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TAMING OF THE SHREW

This comedy was written in approximately 1592. The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship, but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments — the "taming" — until she is an obedient bride. The sub-plot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina's more polite sister, Bianca.

The play begins with a framing device, known as an Induction, in which a drunken tinker named Sly is tricked into thinking he is a nobleman by a mischievous Lord. The Lord then has a play performed for Sly's amusement, set in Padua with a primary and sub-plot.

An illustration of Act 4, Scene 3 from the Illustrated London News, 1886

CONTENTS

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

INDUCTION. SCENE I.

SCENE II.

ACT I. SCENE I. Padua. A public place

SCENE I. Padua. A public place

SCENE II. Padua. Before HORTENSIO'S house

ACT Il. SCENE I. Padua. BAPTISTA'S house

SCENE I. Padua. BAPTISTA'S house

ACT III. SCENE I. Padua. BAPTISTA'S house

SCENE I. Padua. BAPTISTA'S house

SCENE II. Padua. Before BAPTISTA'So house

ACT IV. SCENE I. PETRUCHIO'S country house

SCENE I. PETRUCHIO'S country house

SCENE II. Padua. Before BAPTISTA'S house

SCENE III. PETRUCHIO'S house

SCENE IV. Padua. Before BAPTISTA'S house

SCENE V. A public road

ACT V. SCENE I. Padua. Before LUCENTIO'S house

SCENE I. Padua. Before LUCENTIO'S house

SCENE II. LUCENTIO'S house

The famous 1967 film adaptation starring Elizabeth Taylor

A musical inspired by the play

The 1999 teen romcom inspired by ‘The Taming of the Shrew’

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

A LORD

CHRISTOPHER SLY, a tinker

HOSTESS

PAGE

PLAYERS

HUNTSMEN

SERVANTS

BAPTISTA MINOLA, a gentleman of Padua

VINCENTIO, a Merchant of Pisa

LUCENTIO, son to Vincentio, in love with Bianca

PETRUCHIO, a gentleman of Verona, a suitor to Katherina

Suitors to Bianca

GREMIO

HORTENSIO

Servants to Lucentio

TRANIO

BIONDELLO

Servants to Petruchio

GRUMIO

CURTIS

A PEDANT

Daughters to Baptista

KATHERINA, the shrew

BIANCA

A WIDOW

Tailor, Haberdasher, and Servants attending on Baptista and Petruchio

SCENE: Padua, and PETRUCHIO'S house in the country

INDUCTION. SCENE I.

Before an alehouse on a heath

Enter HOSTESS and SLY

SLY. I'll pheeze you, in faith.

HOSTESS.

A pair of stocks, you rogue!

SLY.

Y'are a baggage; the Slys are no rogues. Look in the

chronicles: we came in with Richard Conqueror. Therefore, paucas

pallabris; let the world slide. Sessa!

HOSTESS.

You will not pay for the glasses you have burst?

SLY.

No, not a denier. Go by, Saint Jeronimy, go to thy cold bed and warm thee.

HOSTESS.

I know my remedy; I must go fetch the third-borough.

Exit

SLY. Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I'll answer him by law.

I'll not budge an inch, boy; let him come, and kindly.

[Falls asleep]

Wind horns. Enter a LORD from bunting, with his train

LORD.

Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my hounds;

Brach Merriman, the poor cur, is emboss'd;

And couple Clowder with the deep-mouth'd brach.

Saw'st thou not, boy, how Silver made it good

At the hedge corner, in the coldest fault?

I would not lose the dog for twenty pound.

FIRST HUNTSMAN.

Why, Belman is as good as he, my lord;

He cried upon it at the merest loss,

And twice to-day pick'd out the dullest scent;

Trust me, I take him for the better dog.

LORD.

Thou art a fool; if Echo were as fleet,

I would esteem him worth a dozen such.

But sup them well, and look unto them all;

To-morrow I intend to hunt again.

FIRST HUNTSMAN.

I will, my lord.

LORD.

What's here? One dead, or drunk?

See, doth he breathe?

SECOND HUNTSMAN.

He breathes, my lord. Were he not warm'd with ale,

This were a bed but cold to sleep so soundly.

LORD.

O monstrous beast, how like a swine he lies!

Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image!

Sirs, I will practise on this drunken man.

What think you, if he were convey'd