THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

Act 5 Scene 1

(Enter Biondello, Lucentio, and Bianca. Gremio is out before)
l1l	Biondello	 Softly and swiftly, sir, for the priest is ready.
l2l	Lucentio	I fly, Biondello# but they may chance to need
l3l		thee at home, therefore leave us.
l4l	Biondello	Nay, faith, I’ll see the church a’ your back
l5l		and then come back to my master’s as soon as I can.
		(Exeunt Lucentio, Bianca, and Biondello)
l6l	Gremio	 I marvel Cambio comes not all this while.
		( 6 Enter Petruccio, Katherine, Vincentio, Grumio, with attendants)
l7l	Petruccio	 Sir, here’s the door. This is Lucentio’s house.
l8l		My father’s bears more toward the market-place.
l9l		Thither must I, and here I leave you, sir.
l10l	Vincentio	You shall not choose but drink before you go.
l11l		I think I shall command your welcome here,
l12l		And by all likelihood some cheer is toward.
		(He knocks)
l13l	Gremio	 They’re busy within. You were best knock louder.
		(Vincentio knocks again. The Pedant looks out of the window)
l14l	Pedant	 What’s he that knocks as he would beat down
l15l		the gate?
l16l	Vincentio	Is Signor Lucentio within, sir?
l17l	Pedant	He’s within, sir, but not to be spoken withal.
l18l	Vincentio	What if a man bring him a hundred pound or
l19l		two to make merry withal?
l20l	Pedant	Keep your hundred pounds to yourself. He shall
l21l		need none so long as I live.
l22l	Petruccio	(to Vincentio)
		 Nay, I told you your son was well
l23l		beloved in Padua.
		(To the Pedant)
		 Do you hear, sir, to
l24l		leave frivolous circumstances, I pray you tell Signor
l25l		Lucentio that his father is come from Pisa and is here
l26l		at the door to speak with him.
l27l	Pedant	Thou liest. His father is come from Padua and
l28l		here looking out at the window.
l29l	Vincentio	Art thou his father?
l30l	Pedant	Ay, sir, so his mother says, if I may believe her.
l31l	Petruccio	(to Vincentio)
		 Why, how now, gentleman? Why,
l32l		this is flat knavery, to take upon you another man’s
l33l		name.
l34l	Pedant	Lay hands on the villain. I believe a means to
l35l		cozen somebody in this city under my countenance.
		(Enter Biondello)
l36l	Biondello	(aside)
		 I have seen them in the church together,
l37l		God send ’em good shipping. But who is here? Mine
l38l		old master, Vincentio—now we are undone and
l39l		brought to nothing.
l40l	Vincentio	(to Biondello)
		 Come hither, crackhemp.
l41l	Biondello	I hope I may choose, sir.
l42l	Vincentio	Come hither, you rogue. What, have you forgot
l43l		me?
l44l	Biondello	Forgot you? No, sir, I could not forget you,
l45l		for I never saw you before in all my life.
l46l	Vincentio	What, you notorious villain, didst thou never
l47l		see thy master’s father, Vincentio?
l48l	Biondello	What, my old worshipful old master? Yes,
l49l		marry, sir, see where he looks out of the window.
l50l	Vincentio	Is ’t so indeed?
		(He beats Biondello)
l51l	Biondello	 Help, help, help! Here’s a madman will murder
l52l		me.
		(Exit)
l53l	Pedant	 Help, son! Help, Signor Baptista!
		(Exit above)
l54l	Petruccio	 Prithee, Kate, let’s stand aside and see the end
l55l		of this controversy.
		(They stand aside.)
l56l		Enter Pedant with servants, Baptista, Tranio as Lucentio
	Tranio	
		(to Vincentio)
		 Sir, what are you that offer to beat
l57l		my servant?
l58l	Vincentio	What am I, sir? Nay, what are you, sir? O
l59l		immortal gods, O fine villain, a silken doublet, a velvet
l60l		hose, a scarlet cloak, and a copintank hat—O, I am
l61l		undone, I am undone! While I play the good husband
l62l		at home, my son and my servant spend all at the
l63l		university.
l64l	Tranio	How now, what’s the matter?
l65l	Baptista	What, is the man lunatic?
l66l	Tranio	Sir, you seem a sober, ancient gentleman by your
l67l		habit, but your words show you a madman. Why sir,
l68l		what ’cerns it you if I wear pearl and gold? I thank
l69l		my good father, I am able to maintain it.
l70l	Vincentio	Thy father! O villain, he is a sailmaker in
l71l		Bergamo.
l72l	Baptista	You mistake, sir, you mistake, sir. Pray what
l73l		do you think is his name?
l74l	Vincentio	His name? As if I knew not his name—I have
l75l		brought him up ever since he was three years old, and
l76l		his name is Tranio.
l77l	Pedant	Away, away, mad ass. His name is Lucentio, and
l78l		he is mine only son, and heir to the lands of me, Signor
l79l		Vincentio.
l80l	Vincentio	Lucentio? O, he hath murdered his master!
l81l		Lay hold on him, I charge you, in the Duke’s name. O
l82l		my son, my son! Tell me, thou villain, where is my
l83l		son Lucentio?
l84l	Tranio	Call forth an officer.
		(Enter an Officer)
l85l		Carry this mad knave to the jail. Father Baptista, I
l86l		charge you see that he be forthcoming.
l87l	Vincentio	Carry me to the jail?
l88l	Gremio	Stay, officer, he shall not go to prison.
l89l	Baptista	Talk not, Signor Gremio. I say he shall go to
l90l		prison.
l91l	Gremio	Take heed, Signor Baptista, lest you be cony-
l92l		catched in this business. I dare swear this is the right
l93l		Vincentio.
l94l	Pedant	Swear if thou dar’st.
l95l	Gremio	Nay, I dare not swear it.
l96l	Tranio	Then thou wert best say that I am not Lucentio.
l97l	Gremio	Yes, I know thee to be Signor Lucentio.
l98l	Baptista	Away with the dotard. To the jail with him.
		(Enter Biondello, Lucentio, and Bianca)
l99l	Vincentio	 Thus strangers may be haled and abused. O
l100l		monstrous villain!
l101l	Biondello	O, we are spoiled and—yonder he is. Deny
l102l		him, forswear him, or else we are all undone.
		(Exeunt Biondello, Tranio, and Pedant, as fast as may be)
l103l	Lucentio	(to Vincentio)
		 Pardon, sweet father.
		(He kneels)
l104l	Vincentio	 Lives my sweet son?
l105l	Bianca	(to Baptista)
		 Pardon, dear father.
l106l	Baptista	How hast thou offended? Where is Lucentio?
l107l	Lucentio	Here’s Lucentio, right son to the right Vincentio,
l108l		That have by marriage made thy daughter mine,
l109l		While counterfeit supposes bleared thine eyne.
l110l	Gremio	Here’s packing with a witness, to deceive us all.
l111l	Vincentio	Where is that damnèd villain Tranio,
l112l		That faced and braved me in this matter so?
l113l	Baptista	Why, tell me, is not this my Cambio?
l114l	Bianca	Cambio is changed into Lucentio.
l115l	Lucentio	Love wrought these miracles. Bianca’s love
l116l		Made me exchange my state with Tranio
l117l		While he did bear my countenance in the town,
l118l		And happily I have arrived at the last
l119l		Unto the wishèd haven of my bliss.
l120l		What Tranio did, myself enforced him to.
l121l		Then pardon him, sweet father, for my sake.
l122l	Vincentio	 I’ll slit the villain’s nose that would have sent
l123l		me to the jail.
l124l	Baptista	But do you hear, sir, have you married my
l125l		daughter without asking my good will?
l126l	Vincentio	Fear not, Baptista. We will content you. Go to,
l127l		but I will in to be revenged for this villainy.
		(Exit)
l128l	Baptista	 And I to sound the depth of this knavery.
		( 128 Exit)
l129l	Lucentio	 Look not pale, Bianca. Thy father will not frown.
		(Exeunt Lucentio and Bianca)
l130l	Gremio	 My cake is dough, but I’ll in among the rest,
l131l		Out of hope of all but my share of the feast.
		(Exit)
l132l	Katherine	(coming forward)
		 Husband, let’s follow to see
l133l		the end of this ado.
l134l	Petruccio	First kiss me, Kate, and we will.
l135l	Katherine	What, in the midst of the street?
l136l	Petruccio	What, art thou ashamed of me?
l137l	Katherine	No, sir, God forbid# but ashamed to kiss.
l138l	Petruccio	 Why then, let’s home again. Come sirrah, let’s away.
l139l	Katherine	Nay, I will give thee a kiss. Now pray thee love, stay.
		(They kiss)
l140l	Petruccio	 Is not this well? Come, my sweet Kate.
l141l		Better once than never, for never too late.
		(Exeunt)