THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

Act 4 Scene 6

(Enter Petruccio, Katherine, Hortensio, and servants)
l1l	Petruccio	 Come on, i’ God’s name. Once more toward our father’s.
l2l		Good Lord, how bright and goodly shines the moon!
l3l	Katherine	The moon?—the sun. It is not moonlight now.
l4l	Petruccio	I say it is the moon that shines so bright.
l5l	Katherine	I know it is the sun that shines so bright.
l6l	Petruccio	Now, by my mother’s son—and that’s myself—
l7l		It shall be moon, or star, or what I list
l8l		Or ere I journey to your father’s house.
l9l		Go on, and fetch our horses back again.
l10l		Evermore crossed and crossed, nothing but crossed.
l11l	Hortensio	(to Katherine)
		 Say as he says or we shall never go.
l12l	Katherine	Forward, I pray, since we have come so far,
l13l		And be it moon or sun or what you please,
l14l		And if you please to call it a rush-candle
l15l		Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
l16l	Petruccio	I say it is the moon.
l17l	Katherine	I know it is the moon.
l18l	Petruccio	Nay then you lie, it is the blessèd sun.
l19l	Katherine	Then God be blessed, it is the blessèd sun,
l20l		But sun it is not when you say it is not,
l21l		And the moon changes even as your mind.
l22l		What you will have it named, even that it is,
l23l		And so it shall be still for Katherine.
l24l	Hortensio	Petruccio, go thy ways. The field is won.
l25l	Petruccio	Well, forward, forward. Thus the bowl should run,
l26l		And not unluckily against the bias.
l27l		But soft, company is coming here.
		(Enter old Vincentio)
l28l		(To Vincentio)
		 Good morrow, gentle mistress, where away?
l29l		Tell me, sweet Kate, and tell me truly too,
l30l		Hast thou beheld a fresher gentlewoman,
l31l		Such war of white and red within her cheeks?
l32l		What stars do spangle heaven with such beauty
l33l		As those two eyes become that heavenly face?
l34l		Fair lovely maid, once more good day to thee.
l35l		Sweet Kate, embrace her for her beauty’s sake.
l36l	Hortensio	 A will make the man mad to make the woman
l37l		of him.
l38l	Katherine	 Young budding virgin, fair, and fresh, and sweet,
l39l		Whither away, or where is thy abode?
l40l		Happy the parents of so fair a child,
l41l		Happier the man whom favourable stars
l42l		Allots thee for his lovely bedfellow.
l43l	Petruccio	Why, how now, Kate, I hope thou art not mad.
l44l		This is a man, old, wrinkled, faded, withered,
l45l		And not a maiden as thou sayst he is.
l46l	Katherine	Pardon, old father, my mistaking eyes
l47l		That have been so bedazzled with the sun
l48l		That everything I look on seemeth green.
l49l		Now I perceive thou art a reverend father.
l50l		Pardon, I pray thee, for my mad mistaking.
l51l	Petruccio	Do, good old grandsire, and withal make known
l52l		Which way thou travell’st. If along with us,
l53l		We shall be joyful of thy company.
l54l	Vincentio	Fair sir, and you, my merry mistress,
l55l		That with your strange encounter much amazed me,
l56l		My name is called Vincentio, my dwelling Pisa,
l57l		And bound I am to Padua, there to visit
l58l		A son of mine which long I have not seen.
l59l	Petruccio	What is his name?
	Vincentio	Lucentio, gentle sir.
l60l	Petruccio	Happily met, the happier for thy son.
l61l		And now by law as well as reverend age
l62l		I may entitle thee my loving father.
l63l		The sister to my wife, this gentlewoman,
l64l		Thy son by this hath married. Wonder not,
l65l		Nor be not grieved. She is of good esteem,
l66l		Her dowry wealthy, and of worthy birth,
l67l		Beside, so qualified as may beseem
l68l		The spouse of any noble gentleman.
l69l		Let me embrace with old Vincentio,
l70l		And wander we to see thy honest son,
l71l		Who will of thy arrival be full joyous.
		(He embraces Vincentio)
l72l	Vincentio	 But is this true, or is it else your pleasure
l73l		Like pleasant travellers to break a jest
l74l		Upon the company you overtake?
l75l	Hortensio	I do assure thee, father, so it is.
l76l	Petruccio	Come, go along, and see the truth hereof,
l77l		For our first merriment hath made thee jealous.
		(Exeunt all but Hortensio)
l78l	Hortensio	 Well, Petruccio, this has put me in heart.
l79l		Have to my widow, and if she be froward,
l80l		Then hast thou taught Hortensio to be untoward.
		(Exit)