SCENE II. Padua. Before BAPTISTA'S house. The Taming of the Shrew  Shakespeare homepage  |  Taming of the Shrew  | Act 3, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. Padua. Before BAPTISTA'S house. 

 Enter BAPTISTA, GREMIO, TRANIO, KATHARINA, BIANCA, LUCENTIO, and others, attendants  BAPTISTA  [To TRANIO]  Signior Lucentio, this is the 

 'pointed day. 

 That Katharina and Petruchio should be married, 

 And yet we hear not of our son-in-law. 

 What will be said? what mockery will it be, 

 To want the bridegroom when the priest attends 

 To speak the ceremonial rites of marriage! 

 What says Lucentio to this shame of ours? 

 KATHARINA  No shame but mine: I must, forsooth, be forced 

 To give my hand opposed against my heart 

 Unto a mad-brain rudesby full of spleen; 

 Who woo'd in haste and means to wed at leisure. 

 I told you, I, he was a frantic fool, 

 Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behavior: 

 And, to be noted for a merry man, 

 He'll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage, 

 Make feasts, invite friends, and proclaim the banns; 

 Yet never means to wed where he hath woo'd. 

 Now must the world point at poor Katharina, 

 And say, 'Lo, there is mad Petruchio's wife, 

 If it would please him come and marry her!' 

 TRANIO  Patience, good Katharina, and Baptista too. 

 Upon my life, Petruchio means but well, 

 Whatever fortune stays him from his word: 

 Though he be blunt, I know him passing wise; 

 Though he be merry, yet withal he's honest. 

 KATHARINA  Would Katharina had never seen him though! 



 Exit weeping, followed by BIANCA and others  BAPTISTA  Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep; 

 For such an injury would vex a very saint, 

 Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour. 



 Enter BIONDELLO  BIONDELLO  Master, master! news, old news, and such news as 

 you never heard of! 

 BAPTISTA  Is it new and old too? how may that be? 

 BIONDELLO  Why, is it not news, to hear of Petruchio's coming? 

 BAPTISTA  Is he come? 

 BIONDELLO  Why, no, sir. 

 BAPTISTA  What then? 

 BIONDELLO  He is coming. 

 BAPTISTA  When will he be here? 

 BIONDELLO  When he stands where I am and sees you there. 

 TRANIO  But say, what to thine old news? 

 BIONDELLO  Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an old 

 jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, a pair 

 of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, 

 another laced, an old rusty sword ta'en out of the 

 town-armory, with a broken hilt, and chapeless; 

 with two broken points: his horse hipped with an 

 old mothy saddle and stirrups of no kindred; 

 besides, possessed with the glanders and like to mose 

 in the chine; troubled with the lampass, infected 

 with the fashions, full of wingdalls, sped with 

 spavins, rayed with yellows, past cure of the fives, 

 stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the 

 bots, swayed in the back and shoulder-shotten; 

 near-legged before and with, a half-chequed bit 

 and a head-stall of sheeps leather which, being 

 restrained to keep him from stumbling, hath been 

 often burst and now repaired with knots; one girth 

 six time pieced and a woman's crupper of velure, 

 which hath two letters for her name fairly set down 

 in studs, and here and there pieced with packthread. 

 BAPTISTA  Who comes with him? 

 BIONDELLO  O, sir, his lackey, for all the world caparisoned 

 like the horse; with a linen stock on one leg and a 

 kersey boot-hose on the other, gartered with a red 

 and blue list; an old hat and 'the humour of forty 

 fancies' pricked in't for a feather: a monster, a 

 very monster in apparel, and not like a Christian 

 footboy or a gentleman's lackey. 

 TRANIO  'Tis some odd humour pricks him to this fashion; 

 Yet oftentimes he goes but mean-apparell'd. 

 BAPTISTA  I am glad he's come, howsoe'er he comes. 

 BIONDELLO  Why, sir, he comes not. 

 BAPTISTA  Didst thou not say he comes? 

 BIONDELLO  Who? that Petruchio came? 

 BAPTISTA  Ay, that Petruchio came. 

 BIONDELLO  No, sir, I say his horse comes, with him on his back. 

 BAPTISTA  Why, that's all one. 

 BIONDELLO  Nay, by Saint Jamy, 

 I hold you a penny, 

 A horse and a man 

 Is more than one, 

 And yet not many. 



 Enter PETRUCHIO and GRUMIO  PETRUCHIO  Come, where be these gallants? who's at home? 

 BAPTISTA  You are welcome, sir. 

 PETRUCHIO  And yet I come not well. 

 BAPTISTA  And yet you halt not. 

 TRANIO  Not so well apparell'd 

 As I wish you were. 

 PETRUCHIO  Were it better, I should rush in thus. 

 But where is Kate? where is my lovely bride? 

 How does my father? Gentles, methinks you frown: 

 And wherefore gaze this goodly company, 

 As if they saw some wondrous monument, 

 Some comet or unusual prodigy? 

 BAPTISTA  Why, sir, you know this is your wedding-day: 

 First were we sad, fearing you would not come; 

 Now sadder, that you come so unprovided. 

 Fie, doff this habit, shame to your estate, 

 An eye-sore to our solemn festival! 

 TRANIO  And tells us, what occasion of import 

 Hath all so long detain'd you from your wife, 

 And sent you hither so unlike yourself? 

 PETRUCHIO  Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear: 

 Sufficeth I am come to keep my word, 

 Though in some part enforced to digress; 

 Which, at more leisure, I will so excuse 

 As you shall well be satisfied withal. 

 But where is Kate? I stay too long from her: 

 The morning wears, 'tis time we were at church. 

 TRANIO  See not your bride in these unreverent robes: 

 Go to my chamber; Put on clothes of mine. 

 PETRUCHIO  Not I, believe me: thus I'll visit her. 

 BAPTISTA  But thus, I trust, you will not marry her. 

 PETRUCHIO  Good sooth, even thus; therefore ha' done with words: 

 To me she's married, not unto my clothes: 

 Could I repair what she will wear in me, 

 As I can change these poor accoutrements, 

 'Twere well for Kate and better for myself. 

 But what a fool am I to chat with you, 

 When I should bid good morrow to my bride, 

 And seal the title with a lovely kiss! 



 Exeunt PETRUCHIO and GRUMIO  TRANIO  He hath some meaning in his mad attire: 

 We will persuade him, be it possible, 

 To put on better ere he go to church. 

 BAPTISTA  I'll after him, and see the event of this. 



 Exeunt BAPTISTA, GREMIO, and attendants  TRANIO  But to her love concerneth us to add 

 Her father's liking: which to bring to pass, 

 As I before unparted to your worship, 

 I am to get a man,--whate'er he be, 

 It skills not much. we'll fit him to our turn,-- 

 And he shall be Vincentio of Pisa; 

 And make assurance here in Padua 

 Of greater sums than I have promised. 

 So shall you quietly enjoy your hope, 

 And marry sweet Bianca with consent. 

 LUCENTIO  Were it not that my fellow-school-master 

 Doth watch Bianca's steps so narrowly, 

 'Twere good, methinks, to steal our marriage; 

 Which once perform'd, let all the world say no, 

 I'll keep mine own, despite of all the world. 

 TRANIO  That by degrees we mean to look into, 

 And watch our vantage in this business: 

 We'll over-reach the greybeard, Gremio, 

 The narrow-prying father, Minola, 

 The quaint musician, amorous Licio; 

 All for my master's sake, Lucentio. 



 Re-enter GREMIO  Signior Gremio, came you from the church? 

 GREMIO  As willingly as e'er I came from school. 

 TRANIO  And is the bride and bridegroom coming home? 

 GREMIO  A bridegroom say you? 'tis a groom indeed, 

 A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find. 

 TRANIO  Curster than she? why, 'tis impossible. 

 GREMIO  Why he's a devil, a devil, a very fiend. 

 TRANIO  Why, she's a devil, a devil, the devil's dam. 

 GREMIO  Tut, she's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him! 

 I'll tell you, Sir Lucentio: when the priest 

 Should ask, if Katharina should be his wife, 

 'Ay, by gogs-wouns,' quoth he; and swore so loud, 

 That, all-amazed, the priest let fall the book; 

 And, as he stoop'd again to take it up, 

 The mad-brain'd bridegroom took him such a cuff 

 That down fell priest and book and book and priest: 

 'Now take them up,' quoth he, 'if any list.' 

 TRANIO  What said the wench when he rose again? 

 GREMIO  Trembled and shook; for why, he stamp'd and swore, 

 As if the vicar meant to cozen him. 

 But after many ceremonies done, 

 He calls for wine: 'A health!' quoth he, as if 

 He had been aboard, carousing to his mates 

 After a storm; quaff'd off the muscadel 

 And threw the sops all in the sexton's face; 

 Having no other reason 

 But that his beard grew thin and hungerly 

 And seem'd to ask him sops as he was drinking. 

 This done, he took the bride about the neck 

 And kiss'd her lips with such a clamorous smack 

 That at the parting all the church did echo: 

 And I seeing this came thence for very shame; 

 And after me, I know, the rout is coming. 

 Such a mad marriage never was before: 

 Hark, hark! I hear the minstrels play. 



 Music 

 Re-enter PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, BIANCA, BAPTISTA, HORTENSIO, GRUMIO, and Train  PETRUCHIO  Gentlemen and friends, I thank you for your pains: 

 I know you think to dine with me to-day, 

 And have prepared great store of wedding cheer; 

 But so it is, my haste doth call me hence, 

 And therefore here I mean to take my leave. 

 BAPTISTA  Is't possible you will away to-night? 

 PETRUCHIO  I must away to-day, before night come: 

 Make it no wonder; if you knew my business, 

 You would entreat me rather go than stay. 

 And, honest company, I thank you all, 

 That have beheld me give away myself 

 To this most patient, sweet and virtuous wife: 

 Dine with my father, drink a health to me; 

 For I must hence; and farewell to you all. 

 TRANIO  Let us entreat you stay till after dinner. 

 PETRUCHIO  It may not be. 

 GREMIO  Let me entreat you. 

 PETRUCHIO  It cannot be. 

 KATHARINA  Let me entreat you. 

 PETRUCHIO  I am content. 

 KATHARINA  Are you content to stay? 

 PETRUCHIO  I am content you shall entreat me stay; 

 But yet not stay, entreat me how you can. 

 KATHARINA  Now, if you love me, stay. 

 PETRUCHIO  Grumio, my horse. 

 GRUMIO  Ay, sir, they be ready: the oats have eaten the horses. 

 KATHARINA  Nay, then, 

 Do what thou canst, I will not go to-day; 

 No, nor to-morrow, not till I please myself. 

 The door is open, sir; there lies your way; 

 You may be jogging whiles your boots are green; 

 For me, I'll not be gone till I please myself: 

 'Tis like you'll prove a jolly surly groom, 

 That take it on you at the first so roundly. 

 PETRUCHIO  O Kate, content thee; prithee, be not angry. 

 KATHARINA  I will be angry: what hast thou to do? 

 Father, be quiet; he shall stay my leisure. 

 GREMIO  Ay, marry, sir, now it begins to work. 

 KATARINA  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 any thing; 

 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, KATHARINA, 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. 



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