Comedy plays; Man-woman relationships -- Drama; Married people -- Drama; Padua (Italy) -- Drama; Sex role -- Drama
[_To Vincentio_] Good morrow, gentle mistress; where away?
Tell me, sweet Kate, and tell me truly too,
Hast thou beheld a fresher gentlewoman?
Such war of white and red within her cheeks!
What stars do spangle heaven with such beauty
As those two eyes become that heavenly face?
Fair lovely maid, once more good day to thee.
Sweet Kate, embrace her for her beauty’s sake.
HORTENSIO.
A will make the man mad, to make a woman of him.
KATHERINA.
Young budding virgin, fair and fresh and sweet,
Whither away, or where is thy abode?
Happy the parents of so fair a child;
Happier the man whom favourable stars
Allot thee for his lovely bedfellow.
PETRUCHIO.
Why, how now, Kate! I hope thou art not mad:
This is a man, old, wrinkled, faded, wither’d,
And not a maiden, as thou sayst he is.
KATHERINA.
Pardon, old father, my mistaking eyes,
That have been so bedazzled with the sun
That everything I look on seemeth green:
Now I perceive thou art a reverend father;
Pardon, I pray thee, for my mad mistaking.
PETRUCHIO.
Do, good old grandsire, and withal make known
Which way thou travellest: if along with us,
We shall be joyful of thy company.
VINCENTIO.
Fair sir, and you my merry mistress,
That with your strange encounter much amaz’d me,
My name is called Vincentio; my dwelling Pisa;
And bound I am to Padua, there to visit
A son of mine, which long I have not seen.
PETRUCHIO.
What is his name?
VINCENTIO.
Lucentio, gentle sir.
PETRUCHIO.
Happily met; the happier for thy son.
And now by law, as well as reverend age,
I may entitle thee my loving father:
The sister to my wife, this gentlewoman,
Thy son by this hath married. Wonder not,
Nor be not griev’d: she is of good esteem,
Her dowry wealthy, and of worthy birth;
Beside, so qualified as may beseem
The spouse of any noble gentleman.
Let me embrace with old Vincentio;
And wander we to see thy honest son,
Who will of thy arrival be full joyous.
VINCENTIO.
But is this true? or is it else your pleasure,
Like pleasant travellers, to break a jest
Upon the company you overtake?
HORTENSIO.
I do assure thee, father, so it is.
PETRUCHIO.
Come, go along, and see the truth hereof;
For our first merriment hath made thee jealous.
[_Exeunt all but Hortensio._]
HORTENSIO.
Well, Petruchio, this has put me in heart.
Have to my widow! and if she be froward,
Then hast thou taught Hortensio to be untoward.
[_Exit._]
ACT V
SCENE I. Padua. Before Lucentio’s house.
Enter on one side Biondello, Lucentio and Bianca; Gremio walking on
other side.
BIONDELLO.
Softly and swiftly, sir, for the priest is ready.
LUCENTIO.
I fly, Biondello; but they may chance to need thee at home, therefore
leave us.
BIONDELLO.
Nay, faith, I’ll see the church o’ your back; and then come back to my
master’s as soon as I can.
[_Exeunt Lucentio, Bianca and Biondello._]
GREMIO.
I marvel Cambio comes not all this while.
Enter Petruchio, Katherina, Vincentio and Attendants.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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