←

The Taming of the Shrew, Act 4, Scene 1

William Shakespeare
Every note, for your class

The story so far

Earlier in the play

Baptista refuses to marry Bianca before Katherina. Petruchio agrees to marry Katherina despite her objections. Lucentio and Hortensio court Bianca disguised as tutors; Tranio poses as Lucentio. Baptista accepts Tranio’s marriage offer for Bianca, provided Lucentio’s father guarantees it. Bianca learns Lucentio’s identity and tells him not to despair.

In the last scene: Act 3, Scene 2

Petruchio arrives late in shabby clothes and refuses to change. Gremio reports that he swears and strikes the priest during the wedding. Afterwards, Petruchio insists on leaving before the feast and takes Katherina away despite her refusal. Grumio accompanies them. Tranio plans to find someone to impersonate Lucentio’s father and guarantee the marriage settlement.

SCENE I. A hall in Petruchio’s country house.

Enter Grumio.
GRUMIO
Fie, fie on all tired jades, on all mad masters, and all foul ways! Was ever man so beaten? Was ever man so ray’d? Was ever man so weary? I am sent before to make a fire, and they are coming after to warm them. Now, were not I a little pot and soon hot, my very lips might freeze to my teeth, my tongue to the roof of my mouth, my heart in my belly, ere I should come by a fire to thaw me. But I with blowing the fire shall warm myself; for, considering the weather, a taller man than I will take cold. Holla, ho! Curtis!
Enter Curtis.
CURTIS
Who is that calls so coldly?
GRUMIO
A piece of ice: if thou doubt it, thou mayst slide from my shoulder to my heel with no greater a run but my head and my neck. A fire, good Curtis.
CURTIS
Is my master and his wife coming, Grumio?
GRUMIO
O, ay! Curtis, ay; and therefore fire, fire; cast on no water.
CURTIS
Is she so hot a shrew as she’s reported?
GRUMIO
She was, good Curtis, before this frost; but thou knowest winter tames man, woman, and beast; for it hath tamed my old master, and my new mistress, and myself, fellow Curtis.
CURTIS
Away, you three-inch fool! I am no beast.
GRUMIO
Am I but three inches? Why, thy horn is a foot; and so long am I at the least. But wilt thou make a fire, or shall I complain on thee to our mistress, whose hand,—she being now at hand,— thou shalt soon feel, to thy cold comfort, for being slow in thy hot office?
CURTIS
I prithee, good Grumio, tell me, how goes the world?
GRUMIO
A cold world, Curtis, in every office but thine; and therefore fire. Do thy duty, and have thy duty, for my master and mistress are almost frozen to death.
CURTIS
There’s fire ready; and therefore, good Grumio, the news.
GRUMIO
Why, ‘Jack boy! ho, boy!’ and as much news as wilt thou.
CURTIS
Come, you are so full of cony-catching.
GRUMIO
Why, therefore, fire; for I have caught extreme cold. Where’s the cook? Is supper ready, the house trimmed, rushes strewed, cobwebs swept, the servingmen in their new fustian, their white stockings, and every officer his wedding-garment on? Be the Jacks fair within, the Jills fair without, and carpets laid, and everything in order?
CURTIS
All ready; and therefore, I pray thee, news.
GRUMIO
First, know my horse is tired; my master and mistress fallen out.
CURTIS
How?
GRUMIO
Out of their saddles into the dirt; and thereby hangs a tale.
CURTIS
Let’s ha’t, good Grumio.
GRUMIO
Lend thine ear.
CURTIS
Here.
GRUMIO
There.
CURTIS
This ’tis to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.
GRUMIO
And therefore ’tis called a sensible tale; and this cuff was but to knock at your ear and beseech listening. Now I begin: Imprimis, we came down a foul hill, my master riding behind my mistress,—
CURTIS
Both of one horse?
GRUMIO
What’s that to thee?
CURTIS
Why, a horse.
GRUMIO
Tell thou the tale: but hadst thou not crossed me, thou shouldst have heard how her horse fell, and she under her horse; thou shouldst have heard in how miry a place, how she was bemoiled; how he left her with the horse upon her; how he beat me because her horse stumbled; how she waded through the dirt to pluck him off me: how he swore; how she prayed, that never prayed before; how I cried; how the horses ran away; how her bridle was burst; how I lost my crupper; with many things of worthy memory, which now shall die in oblivion, and thou return unexperienced to thy grave.
CURTIS
By this reckoning he is more shrew than she.
GRUMIO
Ay; and that thou and the proudest of you all shall find when he comes home. But what talk I of this? Call forth Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas, Philip, Walter, Sugarsop, and the rest; let their heads be sleekly combed, their blue coats brush’d and their garters of an indifferent knit; let them curtsy with their left legs, and not presume to touch a hair of my master’s horse-tail till they kiss their hands. Are they all ready?
CURTIS
They are.
GRUMIO
Call them forth.
CURTIS
Do you hear? ho! You must meet my master to countenance my mistress.
GRUMIO
Why, she hath a face of her own.
CURTIS
Who knows not that?
GRUMIO
Thou, it seems, that calls for company to countenance her.
CURTIS
I call them forth to credit her.
GRUMIO
Why, she comes to borrow nothing of them.
Enter four or five Servants.
NATHANIEL
Welcome home, Grumio!
PHILIP
How now, Grumio!
JOSEPH
What, Grumio!
NICHOLAS
Fellow Grumio!
NATHANIEL
How now, old lad!
GRUMIO
Welcome, you; how now, you; what, you; fellow, you; and thus much for greeting. Now, my spruce companions, is all ready, and all things neat?
NATHANIEL
All things is ready. How near is our master?
GRUMIO
E’en at hand, alighted by this; and therefore be not,—Cock’s passion, silence! I hear my master.
Enter Petruchio and Katherina.
PETRUCHIO
Where be these knaves? What! no man at doorTo hold my stirrup nor to take my horse?Where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip?—
ALL SERVANTS
Here, here, sir; here, sir.
PETRUCHIO
Here, sir! here, sir! here, sir! here, sir!You logger-headed and unpolish’d grooms!What, no attendance? no regard? no duty?Where is the foolish knave I sent before?
GRUMIO
Here, sir; as foolish as I was before.
PETRUCHIO
You peasant swain! you whoreson malt-horse drudge!Did I not bid thee meet me in the park,And bring along these rascal knaves with thee?
GRUMIO
Nathaniel’s coat, sir, was not fully made,And Gabriel’s pumps were all unpink’d i’ the heel;There was no link to colour Peter’s hat,And Walter’s dagger was not come from sheathing;There was none fine but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory;The rest were ragged, old, and beggarly;Yet, as they are, here are they come to meet you.
PETRUCHIO
Go, rascals, go and fetch my supper in.
Exeunt some of the Servants.
PETRUCHIO
Where is the life that late I led?Where are those—? Sit down, Kate, and welcome.Food, food, food, food!
Re-enter Servants with supper.
PETRUCHIO
Why, when, I say?—Nay, good sweet Kate, be merry.—Off with my boots, you rogues! you villains! when?It was the friar of orders grey,As he forth walked on his way:Out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry:
Strikes him.
PETRUCHIO
Take that, and mend the plucking off the other.Be merry, Kate. Some water, here; what, ho!Where’s my spaniel Troilus? Sirrah, get you henceAnd bid my cousin Ferdinand come hither:
Exit Servant.
PETRUCHIO
One, Kate, that you must kiss and be acquainted with.Where are my slippers? Shall I have some water?Come, Kate, and wash, and welcome heartily.—
Servant lets the ewer fall. Petruchio strikes him.
PETRUCHIO
You whoreson villain! will you let it fall?
KATHERINA
Patience, I pray you; ’twas a fault unwilling.
PETRUCHIO
A whoreson, beetle-headed, flap-ear’d knave!Come, Kate, sit down; I know you have a stomach.Will you give thanks, sweet Kate, or else shall I?—What’s this? Mutton?
FIRST SERVANT
Ay.
PETRUCHIO
Who brought it?
PETER
I.
PETRUCHIO
’Tis burnt; and so is all the meat.What dogs are these! Where is the rascal cook?How durst you, villains, bring it from the dresser,And serve it thus to me that love it not?
Throws the meat, etc., at them.
PETRUCHIO
There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all.You heedless joltheads and unmanner’d slaves!What! do you grumble? I’ll be with you straight.
KATHERINA
I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet;The meat was well, if you were so contented.
PETRUCHIO
I tell thee, Kate, ’twas burnt and dried away,And I expressly am forbid to touch it;For it engenders choler, planteth anger;And better ’twere that both of us did fast,Since, of ourselves, ourselves are choleric,Than feed it with such over-roasted flesh.Be patient; tomorrow ’t shall be mended.And for this night we’ll fast for company:Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber.
Exeunt Petruchio, Katherina and Curtis.
NATHANIEL
Peter, didst ever see the like?
PETER
He kills her in her own humour.
Re-enter Curtis.
GRUMIO
Where is he?
CURTIS
In her chamber, making a sermon of continency to her;And rails, and swears, and rates, that she, poor soul,Knows not which way to stand, to look, to speak,And sits as one new risen from a dream.Away, away! for he is coming hither.
Exeunt.
Re-enter Petruchio.
PETRUCHIO
Thus have I politicly begun my reign,And ’tis my hope to end successfully.My falcon now is sharp and passing empty.And till she stoop she must not be full-gorg’d,For then she never looks upon her lure.Another way I have to man my haggard,To make her come, and know her keeper’s call,That is, to watch her, as we watch these kitesThat bate and beat, and will not be obedient.She eat no meat today, nor none shall eat;Last night she slept not, nor tonight she shall not;As with the meat, some undeserved faultI’ll find about the making of the bed;And here I’ll fling the pillow, there the bolster,This way the coverlet, another way the sheets;Ay, and amid this hurly I intendThat all is done in reverend care of her;And, in conclusion, she shall watch all night:And if she chance to nod I’ll rail and brawl,And with the clamour keep her still awake.This is a way to kill a wife with kindness;And thus I’ll curb her mad and headstrong humour.He that knows better how to tame a shrew,Now let him speak; ’tis charity to show.
Exit.

Characters

Speaking

  • 25 speeches
  • 20 speeches
  • 15 speeches
  • Nathaniel4 speeches
  • 2 speeches
  • Peter2 speeches

All the characters ›

Themes

All the themes ›

Questions on this scene

  • Reading

    What is Grumio sent ahead to do?

Locations

Also mentioned

  • Paduacharacters travel here or from here
  • Petruchio’s country house?characters travel here or from here