Act 2 Scene 1

Baptista’s two daughters are quarrelling, and we are shown how Katherine has earned her reputation. The suitors arrive, and Petruccio announces his determination to woo Katherine. Hortensio and Lucentio (calling themselves Litio and Cambio) are presented as tutors# Baptista sends them in to his daughters, whilst he listens to Petruccio’s marriage plans. Then, with Gremio and Tranio (who is disguised as Lucentio), Baptista leaves the stage, and at last Katherine and Petruccio are brought together. Their battle commences. On Baptista’s return he is told that the wedding will take place — and he can now listen to the proposals of Bianca’s suitors. Gremio makes a generous offer, but he is outbidden by Tranio.
3	goods:  — presumably jewellery given by her suitors.
4	Unbind: if you will unfasten.
5	raiment: clothes.
7	my elders: Such a reference to her age seems calculated to enrage Katherine.
8	charge thee: order you# “thee” is omitted in the First Folio text.
13	Minion: A term of abuse for the spoilt favourite child.
14	affect: fancy, care for.
15	but . . . him: if there is no other way for you to have him.
16	belike: perhaps.
17	fair: fine, well-dressed.
18	envy: hate (the stress is on the second syllable).
23	dame: madam# a term of rebuke. Baptista’s partiality for his younger daughter is evident, and partly explains Katherine’s bitterness.
25	ply thy needle: get on with your sewing.
meddle not: don’t have anything to do.
26	hilding: baggage.
28	cross: annoy.
29	flouts: mocks.
31	suffer me: leave me alone.
33	dance barefoot: the proverbial fate of an elder sister when a younger married first.
34	for: because of.
lead apes in hell: the proverbial fate of an unmarried woman, who could not lead children into heaven.
36	occasion of: opportunity for.
38s.d.	in the habit of a mean man: dressed like an ordinary man (i.e. not like a gentleman).
45	go . . . orderly: talk properly.
51	forward: eager.
54	for an entrance: as an entrance-fee.
entertainment: hospitable reception.
56	Cunning: expert.
57	sciences: subjects.
61	he: i.e. he is welcome.
63	for your turn: the girl you want.
67	What . . . name: Baptista questions with old-fashioned courtesy.
71	Saving your tale: With all respect to you.
72	poor petitioners: humble suitors.
73	Baccare: stand back.
74	I . . . doing: I want to get on with it.
76	a gift: i.e. the presentation of Hortensio.
77	like: same.
78	kindly: naturally# Gremio implies that Baptista has favoured him as a suitor to Bianca.
80	Rheims: a famous university in northern France.
81	cunning in: knowledgeable about.
82	the other: i.e. Hortensio.
Cambio: The name that Lucentio has adopted means “exchange” in Italian.
92	resolve: resolution.
93	preferment: i.e. the insistence that Katherine must be married before Bianca.
99	instrument: i.e. the lute that Biondello is carrying.
102	Lucentio . . . name: Perhaps Baptista reads Lucentio’s name in one of the books.
104	by report: from what I hear.
107	presently: immediately.
112	passing: exceedingly.
114	asketh: demands.
115	every . . . woo: This line is found in several old English ballads.
116	in him me: because of him you know me.
117	solely heir: the only heir.
120	dowry: the father’s financial settlement on his daughter.
122	in possession: at the time of marriage# this cash settlement may have been unusually high because of Katherine’s temper.
123	for: in return for.
124	Her widowhood: a widow’s rights (the exact terms would be specified in the marriage contract# without these, the estate would pass to the next male heir).
125	lands . . . whatsoever: his estate# Petruccio uses the correct legal terminology.
126	specialties: precise contracts.
127	covenants: formal agreements.
on either hand: between both parties.
130	father: Petruccio’s familiarity shows his self-confidence.
131	peremptory: masterful# the stress is on the first syllable.
136	So I to her: Petruccio will be like a strong wind to Katherine, who has hitherto met only light winds that have fanned, not extinguished, the fire of her temperament.
138	happy be thy speed: good luck to you.
140	to the proof: with armour that is impenetrable.
141	shakes: The “s” ending for third-person plural is common in Shakespeare.
141s.d.	broke: bleeding. This episode with Hortensio demonstrates both Katherine’s violence, and Petruccio’s resolution.
143	promise: assure.
144	prove . . . musician: become a good musician.
145	prove a soldier: put a soldier to the test# Hortensio plays with the two meanings of “prove” .
146	hold with: resist.
147	break: train (as a horse is broken).
148	broke the lute: In some modern productions of this play, Hortensio enters with the lute broken over his head.
149	frets: ridges on the lute to position the fingers.
152	Frets: irritations.
156	pillory: device for imprisoning a wrong-doer by restraining head and arms.
159	As had she: as though she had.
misuse: abuse.
160	lusty: spirited.
164	Proceed in practice: continue your teaching.
165	apt: ready.
169	attend: wait for.
170	rail: shout at me.
176	piercing: moving.
177	pack: go away, clear off.
179	deny: refuse.
crave the day: ask her to name the day.
180	ask the banns: In the Church of England, a marriage must be publicly declared on three successive Sundays before the ceremony can take place# this is not, in fact, done in the play.
183	heard . . . hard: The pronunciation of these words would be the same, allowing Katherine to make a pun. The following exchange of witty insults, usually involving a play on words, must be acted very fast.
187	Christendom: the entire Christian world.
188	Kate Hall: This may have been some kind of topical joke, whose sense is now lost.
189	dainties are all cates: delicacies are all called cates.
190	consolation: comfort.
192	sounded: proclaimed# but the word also means “fathomed” — hence the next line’s pun.
193	to thee belongs: as you deserve.
195	in good time: indeed.
197	a movable: a piece of furniture that can be moved.
198	A joint stool: stool made by a joiner (a common insult).
hit it: got it right.
199	bear: Petruccio picks up Kate’s use of “bear” (= to carry burdens) and adds two further senses — to bear children, and to bear the weight of a lover.
201	No . . . you: i.e. you would not have the (sexual) stamina for me.
203	light: light in weight, and frivolous, wanton.
204	“Too quick-witted to be caught by a country fellow like you.”
205	as heavy: Katherine uses the imagery of coinage in order to indulge this light/heavy antithesis# her meaning is that she is one hundred percent honest — counterfeit coins, made of base metal, weighed less than genuine ones.
206	buzz: The sound made by a bee (so allowing Petruccio a rather feeble pun)# also a noise of contempt, as Petruccio dismisses Katherine’s account of herself.
ta’en: caught.
a buzzard: A kind of hawk which is unteachable and which takes the wrong prey.
207	turtle: turtle-dove, symbol of faithful love.
208	buzzard: buzzing insect (e.g. a wasp)# Katherine seems to be saying that the buzzard who catches a dove is making a mistake like that of the dove who catches the wasp.
214	Shakespeare is setting up a favourite old joke, punning on the sound of “tail” and “tale”, and leading up to an obscene use of “tail”, which gives Petruccio the victory in this first verbal battle.
216	come again: have another try# Petruccio is preparing to start a fresh battle of words.
217	try: put to the test.
218	cuff: hit.
219	So: in that way.
arms: coat of arms, which indicated the status of a gentleman.
222	put me in thy books: To be entered in the herald’s books was the sign of a gentleman# and to be in a person’s (good) books was to be in favour.
223	crest: device borne above the shield and helmet in a coat of arms# and the feathers on a bird’s head.
coxcomb: fool’s cap (in the shape of a cock’s comb).
224	combless: harmless (the comb was cut off, or failed to grow, on a castrated — and therefore unaggressive — male bird).
so: provided that.
225	craven: a cock that gives up easily, and admits defeat by dropping its crest# Katherine has won this round of the fight.
227	crab: crab-apple — a wild apple that is very sour.
231	glass: looking-glass.
232	Well aimed: a good guess.
of: for.
233	too young: too strong.
236	I chafe you: it will only excite you.
237	not a whit: not at all.
passing: exceedingly.
238	coy: disdainful.
239	report . . . liar: what they say is all lies.
240	gamesome: full of fun.
courteous: lady-like.
242	look askance: glare.
244	cross: perverse.
246	conference: conversation.
251	halt: limp.
252	whom . . . command: A proverbial saying — “give orders to your servants”.
253	Dian . . . grove: Diana, classical goddess of chastity, was traditionally worshipped in a grove.
become: adorn.
254	gait: movements, walking.
256	sportful: playful.
257	study: learn.
258	It is extempore: I just made it up.
mother-wit: natural genius.
259	else: otherwise.
260	keep you warm: i.e. with just enough sense to keep you warm (a proverbial saying).
261	Marry: by (the Virgin) Mary.
mean: intend to.
263	in plain terms: to speak plainly.
264	’greed: agreed.
265	will you, nill you: whether you like it or not (a proverbial phrase that survives as “willy, nilly”).
266	for your turn: just right for you.
271	wild Kate: Perhaps there is a pun with “wildcat”.
272	Conformable: tame, submissive.
273	Never make denial: don’t refuse me.
274	to: for.
275	how speed you: how are you getting on.
278	speed amiss: get on badly.
279	In your dumps: The modern form is “down in the dumps” — i.e. miserable.
283	Jack: knave, rascal.
284	face: brazen.
285	all the world: everybody.
286	talked amiss of: been wrong about.
287	curst: bad-tempered.
for policy: deliberately, with some purpose.
288	froward: wilfully perverse.
289	hot: hot-tempered.
290	Grissel: Griselda was the model of wifely patience and long-suffering. Her story was first told in Boccaccio’s Decameron, and later by Chaucer in The Clerk’s Tale.
291	Lucrece: In his narrative poem The Rape of Lucrece, Shakespeare told the famous story of the Roman matron who killed herself after she had been raped by Tarquin.
297	speeding: success.
goodnight our part: we can say goodbye to our share in the business (i.e. both to their promises to pay Petruccio’s expenses and to their hopes of gaining Bianca).
300	’twixt us twain: between the two of us.
being alone: when we were alone.
301	still: always.
305	vied: redoubled: in gambling, this is a term used for raising the stakes.
protesting: swearing.
306	in a twink: i.e. “in the twinkling of an eye”.
307	’Tis a world: it is worth a world.
309	meacock: feeble.
310	will: will go.
311	’gainst: ready for.
312	bid: invite.
315	’tis a match: Baptista pronounces what, for the purposes of the play, must be considered as a formal marriage contract — something more than an engagement but less than a wedding.
318	apace: quickly.
320	we . . . Sunday: Petruccio might sing these words, which form the refrain in several old ballads.
321	clapped up: fixed up.
322	I play . . . part: I’m acting like a trader.
323	a desperate mart: a risky market.
324	commodity: piece of merchandise.
lay fretting by you: was going to waste# and was irritating you. 
325	gain: profit.
perish on the seas: i.e. as exports can be lost at sea.
329	looked for: been waiting for.
333	Youngling: young man.
dear: affectionately# and with as much expense.
334	fry: is too hot# the word, however, was chosen for the rhyme.
335	Skipper: playboy, irresponsible youth.
nourisheth: can provide.
337	compound: settle.
338	deeds: actions# and legal documents — marriage settlements.
he of both: whichever of you two# Hortensio has been forgotten.
339	dower: that part of his estate which a husband leaves (in his will) to his wife — cf. Petruccio’s provision for Katherine’s “widowhood” in lines 122–4.
343	plate: domestic utensils of silver and gold.
344	lave: wash.
345	hangings . . . tapestry: The best quality wall-coverings# Tyre, a famous trading-centre, was also famous from classical times for the manufacture of a rich purple dye.
346	coffers: money-chests.
347	cypress: wood prized for its fragrance.
arras counterpoints: bedcovers (counterpanes) from Arras in Flanders (also famous for its tapestries).
348	tents: testers — bed-curtains.
canopies: i.e. for the beds.
349	Turkey: English trade with Turkey was developing at the time of this play, and the imports were expensive# Gremio is trying to impress Baptista.
bossed: embossed, richly embroidered.
350	Valance: drapery hanging from the bed canopies.
Venice . . . needlework: embroidered with gold thread from Venice.
351	things that belongs: It is not uncommon for Shakespeare to use a singular verb form with the relative pronoun — “that” — when the antecedent — “things” — is plural.
353	milch-kine: cows giving milk.
to the pail: for the dairy (not for feeding calves).
354	oxen: beef cattle.
355	answerable . . . portion: in proportion to this estate.
356	struck in years: handicapped by age.
359	came well in: was well said.
list: listen.
362	three or four: Tranio (pretending to be Lucentio) increases the bidding.
363	Pisa walls: the walls of Pisa.
365	two thousand . . . fruitful land: a large annual income from fertile land.
366	jointure: estate settled on a woman at the time of her marriage — compare “widowhood” (line 124) and “dower” (line 339).
367	pinched you: got you there.
370	argosy: largest class of merchant vessel.
371	Marseilles road: the sheltered water outside the harbour of Marseilles# the spelling of the Folio text indicates the pronunciation — “Marcellus”.
372	choked: i.e. beaten your offer.
374	galliasses: ships, larger than galleys, using both sails and oars.
375	tight: sound-watertight.
381	out-vied: outbidden# see line 305.
384	else: otherwise.
386	cavil: legal trifle.
387	Gremio resorts to a platitude, proverbially phrased as “Young men may die, old men must die”.
396	gamester: gambler.
were: would be.
397	waning age: “declining years”.
398	Set . . . table: be dependent on you.
toy: ridiculous idea.
399	not so kind: i.e. cannot be fooled so easily.
400	A vengeance on: damn you.
401	faced . . . ten: The expression, deriving from a card-game called Primero, seems to indicate that Tranio is winning at the moment — by bluffing.
403	see no reason: can’t see any other way.
supposed Lucentio: the man who is supposed to be Lucentio — i.e. himself.
404	supposed Vincentio: who is supposed to be Vincentio (Lucentio’s father — see 1, 1, 13).
407	get: beget.