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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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    565Enter 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 Mr 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 ye world,
    To
    The Taming of the Shrew. 213
    To seeke their fortunes farther then at home,
    Where small experience growes but in a few.
    Signior Hortensio, thus it stands with me,
    620Antonio my father is deceast,
    And I haue thrust my selfe into this maze,
    Happily to wiue and thriue, as best I may:
    Crownes in my purse I haue, and goods at home,
    And so am come abroad to see the world.
    625Hor. Petruchio, shall I then come roundly to thee,
    And wish thee to a shrew'd ill-fauour'd wife?
    Thou'dst thanke me but a little for my counsell:
    And yet Ile promise thee she shall be rich,
    And verie rich: but th'art too much my friend,
    630And Ile not wish thee to her.
    Petr. Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as wee,
    Few words suffice: and therefore, if thou know
    One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife:
    (As wealth is burthen of my woing dance)
    635Be she as foule as was Florentius Loue,
    As old as Sibell, and as curst and shrow'd
    As Socrates Zentippe, or a worse:
    She moues me not, or not remoues at least
    Affections edge in me. Were she is as rough
    640As are the swelling Adriaticke seas.
    I come to wiue it wealthily in Padua:
    If wealthily, then happily in Padua.
    Gru. Nay looke you sir, hee tels you flatly what his
    minde is: why giue him Gold enough, and marrie him
    645to a Puppet or an Aglet babie, or an old trot with ne're a
    tooth in her head, though she haue as manie diseases as
    two and fiftie horses. Why nothing comes amisse, so
    monie comes withall.
    Hor. Petruchio, since we are stept thus farre in,
    650I will continue that I broach'd in iest,
    I can Petruchio helpe thee to a wife
    With wealth enough, and yong and beautious,
    Brought vp as best becomes a Gentlewoman.
    Her onely fault, and that is faults enough,
    655Is, that she is intollerable curst,
    And shrow'd, and froward, so beyond all measure,
    That were my state farre worser then it is,
    I would not wed her for a mine of Gold.
    Petr. Hortensio peace: thou knowst not golds effect,
    660Tell me her fathers name, and 'tis enough:
    For I will boord her, though she chide as loud
    As thunder, when the clouds in Autumne cracke.
    Hor. Her father is Baptista Minola,
    An affable and courteous Gentleman,
    665Her name is Katherina Minola,
    Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue.
    Petr. I know her father, though I know not her,
    And he knew my deceased father well:
    I wil not sleepe Hortensio til I see her,
    670And therefore let me be thus bold with you,
    To giue you ouer at this first encounter,
    Vnlesse you wil accompanie me thither.
    Gru. I pray you Sir let him go while the humor lasts.
    A my word, and she knew him as wel as I do, she would
    675thinke scolding would doe little good vpon him. Shee
    may perhaps call him halfe a score Knaues, or so: Why
    that's nothing; and he begin once, hee'l raile in his rope
    trickes. Ile tell you what sir, and she stand him but a li-
    tle, he wil throw a figure in her face, and so disfigure hir
    680with it, that shee shal haue no more eies to see withall
    then a Cat: you know him not sir.
    Hor. Tarrie Petruchio, I must go with thee,
    For in Baptistas keepe my treasure is:
    He hath the Iewel of my life in hold,
    685His yongest daughter, beautiful Bianca,
    And her with-holds from me. Other more
    Suters to her, and riuals in my Loue:
    Supposing it a thing impossible,
    For those defects I haue before rehearst,
    690That euer Katherina wil be woo'd:
    Therefore this order hath Baptista tane,
    That none shal haue accesse vnto Bianca,
    Til Katherine the Curst, haue got a husband.
    Gru. Katherine the curst,
    695A title for a maide, of all titles the worst.
    Hor. Now shal my friend Petruchio do me grace,
    And offer me disguis'd in sober robes,
    To old Baptista as a schoole-master
    Well seene in Musicke, to instruct Bianca,
    700That so I may by this deuice at least
    Haue leaue and leisure to make loue to her,
    And vnsuspected court her by her selfe.
    Enter Gremio and Lucentio disgused.
    Gru. Heere's no knauerie. See, to beguile the olde-
    705folkes, how the young folkes lay their heads together.
    Master, master, looke about you: Who goes there? ha.
    Hor. Peace Grumio, it is the riuall of my Loue.
    Petruchio stand by a while.
    Grumio. A proper stripling, and an amorous.
    710Gremio. O very well, I haue perus'd the note:
    Hearke you sir, Ile haue them verie fairely bound,
    All bookes of Loue, see that at any hand,
    And see you reade no other Lectures to her:
    You vnderstand me. Ouer and beside
    715Signior Baptistas liberalitie,
    Ile mend it with a Largesse. Take your paper too,
    And let me haue them verie wel perfum'd;
    For she is sweeter then perfume it selfe
    To whom they go to: what wil you reade to her.
    720Luc. What ere I reade to her, Ile pleade for you,
    As for my patron, stand you so assur'd,
    As firmely as your selfe were still in place,
    Yea and perhaps with more successefull words
    Then you; vnlesse you were a scholler sir.
    725Gre. Oh this learning, what a thing it is.
    Gru. Oh this Woodcocke, what an Asse it is.
    Petru. Peace sirra.
    Hor. Grumio mum: God saue you signior Gremio.
    Gre. And you are wel met, Signior Hortensio.
    730Trow you whither I am going? To Baptista Minola,
    I promist to enquire carefully
    About a schoolemaster for the faire Bianca,
    And by good fortune I haue lighted well
    On this yong man: For learning and behauiour
    735Fit for her turne, well read in Poetrie
    And other bookes, good ones, I warrant ye.
    Hor. 'Tis well: and I haue met a Gentleman
    Hath promist me to helpe one to another,
    A fine Musitian to instruct our Mistris,
    740So shal I no whit be behinde in dutie
    To faire Bianca, so beloued of me.
    Gre. Beloued of me, and that my deeds shal proue.
    Gru. And that his bags shal proue.
    Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our loue,
    745Listen to me, and if you speake me faire,
    Ile tel you newes indifferent good for either.
    Heere is a Gentleman whom by chance I met
    Vpon
    214The Taming of the Shrew.
    Vpon agreement from vs to his liking,
    Will vndertake to woo curst Katherine,
    750Yea, and to marrie her, if her dowrie please.
    Gre. So said, so done, is well:
    Hortensio, haue you told him all her faults?
    Petr. I know she is an irkesome brawling scold:
    If that be all Masters, I heare no harme.
    755Gre. No, sayst me so, friend? What Countreyman?
    Petr. Borne in Verona, old Butonios sonne:
    My father dead, my fortune liues for me,
    And I do hope, good dayes and long, to see.
    Gre. Oh sir, such a life with such a wife, were strange:
    760But if you haue a stomacke, too't a Gods name,
    You shal haue me assisting you in all.
    But will you woo this Wilde-cat?
    Petr. Will I liue?
    Gru. Wil he woo her? I: or Ile hang her.
    765Petr. Why came I hither, but to that intent?
    Thinke you, a little dinne can daunt mine eares?
    Haue I not in my time heard Lions rore?
    Haue I not heard the sea, puft vp with windes,
    Rage like an angry Boare, chafed with sweat?
    770Haue I not heard great Ordnance in the field?
    And heauens Artillerie thunder in the skies?
    Haue I not in a pitched battell heard
    Loud larums, neighing steeds, & trumpets clangue?
    And do you tell me of a womans tongue?
    775That giues not halfe so great a blow to heare,
    As wil a Chesse-nut in a Farmers fire.
    Tush, tush, feare boyes with bugs.
    Gru. For he feares none.
    Grem. Hortensio hearke:
    780This Gentleman is happily arriu'd,
    My minde presumes for his owne good, and yours.
    Hor. I promist we would be Contributors,
    And beare his charge of wooing whatsoere.
    Gremio. And so we wil, prouided that he win her.
    785Gru. I would I were as sure of a good dinner.
    Enter Tranio braue, and Biondello.
    Tra. Gentlemen God saue you. If I may be bold
    Tell me I beseech you, which is the readiest way
    To the house of Signior Baptista Minola?
    790Bion. He that ha's the two faire daughters: ist he you
    meane?
    Tra. Euen he Biondello.
    Gre. Hearke you sir, you meane not her to---
    Tra. Perhaps him and her sir, what haue you to do?
    795Petr. Not her that chides sir, at any hand I pray.
    Tranio. I loue no chiders sir: Biondello, let's away.
    Luc Well begun Tranio.
    Hor. Sir, a word ere you go:
    Are you a sutor to the Maid you talke of, yea or no?
    800Tra. And if I be sir, is it any offence?
    Gremio.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?
    805Gre. But so is not she.
    Tra. For what reason I beseech you.
    Gre. For this reason if you'l kno,
    That she's the choise loue of Signior Gremio.
    Hor. That she's the chosen of signior Hortensio.
    810Tra. Softly my Masters: If you be Gentlemen
    Do me this right: heare me with patience.
    Baptista is a noble Gentleman,
    To whom my Father is not all vnknowne,
    And were his daughter fairer then she is,
    815She may more sutors haue, and me for one.
    Faire Laedaes daughter had a thousand wooers,
    Then well one more may faire Bianca haue;
    And so she shall: Lucentio shal make one,
    Though Paris came, in hope to speed alone.
    820Gre. What, this Gentleman will out-talke vs all.
    Luc. Sir giue him head, I know hee'l proue a Iade.
    Petr. Hortensio, to what end are all these words?
    Hor. Sir, let me be so bold as aske you,
    Did you yet euer see Baptistas daughter?
    825Tra. No sir, but heare I do that he hath two:
    The one, as famous for a scolding tongue,
    As is the other, for beauteous modestie.
    Petr. Sir, sir, the first's for me, let her go by.
    Gre. Yea, leaue that labour to great Hercules,
    830And let it be more then Alcides twelue.
    Petr. Sir vnderstand you this of me (insooth)
    The yongest daughter whom you hearken for,
    Her father keepes from all accesse of sutors,
    And will not promise her to any man,
    835Vntill the elder sister first be wed.
    The yonger then is free, and not before.
    Tranio. If it be so sir, that you are the man
    Must steed vs all, and me amongst the rest:
    And if you breake the ice, and do this seeke,
    840Atchieue the elder: set the yonger free,
    For our accesse, whose hap shall be to haue her,
    Wil not so gracelesse be, to be ingrate.
    Hor. Sir you say wel, and wel you do conceiue,
    And since you do professe to be a sutor,
    845You must as we do, gratifie this Gentleman,
    To whom we all rest generally beholding.
    Tranio. Sir, I shal not be slacke, in signe whereof,
    Please ye we may contriue this afternoone,
    And quaffe carowses to our Mistresse health,
    850And do as aduersaries do in law,
    Striue mightily, but eate and drinke as friends.
    Gru.Bion.Oh excellent motion: fellowes let's be gon.
    Hor. The motions good indeed, and be it so,
    Petruchio, I shal be your Been venuto. Exeunt.
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