The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew

By William Shakespeare.

Table of Contents

1. Titlepage
2. Imprint
3. Dramatis Personae
4. The Taming of the Shrew
   1. Induction
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
   2. Act I
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
   3. Act II
      1. Scene I
   4. Act III
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
   5. Act IV
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
      4. Scene IV
      5. Scene V
   6. Act V
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
5. Colophon
6. Uncopyright

Imprint

This ebook is the product of many hours of hard work by volunteers for Standard Ebooks, and builds on the hard work of other literature lovers made possible by the public domain.

This particular ebook is based on a transcription produced for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and on digital scans available at the HathiTrust Digital Library.

The writing and artwork within are believed to be in the U.S. public domain, and Standard Ebooks releases this ebook edition under the terms in the CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. For full license information, see the Uncopyright at the end of this ebook.

Standard Ebooks is a volunteer-driven project that produces ebook editions of public domain literature using modern typography, technology, and editorial standards, and distributes them free of cost. You can download this and other ebooks carefully produced for true book lovers at standardebooks.org.

Dramatis Personae

• A Lord, person in the introduction

• Christopher Sly, a tinker, person in the introduction

• Hostess, page, players, huntsmen, and servants, persons in the introduction

• Baptista, a rich gentleman of Padua

• Vincentio, an old gentleman of Pisa

• Lucentio, son to Vincentio, in love with Bianca

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

• Gremio, suitor to Bianca

• Hortensio, suitor to Bianca

• Tranio, servant to Lucentio

• Biondello, servant to Lucentio

• Grumio, servant to Petruchio

• Curtis, servant to Petruchio

• A Pedant

• Katharina, the shrew, daughter to Baptista

• Bianca, daughter to Baptista

• Widow

• 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’ll pheeze you, in faith.
Hostess	A pair of stocks, you rogue!
Sly	Ye 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!
Hostess	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.
Hostess	I know my remedy; I must go fetch the third-borough. Exit.
Sly	Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I’ll answer him by law: I’ll not budge an inch, boy: let him come, and kindly. Falls asleep.
	Horns winded. Enter a Lord from hunting, with 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? I would not lose the dog for twenty pound.
First Huntsman	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 Huntsman	I will, my lord.
Lord	What’s here? one dead, or drunk? See, doth he breathe?
Second Huntsman	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, Would not the beggar then forget himself?
First Huntsman	Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose.
Second Huntsman	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 all 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, 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; 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 Huntsman	My lord, I warrant you we will play our part, As he shall think by our true diligence 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 office when he wakes, Some bear 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?
Servant	An’t please your honour, players That offer service to your lordship.
Lord	Bid them come near.
	Enter Players.
	Now, fellows, you are welcome.
Players	We thank your honour.
Lord	Do you intend to stay with me to-night?