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The Taming of the Shrew - Act 3, scene 1
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The Taming of the Shrew - Act 3, scene 1Act 3, scene 1
⌜Scene 1⌝
Synopsis:
Under cover of their disguises as schoolmasters, first Lucentio (as Cambio) and then Hortensio (as Litio) try for Bianca’s love. Hortensio notices Lucentio-Cambio’s affection for Bianca and determines to abandon her if she shows any interest in such a social inferior as Hortensio believes Cambio to be.
Enter Lucentio ⌜as Cambio,⌝ Hortensio ⌜as Litio,⌝ andBianca.
LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝
1279 Fiddler, forbear. You grow too forward, sir.
1280 Have you so soon forgot the entertainment
1281 Her sister Katherine welcomed you withal?
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝ 1282 But, wrangling pedant, this is
1283 5 The patroness of heavenly harmony.
1284 Then give me leave to have prerogative,
1285 And when in music we have spent an hour,
1286 Your lecture shall have leisure for as much.
LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝
1287 Preposterous ass, that never read so far
1288 10 To know the cause why music was ordained.
1289 Was it not to refresh the mind of man
1290 After his studies or his usual pain?
1291 Then give me leave to read philosophy,
1292 And, while I pause, serve in your harmony.
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝
1293 15 Sirrah, I will not bear these braves of thine.
BIANCA
1294 Why, gentlemen, you do me double wrong
1295 To strive for that which resteth in my choice.
1296 I am no breeching scholar in the schools.
1297 I’ll not be tied to hours, nor ’pointed times,
p.
111
1298
20 But learn my lessons as I please myself.1299 And, to cut off all strife, here sit we down.
1300 ⌜To Hortensio.⌝ Take you your instrument, play you
1301 the whiles;
1302 His lecture will be done ere you have tuned.
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝
1303 25 You’ll leave his lecture when I am in tune?
LUCENTIO, ⌜aside⌝
1304 That will be never. ⌜To Hortensio.⌝ Tune your
1305 instrument.⌜Hortensio steps aside to tune his lute.⌝
BIANCA 1306 Where left we last?
LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝ 1307 Here, madam:
⌜Showing her a book.⌝
1308 30 Hic ibat Simois, hic est ⌜Sigeia⌝ tellus,
1309 Hic steterat Priami regia celsa senis.
BIANCA 1310 Conster them.
LUCENTIO 1311 Hic ibat, as I told you before, Simois, I am
1312 Lucentio, hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa,
1313 35 ⌜Sigeia⌝ tellus, disguised thus to get your love, Hic
1314 steterat, and that “Lucentio” that comes a-wooing,
1315 Priami, is my man Tranio, regia, bearing my port,
1316 celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon.
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝ 1317 Madam, my instrument’s in
1318 40 tune.
BIANCA 1319 Let’s hear. ⌜He plays.⌝ Oh fie, the treble jars!
LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝ 1320 Spit in the hole, man, and tune
1321 again.⌜Hortensio tunes his lute again.⌝
BIANCA 1322 Now let me see if I can conster it. Hic ibat
1323 45 Simois, I know you not; hic est ⌜Sigeia⌝ tellus, I trust
1324 you not; Hic ⌜steterat⌝ Priami, take heed he hear us
1325 not; regia, presume not; celsa senis, despair not.
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝
1326 Madam, ’tis now in tune.⌜He plays again.⌝
LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝ 1327 All but the bass.
HORTENSIO, as ⌜Litio⌝
1328 50 The bass is right. ’Tis the base knave that jars.
p.
113
1329
⌜Aside.⌝ How fiery and forward our pedant is.1330 Now for my life the knave doth court my love!
1331 Pedascule, I’ll watch you better yet.
⌜BIANCA, to Lucentio⌝
1332 In time I may believe, yet I mistrust.
⌜LUCENTIO⌝
1333 55 Mistrust it not, for sure Aeacides
1334 Was Ajax, called so from his grandfather.
⌜BIANCA⌝
1335 I must believe my master; else, I promise you,
1336 I should be arguing still upon that doubt.
1337 But let it rest.—Now, Litio, to you.
1338 60 Good master, take it not unkindly, pray,
1339 That I have been thus pleasant with you both.
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio, to Lucentio⌝
1340 You may go walk, and give me leave awhile.
1341 My lessons make no music in three parts.
LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝
1342 Are you so formal, sir? Well, I must wait
1343 65 ⌜Aside.⌝ And watch withal, for, but I be deceived,
1344 Our fine musician groweth amorous.
⌜He steps aside.⌝
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝
1345 Madam, before you touch the instrument,
1346 To learn the order of my fingering
1347 I must begin with rudiments of art,
1348 70 To teach you gamut in a briefer sort,
1349 More pleasant, pithy, and effectual
1350 Than hath been taught by any of my trade.
1351 And there it is in writing fairly drawn.
BIANCA
1352 Why, I am past my gamut long ago.
HORTENSIO
1353 75 Yet read the gamut of Hortensio.
⌜Giving her a paper.⌝
p.
115
BIANCA ⌜reads⌝ 1354 “Gamut I am, the ground of all accord:
1355 ⌜A re,⌝ to plead Hortensio’s passion;
1356 ⌜B mi,⌝ Bianca, take him for thy lord,
1357 ⌜C fa ut,⌝ that loves with all affection;
1358 80 D sol re, one clef, two notes have I;
1359 E la mi, show pity or I die.”
1360 Call you this “gamut”? Tut, I like it not.
1361 Old fashions please me best. I am not so nice
1362 To ⌜change⌝ true rules for ⌜odd⌝ inventions.
Enter a ⌜Servant.⌝
⌜SERVANT⌝
1363 85 Mistress, your father prays you leave your books
1364 And help to dress your sister’s chamber up.
1365 You know tomorrow is the wedding day.
BIANCA
1366 Farewell, sweet masters both. I must be gone.
LUCENTIO
1367 Faith, mistress, then I have no cause to stay.
⌜Bianca, the Servant, and Lucentio exit.⌝
HORTENSIO
1368 90 But I have cause to pry into this pedant.
1369 Methinks he looks as though he were in love.
1370 Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca, be so humble
1371 To cast thy wand’ring eyes on every stale,
1372 Seize thee that list! If once I find thee ranging,
1373 95 Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing.
He exits.