The Taming of the Shrew: Act V, Scene ii – First Folio
The Taming of the Shrew. Act 5, Scene 2. Katerina
(This text is featured in our interview with Gabra Zackman)
Click here to see a fully scanned version of the speech
Click here to see the the non folio version.
2694: Fie, fie, vnknit that threatning vnkinde brow,
2695: And dart not scornefull glances from those eies,
2696: To wound thy Lord, thy King, thy Gouernour.
2697: It blots thy beautie, as frosts doe bite the Meads,
2698: Confounds thy fame, as whirlewinds shake faire budds,
2699: And in no sence is meete or amiable.
2700: A woman mou’d, is like a fountaine troubled,
2701: Muddie, ill seeming, thicke, bereft of beautie,
2702: And while it is so, none so dry or thirstie
2703: Will daigne to sip, or touch one drop of it.
2704: Thy husband is thy Lord, thy life, thy keeper,
2705: Thy head, thy soueraigne: One that cares for thee,
2706: And for thy maintenance. Commits his body
2707: To painfull labour, both by sea and land:
2708: To watch the night in stormes, the day in cold,
2709: Whil’st thou ly’st warme at home, secure and safe,
2710: And craues no other tribute at thy hands,
2711: But loue, faire lookes, and true obedience;
2712: Too little payment for so great a debt.
2713: Such dutie as the subiect owes the Prince,
2714: Euen such a woman oweth to her husband:
2715: And when she is froward, peeuish, sullen, sowre,
2716: And not obedient to his honest will,
2717: What is she but a foule contending Rebell,
2718: And gracelesse Traitor to her louing Lord?
2719: I am asham’d that women are so simple,
2720: To offer warre, where they should kneele for peace:
2721: Or seeke for rule, supremacie, and sway,
2722: When they are bound to serue, loue, and obay.
2723: Why are our bodies soft, and weake, and smooth,
2724: Vnapt to toyle and trouble in the world,
2725: But that our soft conditions, and our harts,
2726: Should well agree with our externall parts?
2727: Come, come, you froward and vnable wormes,
2728: My minde hath bin as bigge as one of yours,
2729: My heart as great, my reason haplie more,
2730: To bandie word for word, and frowne for frowne;
2731: But now I see our Launces are but strawes:
2732: Our strength as weake, our weakenesse past compare,
2733: That seeming to be most, which we indeed least are.
2734: Then vale your stomackes, for it is no boote,
2735: And place your hands below your husbands foote:
2736: In token of which dutie, if he please,
2737: My hand is readie, may it do him ease.
[…] Click here for a First Folio version of the text. […]