William Shakespeare - The Complete Works/William Shakespeare - The Complete Works on CD-ROM.iso/library/line/shr/shr4.txt

Text File | 1994-05-22 | 10.8 KB | 306 lines

Act 1 Scene 2

Petruccio and his servant Grumio have arrived in
Padua; we are told a little about PetruccioÆs
circumstances ù and shown something of his
temper. He declares his intention of finding a rich
wife for himself, and when Hortensio describes
Katherine, Petruccio happily accepts the challenge.
Grumio, the servant, adds his own comments on
his master. Hortensio confides in Petruccio, and
tells of his plan to gain access to Bianca. His rival
Gremio, meanwhile, has found another teacher for
Bianca ù and this is Lucentio, disguised as Tranio
and calling himself by his servantÆs name.
Petruccio is introduced as the man who is willing
to marry Katherine and thereby free Bianca so that
one of her lovers can get her hand in marriage. The
real Tranio, calling himself Lucentio, enters to
announce his determination to court Bianca, and
agrees to share with Hortensio and Gremio in
paying Petruccio to marry Katherine.
2    of all: most of all.
3    approv;aged: trusted.
4    trow: believe.
this is his house: The Elizabethan stage had two
doors at the back; Petruccio could enter at one
door, coming into Padua, and cross to the other,
finding HortensioÆs ôhouseö.
6, 7    Knock . . . rebused: Grumio
misunderstands PetruccioÆs words, and confuses
his own; ôknockö was commonly used as ôbeatö,
but ôrebusedö is GrumioÆs own muddle of
ôabusedö and ôrebukedö.
8    me: for me.
12    rap me well: knock loudly for me.
knaveÆs pate: fool of a head. The doggerel
rhyming verse is appropriate for slapstick comedy.
13    ôYou want me to hit you firstö ù so
Grumio would give Petruccio reason to beat his
servant.
14    comes by: suffers.
15    Petruccio is exasperated.
16    an: if.
ring it: i.e. the bell ù with a pun on ôwringö.
17    solfa: sing a musical scale; the verb from
ôsolfaö is ShakespeareÆs own coinage.
21    How do you all: how is everybody.
23    fray: fighting.
24    ôWith all my heart, itÆs good to meet you.ö
25    ôWelcome to our house, most honoured
Petruccio.ö
27    compound: settle.
28    Æleges: alleges; Grumio is an English
servant in his mistrust of foreign languages,
mistaking Italian for Latin.
32    two . . . out: Grumio implies that
Petruccio is slightly mad ù perhaps drunk. He
alludes to the card game ôOne and thirtyö (in
French, trente et un), where the player must
collect cards whose spots (pips) amount to 31
exactly; to score 32 was excessive. Perhaps, also,
Grumio refers to his masterÆs age.
38    for my heart: for my life.
42    come you now: are you now saying.
43    advise: warn.
44    pledge: surety.
45    this: this is.
a heavy chance: a bad business.
46    pleasant: merry.
47    happy: fortunate.
49    Such: the same.
50    farther . . . home: away from home.
51    Where . . . grows: where thereÆs not much
opportunity.
in a few: briefly.
52    thus it stands: itÆs like this.
54    thrust . . . maze: i.e. come out into the
confused paths of this world.
55    Happily: with any luck.
to wive . . . may: get married and do as well as I
can for myself.
56    Crowns: money.
57    abroad: away from home.
58    come . . . thee: tell you straight.
59    wish thee to: show you how to get.
shrewd: shrewish.
ill-favoured: bad tempered.
60    ThouÆdst . . . little: you wouldnÆt thank me
much.
63    wish: The sense is slightly different from
that of ôwishö in line 59; Hortensio would not
want his good friend to be married to a wife like
Katherine.
67    burden: musical accompaniment.
68    FlorentiusÆ love: To save his life, Sir
Florent (in GowerÆs Confessio Amantis, Book I)
must find out what it is that women most desire.
An old hag promises to tell him, on condition that
he marries her. He accepts, and is told that all
women want to be ôsovereign of manÆs loveö. On
the wedding-night the old woman, released from a
magic spell when Lorent keeps his promise to
marry her, turns back into a beautiful young girl. A
version of the story is told by the Wife of Bath in
ChaucerÆs Canterbury Tales.
69    Sibyl: A prophetess in classical mythology
who asked the god Apollo to grant her as many
years of life as the grains of sand that she held in
her hand.
70    Xanthippe: The wife of Socrates, the
Greek philosopher, was notorious for her bad
temper.
71    moves me not: doesnÆt worry me.
72    AffectionÆs edge: my keen desire.
74    wive it wealthily: make a rich marriage.
78    aglet-baby: Perhaps this was a little doll
hanging (as a decorative tag) at the end of a lace.
trot: hag.
79, 80    as . . . horses: Horses, like cars, are
always ôgoing wrongö; GrumioÆs comparison
emphasizes the commercial aspect of PetruccioÆs
wooing.
81    so: provided that.
82    are . . . in: have got so far in this matter.
83    broached in jest: started to suggest as a
joke.
88    intolerable curst: unbearably bad-
tempered.
89    forward: perverse.
beyond all measure: extreme.
90    state: financial situation.
94    board her: woo her; PetruccioÆs image is
from naval warfare.
chide: grumble.
103    thus bold: so rude.
104    ôTo leave you now although we have only
just met.ö
105    thither: i.e. to BaptistaÆs house.
106    while . . . lasts: as long as he is in this
mood.
108    do little good: have no effect.
111    in his rope-tricks: in his own language;
Grumio means ôrhetoricö.
an: if.
111    stand him: argue with him.
112    throw . . . with it: answer her in such a
way that will silence her. Grumio refers to a
rhetorical figure of speech; when Kate is dis-
figured, she will be bereft of language.
113    eyes . . . cat: Editors agree that these
words do not make sense; perhaps the phrase
should refer to a blind cat suggesting that
Petruccio has disfigured Kate by scratching her
eyes out.
115    Tarry: wait a moment.
116    heep: keeping; a castleÆs ôkeepö was the
safe for all its treasures. Hortensio sustains a
gentle word-play in the following lines.
117    in hold: in custody.
119    withholds: keeps.
other: others. This use of the singular form is
common in Elizabethan usage.
more: as well as me.
121    Supposing: believing.
122    before rehearsed: just told you about.
124    order . . . taÆen: Baptista has made this
plan.
126    curst: cursed; but the sense is not so
strong as ôdamnedö ù perhaps ôperverseö, or
ôwilfulö.
129    do me grace: do me a favour.
130    in sober robes: wearing an academic
gown.
132    Well seen: fully qualified.
134    make love: i.e. declare his love.
136    Grumio makes his comment directly to the
audience, before drawing HortensioÆs attention to
the new arrivals.
beguile: deceive.
137    lay . . . together: make plots.
141    a proper stripling: a fine young man:
Grumio is ironic.
142    note: i.e. the list of books.
143    fairly bound: Elizabethan books were
often sold unbound, and the purchasers would put
handsome covers on them.
144    at any hand: in any case.
145    see . . . her: make sure you donÆt teach her
anything else.
147    liberality: generosity (in paying the tutorÆs
wages).
148    mend . . . largess: add something as a
present to you.
paper: i.e. the booklist referred to in line 142.
149    them: i.e. the books he has ordered; the
Elizabethans liked to have things scented.
151    read to her: study with her.
154    as . . . place: as though you were present
yourself.
158    woodcock: a bird (of the snipe family)
noted for its foolishness.
160    mum: keep quiet.
162    Trow you: do you know.
166    lighted well: discovered.
168    Fit . . . turn: just what she needs.
176    bags: i.e. money-bags.
177    vent: talk about.
178    speak me fair: deal honestly with me.
179    indifferent: equally.
181    ôIf we can come to some agreement with
himö; Hortensio wants to make Gremio share in
the expenses of wooing Katherine.
184    So . . . done: GremioÆs phrase seems to
combine two proverbial savings ù ôNo sooner
said than doneö and ôIt is easier said than doneö.
He is happy to pay his share of PetruccioÆs
expenses, but doubtful whether the scheme will
work.
186    irksome: hateful (the sense is stronger
than that of the modern usage).
scold: quarrelsome woman.
188    sayst me so: is that all you have to say.
What countryman: where are you from.
191    good . . . see: to have a long and happy
life.
193    if . . . stomach: if thatÆs what you want.
toÆt: get on with it.
a: in
196    or . . . her: or be hanged to her. The sense
of GrumioÆs comment is not immediately obvious,
but it seems to be a dismissal of Katherine.
197    to that intent: for that purpose.
197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205
    PetruccioÆs description of his heroic past
fits him for a role as romantic lover ù although it
is probably fictitious.
201    chafed: enraged.
202    ordnance: cannon.
field: battlefield.
205    Ælarums: battlecries.
clang: the technical name for the sound of a
military trumpet.
208    chestnut: i.e. the explosion of a roasted
chestnut.
209    fear . . . bugs: frighten children with
bugbears (= goblins).
212    happily: fortunately.
215    charge of wooing: the cost of his
courtship.
whatsoeÆer: whatever it is.
217    would: wish.
217s.d.    brave: finely dressed.
219    readiest: quickest.
221    Biondello is playing a pre-arranged part.
223    Even he: thatÆs exactly the man I mean.
224    her to-: Gremio suspects another rival,
come to woo Bianca; but Tranio is impatient. The
rhymed couplets of the following lines suggest a
battle of wits.
225    What . . . do?: what business is it of
yours?
226    at any hand: in any case.
233    so . . . she: Bianca is not available for
Tranio to woo.
236    choice: chosen.
238    Softly: take it easy; Tranio, pretending to
be Lucentio, tries to talk like a courtly gentleman.
244    Tranio is comparing Bianca to Helen of
Troy, the daughter of Leda and Jupiter. She was
said (in Greek mythology) to be the most beautiful
woman in the world, and was stolen away from her
husband by Paris, son of Priam. This was the
cause of the Trojan War.
247    speed alone: be the only one to succeed.
249    give him head: let him run on (as though
he were an unchecked horse).
a jade: a weak horse that will quickly tire.
256    let her go by: leave her alone.
257    Gremio considers the wooing of Katherine
to be a task equal to the twelve apparently
impossible labours imposed on Hercules (whose
family name was Alcides).
259    understand . . . sooth: i.e. let me put it
plainly.
260    hearken for: are interested in.
266    stead: help.
267    break the ice: get started.
269    whose hap: the man whose luck.
270    graceless: ill-bred.
ingrate: ungrateful.
271    conceive: understand.
273    gratify: reward; Hortensio is still
concerned that Petruccio shall be paid for his task.
274    generally: together.
beholding: indebted.
275    slack: slow in paying.
276    contrive: get together.
277    quaff carouses . . . health: do some
drinking, toasting BiancaÆs health.
278    as adversaries in law: i.e. like the lawyers
representing opposing sides.
280    motion: suggestion.
282    I . . . venuto: be my guest; the Italian
words (which mean, literally, ôwelcomeö) end the
scene with a courtly flourish.