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The Taming of the Shrew (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Erin Kelly
Not Peer Reviewed
212
The Taming of the Shrew
Because she will not be annoy'd with suters.
Luc. Ah Tranio, what a cruell Fathers he:
But art thou not aduis'd, he tooke some care
490To get her cunning Schoolemasters to instruct her.
Tra. I marry am I sir, and now 'tis plotted.
Luc. I haue it Tranio.
Tra. Master, for my hand,
Both our inuentions meet and iumpe in one.
495Luc. Tell me thine first.
Tra. You will be schoole-master,
And vndertake the teaching of the maid:
That's your deuice.
Luc. It is: May it be done?
500Tra. Not possible: for who shall beare your part,
And be in Padua heere Vincentio's sonne,
Keepe house, and ply his booke, welcome his friends,
Visit his Countrimen, and banquet them?
Luc. Basta, content thee: for I haue it full.
505We haue not yet bin seene in any house,
Nor can we be distinguish'd by our faces,
For man or master: then it followes thus;
Thou shalt be master, Tranio in my sted:
Keepe house, and port, and seruants, as I should,
510I will some other be, some Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.
'Tis hatch'd, and shall be so: Tranio at once
Vncase thee: take my Conlord hat and cloake,
When Biondello comes, he waites on thee,
515But I will charme him first to keepe his tongue.
Tra. So had you neede:
In breefe Sir, sith it your pleasure is,
And I am tyed to be obedient,
For so your father charg'd me at our parting:
520Be seruiceable to my sonne (quoth he)
Although I thinke 'twas in another sence,
I am content to bee Lucentio,
Because so well I loue Lucentio.
Luc. Tranio be so, because Lucentio loues,
525And let me be a slaue, t'atchieue that maide,
Whose sodaine sight hath thral'd my wounded eye.

Enter Biondello.
Heere comes the rogue. Sirra, where haue you bin?
Bion. Where haue I beene? Nay how now, where
530are you? Maister, ha's my fellow Tranio stolne your
cloathes, or you stolne his, or both? Pray what's the
newes?
Luc. Sirra come hither, 'tis no time to iest,
And therefore frame your manners to the time
535Your fellow Tranio heere to saue my life,
Puts my apparrell, and my count'nance on,
And I for my escape haue put on his:
For in a quarrell since I came a shore,
I kil'd a man, and feare I was descried:
540Waite you on him, I charge you, as becomes:
While I make way from hence to saue my life:
You vnderstand me?
Bion. I sir, ne're a whit.
Luc. And not a iot of Tranio in your mouth,
545Tranio is chang'd into Lucentio.
Bion. The better for him, would I were so too.
Tra. So could I 'faith boy, to haue the next wish af-
ter, that Lucentio indeede had Baptistas yongest daugh-
ter. But sirra, not for my sake, but your masters, I ad-
550uise you vse 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 thy selfe execute,
555To make one among these wooers: if thou ask me why,
Sufficeth my reasons are both good and waighty.
Exeunt. The Presenters aboue speakes.
1. Man. My Lord you nod, you do not minde the
play.
560Beg. Yes by Saint Anne do I, a good matter surely:
Comes there any more of it?
Lady. My Lord, 'tis but begun.
Beg. 'Tis a verie excellent peece of worke, Madame
Ladie: would 'twere done.
They sit and marke.

565
Enter Petruchio, and his man Grumio.
Petr. Verona, for a while I take my leaue,
To see my friends in Padua; but of all
My best beloued and approued friend
Hortensio: & I trow this is his house:
570Heere sirra Grumio, knocke I say.
Gru. Knocke sir? whom should I knocke? Is there
any man ha's rebus'd your worship?
Petr. Villaine I say, knocke me heere soundly.
Gru. Knocke you heere sir? Why sir, what am I sir,
575that I should knocke you heere sir.
Petr. Villaine I say, knocke me at this gate,
And rap me well, or Ile knocke your knaues pate.
Gru. My M is growne quarrelsome:
I should knocke you first,
580And then I know after who comes by the worst.
Petr. Will it not be?
'Faith sirrah, and you'l not knocke, Ile ring it,
Ile trie how you can Sol,Fa, and sing it.
He rings him by the eares
585Gru. Helpe mistris helpe, my master is mad.
Petr. Now knocke when I bid you: sirrah villaine.
Enter Hortensio.
Hor. How now, what's the matter? My olde friend
Grumio, and my good friend Petruchio? How do you all
590at Verona?
Petr. Signior Hortensio, come you to part the fray?
Contutti le core bene trobatto, may I say.
Hor. Alla nostra casa bene venuto multo honorata signi-
or mio Petruchio.
595Rise Grumio rise, we will compound this quarrell.
Gru. Nay 'tis no matter sir, what he leges in Latine.
If this be not a lawfull cause for me to leaue his seruice,
looke you sir: He bid me knocke him,& rap him sound-
ly sir. Well, was it fit for a seruant to vse his master so,
600being perhaps (for ought I see) two and thirty, a peepe
out?
Whom would to God I had well knockt at first,
then had not Grumio come by the worst.
Petr. A sencelesse villaine: good Hortensio,
I bad the rascall knocke vpon your gate,
605And could not get him for my heart to do it.
Gru. Knocke at the gate? O heauens: spake you not
these words plaine? Sirra, Knocke me heere: rappe me
heere: knocke me well, and knocke me soundly? And
come you now with knocking at the gate?
610Petr. Sirra be gone, or talke not I aduise you.
Hor. Petruchio patience, I am Grumio's pledge:
Why this a heauie chance twixr him and you,
Your ancient trustie pleasant seruant Grumio:
And tell me now (sweet friend) what happie gale
615Blowes you to Padua heere, from old Verona?
Petr.Such wind as scatters yongmen throgh y world,
To