The Taming of the Shrew


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For man or master; then it follows thus;  
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead,  
Keep house and port and servants as I should:  
I will some other be, some Florentine,  
Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.  
'Tis hatch'd and shall be so: Tranio, at once  
Uncase thee; take my colour'd hat and cloak:  
When Biondello comes, he waits on thee;  
But I will charm him first to keep his tongue.  
TRANIO  
So had you need.  
In brief, sir, sith it your pleasure is,  
And I am tied to be obedient;  
For so your father charged me at our parting,  
'Be serviceable to my son,' quoth he,  
Although I think 'twas in another sense;  
I am content to be Lucentio,  
Because so well I love Lucentio.  
LUCENTIO  
Tranio, be so, because Lucentio loves:  
And let me be a slave, to achieve that maid  
Whose sudden sight hath thrall'd my wounded eye.  
Here comes the rogue.  
Enter BIONDELLO  
Sirrah, where have you been?  
BIONDELLO  
Where have I been! Nay, how now! where are you?  
Master, has my fellow Tranio stolen your clothes? Or  
you stolen his? or both? pray, what's the news?  
LUCENTIO  
Sirrah, come hither: 'tis no time to jest,  
And therefore frame your manners to the time.  
Your fellow Tranio here, to save my life,  
Puts my apparel and my countenance on,  
And I for my escape have put on his;  
For in a quarrel since I came ashore  
I kill'd a man and fear I was descried:  
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes,  
While I make way from hence to save my life:  
You understand me?  
BIONDELLO  
I, sir! ne'er a whit.  
LUCENTIO  
And not a jot of Tranio in your mouth:  
Tranio is changed into Lucentio.  
BIONDELLO  
The better for him: would I were so too!  


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Quick Jump
1 21 43 64 85