Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
Act 4 - Scene 5
A public road
Petruchio : Come on, a God's name; once more toward our father's.
[p]Good Lord,
how bright and goodly shines the moon!
Katherina : The moon? The sun! It is not moonlight now.
Petruchio : I say it is the moon that shines so bright.
Katherina : I know it is the sun that shines so bright.
Petruchio : Now by my mother's son, and that's myself,
[p]It shall be moon, or
star, or what I list,
[p]Or ere I journey to your father's
house.
[p]Go on and fetch our horses back again.
[p]Evermore cross'd
and cross'd; nothing but cross'd!
Hortensio : Say as he says, or we shall never go.
Katherina : Forward, I pray, since we have come so far,
[p]And be it moon, or sun,
or what you please;
[p]And if you please to call it a
rush-candle,
[p]Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
Petruchio : I say it is the moon.
Katherina : I know it is the moon.
Petruchio : Nay, then you lie; it is the blessed sun.
Katherina : Then, God be bless'd, it is the blessed sun;
[p]But sun it is not,
when you say it is not;
[p]And the moon changes even as your
mind.
[p]What you will have it nam'd, even that it is,
[p]And so it
shall be so for Katherine.
Hortensio : Petruchio, go thy ways, the field is won.
Petruchio : Well, forward, forward! thus the bowl should run,
[p]And not unluckily
against the bias.
[p]But, soft! Company is coming here.
[p][Enter
VINCENTIO]
[p][To VINCENTIO] Good-morrow, gentle mistress; where
away?-
[p]Tell me, sweet Kate, and tell me truly too,
[p]Hast thou
beheld a fresher gentlewoman?
[p]Such war of white and red within her
cheeks!
[p]What stars do spangle heaven with such beauty
[p]As those
two eyes become that heavenly face?
[p]Fair lovely maid, once more
good day to thee.
[p]Sweet Kate, embrace her for her beauty's sake.
Hortensio : 'A will make the man mad, to make a woman of him.
Katherina : Young budding virgin, fair and fresh and sweet,
[p]Whither away, or
where is thy abode?
[p]Happy the parents of so fair a
child;
[p]Happier the man whom favourable stars
[p]Allots thee for his
lovely bed-fellow.
Petruchio : Why, how now, Kate, I hope thou art not mad!
[p]This is a man, old,
wrinkled, faded, withered,
[p]And not a maiden, as thou sayst he is.
Katherina : Pardon, old father, my mistaking eyes,
[p]That have been so bedazzled
with the sun
[p]That everything I look on seemeth green;
[p]Now I
perceive thou art a reverend father.
[p]Pardon, I pray thee, for my
mad mistaking.
Petruchio : Do, good old grandsire, and withal make known
[p]Which way thou
travellest- if along with us,
[p]We shall be joyful of thy company.
Vincentio : Fair sir, and you my merry mistress,
[p]That with your strange
encounter much amaz'd me,
[p]My name is call'd Vincentio, my dwelling
Pisa,
[p]And bound I am to Padua, there to visit
[p]A son of mine,
which long I have not seen.
Petruchio : What is his name?
Vincentio : Lucentio, gentle sir.
Petruchio : Happily met; the happier for thy son.
[p]And now by law, as well as
reverend age,
[p]I may entitle thee my loving father:
[p]The sister to
my wife, this gentlewoman,
[p]Thy son by this hath married. Wonder
not,
[p]Nor be not grieved- she is of good esteem,
[p]Her dowry
wealthy, and of worthy birth;
[p]Beside, so qualified as may
beseem
[p]The spouse of any noble gentleman.
[p]Let me embrace with
old Vincentio;
[p]And wander we to see thy honest son,
[p]Who will of
thy arrival be full joyous.
Vincentio : But is this true; or is it else your pleasure,
[p]Like pleasant
travellers, to break a jest
[p]Upon the company you overtake?
Hortensio : I do assure thee, father, so it is.
Petruchio : Come, go along, and see the truth hereof;
[p]For our first merriment
hath made thee jealous.
Hortensio : Well, Petruchio, this has put me in heart.
[p]Have to my widow; and if
she be froward,
[p]Then hast thou taught Hortensio to be untoward.
Exit
Previous: Act 4 - Scene 4
Next: Act 5 - Scene 1
