Act I, Scene 2

The Taming of the Shrew | Act I, Scene 2

[Padua. Before Hortensio's house.]

Enter Petruchio and his man Grumio.

PET:: Verona, for a while I take my leave,
To see my friends in Padua, but of all
My best beloved and approved friend,
Hortensio; and I trow this is his house.
Here, sirrah Grumio; knock, I say.(5)

GRU:: Knock, sir! whom should I knock? is there man has
rebused your worship?

GRU:: Knock you here, sir! why, sir, what am I, sir, that I
should knock you here, sir?(10)

PET:: Villain, I say, knock me at this gate
And rap me well, or I'll knock your knave's pate.

GRU:: My master is grown quarrelsome. I should knock you
first, and then I know after who comes by the worst.

PET:: Will it not be?(15)
Faith, sirrah, an you'll not knock, I'll ring it;
I'll try how you can Sol, Fa, and sing it.

He wrings him by the ears.

Enter Hortensio.

HOR:: How now! what's the matter? My old friend(20)
Grumio! and my good friend Petruchio! How do you
all at Verona?

PET:: Signior Hortensio, come you to part the fray?
‘Con tutto il cuore, ben trovato,’ may I say.

HOR:: ‘Alla nostra casa ben venuto, molto honorato signor(25)
mio Petruchio.’ Rise, Grumio, rise: we will
compound this quarrel.

GRU:: Nay, 'tis no matter, sir, what he 'leges in Latin. If this
be not a lawful case for me to leave his service, look
you, sir, he bid me knock him and rap him soundly, sir:(30)
well, was it fit for a servant to use his master so, being
perhaps, for aught I see, two and thirty, a pip out?
Whom would to God I had well knock'd at first, then had
not Grumio come by the worst.

PET:: A senseless villain! Good Hortensio,(35)
I bade the rascal knock upon your gate
And could not get him for my heart to do it.

GRU:: Knock at the gate! O heavens! Spake you not these
words plain, ‘Sirrah, knock me here, rap me here, knock
me well, and knock me soundly’? And come you now(40)
with, ‘knocking at the gate’?

HOR:: Petruchio, patience; I am Grumio's pledge:
Why, this's a heavy chance 'twixt him and you,
Your ancient, trusty, pleasant servant, Grumio.(45)
And tell me now, sweet friend, what happy gale
Blows you to Padua here from old Verona?

PET:: Such wind as scatters young men through the world,
To seek their fortunes farther than at home
Where small experience grows. But in a few,(50)
Signior Hortensio, thus it stands with me:
Antonio, my father, is deceased;
And I have thrust myself into this maze,
Haply to wive and thrive as best I may:
Crowns in my purse I have and goods at home,(55)
And so am come abroad to see the world.

HOR:: Petruchio, shall I then come roundly to thee
And wish thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife?
Thou'ldst thank me but a little for my counsel:
And yet I'll promise thee she shall be rich(60)
And very rich: but thou'rt too much my friend,
And I'll not wish thee to her.

PET:: Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as we
Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know
One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife,(65)
As wealth is burden of my wooing dance,
Be she as foul as was Florentius' love,
As old as Sibyl and as curst and shrewd
As Socrates' Xanthippe, or a worse,
She moves me not, or not removes, at least,(70)
Affection's edge in me, were she as rough
As are the swelling Adriatic seas:
I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;
If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

GRU:: Nay, look you, sir, he tells you flatly what his mind is:(75)
why, give him gold enough and marry him to a puppet
or an aglet-baby; or an old trot with ne'er a tooth in
her head, though she have as many diseases as two and
fifty horses: why, nothing comes amiss, so money
comes withal.(80)

HOR:: Petruchio, since we are stepp'd thus far in,
I will continue that I broach'd in jest.
I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife
With wealth enough and young and beauteous,
Brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman:(85)
Her only fault, and that is faults enough,
Is that she is intolerable curst
And shrewd and froward, so beyond all measure
That, were my state far worser than it is,
I would not wed her for a mine of gold.(90)

PET:: Hortensio, peace! thou know'st not gold's effect:
Tell me her father's name and 'tis enough;
For I will board her, though she chide as loud
As thunder when the clouds in autumn crack.

HOR:: Her father is Baptista Minola,(95)
An affable and courteous gentleman:
Her name is Katherina Minola,
Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue.

PET:: I know her father, though I know not her;
And he knew my deceased father well.(100)
I will not sleep, Hortensio, till I see her;
And therefore let me be thus bold with you
To give you over at this first encounter,
Unless you will accompany me thither.

GRU:: I pray you, sir, let him go while the humour lasts. O'(105)
my word, an she knew him as well as I do, she would
think scolding would do little good upon him: she may
perhaps call him half a score knaves or so: why, that's
nothing; an he begin once, he'll rail in his rope-tricks.
I'll tell you what sir, an she stand him but a little, he(110)
will throw a figure in her face and so disfigure her
with it that she shall have no more eyes to see withal
than a cat. You know him not, sir.

HOR:: Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee,
For in Baptista's keep my treasure is:(115)
He hath the jewel of my life in hold,
His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca,
And her withholds from me and other more,
Suitors to her and rivals in my love,
Supposing it a thing impossible,(120)
For those defects I have before rehearsed,
That ever Katherina will be woo'd;
Therefore this order hath Baptista ta'en,
That none shall have access unto Bianca
Till Katherine the curst have got a husband.(125)

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