List iconThe Taming of the Shrew:
Act 3, scene 1List icon

The Taming of the Shrew
Act 3, scene 1

Synopsis:

Contents

Characters in the Play

Entire Play

The Taming of the Shrew begins with an “induction” in which a nobleman plays a trick on a beggar, Christopher Sly,…

Induction, scene 1

Christopher Sly, a drunken beggar, is driven out of an alehouse by its hostess. A great lord, returning from the…

Induction, scene 2

The newly awakened Sly is offered delicacies and fine clothes. When he demands his usual ale and beef, the lord…

Act 1, scene 1

Lucentio has come with his servant Tranio to Padua to study philosophy. They witness an encounter between Baptista and his…

Act 1, scene 2

Petruchio, with his servant Grumio, has just arrived in Padua. His friend Hortensio suggests that Petruchio woo Katherine. Petruchio enthusiastically…

Act 2, scene 1

Baptista stops Katherine from abusing Bianca and receives a visit from Petruchio, who presents Hortensio (disguised as Litio, a music…

Act 3, scene 1

Under cover of their disguises as schoolmasters, first Lucentio (as Cambio) and then Hortensio (as Litio) try for Bianca’s love….

Act 3, scene 2

Petruchio is late arriving for his wedding, to Katherine’s great embarrassment. When he finally presents himself, he is dressed in…

Act 4, scene 1

At Petruchio’s house in the country, Grumio tells his fellow servant Curtis about the wild journey home to Petruchio’s after…

Act 4, scene 2

In Padua, Hortensio (as Litio) leads Tranio (as Lucentio) to spy on Bianca and Lucentio-Cambio as the couple kiss and…

Act 4, scene 3

At Petruchio’s home, Grumio torments Katherine by promising her food that he fails to bring. Petruchio then serves Katherine himself,…

Act 4, scene 4

In Padua, the Merchant impersonating Vincentio visits Baptista with Tranio, who is still disguised as Lucentio. Baptista accepts the Merchant’s…

Act 4, scene 5

Katherine now gives assent to every word Petruchio says. On their way to her father’s, they meet the true Vincentio,…

Act 5, scene 1

After Bianca has secretly married Lucentio, Petruchio, Katherine, and Lucentio’s father arrive at Lucentio’s lodging. They are rebuffed by the…

Act 5, scene 2

Three couples attend the wedding banquet—Lucentio and Bianca, Petruchio and Katherine, and Hortensio and the Widow. Petruchio is repeatedly teased…
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⌜Scene 1⌝
Enter Lucentio ⌜as Cambio,⌝ Hortensio ⌜as Litio,⌝ and
Bianca.

LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝ 
 Fiddler, forbear. You grow too forward, sir.
 Have you so soon forgot the entertainment
 Her sister Katherine welcomed you withal?
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝ But, wrangling pedant, this is
5 The patroness of heavenly harmony.
 Then give me leave to have prerogative,
 And when in music we have spent an hour,
 Your lecture shall have leisure for as much.
LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝ 
 Preposterous ass, that never read so far
10 To know the cause why music was ordained.
 Was it not to refresh the mind of man
 After his studies or his usual pain?
 Then give me leave to read philosophy,
 And, while I pause, serve in your harmony.
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝ 
15 Sirrah, I will not bear these braves of thine.
BIANCA 
 Why, gentlemen, you do me double wrong
 To strive for that which resteth in my choice.
 I am no breeching scholar in the schools.
 I’ll not be tied to hours, nor ’pointed times,
111
The Taming of the Shrew
ACT 3. SC. 1

20 But learn my lessons as I please myself.
 And, to cut off all strife, here sit we down.
 ⌜To Hortensio.⌝ Take you your instrument, play you
 the whiles;
 His lecture will be done ere you have tuned.
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝ 
25 You’ll leave his lecture when I am in tune?
LUCENTIO, ⌜aside⌝ 
 That will be never. ⌜To Hortensio.⌝ Tune your
 instrument.⌜Hortensio steps aside to tune his lute.⌝
BIANCA Where left we last?
LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝ Here, madam:
⌜Showing her a book.⌝
30 Hic ibat Simois, hic est ⌜Sigeia⌝ tellus,
 Hic steterat Priami regia celsa senis.
BIANCA Conster them.
LUCENTIO Hic ibat, as I told you before, Simois, I am
 Lucentio, hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa,
35 ⌜Sigeia⌝ tellus, disguised thus to get your love, Hic
 steterat, and that “Lucentio” that comes a-wooing,
 Priami, is my man Tranio, regia, bearing my port,
 celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon.
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝ Madam, my instrument’s in
40 tune.
BIANCA Let’s hear. ⌜He plays.⌝ Oh fie, the treble jars!
LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝ Spit in the hole, man, and tune
 again.⌜Hortensio tunes his lute again.⌝
BIANCA Now let me see if I can conster it. Hic ibat
45 Simois, I know you not; hic est ⌜Sigeia⌝ tellus, I trust
 you not; Hic ⌜steterat⌝ Priami, take heed he hear us
 not; regia, presume not; celsa senis, despair not.
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝ 
 Madam, ’tis now in tune.⌜He plays again.⌝
LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝  All but the bass.
HORTENSIO, as ⌜Litio⌝ 
50 The bass is right. ’Tis the base knave that jars.
113
The Taming of the Shrew
ACT 3. SC. 1

 ⌜Aside.⌝ How fiery and forward our pedant is.
 Now for my life the knave doth court my love!
 Pedascule, I’ll watch you better yet.
⌜BIANCA, to Lucentio⌝ 
 In time I may believe, yet I mistrust.
⌜LUCENTIO⌝ 
55 Mistrust it not, for sure Aeacides
 Was Ajax, called so from his grandfather.
⌜BIANCA⌝ 
 I must believe my master; else, I promise you,
 I should be arguing still upon that doubt.
 But let it rest.—Now, Litio, to you.
60 Good master, take it not unkindly, pray,
 That I have been thus pleasant with you both.
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio, to Lucentio⌝ 
 You may go walk, and give me leave awhile.
 My lessons make no music in three parts.
LUCENTIO, ⌜as Cambio⌝ 
 Are you so formal, sir? Well, I must wait
65 ⌜Aside.⌝ And watch withal, for, but I be deceived,
 Our fine musician groweth amorous.
⌜He steps aside.⌝
HORTENSIO, ⌜as Litio⌝ 
 Madam, before you touch the instrument,
 To learn the order of my fingering
 I must begin with rudiments of art,
70 To teach you gamut in a briefer sort,
 More pleasant, pithy, and effectual
 Than hath been taught by any of my trade.
 And there it is in writing fairly drawn.
BIANCA 
 Why, I am past my gamut long ago.
HORTENSIO 
75 Yet read the gamut of Hortensio.
⌜Giving her a paper.⌝
115
The Taming of the Shrew
ACT 3. SC. 2

BIANCA ⌜reads⌝ 
 “Gamut I am, the ground of all accord:
 ⌜A re,⌝ to plead Hortensio’s passion;
 ⌜B mi,⌝ Bianca, take him for thy lord,
 ⌜C fa ut,⌝ that loves with all affection;
80 D sol re, one clef, two notes have I;
 E la mi, show pity or I die.”
 Call you this “gamut”? Tut, I like it not.
 Old fashions please me best. I am not so nice
 To ⌜change⌝ true rules for ⌜odd⌝ inventions.

Enter a ⌜Servant.⌝

⌜SERVANT⌝ 
85 Mistress, your father prays you leave your books
 And help to dress your sister’s chamber up.
 You know tomorrow is the wedding day.
BIANCA 
 Farewell, sweet masters both. I must be gone.
LUCENTIO 
 Faith, mistress, then I have no cause to stay.
⌜Bianca, the Servant, and Lucentio exit.⌝
HORTENSIO 
90 But I have cause to pry into this pedant.
 Methinks he looks as though he were in love.
 Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca, be so humble
 To cast thy wand’ring eyes on every stale,
 Seize thee that list! If once I find thee ranging,
95 Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing.
He exits.


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