Comedy plays; Man-woman relationships -- Drama; Married people -- Drama; Padua (Italy) -- Drama; Sex role -- Drama
KATHERINA.
Gentlemen, forward to the bridal dinner:
I see a woman may be made a fool,
If she had not a spirit to resist.
PETRUCHIO.
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,
My household stuff, my field, my barn,
My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything;
And here she stands, touch her whoever dare;
I’ll 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’ll buckler thee against a million.
[_Exeunt Petruchio, Katherina and Grumio._]
BAPTISTA.
Nay, let them go, a couple of quiet ones.
GREMIO.
Went they not quickly, I should die with laughing.
TRANIO.
Of all mad matches, never was the like.
LUCENTIO.
Mistress, what’s your opinion of your sister?
BIANCA.
That, being mad herself, she’s madly mated.
GREMIO.
I warrant him, Petruchio is Kated.
BAPTISTA.
Neighbours and friends, though bride and bridegroom 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.
TRANIO.
Shall sweet Bianca practise how to bride it?
BAPTISTA.
She shall, Lucentio. Come, gentlemen, let’s go.
[_Exeunt._]
ACT IV
SCENE I. A hall in Petruchio’s country house.
Enter Grumio.
GRUMIO.
Fie, fie on all tired jades, on all mad masters, and all foul ways! Was
ever man so beaten? Was ever man so ray’d? 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 taller man than I will
take cold. Holla, ho! Curtis!
Enter Curtis.
CURTIS.
Who is that calls so coldly?
GRUMIO.
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.
CURTIS.
Is my master and his wife coming, Grumio?
GRUMIO.
O, ay! Curtis, ay; and therefore fire, fire; cast on no water.
CURTIS.
Is she so hot a shrew as she’s reported?
GRUMIO.
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.
CURTIS.
Away, you three-inch fool! I am no beast.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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