ACT V
SCENE I. Padua. Before LUCENTIO’S house.
GREMIO discovered. Enter behind BIONDELLO, LUCENTIO, and BIANCA
I fly, Biondello: but they may chance to need thee
at home; therefore leave us.
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
I marvel Cambio comes not all this while.
Enter PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, VINCENTIO, GRUMIO, with Attendants
Sir, here’s the door, this is Lucentio’s house:
My father’s bears more toward the market-place;
Thither must I, and here I leave you, sir.
You shall not choose but drink before you go:
I think I shall command your welcome here,
And, by all likelihood, some cheer is toward.
Knocks
They’re busy within; you were best knock louder.
Pedant looks out of the window
What if a man bring him a hundred pound or two, to
make merry withal?
Keep your hundred pounds to yourself: he shall
need none, so long as I live.
Nay, I told you your son was well beloved in Padua.
Do you hear, sir? To leave frivolous circumstances,
I pray you, tell Signior Lucentio that his father is
come from Pisa, and is here at the door to speak with him.
Thou liest: his father is come from Padua and here
looking out at the window.
[To VINCENTIO] Why, how now, gentleman! why, this
is flat knavery, to take upon you another man’s name.
Lay hands on the villain: I believe a’ means to
cozen somebody in this city under my countenance.
Re-enter BIONDELLO
I have seen them in the church together: God send
’em good shipping! But who is here? mine old
master Vincentio! now we are undone and brought to nothing.
Forgot you! no, sir: I could not forget you, for I
never saw you before in all my life.
What, you notorious villain, didst thou never see
thy master’s father, Vincentio?
What, my old worshipful old master? yes, marry, sir:
see where he looks out of the window.
Prithee, Kate, let’s stand aside and see the end of
this controversy.
They retireRe-enter Pedant below; TRANIO, BAPTISTA, and Servants
What am I, sir! nay, what are you, sir? O immortal
gods! O fine villain! A silken doublet! a velvet
hose! a scarlet cloak! and a copatain hat! O, I
am undone! I am undone! while I play the good
husband at home, my son and my servant spend all at
the university.
Sir, you seem a sober ancient gentleman by your
habit, but your words show you a madman. Why, sir,
what ‘cerns it you if I wear pearl and gold? I
thank my good father, I am able to maintain it.
You mistake, sir, you mistake, sir. Pray, what do
you think is his name?
His name! as if I knew not his name: I have brought
him up ever since he was three years old, and his
name is Tranio.
Away, away, mad ass! his name is Lucentio and he is
mine only son, and heir to the lands of me, Signior Vincentio.
Lucentio! O, he hath murdered his master! Lay hold
on him, I charge you, in the duke’s name. O, my
son, my son! Tell me, thou villain, where is my son Lucentio?
Call forth an officer.
Enter one with an OfficerCarry this mad knave to the gaol. Father Baptista,
I charge you see that he be forthcoming.
Take heed, Signior Baptista, lest you be
cony-catched in this business: I dare swear this
is the right Vincentio.
Thus strangers may be hailed and abused: O
monstrous villain!
Re-enter BIONDELLO, with LUCENTIO and BIANCA
O! we are spoiled and–yonder he is: deny him,
forswear him, or else we are all undone.
Lives my sweet son?
Exeunt BIONDELLO, TRANIO, and Pedant, as fast as may be
Here’s Lucentio,
Right son to the right Vincentio;
That have by marriage made thy daughter mine,
While counterfeit supposes bleared thine eyne.
Where is that damned villain Tranio,
That faced and braved me in this matter so?
Love wrought these miracles. Bianca’s love
Made me exchange my state with Tranio,
While he did bear my countenance in the town;
And happily I have arrived at the last
Unto the wished haven of my bliss.
What Tranio did, myself enforced him to;
Then pardon him, sweet father, for my sake.
I’ll slit the villain’s nose, that would have sent
me to the gaol.
But do you hear, sir? have you married my daughter
without asking my good will?
Fear not, Baptista; we will content you, go to: but
I will in, to be revenged for this villany.
Exit
Look not pale, Bianca; thy father will not frown.
Exeunt LUCENTIO and BIANCA
My cake is dough; but I’ll in among the rest,
Out of hope of all, but my share of the feast.
Exit
Is not this well? Come, my sweet Kate:
Better once than never, for never too late.
Exeunt
SCENE II. Padua. LUCENTIO’S house.
Enter BAPTISTA, VINCENTIO, GREMIO, the Pedant, LUCENTIO, BIANCA, PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, HORTENSIO, and Widow, TRANIO, BIONDELLO, and GRUMIO the Serving-men with Tranio bringing in a banquet
At last, though long, our jarring notes agree:
And time it is, when raging war is done,
To smile at scapes and perils overblown.
My fair Bianca, bid my father welcome,
While I with self-same kindness welcome thine.
Brother Petruchio, sister Katharina,
And thou, Hortensio, with thy loving widow,
Feast with the best, and welcome to my house:
My banquet is to close our stomachs up,
After our great good cheer. Pray you, sit down;
For now we sit to chat as well as eat.
You are very sensible, and yet you miss my sense:
I mean, Hortensio is afeard of you.
‘He that is giddy thinks the world turns round:’
I pray you, tell me what you meant by that.
Your husband, being troubled with a shrew,
Measures my husband’s sorrow by his woe:
And now you know my meaning,
Spoke like an officer; ha’ to thee, lad!
Drinks to HORTENSIO
Head, and butt! an hasty-witted body
Would say your head and butt were head and horn.
Nay, that you shall not: since you have begun,
Have at you for a bitter jest or two!
Am I your bird? I mean to shift my bush;
And then pursue me as you draw your bow.
You are welcome all.
Exeunt BIANCA, KATHARINA, and Widow
She hath prevented me. Here, Signior Tranio.
This bird you aim’d at, though you hit her not;
Therefore a health to all that shot and miss’d.
O, sir, Lucentio slipp’d me like his greyhound,
Which runs himself and catches for his master.
‘Tis well, sir, that you hunted for yourself:
‘Tis thought your deer does hold you at a bay.
A’ has a little gall’d me, I confess;
And, as the jest did glance away from me,
‘Tis ten to one it maim’d you two outright.
Now, in good sadness, son Petruchio,
I think thou hast the veriest shrew of all.
Well, I say no: and therefore for assurance
Let’s each one send unto his wife;
And he whose wife is most obedient
To come at first when he doth send for her,
Shall win the wager which we will propose.
Twenty crowns!
I’ll venture so much of my hawk or hound,
But twenty times so much upon my wife.
I’ll have no halves; I’ll bear it all myself.
Re-enter BIONDELLO
Sir, my mistress sends you word
That she is busy and she cannot come.
Ay, and a kind one too:
Pray God, sir, your wife send you not a worse.
Sirrah Biondello, go and entreat my wife
To come to me forthwith.
Exit BIONDELLO
I am afraid, sir,
Do what you can, yours will not be entreated.
Re-enter BIONDELLO
She says you have some goodly jest in hand:
She will not come: she bids you come to her.
Worse and worse; she will not come! O vile,
Intolerable, not to be endured!
Sirrah Grumio, go to your mistress;
Say, I command her to come to me.
Exit GRUMIO
Now, by my holidame, here comes Katharina!
Re-enter KATARINA
Go fetch them hither: if they deny to come.
Swinge me them soundly forth unto their husbands:
Away, I say, and bring them hither straight.
Exit KATHARINA
Marry, peace it bodes, and love and quiet life,
And awful rule and right supremacy;
And, to be short, what not, that’s sweet and happy?
Now, fair befal thee, good Petruchio!
The wager thou hast won; and I will add
Unto their losses twenty thousand crowns;
Another dowry to another daughter,
For she is changed, as she had never been.
Nay, I will win my wager better yet
And show more sign of her obedience,
Her new-built virtue and obedience.
See where she comes and brings your froward wives
As prisoners to her womanly persuasion.
Re-enter KATHARINA, with BIANCA and WidowKatharina, that cap of yours becomes you not:
Off with that bauble, throw it under-foot.
Lord, let me never have a cause to sigh,
Till I be brought to such a silly pass!
I would your duty were as foolish too:
The wisdom of your duty, fair Bianca,
Hath cost me an hundred crowns since supper-time.
Katharina, I charge thee, tell these headstrong women
What duty they do owe their lords and husbands.
Fie, fie! unknit that threatening unkind brow,
And dart not scornful glances from those eyes,
To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor:
It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads,
Confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds,
And in no sense is meet or amiable.
A woman moved is like a fountain troubled,
Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty;
And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty
Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it.
Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee,
And for thy maintenance commits his body
To painful labour both by sea and land,
To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,
Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe;
And craves no other tribute at thy hands
But love, fair looks and true obedience;
Too little payment for so great a debt.
Such duty as the subject owes the prince
Even such a woman oweth to her husband;
And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,
And not obedient to his honest will,
What is she but a foul contending rebel
And graceless traitor to her loving lord?
I am ashamed that women are so simple
To offer war where they should kneel for peace;
Or seek for rule, supremacy and sway,
When they are bound to serve, love and obey.
Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth,
Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,
But that our soft conditions and our hearts
Should well agree with our external parts?
Come, come, you froward and unable worms!
My mind hath been as big as one of yours,
My heart as great, my reason haply more,
To bandy word for word and frown for frown;
But now I see our lances are but straws,
Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,
That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.
Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,
And place your hands below your husband’s foot:
In token of which duty, if he please,
My hand is ready; may it do him ease.
Come, Kate, we’ll to bed.
We three are married, but you two are sped.
To LUCENTIO‘Twas I won the wager, though you hit the white;
And, being a winner, God give you good night!
Exeunt PETRUCHIO and KATHARINA