be mended.
And, for this night, we '11 fast for company :
Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber.

[Exeunt,

Re-enter Servants severally.

Nath. Peter, didst ever see the like ?
Peter. He kills her in her own humour.

Re-enter Curtis.

Gru. Where is he ?

Curt. In her chamber, making a sermon of continency

to her ;

And rails, and swears, and rates, that she, poor soul,
81

Act IV. Sc. i. THE TAMING

Knows not which way to stand, to look, to speak,
And sits as one new-risen from a dream. i8i

Away, away ! for he is coming hither. [Exeunt.

Re-enter Petruchio.

Pet. Thus have I poHticly begun my reign,
And 'tis my hope to end successfully.
My falcon now is sharp and passing empty ;
And till she stoop she must not be full-gorged.
For then she never looks upon her lure.
Another way I have to man my haggard,
To make her come and know her keeper's call,
That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites 190
That bate and beat and will not be obedient.
She eat no meat to-day, nor none shall eat ;
Last night she slept not, nor to-night she shall not ;
As with the meat, some undeserved fault
I '11 find about the making of the bed ;
And here I '11 fling the pillow, there the bolster,
This way the coverlet, another way the sheets :
Ay, and amid this hurly I intend
That all is done in reverend care of her ;
And in conclusion she shall watch all night : 200

And if she chance to nod, I '11 rail and brawl,
And with the clamour keep her still awake.
This is a way to kill a wife with kindness ;
And thus I '11 curb her mad and headstrong humour.
He that knows better how to tame a shrew.
Now let him speak : 'tis charity to show. {Exit.

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. ii.

Scene II.

Padua. Before Baptista's house.
Enter Tranio and Hortensio.

Tra. Is 't possible, friend Licio, that Mistress Bianca

Doth fancy any other but Lucentio ?

I tell you, sir, she bears me fair in hand.
Hor. Sir, to satisfy you in what I have said,

Stand by and mark the manner of his teaching.

Enter Bianca and Lucentio.

Luc. Now, mistress, profit you in what you read ?
Bian. What, master, read you ? first resolve me that.
Luc. I read that I profess, the Art to Love.
Bian. And may you prove, sir, master of your art! 9

Luc. While you, sweet dear, prove mistress of my heart!
Hor. Quick proceeders, marry! Now, tell me, I pray,

You that durst swear that your mistress Bianca

Loved none in the world so well as Lucentio.
Tra. O despiteful love ! unconstant womankind !

I tell thee, Licio, this is wonderful.
Hor. Mistake no more : I am not Licio,

Nor a musician, as I seem to be ;

But one that scorn to live in this disguise,

For such a one as leaves a gentleman.

And makes a god of such a cullion: 20

Know, sir, that I am call'd Hortensio.
Tra. Signior Hortensio, I have often heard

Of your entire affection to Bianca ;

And since mine eyes are witness of her lightness,

I will with you, if you be so contented,

Forswear Bianca and her love for ever

Act IVo Sc. ii. THE TAMING

Hor. See, how they kiss and court ! Signior Lucentio,
Here is my hand, and here I firmly vow
Never to woo her more, but do forswear her.
As one unworthy all the former favours 30

That I have fondly flatter'd her withal.

Tra. And here I take the like unfeigned oath.

Never to marry with her though she would entreat :
Fie on her ! see, how beastly she doth court him !

Ho7'. Would all the world but he had quite forsworn !
For me, that I may surely keep mine oath,
I will be married to a wealthy widow,
Ere three days pass, which hath as long loved me
As I have loved this proud disdainful haggard.
And so farewell, Signior Lucentio. 40

Kindness in women, not their beautous looks,
Shall win my love : and so I take my leave.
In resolution as I swore before. {Exit.

Tra. Mistress Bianca, bless you with such grace
As 'longeth to a lover's blessed case !
Nay, I have ta'en you napping, gentle love,
And have forsworn you with Hortensio.

Bian. Tranio, you jest: but have you both forsworn me?

Tra. Mistress, we have.

Liic. Then we are rid of Licio.

Tra. V faith, he '11 have a lusty widow now, 50

That will be woo'd and wedded in a day.

Bian. God give him joy.

Tra. Ay, and he '11 tame her.

Bian. He says so, Tranio.

Tra. Faith, he is gone unto the taming-school.

Bian. The taming-school! what, is there such a place?

Tra. Ay, mistress, and Petruchio is the master ;

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. ii.

That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty long,

To tame a shrew and charm her chattering tongue.

Enter Biondello.

Bian. O master, master, I have watch'd so long

That I am dog-weary ! but at last I spied 60

An ancient angel coming down the hill,
Will serve the turn.

Tra. What is he, Biondello?

Bion. Master, a mercatante, or a pedant,

I know not what ; but formal in apparel,
In gait and countenance surely like a father.

Luc. And what of him, Tranio?

Tra. If he be credulous and trust my tale,
I '11 make him glad to seem Vincentio,
And give assurance to Baptista Minola,
As if he were the right Vincentio. 70

Take in your love, and then let me alone.

[Exeunt Lucentio and Bianca.

Enter a Pedant.

Fed. God save you, sir !

Tra. And you, sir! you are welcome.

Travel you far on, or are you at the farthest ?
Fed. Sir, at the farthest for a week or two :

But then up farther, and as far as Rome;

And so to Tripoli, if God lend me life.
Tra. What countryman, I pray?
Fed. Of Mantua.

Tra. Of Mantua, sir ? marry, God forbid !

And come to Padua, careless of your life ?
Fed. My life, sir ! how, I pray ? for that goes hard. 80

Act IV. Sc. iL THE TAMING

Tra. 'Tis death for any one in Mantua

To come to Padua. Know you not the cause ?
Your ships are stay'd at Venice ; and the Duke,
For private quarrel 'twixt your duke and him,
Hath pubHsh'd and proclaimed it openly:
'Tis marvel, but that you are but newly come,
You might have heard it else proclaim'd about.

Ped. Alas, sir, it is worse for me than so !
For I have bills for money by exchange
From Florence, and must here deliver them. 90

Tra. W^ll. sir, to do you courtesy,

This will I do, and this I will advise you :
First, tell me, have you ever been at Pisa?

Pcd. Ay, sir, in Pisa have I often been ;
Pisa renowned for grave citizens.

Tra. Among them know you one Vincentio?

Ped. I know him not, but I have heard of him ;
A merchant of incomparable wealth.

Tra. He is my father, sir ; and, sooth to say,

In countenance somewhat doth resemble you. 100

Bion. As much as an apple doth an oyster, and all one.

[Aside.

Tra. To save your life in this extremity.

This favour will I do you for his sake ;
And think it not the worst of all your fortunes
That you are like to Sir Vincentio.
His name and credit shall you undertake,
And in my house you shall be friendly lodged :
Look that you take upon you as you should ;
You understand me, sir : so shall you stay
Till you have done your business in the city : no
If this be courtesy, sir, accept of it.
86

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. iii.

Ped. O sir, I do ; and will repute you ever
The patron of my life and liberty.

Tra. Then go with me to make the matter good.
This, by the way, I let you understand ;
My father is here look'd for every day,
To pass assurance of a dower in marriage
'Twixt me and one Baptista's daughter here :
In all these circumstances I '11 instruct you :
Go with me to clothe you as becomes you. 120

[Exeunt.

Scene III.

A room in Pctnichio's house.
Enter Katharina and Griunio.

Gru. No, no, forsooth ; I dare not for my life.

Kath. The more my wrong, the more his spite appears :
What, did he marry me to famish me?
Beggars, that come unto my father's door,
Upon entreaty have a present alms ;
If not, elsewhere they meet with charity :
But I, who never knew how to entreat,
Nor never needed that I should entreat.
Am starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep ;
With oaths kept waking, and with brawling f ed : i o
And that which spites me more than all these wants,
He does it under name of perfect love ;
As who should say, if I should sleep or eat,
'Twere deadly sickness or else present death.
I prithee go and get me some repast ;
I care not what, so it be wholesome food.

Gru, What say you to a neat's foot ?

Act IV. Sc. iii. THE TAMING

Kath. 'Tis passing good : I prithee let me have it.
Gru. I fear it is too choleric a meat.

How say you to a fat tripe finely broil'd? 20

Kath. I like it well ; good Grumio, fetch it me.
Gru. I cannot tell ; I fear 'tis choleric.

What say you to a piece of beef and mustard ?
Kath, A dish that I do love to feed upon.
Gru. Ay, but the mustard is too hot a little.
Kath. Why then, the beef, and let the mustard rest.
Gru. Nay then, I will not : you shall have the mustard,

Or else you get no beef of Grumio.
Kath. Then both, or one, or any thing thou wilt.
Gru. Why then, the mustard without the beef. 30

Kath. Go, get thee gone, thou false deluding slave, [Beats

That feed'st me with the very name of meat : [him.

Sorrow on thee and all the pack of you

That triumph thus upon my misery !

Go, get thee gone, I say.

Enter Petriichio and Hortensio with meat.

Pet. How fares my Kate ? What, sweeting, all amort ?

Hor. Mistress, what cheer?

Kath. Faith, as cold as can be.

Pet. Pluck up thy spirits ; look cheerfully upon me.
Here, love; thou see'st how diligent I am
To dress thy meat myself and bring it thee : 40

I am sure, sweet Kate, this kindness merits thanks.
What, not a word ? Nay, then thou lovest it not ;
And all my pains is sorted to no proof.
Here, take away this dish.

Kath. I pray you, let it stand.

Pet. The poorest service is repaid with thanks ;

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. Hi.

And so shall mine, before you touch the meat.

Kath. I thank you, sir.

Hor, Signior Petruchio, fie ! you are to blame.
Come, Mistress Kate, I '11 bear you company.

Pet. Eat it up all, Hortensio, if thou lovest me. [Aside.
Much good do it unto thy gentle heart ! 5 1

Kate, eat apace : and now, my honey love,
Will we return unto thy father's house,
And revel it as bravely as the best.
With silken coats and caps and golden rings.
With ruffs and cuffs and fardingales and things ;
With scarfs and fans and double change of bravery.
With amber bracelets, beads and all this knavery.
What, hast thou dined ? The tailor stays thy leisure.
To deck thy body with his ruffling treasure. 60

Enter Tailor.

Come, tailor, let us see these ornaments ;
Lay forth the gown.

Enter Haberdasher.

What news with you, sir?
Hah. Here is the cap your worship did bespeak.
Pet. Why, this was moulded on a porringer ;

A velvet dish : fie, fie ! 'tis lewd and filthy :

Why, 'tis a cockle or a walnut-shell,

A knack, a toy, a trick, a baby's cap :

Away with it ! come, let me have a bigger.
Kath. I '11 have no bigger : this doth fit the time.

And gentlewomen wear such caps as these. 70

Pet. When you are gentle, you shall have one too,

And not till then.

Act IV. Sc. iii. THE TAMING

Hor. That will not be in haste. [Aside.

Kath. Why, sir, I trust I may have leave to speak ;
And speak I will; I am no child, no babe:
Your betters have endured me say my mind,
And if you cannot, best you stop your ears.
My tongue will tell the anger of my heart,
Or else my heart concealing it will break ;
And rather than it shall, I will be free
Even to the uttermost, as I please, in words. 80

Pet. Why, thou say'st true ; it is a paltry cap,
A custard-coffin, a bauble, a silken pie :
I love thee well, in that thou likest it not.

Kath. Love me or love me not, I like the cap ;
An4 it I will have, or I will have none.

[Exit Haberdasher.

Pet. Thy gown ? why, ay : come, tailor, let us see 't.

0 mercy, God ! what masquing stuff is here ?
What 's this ? a sleeve ? 'tis like a demi-cannon :
What, up and down, carved like an apple-tart?
Here 's snip and nip and cut and slish and slash, 90
Like to a censer in a barber's shop :

Why, what, i' devil's name, tailor, call'st thou this ?
Hor, I see she 's like to have neither cap nor gown.

[Aside.
Tai. You bid me make it orderly and well,

According to the fashion and the time.
Pet, Marry, and did ; but if you be remember'd,

1 did not bid you mar it to the time.
Go, hop me over every kennel home.

For you shall hop without my custom, sir :
I '11 none of it : hence ! make your best of it. 100
Kath. I never saw a better-fashion'd gown,

More quaint, more pleasing, nor more commendable :

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. iii.

Belike you mean to make a puppet of me.
Pet. Why, true ; he means to make a puppet of thee.
Tai. She says your worship means to make a puppet

of her.
Pet. O monstrous arrogance ! Thou hest, thou

thread, thou thimble.

Thou yard, three-quarters, half-yard, quarter, nail !

Thou flea, thou nit, thou winter-cricket thou ! no

Braved in mine own house with a skein of thread ?

Away, thou rag, thou quantity, thou remnant ;

Or I shall so be-mete thee with thy yard,

As thou shalt think on prating whilst thou livest !

I tell thee, I, that thou hast marr'd her gown.
Tai. Your worship is deceived ; the gown is made

Just as my master had direction :

Grumio gave order how it should be done.
Gru. I gave him no order ; I gave him the stuff.
Tai. But how did you desire it should be made? 120

Gru. Marry, sir, with needle and thread.
Tai. But did you not request to have it cut ?
Gru. Thou hast faced many things.
Tai. I have.
Gru. Face not me: thou hast braved many men;

brave not me ; I will neither be faced nor braved.

I say unto thee, I bid thy master cut out the

gown, but I did not bid him cut it to pieces :

ergo, thou liest.
Tai. Why, here is the note of the fashion to 130

testify.
Pet. Read it.
Gru. The note lies in 's throat if he say I said

so.

Act IV. Sc. iii. THE TAMING

Tai. [Reads] ' Imprimis, a loose-bodied gown : *
Gru. Master, if ever I said loose-bodied gown, sew
me in the skirts of it, and beat me to death with
a bottom of brown thread: I said a gown.

Pet. Proceed.

Tai. [Reads] ' With a small compassed cape: ' 140

Gru. I confess the cape.

Tai. [Reads] ' With a trunk sleeve : '

Gru. I confess two sleeves.

Tai. [Reads] ' The sleeves curiously cut.'

Pet. Ay, there 's the villany.

Gru. Error i' the bill, sir; error i' the bill. I com-
manded the sleeves should be cut out, and sewed
up again ; and that I '11 prove upon thee, though
thy Httle finger be armed in a thimble.

Tai. This is true that I say: an I had thee in place 150
where, thou shouldst know it.

Gru. I am for thee straight : take thou the bill, give
me thy mete-yard, and spare not me.

Hor. God-a-mercy, Grumio ! then he shall have no
odds.

Pet. Well, sir, in brief, the gown is not for me.

Gru. You are i' the right, sir : 'tis for my mistress.

Pet. Go, take it up unto thy master's use.

Gru. Villain, not for thy life : take up my mistress'

gown for thy master's use ! 160

Pet. Why, sir, what 's your conceit in that ?

Gru. O, sir, the conceit is deeper than you think for :
Take up my mistress' gown to his master's use !
O, fie, fie, fie!

Pet. Hortensio, say thou wilt see the tailor paid. [Aside
Go, take it hence ; be gone, and say no more.
92

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. iii.

Hot. Tailor, I '11 pay thee for thy govv^n to-morrow :
Take no unkindness of his hasty words :
Away! I say; commend me to thy master.

l^Exit Tailor.

Pet. Well, come, my Kate ; we will unto your father's 170
Even in these honest mean habiliments :
Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor ;
For 'tis the mind that makes the body rich ;
And as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds,
So honour peereth in the meanest habit.
What is the jay more precious than the lark,
Because his feathers are more beautiful?
Or is the adder better than the eel.
Because his painted skin contents the eye?
O, no, good Kate ; neither art thou the worse 180
For this poor furniture and mean array.
If thou account'st it shame, lay it on me ;
And therefore frolic: we will hence forthwith,
To feast and sport us at thy father's house.
Go, call my men, and let us straight to him ;
And bring our horses unto Long-lane end ;
There will we mount, and thither walk on foot.
Let 's see ; I think 'tis now some seven o'clock.
And well we may come there by dinner-time.

%ath. I dare assure you, sir, 'tis almost two; 190

And 'twill be supper-time ere you come there.

Pet. It shall be seven ere I go to horse :

Look, what I speak, or do, or think to do.
You are still crossing it. Sirs, let 't alone :
I will not go to-day ; and ere I do.
It shall be what o'clock I say it is.

Hor. Why, so this gallant will command the sun.

[Exeunt.

Act IV. Sc. iv, THE TAMING

Scene IV.

Padua. Before Baptista's house.

Enter Tranio, and the Pedant dressed like Vincentio,

Tra. Sir, this is the house : please it you that I call ?
Ped. Ay, what else ? and but I be deceived

Signior Baptista may remember me.

Near twenty years ago, in Genoa,

Where we were lodgers at the Pegasus.
Tra. 'Tis well ; and hold your own, in any case.

With such austerity as 'longeth to a father.
Ped. I warrant you.

Enter Biondello.

But, sir, here comes your boy ;

'Twere good he were school'd.
Tra. Fear you not him. Sirrah Biondello, ID

Now do your duty throughly, I advise you.

Imagine 'twere the right Vincentio.
Bion. Tut, fear not me.

Tra. But hast thou done thy errand to Baptista?
Bion. I told him that your father was at Venice ;

And that you look'd for him this day in Padua.
Tra. Thou 'rt a tall fellow : hold thee that to drink.

Here comes Baptista : set your countenance, sir.

Enter Baptista and Lucentio.

Signior Baptista, you are happily met.
{To the Pedant] Sir, this is the gentleman I told
you of : 20

I pray you, stand good father to me now,
Give me Bianca for my patrimony.

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. iv.

Ped. Soft, son !

Sir, by your leave : having come to Padua

To gather in some debts, my son Lucentio

Made me acquainted with a weighty cause

Of love between your daughter and himself :

And, for the good report I hear of you,

And for the love he beareth to your daughter,

And she to him, to stay him not too long, 30

I am content, in a good father's care,

To have him match' d ; and, if you please to like

No worse than I, upon some agreement

Me shall you find ready and willing

With one consent to have her so bestow'd ;

For curious I cannot be with you,

Signior Baptista, of whom I hear so well.

Bap. Sir, pardon me in what I have to say :

Your plainness and your shortness please me well.

Risfht true it is, vour son Lucentio here 40

Doth love my daughter, and she loveth him,

Or both dissemble deeply their affections :

And therefore, if you say no more than this,

That like a father you will deal with him,

And pass my daughter a sufficient dower,

The match is made, and all is done :

Your son shall have my daughter with consent.

Tra. I thank you, sir. Where then do you know best
We be affied and such assurance ta'en
As shall with either part's agreement stand ? 50

Bap. Not in my house, Lucentio ; for, you know.
Pitchers have ears, and I have many servants :
Besides, old Gremio is hearkening still.;
And happily we might be interrupted.

Act IV. Sc. iv. THE TAMING

Tra. Then at my lodging, an it like you :

There doth my father lie ; and there, this night,

We '11 pass the business privately and well.

Send for your daughter by your servant here ;

My boy shall fetch the scrivener presently.

The worst is this, that, at so slender warning, 60

You are like to have a thin and slender pittance.
Bap. It likes me well. Cambio, hie you home.

And bid Bianca make her ready straight ;

And, if you will, tell what hath happened,

Lucentio's father is arrived in Padua,

And how she 's like to be Lucentio's wife.
Bion. I pray the gods she may with all my heart !
Tra. Dally not with the gods, but get thee gone.

[Exit Bion.

Signior Baptista, shall I lead the way ?

Welcome ! one mess is like to be your cheer : 70

Come, sir ; we will better it in Pisa.
Bap. I follow you,

[Exeunt Tranio, Pedant, and Baptista.

Re-enter Biondello.

Bion. Cambio.

Liic. What sayest thou, Biondello ?

Bion. You saw my master wink and laugh upon you?

Luc, Biondello, what of that ?

Bion. Faith, nothing; but has left me here behind,

to expound the meaning or moral of his signs

and tokens.
Luc. I pray thee, moralize them. 80

Bion. Then thus. Baptista is safe, talking with the

deceiving father of a deceitful son.
Luc, And what of him?

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. v.

Bion. His daughter is to be brought by you to the
supper.

Luc. And then ?

Bion. The old priest at Saint Luke's church is at
your command at all hours.

Luc, And what of all this ?

Bion. I cannot tell ; expect they are busied about a 90
counterfeit assurance: take you assurance of
her, ' cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum : '
to the church; take the priest, clerk, and some
sufficient honest witnesses :

If this be not that you look for, I have no more to say,
But bid Bianca farewell for ever and a day.

Luc. nearest thou, Biondello?

Bion. I cannot tarry : I knew a wench married in an
afternoon as she went to the garden for parsley
to stuff a rabbit ; and so may you, sir : and so, 100
adieu, sir. My master hath appointed me to go
to Saint Luke's, to bid the priest be ready to
come against you come with your appendix. [Exit.

Luc. I may, and will, if she be so contented :

She will be pleased ; then wherefore should I doubt ?

Hap what hap may, I '11 roundly go about her :

It shall go hard if Cambio go without her. [Exit,

Scene V.

A public road.

Enter Petruchio, Katharina, Hortensio, and Servants.

Pet. Come on, i' God's name ; once more toward our
father's.
Good Lord, how bright and goodly shines the moon !

Act IV. Sc. V. THE TAMING

Kath, The moon ! the sun : it Is not moonhght now.
Pet. I say it is the moon that shines so bright.
Kath. I know it is the sun that shines so bright.
Pet. Now, by my mother's son, and that 's myself,

It shall be moon, or star, or what I list,

Or ere I journey to your father's house.

Go on and fetch our horses back again.

Evermore cross'd and cross'd ; nothing but
cross'd! 10

Hor. Say as he says, or we shall never go.
Kath. Forward, I pray, since we have come so far,

And be it moon, or sun, or what you please :

And if you please to call it a rush-candle.

Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
Pet. I say it is the moon.

Kath. I know it is the moon.

Pet. Nay, then you lie : it is the blessed sun.
Kath. Then, God be bless'd, it is the blessed sun.

But sun it is not, when you say it is not ;

And the moon changes even as your mind. 20

What you will have it named, even that it is ;

And so it shall be so for Katharine.
Hor. Petruchio, go thy ways ; the field is won.
Pet. Well, forward, forward ! thus the bowl should run,

And not unluckily against the bias.

But, soft ! company is coming here.

Enter Vincent io.

[To Vincentio] Good morrow, gentle mistress:

where away?
Tell me, sweet Kate, and tell me truly too.
Hast thou beheld a fresher gentlewoman ?
Such war of white and red within her cheeks? 30
98

OF THE SHREW Act IV. Sc. v.

What stars do spangle heaven with such beauty,
As those two eyes become that heavenly face ?
Fair lovely maid, once more good day to thee.
Sweet Kate, embrace her for her beauty's sake.

Hor. A' will make the man mad, to make a woman of
him.

Kath, Young budding virgin, fair and fresh and sweet,
Whither away, or where is thy abode ?
Happy the parents of so fair a child ;
Happier the man, whom favourable stars
Allot thee for his lovely bed-fellow ! 40

Pet. Why, how now, Kate ! I hope thou art not mad :
This is a man, old, wrinkled, faded, wither'd ;
And not a maiden, as thou say'st he is.

Kath. Pardon, old father, my mistaking eyes,
That have been so bedazzled with the sun,
That everything I look on seemeth green :
Now I perceive thou art a reverend father;
Pardon, I pray thee, for my mad mistaking.

Pet. Do, good old grandsire ; and withal make known

Which way thou travellest : if along with us, 50

We shall be joyful of thy company.

Vin. Fair sir, and you my merry mistress.

That with your strange encounter much amazed me,
My name is call'd Vincentio ; my dwelling Pisa ;
And bound I am to Padua ; there to visit
A son of mine, which long I have not seen.

Pet. What is his name ?

Vin. Lucentio, gentle sir.

Pet. Happily met ; the happier for thy son.
And now by law, as well as reverend age,
I may entitle thee my loving father : 60

The sister to my wife, this gentlewoman,

Act V. Sc. i. THE TAMING

Thy son by this hath married. Wonder not,

Nor be not grieved : she is of good esteem,

Her dowry wealthy, and of worthy birth ;

Beside, so quahfied as may beseem

The spouse of any noble gentleman.

Let me embrace with old Vincentio,

And wander wt to see thy honest son,

Who will of thy arrival be full joyous.
Vin. But is this true ? or is it else your pleasure, 70

Like pleasant travellers, to break a jest

Upon the company you overtake?
Hor. I do assure thee, father, so it is.
Pet, Come, go along, and see the truth hereof ; '

For our first merriment hath made thee jealous.

[Exeunt all but Hortensio,
Hor. Well, Petruchio, this has put me in heart.

Have to my widow ! and if she be froward.

Then hast thou taught Hortensio to be untoward.

[Exit,

ACT FIFTH.
Scene I.

Padua. Before Lucentio's house.

Gremio discovered. Enter behind Biondello, Liicentio,
and Bianca.

Bion. Softly and swiftly, sir ; for the priest is ready. ^
Luc. I fly, Biondello: but they may chance to need

thee at home ; therefore leave us.
Bion. Nay, faith, I '11 see the church o' your back ;

100

OF THE SHREW Act V. Sc. i.

and then come back to my master's as soon as I
can. [E.veiiJit Lucentio, Bimica, and Biondello.

Gre. I marvel Cambio comes not all this while.

Enter Petruchio, Katharina, Vincoitio, Grumio, with
Attendants.

Pet. Sir, here 's the door, this is Lucentio's house :

My father's bears more toward the market-place ;
Thither must I, and here I leave you, sir. lo

Vin. You shall not choose but drink before you go :
I think I shall command your welcome here,
And, by all likelihood, some cheer is toward.

[Knocks,

Gre. They are busy within ; you were best knock
louder.

Pedant looks out of the zvindozv.

Ped. What 's he that knocks as he would beat down
the gate?

Vin. Is Signior Lucentio within, sir?

Ped. He 's within, sir, but not to be spoken withal.

Vin. What if a man bring him a hundred pound or 20
two, to make merry withal.

Ped. Keep your hundred pounds to yourself: he
shall need none, so long as I live.

Pet. Nay, I told you your son was well beloved in
Padua. Do you hear, sir? — to leave frivolous
circumstances, — I pray you, tell Signior Lucen-
tio, that his father is come from Pisa, and is here
at the door to speak with him.

Ped. Thou liest : his father has come from Padua,

and here looking out at the window. 30

Vin. Art thou his father ?

Ped. Ay, sir; so his mother says, if I may believe
her.

lOI

Act y. Sc. i. THE TAMING

Pet. \To Vincentio] Why, how now, gentleman!
why, this is flat knavery, to take upon you an-
other man's name.

Fed. Lay hands on the vihain : I beheve a' means
to cozen somebody in this city under my coun-
tenance.

Re-enter Biondello.

Bion. I have seen them in the church together: God

send 'em good shipping! But who is here? 40
mine old master Vincentio ! now we are undone,
and brought to nothing.

J^in. [Seeing Biondello] Come hither, crack-hemp.

Bion. I hope I may choose, sir.

Jin. Come hither, you rogue. What, have you for-
got me?

Bion. Forgot you! no, sir: I could not forget you,
for I never saw you before in all my life.

F«7Z. What, you notorious villain, didst thou never

see thy master's father, Vincentio? 50

Bion. What, my old worshipful old master? yet
marry, sir: see where he looks out of the win-
dow.

Vin. Is 't so, indeed? [Beats Biondello.

Bion. Help, help, help ! here 's a madman will mur-
der me. [Exit.

Fed. Help, son ! help, Signior Baptista! [Exit from above.

Fet. Prithee, Kate, let 's stand aside, and see the end

of this controversy. [They retire.

Re-enter Fedant hclozu; Tranio, Baptista, and Servants.

Tra. Sir, what are you, that offer to beat my servant? 60
Vin. What am I, sir! nay, what are you, sir? O

102

OF THE SHREW Act V. Sc. i.

immortal gods ! O fine villain ! A silken doub-
let ! a velvet hose ! a scarlet cloak ! and a copa-
tain hat ! O, I am undone ! I am undone !
while I play the good husband at home, my son
and my servant spend all at the university.

Tra. How now ! what 's the matter ?

Bap. What, is the man lunatic?

Tra. Sir, you seem a sober ancient gentleman by 70
your habit, but your words show you a mad-
man. Why, sir, what 'cerns it you if I wear
pearl and gold? I thank my good father, I am
able to maintain it.

Vin. Thy father ! O villain ! he is a sail-maker in
Bergamo.

Bap. You mistake, sir, you mistake, sir. Pray, what
do you think is his name ?

Vin. His name ! as if I knew not his name : I have

brought him up ever since he was three years old 80
and his name is Tranio.

Pcd. Away, away, mad ass ! his name is Lucentio ;
and he is mine only son, and heir to the lands of
me, Signior Vincentio.

Vin. Lucentio ! O, he hath murdered his master !
Lay hold on him, I charge you, in the Duke's
name. O, my son, my son! Tell me, thou
villain, where is my son Lucentio?

Tra. Call forth an officer.

Enter one zvith an Officer.

Carry this mad knave to the gaol. Father Bap- 90
tista, I charge you see that he be forthcoming.

103

Act V. Sc. i. THE TAMING

Vin. Carry me to the gaol !

Gre. Stay, officer : he shall not go to prison.

Bap. Talk not, Signior Gremio : I say he shall go to

prison.
Grc. Take heed, Signior Baptista, lest you be cony-

catched in this business : I dare swear this is the

right Vincentio.
Pcd, Swear, if thou darest.

Gre. Nay, I dare not swear it. loo

Tra. Then thou wert best say that I am not Lucentio.
Gre. Yes, I know thee to be Signior Lucentio.
Bap. Away with the dotard ! to the gaol with him !
Vin. Thus strangers may be haled and abused :

O monstrous villain !

Re-enter BiondcUo, ivitJi Lucentio and Bianca.

Bion. O, we are spoiled ! and — yonder he is : deny

him, forswear him, or else we are all undone.
Luc. Pardon, sweet father. [Kneeling.

Vin. Lives my sweet son?

[Exeunt BiondcUo, Tranio, and Pedant,
as fast as may he.
Bian. Pardon, dear father.
Bap. How hast thou offended ?

Where is Lucentio?
Luc. Here 's Lucentio, no

Right son to the right Vincentio ;

That have by marriage made tliy daughter mine,

While counterfeit supposes blear'd thine eyne.
Gre. Here 's packing, with a witness, to deceive us

all!
Vin. Where is that damned villain Tranio,

104

OF THE SHREW Act V. Sc i.

That faced and braved me in this matter so ?
Bap. Why, tell me, is not this my Cambio ?
Bian. Cambio is changed into Lucentio.
Luc. Love wrought these miracles. Bianca's love 120

Made me exchange my state with Tranio,

While he did bear my countenance in the town ;

And happily I have arrived at the last

Unto the wished haven of my bliss.

What Tranio did, myself enforced him to ;

Then pardon him, sweet father, for my sake.
Vin. I '11 slit the villain's nose, that would have sent

me to the gaol.
Bap. But do you hear, sir? have you married my

daughter without asking my good will ? 130

Vin. Fear not, Baptista; we will content you, go

to : but I will in, to be revenged for this vil-

lany. [Exit.

Bap. And I, to sound the depth of this knavery. [Exit.
Luc. Look not pale, Bianca; thy father will not

frown. [Exeunt Lucentio and Bianca.

Gre. Aly cake is dough : but I '11 in among the rest ;

Out of hope of all, but my share of the feast. [Exit.
Kath. Husband, let 's follow, to see the end of this ado.
Pet. First kiss me, Kate, and we will. 140

Kath. W^hat, in the midst of the street ?
Pet. What, art thou ashamed of me?
Kath. No, sir, God forbid ; but ashamed to kiss.
Pet. Why, then let 's home again. Come, sirrah, let 's

away.
Kath. Nay, I will give thee a kiss : now pray thee, love,

stay.
Pet. Is not this well ? Come, my sweet Kate :

Better once than never, for never too late. [Exeunt.

los

Act V. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

Scene II.

Padua. Lticcntio's house.

Enter Baptista, Vincentio, Gremio, the Pedant, Liicentio,
Bianca, Petriichio, Katharina, Hortensio, and Wid-
ow, Tranio, Biondello, and Griimio: the Serving-
}iien iviih Tranio bringing in a banquet.

Luc. At last, though long, our jarring notes agree :
And time it is, when raging war is done,
To smile at scapes and perils overblown.
My fair Bianca, bid my father welcome.
While I with self-same kindness welcome thine.
Brother Petruchio, sister Katharina,
And thou, Hortensio, with thy loving widow.
Feast with the best, and w^elcome to my house :
My banquet is to close our stomachs up.
After our great good cheer. Pray you, sit down ;
For now we sit to chat, as well as eat. 1 1

Pet. Nothing but sit and sit, and eat and eat!

Bap. Padua affords this kindness, son Petruchio.

Pet. Padua affords nothing but what is kind.

Hor. For both our sakes, I would that word were true.

Pet. Now, for my life, Hortensio fears his widow.

Wid. Then never trust me, if I be afeard.

Pet. You are very sensible, and yet you miss my sense :
I mean Hortensio is afeard of you.

Wid. He that is giddy thinks the world turns round. 20

Pet. Roundly replied.

Kath. Mistress, how mean you that?

Wid. Thus I conceive by him.

Pet. Conceives by me ! How likes Hortensio that ?

Hor. My widow says, thus she conceives her tale.

106

OF THE SHREW Act V. Sc. ii.

Pet. Very well mended. Kiss him for that, good

widow.
Kath. ' He that is giddy thinks the world turns round ' :

I pray you, tell me what you meant by that.
Wid. Your husband, being troubled with a shrew,

Measures my husband's sorrow by his woe :

And now you know my meaning. 30

Kath. A very mean meaning.
Wid. Right, I mean you.

Kath. And I am mean, indeed, respecting you.
Pet. To her, Kate !
Hor. To her, widow !

Pet. A hundred marks, my Kate does put her down.
Hor. That 's my office.
Pet. Spoke like an officer : ha' to thee, lad.

[Drinks to Hortensio,
Bap. How likes Gremio these quick-witted folks?
Gre. Believe me, sir, they butt together well.
Bian. Head, and butt I an hasty-witted body 40

Would say your head and butt were head and horn.
r/;i. Ay, mistress bride, hath that awaken'd you?
Bian. Ay, but not frighted me ; therefore I '11 sleep again.
Pet. Nay, that you shall not : since you have begun.

Have at you for a bitter jest or two !
Bian. Am I your bird ? I mean to shift my bush ;

And then pursue me as you draw your bow.

You are welcome all.

{Exeunt Bianca, Katharina, and Widow.
Pet. She hath prevented me. Here, Signior Tranio,

This bird you aim'd at, though you hit her not ; 50

Therefore a health to all that shot and miss'd.

107

ActV.Sc.ii. THE TAMING

Tra. O, sir, Liicentio slipp'd me like his greyhound,
Which runs himself, and catches for his master.

Pet. A good swift simile, but something currish.

Tra. 'Tis well, sir, that you hunted for yourself :
'Tis thought your deer does hold you at a bay.

Bap. O ho, Petruchio ! Tranio hits you now.

Luc. I thank thee for that gird, good Tranio.

Hot. Confess, confess, hath he not hit you here?

Pet, A' has a little gall'd me, I confess ; 60

And, as the jest did glance away from me,
'Tis ten to one it maim'd you two outright.

Bap. Now, in good sadness, son Petruchio,
I think thou hast the veriest shrew of all.

Pet. Well, I say no : and therefore for assurance
Let 's each one send unto his wife :
And he whose wife is most obedient,
To come at first when he doth send for her,
Shall win the wager which we will propose.

Hor, Content. What is the wager ?

Luc. ■ Twenty crowns. 70

Pet. Twenty crowns !

I '11 venture so much of my hawk or hound,
But twenty times so much upon my wife.

Luc. A hundred then.

Hor. Content.

Pet. A match ! 'tis done.

Hor. Who shall begin ?

Lite. That will I.

Go, Biondello, bid your mistress come to me.

Bion. I go. [Exit,

Bap. Son, I '11 be your half, Bianca comes.

Lite. I '11 have no halves ; I '11 bear it all myself.

108

OF THE SHREW Act V. Sc. ii.

Re-enter Biondello.

How now ! what news ?
Bion. Sir, my mistress sends you word 80

That she is busy, and she cannot come.
Pet. How ! she is busy, and she cannot come !

Is that an answer ?
Gre. Ay, and a kind one too :

Pray God, sir, your wife send you not a worse.
Pet. I hope, better.
Hor. Sirrah Biondello, go and entreat my wife

To come to me forthwith. [Exit Biondello.

Pet. O, ho ! entreat her !

Nay, then she must needs come.
Hor. I am afraid, sir,

Do what you can, yours will not be entreated.

Re-enter Biondello.

Now, where 's my wife? 90

Bion. She says you have some goodly jest in hand:

She will not come ; she bids you come to her.
Pet. Worse and worse ; she will not come ! O vile,

Intolerable, not to be endured !

Sirrah Grumio, go to your mistress ;

Say, I command her come to me. [Exit Grumio.

Hor. I know her answer.
Pet. What?

Hor. She will not.

Pet. The fouler fortune mine, and there an end.
Bap. Now, by my holidame, here comes Katharina !

Re-enter Katharina.

Kath. What is your will, sir, that you send for me? 100

log

Act V. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

Pet. Where is your sister and Hortensio's wife ?

Kath. They sit conferring by the parlour fire.

Pet. Go, fetch them hither : if they deny to come,

Swinge me them soundly forth unto their husbands :
Away, I say, and bring them hither straight.

[Exit Katharina.

Luc. Here is a wonder, if you talk of a wonder.

Hor. And so it is : I wonder what it bodes.

Pet. Marry, peace it bodes, and love, and quiet life,
An awful rule, and right supremacy ;
And, to be short, what not, that 's sweet and happy ?

Bap. Now, fair befall thee, good Petruchio! iii

The wager thou hast won ; and I will add
Unto their losses twenty thousand crowns ;
Another dowry to another daughter.
For she is changed, as she had never been.

Pet. Nay, I will win my wager better yet.
And show more sign of her obedience,
Her new-built virtue and obedience.
See where she comes and brings your froward wives
As prisoners to her womanly persuasion. 120

Re-enter Katharina, zuitJi Bianca and Widow.

Katharina, that cap of yours becomes you not :
Off with that bauble, throw it under-foot.

VVid. Lord, let me never have a cause to sigh.
Till I be brought to such a silly pass !

Bian. Fie, what a foolish duty call you this?

Luc. I would your duty were as foolish too:
The wisdom of your duty, fair Bianca,
Hath cost me an hundred crowns since supper-time.

Bian. The more fool you, for laying on my duty. 129

OF THE SHREW Act V. Sc. ii.

Pet. Katharina, I charge thee, tell these headstrong
women
What duty they do owe their lords and husbands.

Wid. Come, come, you 're mocking : we will have no
telling.

Pet. Come on, I say; and first begin with her.

Wid. She shall not.

Pet. I say she shall : and first begin with her.

Kath. Fie, fie ! tmknit that threatening unkind brow ;
And dart not scornful glances from those eyes.
To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor:
It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads.
Confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds,
And in no sense is meet or amiable. 141

A woman moved is like a fountain troubled.
Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty;
And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty
Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it.
Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee.
And for thy maintenance commits his body
To painful labour both by sea and land.
To watch the night in storms, the day m cold, 150
Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe ;
And craves no other tribute at thy hands
But love, fair looks and true obedience ;
Too little payment for so great a debt.
Such duty as the subject owes the prince
Even such a woman oweth to her husband;
And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,
And not obedient to his honest will.
What is she but a foul contending rebel,
And graceless traitor to her loving lord? 160

I am ashamed that women are so simple

Act V. Sc. ii. THE TAMING

To offer war where they should kneel for peace ;

Or seek for rule, supremacy and sway,

When they are bound to serve, love and obey.

Why are our bodies soft and w^eak and smooth,

Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,

But that our soft conditions and our hearts

Should well agree with our external parts?

Come, come, you f roward and unable worms !

My mind hath been as big as one of yours, 170

My heart as great, my reason haply more,

To bandy word for word and frown for frown ;

But now I see our lances are but straws.

Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,

That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.

Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot.

And place your hands below your husband's foot:

In token of which duty, if he please,

]\Iy hand is ready, may it do him ease. 179

Pet. Why, there 's a wench ! Come on, and kiss me,
Kate.

Luc. Well, go thy ways, old lad ; for thou shalt ha 't.

Vin. 'Tis a good hearing, when children are toward.

Luc. But a harsh hearing, when women are fro ward.

Pet. Come, Kate, we '11 to bed.

We three are married, but you two are sped.
'Twas I won the wager, though you hit the white ;

[To Lucentio.
And, being a winner, God give you good night!

[Exeunt Petruchio and Katharina.

Hor. Now, go thy ways ; thou hast tamed a curst shrew.

Luc. 'Tis a wonder, by your leave, she will be tamed so.

[Exeunt.

112

OF THE SHREW

Glossary.

Above (so Folios i, 2, and
Quarto; Folios 3 and 4,
" about") ; Indnzi. ii. 115.

Achieve, gain, possess; I. i. 160.

Adversaries, opposing counsel ;
I. ii. 278.

Advice, reflection, second
thoughts; I. i. 117.

Advised; "art thou not ad-
vised, do you not under-
stand"; I. i. 190.

AfHed, affianced, betrothed ;
IV. iv. 49.

Agenor; " the daughter of A.,"
i.e. " Europa, for whose sake
Jupiter translated himself
into a bull " ; I. i. 172.

Aglet-baby, the tag of a point
or lace, with a head formed
into a small figure ; I. ii. 79.

Aim'd, guessed ; II. i. 238.

AVce, a contracted form of
"Alice"; Induct, ii. 112.

Token of Alee Wates, who lived at the
Sign of the Three Pigeons.

"A little pot, and soon hot";
alluding to the proverb, " a
little pot is soon hot " ; IV.
i. 6.

''Alia nostra casa ben venuto,"
etc.. Welcome to our house
my much honoured Signior ;
I. ii. 25-6.

Amort, dejected; IV. iii. 36.

An, if; I. i. 131.

Ancient, old, former; Induct, ii.
2>^; I. ii. 47-

And ajl one, but it does not
matter; IV. ii. loi.

Angel; "ancient angel," prob-
ably a cant term for a good
old soul ; IV. ii. 61.

Anna, the sister of Dido; I. i.
158.

Antic, buffoon, oddity; Induct.
i. loi.

Apes; " lead apes in hell," al-

A mediceval ape-leader.
From the Dialogues de St. Gregoire,
preserved at Brussells (Xllth Cent.
MS., Bibl. Reg. 9917).

113

Glossary

THE TAMING

luding to the old belief that

spinsters lead apes in hell ;

11. i. 34.
Apply, i.e. "ply," or (?) apply

myself to ; 1. i. 19.
Argosy, a merchant-ship ; II. i.

376.
Arms, play upon the two

senses, ordinary and heraldic,

of arms; II. i. 222.
Arras, tapestry ; II. i. 353.
As, so that; Induct, i. 70; as if,

I. ii. 157; as though, II. i.

160; that, IV. iii. 114.
Assurance, legal settlement; II.

i. 389.
At a bay, at bay; V. ii. 56.
Awful, 3.we inspiring ; V. ii. 389.

Baccare, a cant word, meaning
go back, used in allusion to
a proverbial saying, " Back-
are, quoth Mortimer to his
sow " ; probably made in ridi-
cule of some man who afifect-
cd a knowledge of Latin
without knowing it ; II. i. JZ-

Balk; "b. logic," i.e. (prob-
ably) chop logic; I. i. 34.

Balm, anoint ; Induct, i. 48.

Bars, prevents ; Induct, ii. 138.

Basta (Italian), enough; I. i.
202.

Bate, flap the wings ; IV. i. 191.

Bear-herd, a leader of a tame
bear ; Induct, ii. 21.

Bears me fair in hand, gives me
every encouragement ; IV. ii.

Beholding, beholden; I. ii. 274.

Belike, perhaps, probably; In-
duct, i. 75.

Be-mete, be-measure; IV. iii.
113.

Bemoiled, besmirched, bedrag-
gled; IV. i. 7^.

Ben venuto ; " I shall be your
b. v.," i.e. " I will guarantee
your welcome " ; I. ii. 282.

Bestraught = distraught = dis-
tracted; Induct, ii, 27.

Bias, a weight on one side of
a bowl, which affects its di-
rection ; IV. V. 25.

Bill, with a play upon the two
senses of " bill " ; IV. iii. 152.

Blear 'd, dimmed; V. i. 113.

Blue coats, the dress of com-
mon serving men ; IV. i. 87.

Board, woo ; I. ii. 95.

Books; " put me in thy books,"
i.e. good books ; used with a
playful quibble ; II. i. 225.

This curious illustration of the above
phrase is taken from a XV th Century
painting in Carlisle Cathedral, illus-
trating a legendary history of St.
Augustine.

114

or THE SHREW

Glossary

Boot, avail, use; V. if. 176.
Boot-hose, stocking suited to
wear with boots ; III. ii. 67.
Boss'd, embossed, studded; II.

i. 355-

Bottom, a ball (of thread) ; IV.
iii. 138.

Bow'd, bent; II. i. 151.

Brack, a kind^of scenting-dog,
properly a female hound
{'Brack Merriman," 1, 17,
vide Note) ; Induct, i. 18.

Bravie, i.e. handsomely clad ;
Induct, i. 40.

Braved, used in double sense,
(i) made fine, and (2) out-
braved; (similarly "face,"
ibid.) ; IV. iii. 125.

Bravery, finery ; IV. iii. 57.

Braves, bullying; III. i. 15.

Breatked, in full career ; In-
duct, ii. 50.

Breeching sckolar, schoolboy;
in Elizabethan times, liable to
be whipped; III. i. 18.

The seal of Louth Grammar School,
founded 1552. (See Joitrti. Brit.
Arch. Asso., 1856, p. 154.)

jBrmg = take; IV. i. 173.

Buckler, shield ; III. ii. 239.
Bugs, bugbears; I. ii. 211.
Burst, broken ; Induct, i. 8 ; IV.

i. 78.
Burton-keatk, probably Bar-

ton-on-the-heath, a village in

Warwickshire ; Induct, li. 19.
But, except, unless; III. i. 62;

IV. iv. 2.
Buttery, a place for keeping

provisions, especially liquor;

Induct, i. 102.
Bu::2, used equivocally with a

play upon "be" (^'bee")

and " Iduzz," an interjection

to command silence ; II. i 207.
Bussard, II. i. 207-9 (vide

Note).

Carousing to, drinking healths
to; III. ii. 171.

Carpets, probably " table-cov-
ers " ; IV. i. 50.

Cart (used as a play upon
" court "), to punish a culprit
by carting, a punishment akin
to the ducking-stool ; I. i. 55.

Cast on no zvater ; alluding to
the old catch, " Scotland
burneth, Scotland burneth !
Fire, fire, fire, fire ! Cast on
water, cast on water!" IV. i.

2T.

Censer, a fire pan which was
used for burning perfumes ;
IV, iii. 91.

'Cents = concerns ; V. i. 72.

Chafed, made furious ; I. ii. 203.

Chapeless, without a chape ; the
" chape " was the metal part
at the end of the scabbard;
III. ii. 47.

115

Glossary

THE TAMING

Checks (so the Folios and
Quarto ; Blackstone " eth-
ics " ; the old play in corre-
sponding passage, " Aristot-
le's walks"), austere rules;
I. i. 32.

Close, secretly ; Induct, i. 127.

Cock's, common corruption of
the name of God; IV. i. 113.

Conformable, compliant, yield-
ing; II. i. 280.

Comonty; Sly's blunder for
" Comedy " ; Induct, ii. 140.

Compassed, round; IV. iii. 140.

Conditions; " soft c," gentle
qualities ; V. ii. 167.

Conserves, preserves ; Induct.
ii. 3-

Contented, pleased ; IV. iv. 104.

Contents, pleases; IV. iii. 179.

Content you, keep your temper ;
II. i. 343.

Contrive, while away; I. ii. 276.

Con tutto, etc. ; with all my
heart, well met ! I. ii. 24.

Cony-catchcd, deceived, trick-
ed; V. i. 96.

Cony-catching, trickery, fool-
ery ; IV. i. 43.

Copatain hat, a high crowned
hat; V. i. 63.

From Holme's Academy of Armory
(1688}.

Countenance, do honour to ; IV.

i. 99-
Counterpoints, counterpanes ;

II- i. 353-
Coxcomb, the ornament on a

fool's cap ; II. i. 226.

,-^^;::^>"

From an engraving by Fairholt of an
old painting.

Crab, crab-apple ; II. i. 230.

Crack-hemp, one who deserves
hanging; V. i. 43.

Craven, a beaten cock; II. i.
228.

Credit, do honour to ; IV. i.
100.

Cried ; " he cried upon it at the
merest loss," i.e. he gave the
cry when the scent seemed
utterly lost ; Induct i. 23.

Cullion, base fellow ; IV. ii. 20.

Cum privilcgio ad imprimen-
dum solum, i.e. " with exclu-
sive copyright," used with
reference to marriage-rights ;
IV. iv. 92.

Cunning, skill, art; Induct, i.
92.

116

OF THE SHREW

Glossary

Cunning, skilful, clever ; I. i.

97; n. i- 56.

Curious, punctilious ; IV. iv. 36.

Curst, shrewish ; I. i. 184.

Custard-coMn; the raised crust
of a custard was called a cof-
fin; IV. iii. 82.

Cytherea, Venus ; Induct, ii. 53.

Dance bare-foot; " I must
dance bare-foot on her wed-
ding day," alluding to the old
custom that the elder unmar-
ried sisters danced without
shoes at the marriage of the
youngest daughter ; II. i. S3-

Declining; " d. head into "=
head d. into; Induct, i. 119.

Deep-mouth'd, having a deep-
sounding bark; Induct, i. 18.

Demi-cannon, a kind of ord-
nance ; IV. iii. 88.

Denier, a very small coin; the
twelfth part of a sou ; Induct,
i. 9.

Diaper, a towel of figured lin-
en; Induct, i. 57.

Digress, deviate (from his
promise) ; III. ii. 107.

Dog-wearv, " tired as a dog " ;
IV. ii. 60.

Domineer, indulge without re-
straint ; III. ii. 224.

Dough; "our cakes are dough
on both sides," etc. ; i.e. we
are disappointed ; a popular
proverb, I. i. no; V. i. 137.

Eleven and twenty, supposed to
be an allusion to the game of
one and thirty ; IV. ii. 57.

Emboss' d, foaming at the
mouth ; a hunter's term ; In-
duct, i. 17.

Embracements, embraces; In-
duct, i. 118.

EiKounter, greeting; IV. v. 54.

Expect, believe (Folio 2, 'ex-
cept ') ; IV. iv. 90.

" Fac'd it with a card of ten,"
played the best card, the
trump card; II. i. 407.

Fair, in state, finery; II. i. 17.

" Fair befal thee," good fortune
befal thee ; V. ii. in.

Fardingales = farthingales,
hoops; IV. iii. 56.

Fashions (a corruption of far-
cins), a skin disease in
horses; III. ii. 52.

Fault; " coldest f.," i.e. absolute
loss of scent ; Induct, i. 20.

Fay, faith ; Induct, ii. 83.

Fear, frighten; I. ii. 211.

Fears; used equivocally, (i) is
afraid of; (2) affrights; V.
ii. 16.

Few; "in a few," i.e. in a few
words ; I. ii. 52.

Fine, smart; IV. i. 131.

Fives, a disease in horses ; III.
ii. 54.

" Florentius' love"; an allusion
to a story in Gower's Con-
fessio Amantis; a Knight
Florent agrees to marry an
ugly hag, if she will teach
him to solve a riddle on
which his life depends {cp.
Chaucer's Wife of Bath's
Tale) ; I. ii. 69.

Flouts, mocks; II. i. 29.

117

Glossary

THE TAMING

Fool, a professional fool ; I. i.

65.
For assurance, to make sure;

V. ii. 65.
Foul, ugly, deformed ; I. ii. 69.
Frets, stops of the lute ; II. i.

150.
Fretting, spoiling (with a play

upon " fret " in the ordinary

sense) ; II. i. 330.
Froward, refractory ; I. i. 69.
Full, exactly ; I. i. 202.
Furniture, dress, furnishings;

IV. iii. 181.

Galliasses, large galleys ; II. i.
380.

Gamhold, the old form of
" gambol," growing obsolete
in Shakespeare's time ; hence
used by Sly ; Induct, ii. 140.

Gamester, used contemptuous-
ly ; II. i. 402.

Gamut, III. i. 71. (See accom-
panying example of Mediae-
val Sol-fa from Naylor's
Shakespeare and Music, q.v.
pp. 37, 186.)

Gogs-ivouns, a corruption of
'* God's wounds " ; III. ii, 160.

Good shipping, a good voyage,
good luck ; V. i. 40.

Grace, a kindness ; I. ii. 131.

Gramercies, i.e. " grands mer-
cies," great thanks; I. i. 41.

Gratify, reward ; I. ii. 273.

Green; "whiles your boots are
green," i.e. (?) freshly
greased, or fresh, new (cp.
colloquial phrase, " before
your shoes wear out") ; III.
ii. 211.

Grissel, the typical instance of
womanly patience ; an allu-
sion to Griselda, the heroine
of Chaucer's Clerk's Tale ;
II. i. 297.

Haggard, a wild hawk ; IV. i.

188.
Haled, pulled away by force ;

V. i. 104.
Halt, limp ; II. i. 2-S.
Hand; " at any hand," in any

case : I. ii. 147.
Hap, good luck; I. ii. 269.

(^'^alural Hexachord)

(Hard Hexachord)

^=r.

-rf

h Re Mi Fa Sol La Ut Re Mi Fa Sol La

Gawds, ornaments, trifling

toys; II. i. 3.
Gentles, gentlemen; III. li. 93.
Gifts, endowments, abilities; I.

i. 106.
Gird, gibe ; V. ii. 58.
Give over, leave ; I. ii. 105. *
God-a-mercy, God have mercy;

IV. iii. 154.

Happily, haply, perhaps ; IV.
iv. 54.

" Happy man be his dole," hap-
piness be his portion; I. i.

143-
Hard; "that goes hard," that 's

bad; IV. ii. 80.
Ha' to thee, here's to thee; V.

ii- Z7-

118

OF THE SHREW

Glossary

Have, get ; Induct, ii. 39.
Have to 't, set to it ; I. i. 142.
He =^ man; III. ii. 234.
Hie ibat Simois, etc. ; from

Ovid, Epis. Hcruid, I. ^3, ; HI.

28-9.
High-cross, the market-place,

where formerly a cross was

always erected; I. i. 135.
Hilding, term of contempt ;

menial ; II. i. 26.
Hipped, covered to

III. ii. 48.
"Hit the white"',

centre of

the target;

with allu-

s i o n to

B i a n c a

(white) a

term in

archery ;

halidom ;
H olidame ,

V. ii. 186.

" by my

the hips
hit

the

From Ward's PFi?^ /c7 Drunkards(ib2']\
The picture illustrates '" the degen-
eracy of the a^e by a comparison of
its follies with the manly virtuts of
a former period, which are typified
by the booted leg in the stirrup, etc."

From an illumination in the Loutterell Psalter (XlVth Cent.).

halidom "= upon
my sacred word or oath ; V.
ii. 99.

"Humour of forty fancies";
probably the title of a collec-
tion of ballads; III. ii. 69.

Hungcrly, hungrily, scantily ;
HI. ii. 175.

Hurly, hurly-burly ; IV. i. 198.

Husband, economist, house-
keeper, y. i. 65.

Husht, hush! {cp. "hist,"
" whist ") ; I. i. 68.

Idle, absurd ; Induct, ii. 14.
Indifferent, equally: I. ii. 181.
Indifferent; " garters of an in-

different knit," i.e. tied in an
ordinary way, not looped
conspicuously; IV. i. 88.

Ingenious, probably " ingenu-
ous"; Sh. uses the two
words indiscriminately ; I. i. 9.

Ingrate, ungrateful ; I. ii. 270.

Intend, pretend; IV. i. 198.

/«^o/^ra&/^ = intolerably ; I. ii.

89.
/ -dcis, i.e. iwis, truly ; I. i. 62.

Jack, a term of contempt ; II. i.
159.

"Jack, boy! ho! boy!" the
commencement of an old
catch; IV. i. 41. (See Nay-

119

Glossary

THE TAMING

lor's Shakespeare and Music,
p. 199.)

Jacks . . . Jills, drinking-
vessels made respectively of
leather and metal, with a
play upon "jacks," men serv-
ants, and "Jills," maid serv-
ants; IV. i. 49.

Jade, worthless nag ; I, ii. 249.

Jealous, suspicious; IV. v. 76.

Join'd-stool, a kind of folding
chair; II. i. 199.

Joltheads, blockheads ; IV. i,
161.

Jump, agree ; I. i. 194.

Junkets, dainties ; III. ii. 248.

Kate, a play on Kate and cat',

II. i. 279.

Kated, perhaps with a play

upon cat; III. ii. 245,
Kates; " Dainties are all

Kates " ; a play on the word

cates', II, i. 190.
Keep you warm; referring to

the proverb " To have wit

enough to keep one's self

warm"; II. i. 268.
Kennel, gutter; IV. iii. 98.
Kindly; " let him come and

kindly " ; evidently used like

the colloquial " welcome," to

express indifference ; Induct.

i. 15; in a natural manner;

Induct, i. 66.
Knack, knick-knack, trifle ; IV.

iii. 67.

Lampass, a disease in horses;

III. ii. 51.

Laying on, laying a wager on ;
V. ii. 129.

Leda's daughter, i.e. Helen; I.
ii. 244.

Leet, Court-leet, which tried
those who used false weights
and measures ; Induct, ii. 89.

'Leges = alleges ; I. ii. 28.

Lewd, vile; IV. iii. 65.

Lie, stay, lodge; IV. iv. 56.

Lief, gladly, willingly ; I. i, 134.

Like, likely ; IV. iv. 70.

Like of = like ; II. i. 65.

Link, a pitch torch ; IV. i. 129.

Lodging, chamber ; Induct, i. 49.

Longly, a great while, a long
time ( ? longingly) ; I. i. 169.

Look big, angrily ; III. ii. 228,

Lovely, loving; III. ii. 123.

Lure, a stuffed bird used in fal-
conry for training the hawk;
IV. i. 187.

From an illumination in Le Livre du
Roy. Modus.., Nat. Lib., Paris.

Lusty, lively ; II. i. 161.

Maidenhead, maidenhood; III.
ii. 225.

Malt-horse, a brewer's horse ;
used as a term of contempt;
IV. i. 124.

Man, tame; IV. i. 188.

Marr'd . . . made, a fa-
vourite quibble in old Eng-
lish literature ; the two
words were pronounced al-
most alike; IV. iii. 115-116.

120

OF THE SHREW

Glossary

Married o' Sunday; "we will
be married o' Sunday " ; the
burden of several popular
songs, the best known occur-
ring in Ralph Roister Doister ;
11. i. 326.

Mart, bargain ; II. i. 329.

Masquing, masquerading ; IV.
iii. 87.

Meacock, timorous, worthless ;
II. i. 315-

Meaner, of lower rank ; I. i.
209.

Mercatante (spelt " marcan-
tant " in Folios and Quarto),
merchant ; IV. ii. 62,.

Merry passion, merriment ; In-
duct, i. 97.

Mess, course ; IV. iv. 70.

Mew up, shut up ; I. i. 87.

Minion, saucy wench ; II. i. 13.

Mi perdonato (Folios "me par-
donato " ; Quarto " me par-
dinato ") ; me being par-
doned ; I. i. 25.

Modesty, moderation ; Induct,
i. 68.

Mose in the chine, a disease in
horses; III. ii. 50.

Moved, angry; V. ii. 142.

Napkin, handkerchief ; Induct.

i. 27.
Neat, ox; IV. iii. 17.
News; "what's the news?"

what does this mean? I. i.

229.

0/ = for, II. i. 238; on, IV. i.

66; V. ii. 72.
Old, used intensitively ; cp.

modern phrase, " old fellow,"

III. ii. 30.

On = of ; IV. i. 29.
Orchard, garden; II. i. 112.
Or ere, before ; IV. v. 8.
Other, others ; I. ii. 121.
Over-eyeing, witnessing, see-
ing; Induct, i. 95.

Packing, plotting; V. i. 114.

Pain, pains, toil ; III. i. 12.

Palabris; " paucas pallabris " ;
Sly's corruption of the Span-
ish " pocas palabras," i.e. few
words ; Induct, i. 5.

Pantaloon, an old fool; a
standing character in Italian
comedy (cp. As You Like It
Glossary) ; III. i. 2)7-

Parle, barley; I. i. 117.

Pass, convey (a legal term) ;

IV. iv. 45 ; transact, IV. iv.

57.
Passing, surpassing; Induct, i.

67; II. i. 113.
Peat, the old form of " pet " ;

I. i. 78.
Pedant, schoolmaster ; IV. ii.

63.

Pedascule, pedant, schoolmas-
ter; III. i. 50.

Pheeze, originally "to incite,
send forth, drive away,"
whence probably secondary
meaning " to beat," and in
certain dialects " to pay a
person off for an injury";
Induct i. I.

Plash, pool ; I. i. 23.

Points, tagged laces used for
fastening various parts of the
dress; III. ii. 48.

Glossary

THE TAMING

Porringer, a bowl or basin; IV.
iii. 64.

Port, style of living; I. i. 207.

Practise, plot, play a trick; In-
duct, i. 36.

Prefer, recommend ; I. i. 97.

Present, immediate; IV. iii. 5.

Presently, immediately; IV. iv.

59.

Pricks, incites, III. ii. 74;
"pricked in," pinned in, stuck
in. III. ii. 69.

Proceeders; perhaps used
equivocally; to proceed Mas-
ter of Arts is the academic
term for taking the degree ;
IV. ii. II.

Proper, handsome ; I. ii. 144.

Put -finger in the eye, weep in
a childish manner; I. i. 78.

Quaint, fine (used ironically),

III. ii. 147 ; elegant, IV. iii.

102.
Quantity, used in the sense of a

very small quantity; IV. iii.

112.

Rated, driven away by scold-
ing; I. i. 164.

Rayed, dirtied, soiled; III. ii.
53; IV. i. 3.

Rebused; Grumio's blunder for
" abused " ; I. ii. 7.

Reckoning, description; IV. i.
82.

Redime te captum, etc., i.e.
•' Redeem thyself, captive, for
the least sum thou canst " ;
quoted from Terence in
Lily's Latin Grammar,
whence the writer no doubt
derived the line; I. i. 166.

Rests, remains ; I. i. 249.

Reverend, reverent, respectful;
IV. i. 199.

Ring, the prize ring; I. i. 144.

Rope-tricks, tricks deserving
the halter; Grumio's word
for " rhetoric " cp. the
Nurse's " ropery " for " rogu-
ery," Rom. II. iv. 154), I. ii.
112.

Roundly, straightway, directly,
I, i. 59; bluntly. III. ii. 214;
without needless ceremony,
IV. iv. 106; used with a play
on the word, V. ii. 21.

Rudeshy, rude clown ; III. ii.
10.

RufRing {vide note) ; IV. iii.
60.

Rushes strcived ; referring to
the old custom of strewing
the floors with rushes; IV. i.
46.

Sack, Spanish or Canary wine;
Induct, ii. 2.

Sadness, seriousness; "in good
s.," in all seriousness ; V. ii.

Score ; " fourteen pence on the

122

OF THE SHREW

Glossary

s," ; Induct, ii. 24, reckoning,
tally, illustrated by the fol-
lowing portion of a wood-
cut representing the Festival
of the Cobblers of Paris, Au-
gust 1st, 1641.

Scrivener, a writer of con-
tracts; IV. iv. 59.

Sealed quarts, quart pots sealed
as being of legal size ; In-
duct, ii. 90.

Secret, confidential; I. i. 157.

Seen; "well seen," well-skilled,
skilful ; I. ii. 134.

" Seise thee that list," i.e. let
them take thee that will ; III.

i. 91.
Sessa; " probably a cry used by

way of exhorting to swift

running " ; Induct, i. 6.
Sheathing, having a new sheath

made for it ; IV. i. 130.
Sheer ale, pure ale, unmixed

ale ; Induct, ii. 25.
Should; when the priest should

ask, i.e. had in due course to

ask; III. ii. 159.
Shrezvd, bad, evil ; I. i. 184.
Simple, foolish ; V. ii. 161.
Sith, since ; I. i. 215.
Skills, matters; III. ii. 132.
Skipper, used contemptuously

for frivolous youth; II. i.

341-

Slipp'd, started, let slip; V. ii.
52.

"Socrates' Xanthippe" (old
eds. " Zentippe " and " Zan-
tippe ) ; the famous shrew
of antiquity; I. ii. 71.

Soud, a word imitative of a
noise made by a person

heated and fatigued; IV. i.
137.

Sorted to no proof, proved to
be to no purpose ; IV. iii. 43.

So very = so great ; I. i. 127.

Specialties, special deeds; II. i.
127.

Speed, succeed; I. ii. 247.

Spleen, sudden impulse of
mirth ; Induct, i. 137 ; ill tem-
per, III. ii. ID.

Spoke = spoken ; II. i. 193.

Stale, laughing-stock ; probably
with a quibbling allusion to
" stale-mate " in chess ; I. i.
58 ; decoy, bait ; III. i. 90.

Stand, withstand; I. ii. 113.

Stay, restrain; Induct, i. 134.

Stead, aid ; I. ii. 266.

Still, continually; IV. i. 202.

Stock, stocking; III. ii. 66.

Stomach; perhaps a play upon
the two senses of the word,
i.e. " appetite," and " choler ";
IV. i. 153.

Stoop, yield; a technical term
in falconry for coming down
on the prey ; IV. i. 186.

Straight, straightway, immedi-
ately ; Induct, i. 52.

Strond (so all the old editions,
except Folio i, which reads
"strand"), strand; I. i. 174.

Suits; "in all suits," in every
respect ; Induct, i. 106.

Supposes, assumed characters
(cp. Ariosto's' "I suppositi,"
trans, by Gascoigne as " The
Supposes") ; V. i. 113.

Sweeting, a term of Ciidear-
ment ; IV. iii. 2>^.

123

Glossary

THE TAMING

Swift, quick, with play upon

the word; V. ii. 54.
Swinge, lash; V. ii. 104.

Ta'en; "orders . . . ta'en,"
i.e. given; I. ii. 126.

Tall, fine; IV. iv. 17.

Tender, tend; Induct, i. 16.

Tents and canopies, probably
bed hangings ; II. i. 354.

Thirdborough ( Folios and
Quarto " head - borough,"
Theobald's correction), con-
stable ; Induct, i. 12.

Throughly, thoroughly; IV. iv.
II.

Took, gave ; III. ii. 163.

Toward, at hand, I. i. 68; obe-
dient, docile, V. ii. 182.

Toy! a trifle, nonsense! II. i.
404.

Trick, toy, trifle ; IV. iii. 67.

Trot, woman, hag; I. ii. 79.

Trunk, broad, large ; IV. iii. 142.

Turtle = turtle-dove ; II. i. 209.

Twangling, twanging; II. i. 159,

Tzvink, twinkling; II. i. 312.

Two-and thirty, a pip out; " an
old cant phrase applied to a
person who was intoxicated ;
derived from the old game of
Bone-ace or One-and-Thir-
ty"; pip = a spot or mark
on a card; I. ii. 33.

Unable, weak, helpless ; V. ii.

169.
Unapt, unfit ; V. ii. 166.
Uncase, undress; I. i. 21 1.
Unconstant = inconstant ; IV.

ii. 14.
Undertake, assume; IV. ii. 106.

Unmanner'd, unmannerly ; IV.

i. 161.
Unpink'd, not pinked or pierced

with eyelet holes ; IV. i. 128.
Unreverent, disrespectful ; III.

ii. 112.
Untoward, unmannerly ; IV. v.

79.

" Vail your stomachs," lower
your pride; V. ii. 176.

Velure, velvet ; III. ii. 61.

Venice gold, i.e. Venetian gold,
II. i. 356.

Vied, challenged; II. i. 311.

Wants, are wanting; III. ii. 246.

Watch, keep from sleep ; a term
in falconry ; IV. i. 190.

Whatso'er, at any rate ; I. ii.
216.

JVho; "as who should say," as
if to say; IV. iii. 13.

"Why, when I say?" an ex-
clamation of impatience ; IV.
i. 138.

Widowhood, rights as a widow ;
II. i. 125.

Will; " she will," probably an
error for " he will " ; other-
wise " will " should perhaps
be " shall " ; I. i. 188.

" Will you, nill you," whether
you will or not; II. i. 273.

Wincot; probably a corruption
of Wilnecote or Wilmecot,
about three miles to the north
of Stratford ; Robert Arden,
Shakespeare's ^ grandfat her,
lived there (cp. Woncot, 2
Henry IV., V. i. 42) ; Induct,
ii. 23.

124

OF THE SHREW

Glossary

Wish, commend; Li. 113; Lii.6o.

With, by; IV. iii. in.

Woodcock, popularly used for a
fool; I. ii. 161.

Workmanly, workmanlike ; In-
duct, ii. 62.

World; " 'tis a world," i.e. a
wonder; II. i. 313.

Yard, yard measure (which

used to be made of wood) ;

IV, iii. 113.
Yellows, jaundice in horses;

III. ii. 53.
Yet, still ; Induct, ii. 69.
Yourself = you yourself ; I. ii.

157.

125

THE TAMING

Critical Notes,

BY ISRAEL GOLLANCZ.

Induct, i. 9. 'Go by, Jeronimy' ; a popular phrase from Kyd's
Spanish Tragedy — " the common butt of raillery to all the poets
in Shakespeare's time."

Induct, i. 17. 'Brack Merriman' ; 'brack' usualTy means a fe-
male hound, as in the next line ; the sequence of thought requires
' brack ' to be a verb : perhaps it is used in the sense of * couple/
'mate.' Hanmer proposed 'leeck'; Keightley, 'batkc'; Singer
(ed. 2) ' trask' etc.

Induct, i. 64. ' And he says ke is' etc., so the old eds. The read-

The accompanying illustration, from a stall in Ludlow Church, represents the
punishment of an offender of Cicely Hacket's kind. A demon (whose head )s
missing) is carrying the ale-wife with her gay head-dress and false measuie to-
wards hell-mouth (on the right of the picture), while two other demons respec-
tirely play bagpipes and read the catalogue of the offender's sins.

OF THE SHREW * Notes

ing is probably correct ; the line means ' when he says he is mad,
say that he dreams.' Rowe proposed 'And when he says he's
poor' ; Keightley ' And zvlicn he says what he is,' etc.

Induct, i. 88. The Folio and Quarto prefix ' Sincklo/ the name
of an actor in Shakespeare's company, who is mentioned also in
stage-directions of Quarto edition (1600) of 2 Henry IV., V. iv.
and in the Folio, 3 Henry VI., III. i.

Induct, i. 88. ' Soto ' is a character in Beaumont and Fletcher's
Women Pleased.

Induct, ii. 80.

' And say you would present her at the leet,
Because she bought stone jugs and no seal 'd quarts.'

I. i. 32. Cp. The Taming of A Shrew.—

' Welcome to Athens, my beloved friend.
To Plato's school and Aristotle's walks.'

I. i. 42. 'If, Biondello, thou wert'; the Collier MS. reads
* now were ' ; Dyce adopts this emendation.

I. i. 64. ' To comh your noddle with a three-legg'd stool ' ; an
old expression occurring in Skelton's Merrie Tales. " Hys wife
would divers times in the weeke kimbe his head with a iii. footed
stoole."

I. i. 239. ' /, sir! ne'er a whit.' Rowe proposed 'Ay, sir,
ne'er,' etc. ; Dyce, ' Ay, sir. — Ne'er.' It is difficult to determine
whether ' / ' is the personal pronoun, or stands, as is often the
case, for ' Ay.'

I. i. 253. ' The presenters,' i.e. Sly and his attendants in the
balcony above.

I. ii. 28. ' what he 'leges in Latin ' ; the Folios and Quarto
' leges,' an authorised form for ' alleges ' ; Grumio, strange to say,
though an Italian, mistakes Italian for Latin.

I. ii. 151-2. 'paper . . . them' ; changed by Pope to 'pa-
pers ' : Mr. Daniel considers ' paper ' to be the note of the ' books*
and ' them ' the books.

II. i. 75-84. Arranged as verse in the Folios and Quarto, first
printed as prose by Pope.

II. i. 202. 'No such jade as you'; probably an error for 'no
jade for such as you,' as conjectured by Hudson: many other lesa
obvious emendations have been proposed, e.g. 'no such load as
you, sir' (Singer), etc.

127

Notes THE TAMING

11. i. 207-9. ' huszard ' in this passage is a crux : its three
senses are, I think, punned on by the speakers: — (i.) a sim-
pleton (1, 207) ; (ii.) a mean hawk (11. 208, 209) ; in the lattei
case Petruchio interprets it as (iii.) 'a buzzing insect,' hence 'you
wasp' (1. 210). Katharine's reply seems to mean: — 'that, in
calling her a turtle, he has mistaken a hawk for a dove ' ; under-
lying this retort there may be a suggestion of the proverbial
* blind buzzard.'

II. i. 296. ' morn ' ; cp. Troilus, I. iii. 229 : —

* Modest as morning when she coldly eyes
The youthful Phoebus/

The Collier MS. has ' mo one.'

II. i. 325. * We will have rings and things' probably a frag-
ment of an old ballad. Collier quotes some lines bearing a very
strong resemblance to these " from the recitation of an old lady "
— a vague authority.

II. i. ^yy. ' Marseilles' road ' Folio i and Quarto, ' Marcelliis ' \
the other Folios ' Marsellis' ; the word is obviously trisyllabic;
the apostrophe is not needed, cp. ' Venice gold,' ' Pisa walls ' in
the previous speech.

III. i. 4. Theobald proposed ' she is a shrew, but, wrangling
pedant, this is'; evidently some words are lost, but it is useless
to attempt the restoration of the line, as there is no evidence.

III. ii. 16. ' Make friends, invite, and proclaim the banns ' ; so
Folio I and Quarto; Folios 2 and 3 insert 'yes' before 'and.'
The more noteworthy suggestions are: — "Make friends invite,
yes" (Singer); "make friends invite guests" (Dyce) ; "make
feasts, invite friends" (Dyce, ed. 2).

IV. i. 135. ' Where is the life that late I led' ; a line of an old
song, quoted also by Pistol ; cp. 2 Henry IV., V. iii. 147. Simi-
larly ' It was the friar of orders grey,' etc., is a bit of an old ballad,
now lost.

IV. i. 203. ' to kill a wife with kindness,' a proverbial expres-
sion. Heywood's play, A Woman Killed with Kindness, was
first produced in 1602.

IV. ii. 45. ' 'longeth ' ; the Folios and Quartos, correctly, ' long-
eth,' without apostrophe ; ' to long ' in the sense of ' to belong '
is common in older English writings. Similarly 'pointed' in old
eds., III. ii. I.

IV. ii. 61. 'An ancient angel'; so the Folios and Quartos;

128

or THE SHREW

Notes

Theobald suggested ' engle' (a gull) ; other proposals have been
ayeul, gentle, morsel, antick, etc., but no change is necessary.
Cotgrave renders Angelot a la grosse escaille
by " an old angell ; and by metaphor, a fellow
of the old, sound, honest and worthie stamp."
IV. iii. 60. ' ruMing treasure ' ; Pope changed
' rutHing ' to ' rustling ' ; perhaps we should
read ' Tussling' (for 'rustling'), Cp. Lear, II.
iv. 304, where the Quarto reading is ' russel,'
while the Folios have ' ruMe.' Mrs. Quickly's

* rushling in silk and gold ' {Merry Wives, II.
ii. 68) seems to be an important piece of evi-
dence in favour of ' rustling.'

IV. iii. 90. 'Here's snip and nip and cut.'
A reference to fashionable slashed sleeves.
(See illustration.)

IV. iv. 62. ' Cambio,' probably an error for

* Biondello,' as suggested by the Cambridge
editors, and more satisfactory from a metrical
point of view. Again, " the supposed Gambia
was not acting as Baptista's servant, and more-
over, had he been sent on such an errand, he
would have * flown on the wings of love ' to
perform it. We must suppose that Biondello
apparently makes his exit, but really waits till

the stage is clear for an interview with his disguised master."

V. i. 29. * his father has come from Padua,' so the Folios and
Quartos ; various changes have been proposed, e.g. ' to Padua,'
' from Pisa,' etc., but the Pedant means that he has been staying
at Padua,

From the incised slab
to the memory of
Agnes Woolley,
1572, preserved at
Matlock Church.

129

THE TAMING

Explanatory Notes.

The Explanatory Notes in this edition have been specially selected and
adapted, with emendations after the latest and best authorities, from the
most eminent Shakespearian scholars and commentators, including Johnson,
Malone, Steevens, Singer, Dyce, Hudson, White, Furness, Dowden, and
others. This method, here introduced for the first time, provides the best
annotation of Shakespeare ever embraced in a single edition.

INDUCTION.
Scene I.

[Enter Hostess and Sly.] The opening of the old Taming of a

Shrew is as follows : —

Enter a Tapster, beating out of his doores Slie Droonken.

Tapster. You wliorson droonken slaue, you had best be gone,
And empty your droonken panch some where else
For in this house thou shalt not rest to night. Exit Tapster.

Slie. Tilly, vally, by crisee Tapster He fese you anon.
Fils the tother pot and alls paid for, looke you
I doo drinke it of mine owne Instegation, Omne bene
Heere He lie awhile, why Tapster I say,
Fils a fresh cushen heere.

Heigh ho, heers good warme lying. He fals asleepe.

Enter a Noble man and his men from hunting.

Lord. Now that the gloomie shaddow of the night,
Longing to view Orions drisling lookes,
Leapes from th' antarticke world vnto the skie,
And dims the Welkin with her pitchie breath,
And darkesome night oreshades the chri stall heauens,
Here breake we off our hunting for to night ;
Cupple vppe the hounds and let vs hie vs home,
And bid the huntsman see them meated well,
For they haue all derseru'd it well to daie.
But soft, what sleepie fellow is this lies heere?
Or is he dead, see one what he dootli lacke?

Seridngman. My lord, tis nothing but a drunken sleepe,
His head is too heauie for his bodie.
And he hath drunke so much that he can go no furder.

130

OF THE SHREW Notes

Lord. Fie, how the slauish villaine stinkes of drinke.
Ho, sirha arise. What so sound asleepe?
Go take him vppe and beare him to my house,
And beare him easiHe for feare he wake,
And in my fairest chamber make a fire,
And set a sumptuous banquet on the boord.
And put my richest garmentes on his backe.
Then set him at the Table in a chaire :
When that is doone against he shall awake,
Let heauenlie musicke play about him still,
Go two of you awaie and bear him hence.
And then He tell you what I haue deuisde.
But see in any case you wake him not. Exeunt two with Site.

77,7^. An't please your honour, etc.: — It was in old times cus-
tomary for players to travel in companies and offer their services
at great houses. See Hamlet, II. ii.

102. buttery: — Pope remarks that "the top of the profession
were then mere players, not gentlemen of the stage ; they were
led into the buttery, not placed at the lord's table, or the lady's
toilette."

Scene II.

[Enter aloft, etc.] According to the original stage direction,
Sly and the other persons of the Induction were to be exhibited
here, and during the representation of the comedy, in a balcony,
where, at the performance of a play within a play the mimic spec-
tators sometimes sat, while the action was carried on at the front
of the stage. In the middle of the deep stage, according to Tieck,
rose two wooden pillars, eight or ten feet high, which supported
the balcony. Three broad steps led from the front stage to the
inner alcove under the balcony, which was sometimes open, some-
times curtained off. It represented, according to circumstances, a
cave, a room, a summer-house, a family vault, and so forth. It
was here that, in Macbeth, the ghost of Banquo appeared seated
at the table. Here stood the bed on which Desdemona was
smothered. Here, in Hamlet, the play within a play was acted.
Here Gloucester's eyes were put out. On the balcony above,
Juliet waited for her Romeo, and Sly took his place to see The
Taming of the Shrew. When the siege of a town had to be repre-
sented, the defenders of the walls stood and parleyed on this

131

Notes THE TAMING

balcony, while the assailants were grouped in the foreground.
In the old play this is the beginning of the Scene : —

Enter two with a table and a banquet on it, and two other with
Slie asleepe in a chaire, richlie apparelled, and the musicke
plaieng.

One. So : sirha now go call my Lord,

And tell him that all things is ready as he wild it.
Another. Set thou some wine vpon the boord

And then He go fetch my Lord presentlie.

Enter the Lord and his men.

Lord. How now, what is all thinges readie?

One. I my Lord.

Lord. Then sound the musick, and He wake him straight,

And see you doo as earst I gaue in charge.

My lord, My lord, he sleepes soundlie : My Lord.
Slie. Tapster, gis a little small ale. Heigh ho.
Lord. Heers wine my lord, the purest of the grape.
Slie. For which Lord?
Lord. For your honour my Lord.

Slie. Who I, am I a Lord? Jesus what fine apparell haue I got.
Lord. More richer farre your honour hath to weare.

And if it please you I will fetch them straight.
Wil. And if your honour please to ride abroad,

He fetch you lustie steedes more swift of pace

Then winged Pegasus in all his pride.

That ran so swiftlie ouer the Persian plaines.
Tom. And if your honour please to hunt the deere.

Your hounds stands readie cuppeld at the doore.

Who in running will oretake the Row,

And make the long breathde Tygre broken winded.
Slie. By the masse I thinke I am a Lord indeed.

ACT FIRST.
Scene I.

2. fair Padua, nursery of arts: — "During the ages," says
Knight, " when books were scarce and seminaries of learning few,
men of accomplishment in literature, science, and art crowded

132

OF THE SHREW Notes

into cities which were graced by universities. Nothing could be
more natural and probable than that a tutor, like Licio, should
repair to Padua from Mantua : —

'His name is Licio, born in Mantua';

or a student, like Lucentio, from Pisa,

' as he that leaves
The'shallow plash to plunge him in the deep ' ;

or a ' Pedant ' (IV. ii.) turning aside from the road to ' Rome and
Tripoly,' to spend ' a week or two ' in the great ' nursery of arts '
of the Italian peninsula. The University of Padua was in all its
glory in Shakespeare's day; and it is difficult to those who have
explored the city to resist the persuasion that the Poet himself
had been one of the travellers who had come from afar to look
upon its seats of learning, if not to partake of its ' ingenious
studies.' There is a pure Paduan atmosphere hanging about this
play; and the visitor of to-day sees other Lucentios and Tranios
in the knots of students who meet and accost in the ' public places,'
and the servants who buy in the market ; while there may b'e many
an accomplished Bianca among the citizens' daughters who take
their walks along the arcades of the venerable streets. Influences
of learning, love, and mirth are still abroad in the place, breathing
as they do in the play.

" The University of Padua was founded by Frederick Bar-
barossa, early in the thirteenth century, and was, for several hun-
dred years, a favourite resort of learned men. Among other
great personages, Petrarch, Galileo, and Christopher Columbus
studied there. The number of students was once (we believe in
Shakespeare's age) eighteen thousand. Now that universities
have multiplied, none are so thronged; but that of Padua still
numbers from fifteen hundred to twenty-three hundred. Most
of the educated youth of Lombardy pursue their studies there,
and numbers from a greater distance. ' The mathematics ' are
still a favourite branch of learning, with some ' Greek, Latin, and
other languages'; also natural philosophy and medicine. History
and morals, and consequently politics, seem to be discouraged, if
not omitted. The aspect of the University of Padua is now some-
what forlorn, though its halls are respectably tenanted by students.
Its mouldering courts and dim staircases are thickly hung with
the heraldic blazonry of the pious benefactors of the institution.
The number of these coats-of-arms is so vast as to convey a

133

Notes THE TAMING

strong impression of what the splendour of this seat of learning
must once have been."

80. Sister, content you, etc.: — Clarke says of Bianca : "In these
very first lines she utters, we find her, under appearance of a mild
appeal to her sister, really uttering an uncharitable insinuation
that Katharina will take delight in her being sent to her room —
just the unkind construction that would peculiarly gall a nature
like Kate's ; and then she goes on to parade her ^cess of filial
obedience and her ultra-devotion to solitary study. Artful and
artificial is Bianca from first to last. She gains herself a name
for gentleness of temper by making a foil out of her sister's
violence of temper, and causes herself to appear charming by
forming the extremest of contrasts with Katharina's conduct in
all things."

Scene II.

26. Petrucio : — Gascoigne in his Supposes has spelt this name
correctly Petrucio, but Shakespeare, Anglicizing it, wrote it Pe-
truchio, in order, perhaps, to teach the actors how to pronounce it.
So Defc:ker writes InfelicJie for Infelice.

69. Florentius' love: — This allusion is to a story told by Gower
in the first book of his Confessio Amantis. Florent is the name
of a knight who bound himself to marry a deformed hag provided
she taught him the solution of a riddle on which his life depended.
This story is found in the Gesta Romanorum, and Chaucer's Wife
of Bath's Tale has the same plot.

y2,' 74- as rough, etc. : — The Adriatic, though well land-locked,
and in summer often as still as a mirror, is subject to severe and
sudden storms. The great sea-wall which protects Venice, distant
eighteen miles from the city, and built, of course, in a direction
where it is best sheltered and supported by the islands, is, for
three miles abreast of Palestrina, a vast work for width and lofti-
ness ; yet it is frequently surmounted in winter by " the swelling
Adriatic seas," which pour over it into the Lagunes.

ACT SECOND.
Scene I.

loi. Greek and Latin books: — Knight says: "It is not to be
supposed that the daughters of Baptista were more learned than

134

OF THE SHREW Notes

other ladies of their city and their time. Under the walls of uni-
versities, then the only centres of intellectual light, knowledge
was shed abroad like sunshine at noon, and was naturally more
or less enjoyed by all. At the time when Shakespeare and the
University of Padua flourished, the higher classes of women were
not deemed unfitted for a learned education."

183. Good morrow, Kate, etc. : — We find in the old play : —

Feran. Twentie good morrowes to my louely Kate.
Kate. You iest I am sure, is she yours alreadie?
Feran. I tell thee Kate I know thou lou'st me well.
Kate. The deuill you doo, who told you so?
Feran. My mind sweet Kate doth say I am the man,

Must wed, and bed, and marrie bonnie Kate.
Kate. Was euer scene so grose an asse as this?
Feran. I, to stand so long and neuer get a kisse,
Kate. Hands oflf I say, and get you from this place ;

Or I wil set my ten commandments In your face.
Feran. I prethe doo Kate; they say thou art a shrew.

And I like thee the better for I would haue thee so.
Kate. Let go my hand for feare it reech your eare.
Feran. No Kate, this hand is mine and I thy loue.
Kate. In faith sir no. the woodcock wants his taile.
Feran. But yet his bil wil serue, if the other faile.
Alfon. How now, Ferando, what saies my daughter?
Feran. Shees willing sir and loues me as hir life.
Kate. Tis for your skin then, but not to be your wife.

268. Yes ; keep you warm : — This appears to allude to some old
proverb. So in Much Ado About Nothing, I. i. 66-68: "If he
have wit enough to keep himself ivarm, let him bear it for a dif-
ference between himself and his horse."

297. Grissel: — The story of Griselda, so beautifully related by
Chaucer, was taken by him from Boccaccio, through Petrarch. It
is thought to be older than the time of Boccaccio, as it is to be
found among the old French fabliaux.

311. She vied, etc.: — Petruchio appears to mean that Katharina
played as for a wager with her kisses, vying or staking kiss on
kiss with him.

316. unto Venice: — "If Shakespeare," says Knight, "had not
seen the interior of Italian houses when he wrote this play, he
must have possessed some effectual means of knowing and real-
izing in his imagination the particulars of such an interior. Any

135

Notes THE TAMING

educated man might be aware that the extensive commerce of
Venice must bring within the reach of the neighbouring cities
a muhitude of articles of foreign production and taste. But there
is a particularity in his mention of these articles, which strongly
indicates the experience of an eye-witness. The ' cypress chests,'
and ' ivory coffers,' rich in antique carving, are still existing, with
some remnants of ' Tyrian tapestry,' to carry back the imagination
of the traveller to the days of the glory of the republic. The

* plate and gold ' are, for the most part, gone, to supply the needs
of the impoverished aristocracy, who (to their credit) will part
with every thing sooner than their pictures. The 'tents and
canopies,' and 'Turkey cushions boss'd with pearl,' now no longer
seen, were appropriate to the days when Cyprus, Candia, and the
Morea were dependencies of Venice, scattering their productions
through the eastern cities of Italy, and actually establishing many
of their customs in the singular capital of the Venetian dominion.
After Venice, Padua was naturally first served with importations
of luxury. Venice was, and is still, remarkable for its jewelry,
especially its fine works in gold. ' Venice gold ' was wrought into

* valence ' — tapestry — by the needle, and was used for every variety
of ornament, from chains as fine as if made of woven hair, to the
most massive form in which gold can be worn. At the present
day, the traveller who walks round the Piazza of St. Mark's is
surprised at the large proportion of jewellers' shops, and at the
variety and elegance of the ornaments they contain."

326. we zvill be married 0' Sunday: — Thus in Ralph Roister
Doister, 1566: —

" I mun be maried a Sunday ;
1 mun be maried a Sunday ;
Whosoever shall come that way,
1 mun be maried a Sunday."

413. An adaptation of the following from the old play is in-
serted at the end of this Scene by Pope :—

Then Slie speakes.
Slie. Sim, when will the foole come againe?
Lord. Heele come againe my Lord anon.
Slie. Gis some more drinke here, souns wheres

The Tapster, here Sim eate some of these things.
Lord. So I doo my Lord.
Slie. Here Sim, I drinke to thee.

136

OF THE SHREW Notes

ACT THIRD.

Scene I.

41. Now let me see, etc. :— '' Here we see Bianca in her true
colours," says Clarke. " No sooner is she out of sight of her
father than she drops the coating of demure paint which she
wears in public to obtain the reputation of ' beauteous modesty,'
and in private behaves like the imperious coquette which she truly
is. She begins by telling her masters that she will 'learn my
lessons as I please myself ' ; orders one aside while she listens to
the other ; and no sooner discovers that he is not a teacher, but a
lover in disguise, than she falls into his plan of addressing her
clandestinely, follows his lead in making the lesson a pretence
for discussing his suit ; and shows herself to be a thoroughly sly,
artful girl. Shakespeare has drawn her consistently throughout."'

80. nice: — Apparently meaning foolish, simple, or triUing. So
in Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Tale: "But say that we ben wise
and nothing 7iice." Likewise in Gower : —

" A tale of them that be so nice,
And feignen them selfe to be wise."

And in Romeo and Juliet, V. ii. : '' The letter was not nice, but
full of charge of dear import."

Scene II.

86. [Enter Petruchio.] We have in the old play :—

Enter Ferando baselie attired, and a red cap on his head.
Feran. Godmorrow father, Polidor well met,

. You wonder I know that I haue staid so long.
Alfon. I marrie son, we were almost perswaded,

That we should scarse haue had our bridegroome heere,

But say, why art thou thus basely attired?
Feran. Thus richlie father you should haue said.

For when my wife and I am married once,

Shees such a shrew, if we should once fal out

Sheele pul my costlie sutes ouer mine eares.

And therefore am I thus attired awhile.

For manie thinges I tell you's in my head,

137

Notes THE TAMING

And none must know thereof but Kate and I,

For we shall Hue like lammes and Lions sure,

Nor Lammes to Lions neuer was so tame,

If once they lie within the Lions pawes

As Kate to me if we were married once,

And therefore come let vs to church presently.
Pol. Fie Ferando not thus atired for shame

Come to my Chamber and there sute thy selfe,

Of twentie sutes that I did neuer were.
Feran. Tush Polidor I haue as many sutes

Fantasticke made to fit my humor so

As any in Athens and as richlie wrought

As was the Massie Robe that late adornd,

The stately legate of the Persian King,

And this from them haue I made choise to weare.
Alfon. I prethie Ferando let me intreat

Before thou goste vnto the church with vs

To put some other sute vpon thy backe.
Feran. Not for the world if I might gaine it so,

And therefore take me thus or not at all.

170 et scq. : — The custom of taking wine and sops (wafers or
cakes dipped in the wine) immediately after the marriage cere-
mony in the Church is very ancient. It existed even among our
Gothic ancestors, and is mentioned in the ordinances of the
household of Henry VII. "For the Marriage of a Princess":
" Then pottes of Ipocrice to be ready, and to bee put into cupps
with soppe, and to be borne to the estates ; and to take a soppe
and drinke." The custom was practised at the marriage of Philip
and Mary, in Winchester Cathedral, 1554; and at the marriage of
the Elector Palatine to the daughter of James I. in 1613. In
Jonson's Magnetic Lady the cup is called a knitting cup ; in Mid-
dleton's A^o Wit like a Woman's the contracting cup. The kiss
was also part of the ancient marriage ceremony, as appears from
a rubric in one of the Salisbury Missals.

ACT FOURTH.
Scene I.

24,25. beast, etc.: — Grumio calls himself a beast, and Curtis
one also by inference in calling him fellow. Grumio is think-

138

OF THE SHREW Notes

ing of the proverbial saying, " Wedding, and ill-wintering, tame
both man and beast."

115. Where be these knaves? — The following is from the old
play :—

Enter Ferando and Kate.

Feran. Now welcome Kate: where's these villains

Here, what ? not supper yet vppon the borde :

Nor table spred nor nothing don at all,

Wheres that villaine that I sent before.
San. Now, ad sum, sir.
Feran. Come hether you villaine He cut your nose.

You Rogue : helpe me of with my bootes : wilt please

You to lay the cloth? sounes the villaine

Hurts my foote ? pull easely I say ; yet againe.

He beates them all.
They couer the bord and fetch in the meate.

Sounes? burnt and skorcht who drest this meate?
Will. Forsouth lohn cooke.

He throwes downe the table and meate and all, and beates
them.
Feran. Go you villaines bringe you me such meate,

Out of my sight I say, and beare it hence.

Come Kate wele haue other meate prouided,

Is there a fire in my chamber sir?
San. I forsooth. Exit Ferando and Kate.

Manent seruing men and eate vp all the meate.
Tom. Sounes? I thinke of my conscience my Masters

Mad since he was maried.
Will. I laft what a boxe he gaue Sander

For pulling of his bootes.

129. no link to colour Peter's /laf :— That is, to blacken it anew.
So in Mihil Mumchance, formerly supposed to be the work of
Greene: "This cozenage is used likewise in selling old hats found
upon dunghills, instead of newe, blackt over with the smoake of
an old linke."

140, 141. Bishop Percy constructed his beautiful ballad, The
Friar of Orders Grey, from the various fragments and hints dis-
persed through Shakespeare's plays, with a few supplemental
stanzas.

149. Come, Kate, and zc'a.y/z :—" Table-knives," accordmg to

139

Notes THE TAMING

Brandes, "had been in general use since about 1563; but forks
were still unknown in Shakespeare's time — fingers supplied their
place. In a description of five months' travels on the Continent,
published by Coryat in 161 1, he tells how surprised he was to find
the use of forks quite common in Italy : ' I obserued a custome in
all those Italian Cities and Townes through which I passed, that
is not vsed in any other country that I saw in my trauels, neither
doe I thinke that any other nation of Christendome doth vse it,
but only Italy. The Italian and also most strangers that are
commorant in Italy doe alwaies at their meales vse a little forke
when they cut their meate. For while with their knife which
they hold in one hand they cut the meate out of the dish, they
fasten their forke which they hold in their other hand vpon the
same dish, so that whatsoeuer he be that sitting in the company
of any others at meale, should vnaduisedly touch the dish of meate
with his fingers from which all at the table doe cut, he will giue
occasion of offence vnto the company, as hauing transgressed the
lawes of good manners, in so much that for his error he shall be
at the least brow-beaten, if not reprehended in wordes. . . .
The reason of this their curiosity iS; because the Italian cannot
by any means indure to haue his dish touched with fingers, se-
ing all men's fingers are not alike cleane.' We see, too, that
Coryat was the first to introduce the new appliance into his na-
tive land. He tells us that he thought it best to imitate the Italian
fashion not only in Italy and Germany, but ' often in England '
after his return; and he relates how a learned and jocular gen-
tleman of his acquaintance rallied him on that account and called
him ' Furcifer.' In one of Ben Jonson's plays. The Devil is an
jIss, dating from 1614, the use of forks is mentioned as lately im-
ported from Italy, in order to save napkins. We must conceive,
then, that Shakespeare was as unfamiliar with the use of the
fork as a Bedouin Arab of to-day."

151. Patience, etc.: — "This little speech of Katharina's," says
Clarke, " affords an evidence of what, to our minds, Shakespeare
subtly conveys in the drawing of her character — that she is not in-
trinsically of so bad a nature as she is generally supposed to be.
Her first word in deprecation of her husband's violence is not a
complaint for herself, but is uttered on behalf of another — a serv-
ant. Moreover, she finds that he does not treat her roughly, but
does all avowedly for her sake ; also, while rating and raving at
others, he addresses her as good, szveet Kate and szveet Kate;
thus maintaining the impression of his personal regard and con-

140

OF THE SHREW Notes

sideration for her amid all his general turbulence. The fact is,
that Petruchio practically shows Katharina how ugly violent tem-
per, is in its manifestations; and she has the sense to read the
lesson, and take its teaching home."

i68. both of us: — Clarke bids us observe "that Petruchio — or
rather Shakespeare through him — well knew the magic power of
the little words * both of us,' ' ourselves,' ' we,' in a husband's
mouth to a wife, or in a wife's to a husband. Likewise, by the
kindly ingenuity of making Kate's special fault his own as well
as hers, in this admission that they both would do well to try
and avoid those things that tend to foster it, Petruchio adopts one
of the best means of leading to its cure, and of inducing her to
join him in effecting this. Surely Shakespeare's subtlety was one
of his finest characteristics, so essentially does he manifest it in
his moral delineations."

Scene II.

54. the taming-scJiool: — The old play has this dialogue here: —

Val. . . .

But tell me my Lord, is Ferando married then?
Aurel. He is: and Polidor shortly shall be wed,

And he meanes to tame his wife erelong.
Vale. He saies so.

Aurcl. Faith he's gon vnto the taming schoole.
Vale. The taming schoole; why is there such a place?
Aurcl. I : and Ferando is the Maister of the schoole.

Scene III.

[Enter Katharina.] Here the old play: —

Enter Sander and his Mistres.

San. Come Mistrls.

Kate. Sander, I prethe helpe me to some meate,

I am so faint that I can scarsely stande.
San. I marry mistris but you know my maister

Has giuen me a charge that you must eate nothing,

But that which he himselfe giueth you.
Kate. Why man thy Maister needs neuer know it.
San. You say true indede: why looke you Mistris,

What say you to a peese of beeffe and mustard now?

141

Notes • THE TAMING

Kate. Why I say tis excellent meate, canst thou helpe me to some?
San. 1, I could helpe you to some but that

I doubt the mustard is too cholerick for you,

But what say you to a sheepes head and garlick?
Kate. Why any thing, I care not what it be.
Saji. I but the garlicke I doubt will make your breath stincke,

and then my maister will course me for letting

You eate it : But what say you to a fat Capon ?
Kate. Thats meate for a King sweet Sander helpe

Me to some of it.
San. Nay ber lady then tis too deere for vs, we must

Not meddle with the Kings meate.
Kate. Out villaine dost thou mocke me,

Take that for thy sawsinesse.

She beates him.
San. Sounes are you so light fingerd with a murrin,

He keep you fasting for it this two daies.
Kate. I tell thee villaine He tear the flesh of

Thy face and eate it and thou prates to me thus.
San. Here comes my Maister now hele course you.

Enter Ferando with a peece of meate vppon his daggers point, and
Polidor with him.

Feran. Se here Kate I haue prouided meate for thee

Here take it what ist not worthie thankes,

Goe sirra? take it awaie againe you shal be

Thankeful for the next you haue.
Kate. Why I thanke you for it.
Feran. Nay now tis not worth a pin go sirray and take it hence

I say.
San. Yes sir He Carrie it hence : Maister let her

Haue none for she can fight as hungrie as she is.
Pol. I pray you sir let it stand, for He eate

Some with her my selfe.
Feran. Well sirra set it downe againe.
Kate. Nay nay I pray you let him take it hence,

And keepe it for your owne diete for He none,

He nere be beholding to you for your Meate,

I tell thee flatlie here vnto the thy teethe

Thou shalt not keepe me nor feede me as thou list,

For I will home againe vnto my fathers house;

142

OF THE SHREW Notes

Feran. I, when you 'r meeke and gentell but not

Before, I know your stomack is not yet come downe.

Therefore no maruell thou canste not eate,

And I will goe vnto your fathers house ;

Come Polidor let vs goe in againe,

And Kate come in with vs I know ere longe

That thou and I shall louingly agree. Ex Omnes.

25. the mustard is too hot: — This is agreeable to the doctrine
of the times. Thus, in The Glass of Humours : " But note here,
that the first diet is not only in avoiding superfluity of meats, and
surfeits of drinks, but also in eschewing such as are obnoxious,
and least agreeable with our happy temperate state ; as for a
choleric man to abstain from all salt, scorched, dry meats, from
mustard, and such like things as will aggravate his malignant
humours."

47. / thank you, sir : — " This, and her previous / pray you, let it
stand, excellently depict," as Clarke observes, " the half-sullen,
half-passive condition that comes as a reaction after Katharina's
late relapse into an outburst of petulance and wrath. She is some-
what ashamed of having been betrayed into it; the more from
finding that her husband himself brings her the food she hungers
for. Then follows another outbreak, upon the trial to womanly
patience at hearing well-fashioned attire disparaged by masculine
ignorance in such matters ; but even this subsides before the
absurdity as well as violence of his pretending not to hear her,
and flying out at the haberdasher and tailor; and it is her last
exhibition of temper. She perceives her mistake, and, like a
sensible woman, sets about her own cure by thenceforth main-
taining a strict guard over herself. The gradual as well as
quietly indicated way in which this is done bears witness to Shake-
speare's skill in mental delineation ; and. indeed, his mode of
depicting the process of moral reform in certain of his characters
is one of his most wondrous masteries."

61. Come, tailor, etc.: — Again, in the old play: —

Enter Ferando and Kate and Sander.

San. Mastet the haberdasher has brought my

Mistresse home hir cappe here.
Feran. Come hither sirra : what haue you there?
Habar. A veluet cappe sir and it please you.
Feran. Who spoake for it? didst thou Kate?

143

Notes THE TAMING

Kate. What if I did, come hither sirra, giue me

The cap, He see if it will fit me.

She sets it one hir head.
Fcran. O monstrous, why it becomes thee not,

Let me see it Kate : here sirra take it hence

This cappe is out of fashion quite.
Kate. The fashion is good inough : belike you

Meane to make a foole of me.
Feran. Why true he meanes to make a foole of thee

To haue thee put on such a curtald cappe,

Sirra begon with it.

Enter the Taylor with a gowne.

San. Doost thou heare Taylor, thou hast braued

Many men : braue not me.

Thou 'st faste many men.
Taylor. Well sir.
San. Face not me He neither be faste nor braued.

At thy handes I can tell thee.
Kate. Come come I like the fashion of it well enough,

Heres more a do then needs He haue it, I

And if you do not like it hide your eies,

I thinke I shall haue nothing by your will.
Feran. Go I say and take it vp for your maisters vse.
San. Souns villaine not for thy life touch it not,

Souns take vp my mistris gowne to his

Maisters vse?
Feran. Well sir whats your conceit of it.

San. I haue a deeper conceite in it then you thinke for, take vp my
mistris gowne

To his maisters vse?
Feran, Tailor come hether ; for this time take it

Hence againe, and He content thee for thy paines.
Taylor. I thanke you sir. Exit Taylor.

Scene IV.

5. Pegasus: — Shakespeare, according to Steevens, has here
taken a sign out of London, and hung it up in Padua. Clarke,
however, remarks that it was as likely to be used in Italy as in
England.

144

OF THE SHREW Notes

Scene V.

2. how bright and goodly shines the moon! — Here the old play-
has: —

Feran. Come Kate the Moone shines cleare to night
Methinkes.

Kate. The moone? why husband you are deceiued
It is the sun

Feran. Yet againe come backe againe it shall be
The moone ere we come at your fathers.

Kate. Why He say as you say it is the moone.

Feran. lesus saue the glorious moone.

Kate. lesus saue the glorious moone.

Feran. I am glad Kate your stomack is come downe,
I know it well thou knowest it is the sun,
But I did trie to see if thou wouldst speake,
And crosse me now as thou hast donne before,
And trust me Kate hadst thou not named the moone,
We had gon back againe as sure as death,
But soft whose this thats comming here.

Enter the Duke of Cestus alone.

Duke. Thus all alone from Cestus am I come.

And left my princelie courte and noble traine,

To come to Athens, and in this disguise,

To see what course my son Aurelius takes

But stay, heres some it may be Trauells thether,

Good sir can you derect me the way to Athens!

Ferando speakes to the olde man.

Faire louely maide yoong and affable.

More cleere of hew and far more beautiful!,

Than pretious Sardonix or purple rockes,

Of Amithests or glistering Hiasinthe,

More amiable farre then is the plain

Where glistring Ccpherus in silver boures,

Gaseth vpon the Giant Andromede,

Sweete Kate entertaine this louely woman.
Duke. I thinke the man is mad he calls me a woman.
Kate. Faire louely lady brighte and Christalline,

Bewteous and stately as the eie traind bird,

As glorious as the morning washt with dew,

145

Notes THE TAMING

Within whose eies she takes her dawning beames,

And golden sommer sleepes vpon thy cheekes,

Wrap vp thy radiations in some cloud,

Least that thy bewty make this stately towne

Inhabitable like the burning Zone

With sweet reflections of thy louely face.

Duke. What is she mad to? or is my shape transformd,
That both of them perswade me I am a woman.
But they are mad sure, and therefore He begon,
And leaue their companies for feare of harme,
And vnto Athens hast to seeke my son. Exit Duke.

Feran. Why so Kate this was friendly done of thee.
And kindly too, why thus must we two Hue,
One minde, one heart and one content for both,
This good old man dos thinke that we are mad,
And glad he is I am sure, that he is gonne,
But come sweet Kate for we will after him.
And now perswade him to his shape againe. Ex Omnes.

ACT FIFTH.
Scene I.

89. Call forth an officer : — Here in the old play we find Sly thus
speaking : —

Slie. I say wele haue no sending to prison.

Lord. My Lord this is but the play, theyre but in iest.

Slie. I tell thee Sim wele haue no sending,

To prison thats flat : why Sim am not I Don Christo Vary ?

Therefore I say they shall not go to prison.
Lord. No more they shall not my Lord,

They be run away.
Slie. Are they run away Sim? thats well,

Then gis some more drinke, and let them play againe.
Lord. Here my Lord.

Slie drinkes and then falls asleepe.

Scene II.

129. The more fool you, etc. : — " This speech of a bride, a wife
of a few hours' old, puts the climax," as Clarke thinks, "to the

146

OF THE SHREW Notes

delineation of Bianca's character. Shakespeare has drawn her
perfectly; as one of those girls superficially thought to be so
* amiable/ but, when thoroughly known, found to be so self-
opinionated, sly, and worthless."

189. [Exeunt.] In the old play we find Sly disposed of in the
following manner : —

Then enter two bearing of Slie in his
Owne apparell againe and leaues him
Where they found, him, and then goes out.
Then enter the Tapster.

Tapster. Now that the darkesome night is ouerpast,

And dawning day appeares in chrystall sky.

Now must I hast abroad: but soft whose this?

What Slie oh wondrous hath he laine here allnight,

He wake him, I think he's starued by this,

But that his belly was so stuft with ale,

What how Slie, Awake for shame.
Slie. Sim gis some more wine, whats all the

Plaiers gon : am not I a Lord?
Tapster. A lord with a murrin : come art thou dronken still?
Slie. Whose this? Tapster, oh Lord sirra, I haue had

The brauest dreame to night, that euer thou

Hardest in all thy life.
Tapster. I marry but you had best get you home,

For your wife will course you for dreaming here tonight.
Slie. Will she? I know now how to tame a shrew,

I dreamt vpon it all this night till now,

And thou hast wakt me out of the best dreame

That euer I had in my life, but He to my

Wife presently and tame her too.

And if she anger me.
Tapster. Nay tarry Slie for He go home with thee.

And heare the rest that thou hast dreamt to night.

Exeunt Omnes.

147

THE TAMING

Questions on
The Taming of the Shrew.

1. Upon what old play is this present one of Shakespeare based?

2. How has Shakespeare improved on the original?

3. From whom did he take the suggestion for the Induction?
Mention the source of the under plot ; of the Latin lesson.

INDUCTION.

4. Explain the purpose of the Induction. Is it thoroughly
welded with the play?

5. What habit of Elizabethan audiences is appropriated to the
action of the play?

6. How does Sly answer the Hostess's plea that he pay for
broken glasses? What humorous characteristic does he display?

7. What comparison is implied between beast and man in
Sc. i.?

8. With what purpose does the Lord undertake the jest which
he plays upon Sly?

9. How is his plan further elaborated by the arrival of players?
What custom of Elizabethan times does this episode of the
players reflect?

10. Does Sly realize the Lord's expectations? How is Sly
shown a braggart?

11. Is the vulgarity of Sly any worse than that of the Lord?

ACT FIRST.

12. How does Shakespeare characterize Padua, Lombardy,
Pisa?

13. Who was Lucentio's father? What had been Lucentio's
education? What relaxation did he seek?

14. How is he answered by Tranio? Explain the allusion to
Aristotle and Ovid.

148

OF THE SHREW Questions

15. Who enter in company with Baptista and his two daugh-
ters? What condition has he set to the marriage of Bianca?
What is Litcentio's first impression of her?

16. How do Hortensio and Gremio plan to overcome the ob-
stacle in the way of their addresses to Bianca? How does Lu-
centio likewise?

17. What is Sly's comment on the play? Describe the humour
of Shakespeare s characterization of the Tinker.

18. What hint of Petruchio's character do you get from his en-
counter with his man Grumio, Sc. ii.?

19. Upon what mission do we find Petruchio bent?

20. Does his extravagance make him a character of comedy or
of farce?

21. What plan for seeing Bianca does Hortensio make with
Petruchio?

22. Explain the allusion (ii. 257, 258) to Hercules and Alcides.

ACT SECOND.

23. How does the opening of this Act exhibit Katharina?

24. Explain the expression (i. 34) lead apes in hell. In what
sense does Beatrice use it in Much Ado About Nothing, 11. i. 40?
Does not Katharina show a genuine desire to marry?

25. How does Baptista stipulate that Katharina shall be won?
How does Petruchio describe his manner of wooing?

26. Is the scene of Katharina beating her music master more
humorous in the telling than it would be enacted before the
spectators?

27. Describe the probable manner of Katharina's entrance in
the first Scene after line 182.

28. In comparison with that, show the humour of Petruchio's
opening of the dialogue with Katharina.

29. Was Katharina small or large? Where do you find con-
firmation of your view ?

30. What was it that brought Katharina around to assent to
the match?

31. What form of betrothal did Baptista use? Was it English?

32. What remarkable examples of local colour does this Act
contain? From this and The Merchant of Venice what reasons
do commentators find to believe that Shakespeare travelled in
Italy?

149

Questions THE TAMING

ACT THIRD.

S3. Mention some tributes in this and other plays made to music.

34. Describe the scene of the lessons.

35. What is the cumulative effect of Sc. ii.?

36. When does the taming first begin ?

37. How does Shakespeare here and elsewhere refer to school?

38. Why is the marriage-scene not enacted in the sight of the
spectators?

39. How does the report of it by Grumio assist the effect of
the scene immediately following?

ACT FOURTH.

40. Indicate the dramatic purpose of the early part of Sc. i., car-
ried on between Curtis and Grumio.

41. How does Katharina take the part of the servants against
Petruchio?

42. Describe how the bride and bridegroom finished the day to-
gether.

43. What sporting figure does Shakespeare employ in Petru-
chio's soliloquy at the end of Sc. i. ?

44. How is the ground abandoned by the other lovers of Bianca
in favour of Lucentio ?

45. Whom does Hortensio promise to wed? How does this
match of Hortensio furnish a faint shadow of the main plot?

46. For what purpose is the Pedant made to personate Vin-
centio?

47. In what other play does Shakespeare make use of the re-
strictive laws passed by Italian cities against each other? How,
in this one, is such a law made to subserve the plot?

48. Explain how the plight of Katharina as depicted in Sc. iii.
is comic and not pathetic?

49. What sign of relenting does Petruchio give in lines 50-60?

50. How further is Katharina tried?

51. What stages in the under plot are accomplished in Sc. iv.?

52. What height of comic absurdity does the main plot reach in
Sc. v.? Is this the climax of the play? Indicate the exact point.

53. Show how all the threads of the drama are drawn together
at the close of the fourth Act.

I5«?

OF THE SHREW Questions

ACT FIFTH.

54. What does the opening of this Act foreshadow?

55. How do the real and the counterfeit fathers of Lucentio
meet? What is the dramatic purpose of this parley?

56. Is the intrigue of the under plot convincing? Show where-
in it is weak.

57. Indicate the dramatic nature of the last Scene.

58. What wager does Petruchio lay, and how is it won?

59. Does Petruchio ever show genuine ill humour?

60. Does this play convey a sense of reality?

61. Its moral is obvious. State what it is.

62. Why does Sly disappear after the first Act?

63. Which of the characters is conceived in the highest spirit of
comic art?

64. Is there any evil in the nature of Katharina ?

65. In comparison with Shakespeare's other comedies, is this
noticeably lacking in distinctly poetic qualities? Assign the reason
for your view.

151

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-LOS ANGELES

mil Hill iiiii mil mil mil IP nil niiiiiiiii

lllllllllllllllllll ill lull nil

L 009 978 313 6

Internet Archive Audio

Featured

Top

Images

Featured

Top

Software

Featured

Top

Books

Featured

Top

Video

Featured

Top

Mobile Apps

Browser Extensions

Archive-It Subscription

Save Page Now

Full text of "The taming of the shrew"

See other formats