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  • Title: The Taming of the Shrew (Folio, 1623)
  • Editor: Erin Kelly

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-468-4

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Erin Kelly
    Not Peer Reviewed

    The Taming of the Shrew (Folio, 1623)

    Flourish. Enter Lucentio, and his man Triano.
    300Luc. Tranio, since for the great desire I had
    To see faire Padua, nurserie of Arts,
    I am arriu'd for fruitfull Lumbardie,
    The pleasant garden of great Italy,
    And by my fathers loue and leaue am arm'd
    305With his good will, and thy good companie.
    My trustie seruant well approu'd in all,
    Heere let vs breath, and haply institute
    A course of Learning, and ingenious studies.
    Pisa renowned for graue Citizens
    310Gaue me my being, and my father first
    A Merchant of great Trafficke through the world:
    Vincentio's come of the Bentiuolij,
    Vincentio's sonne, brough vp in Florence,
    It shall become to serue all hopes conceiu'd
    315To decke his fortune with his vertuous deedes:
    And therefore Tranio, for the time I studie,
    Vertue and that part of Philosophie
    Will I applie, that treats of happinesse,
    By vertue specially to be atchieu'd.
    320Tell me thy minde, for I haue Pisa left,
    And am to Padua come, as he that leaues
    A shallow plash, to plunge him in the deepe,
    And with sacietie seekes to quench his thirst.
    Tra. Me Pardonato, gentle master mine:
    325I am in all affected as your selfe,
    Glad that you thus continue your resolue,
    To sucke the sweets of sweete Philosophie.
    Onely (good master) while we do admire
    This vertue, and this morall discipline,
    330Let's be no Stoickes, nor no stockes I pray,
    Or so deuote to Aristotles checkes
    As Ouid; be an out-cast quite abiur'd:
    Balke Lodgicke with acquaintance that you haue,
    And practise Rhetoricke in your common talke,
    335Musicke and Poesie vse, to quicken you,
    The Mathematickes, and the Metaphysickes
    Fall to them as you finde your stomacke serues you:
    No profit growes, where is no pleasure tane:
    In briefe sir, studie what you most affect.
    340Luc. Gramercies Tranio, well dost thou aduise,
    If Biondello thou wert come ashore,
    We could at once put vs in readinesse,
    And take a Lodging fit to entertaine
    Such friends (as time) in Padua shall beget.
    345But stay a while, what companie is this?
    Tra. Master some shew to welcome vs to Towne.
    Enter Baptista with his two daughters, Katerina & Bianca,
    Gremio a Pantelowne, Hortentio sister to Bianca.
    Lucen. Tranio, stand by.
    350Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no farther,
    For how I firmly am resolu d you know:
    That is, not to bestow my yongest daughter,
    Before I haue a husband for the elder:
    If either of you both loue Katherina,
    Because
    The Taming of the Shrew. 211
    355Because I know you well, and loue you well,
    Leaue shall you haue to court her at your pleasure.
    Gre. To cart her rather. She's to rough for mee,
    There, there Hortensio, will you any Wife?
    Kate. I pray you sir, is it your will
    360To make a stale of me amongst these mates?
    Hor. Mates maid, how meane you that?
    No mates for you,
    Vnlesse you were of gentler milder mould.
    Kate. I'faith sir, you shall neuer neede to feare,
    365I-wis it is not halfe way to her heart:
    But if it were, doubt not, her care should be,
    To combe your noddle with a three-legg'd stoole,
    And paint your face, and vse you like a foole.
    Hor. From all such diuels, good Lord deliuer vs.
    370Gre. And me too, good Lord.
    Tra.Husht master, heres some good pastime toward;
    That wench is starke mad, or wonderfull froward.
    Lucen. But in the others silence do I see,
    Maids milde behauiour and sobrietie.
    375Peace Tranio.
    Tra. Well said Mr, mum, and gaze your fill.
    Bap. Gentlemen, that I may soone make good
    What I haue said, Bianca get you in,
    And let it not displease thee good Bianca,
    380For I will loue thee nere the lesse my girle.
    Kate. A pretty peate, it is best put finger in the eye,
    and she knew why.
    Bian. Sister content you, in my discontent.
    Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe:
    385My bookes and instruments shall be my companie,
    On them to looke, and practise by my selfe.
    Luc. Harke Tranio, thou maist heare Minerua speak.
    Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange,
    Sorrie am I that our good will effects
    390Bianca's greefe.
    Gre. Why will you mew her vp
    (Signior Baptista) for this fiend of hell,
    And make her beare the pennance of her tongue.
    Bap. Gentlemen content ye: I am resolud:
    395Go in Bianca.
    And for I know she taketh most delight
    In Musicke, Instruments, and Poetry,
    Schoolemasters will I keepe within my house,
    Fit to instruct her youth. If you Hortensio,
    400Or signior Gremio you know any such,
    Preferre them hither: for to cunning men,
    I will be very kinde and liberall,
    To mine owne children, in good bringing vp,
    And so farewell: Katherina you may stay,
    405For I haue more to commune with Bianca. Exit.
    Kate. Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not?
    What shall I be appointed houres, as though
    (Belike) I knew not what to take,
    And what to leaue? Ha. Exit
    410Gre. You may go to the diuels dam: your guifts are
    so good heere's none will holde you: Their loue is not
    so great Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together,
    and fast it fairely out. Our cakes dough on both sides.
    Farewell: yet for the loue I beare my sweet Bianca, if
    415I can by any meanes light on a fit man to teach her that
    wherein she delights, I will wish him to her father.
    Hor. So will I signiour Gremio: but a word I pray:
    Though the nature of our quarrell yet neuer brook'd
    parle, know now vpon aduice, it toucheth vs both: that
    420we may yet againe haue accesse to our faire Mistris, and
    be happie riuals in Bianca's loue, to labour and effect
    one thing specially.
    Gre. What's that I pray?
    Hor. Marrie sir to get a husband for her Sister.
    425Gre. A husband: a diuell.
    Hor. I say a husband.
    Gre. I say, a diuell: Think'st thou Hortensio, though
    her father be verie rich, any man is so verie a foole to be
    married to hell ?
    430Hor. Tush Gremio: though it passe your patience &
    mine to endure her lowd alarums, why man there bee
    good fellowes in the world, and a man could light on
    them, would take her with all faults, and mony enough.
    Gre. I cannot tell: but I had as lief take her dowrie
    435with this condition; To be whipt at the hie crosse euerie
    morning.
    Hor. Faith (as you say) there's small choise in rotten
    apples: but come, since this bar in law makes vs friends,
    it shall be so farre forth friendly maintain'd, till by hel-
    440ping Baptistas eldest daughter to a husband, wee set his
    yongest free for a husband, and then haue too t afresh:
    Sweet Bianca, happy man be his dole: hee that runnes
    fastest, gets the Ring: How say you signior Gremio?
    Grem I am agreed, and would I had giuen him the
    445best horse in Padua to begin his woing that would tho-
    roughly woe her, wed her, and bed her, and ridde the
    house of her. Come on.
    Exeunt ambo. Manet Tranio and Lucentio
    Tra. I pray sir tel me, is it possible
    450That loue should of a sodaine take such hold.
    Luc. Oh Tranio, till I found it to be true,
    I neuer thought it possible or likely.
    But see, while idely I stood looking on,
    I found the effect of Loue in idlenesse,
    455And now in plainnesse do confesse to thee
    That art to me as secret and as deere
    As Anna to the Queene of Carthage was:
    Tranio I burne, I pine, I perish Tranio,
    If I atchieue not this yong modest gyrle:
    460Counsaile 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 loue haue touch'd you, naught remaines but so,
    465Redime te captam quam queas minimo.
    Luc Gramercies Lad: Go forward, this contents,
    The rest wil comfort, for thy counsels sound.
    Tra. Master, you look'd so longly on the maide,
    Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all.
    470Luc. Oh yes, I saw sweet beautie in her face,
    Such as the daughter of Agenor had,
    That made great Ioue to humble him to her hand,
    When with his knees he kist the Cretan strond.
    Tra.Saw you no more? Mark'd you not how hir sister
    475Began to scold, and raise vp such a storme,
    That mortal eares might hardly indure the din.
    Luc. Tranio, I saw her corrall lips to moue,
    And with her breath she did perfume the ayre,
    Sacred and sweet was all I saw in her.
    480Tra. Nay, then 'tis time to stirre him frō his trance:
    I pray awake sir: if you loue the Maide,
    Bend thoughts and wits to atcheeue her. Thus it stands:
    Her elder sister is so curst and shrew'd,
    That til the Father rid his hands of her,
    485Master, your Loue must liue a maide at home,
    And therefore has he closely meu'd her vp,
    Because
    212The 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.
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