Act 5, Scene 1

Padua. Before LUCENTIO'S house.

[Enter on one side BIONDELLO, LUCENTIO, and BIANCA; GREMIO walking on other side.]
Biondello
2254 Softly and swiftly, sir, for the priest is ready.
Lucentio
2255 I fly, Biondello; but they may chance to need the at
2256 home, therefore leave us.
Biondello
2257 Nay, faith, I'll see the church o' your back; and then
2258 come back to my master's as soon as I can.
[Exeunt LUCENTIO, BIANCA, and BIONDELLO.]
Gremio
2259 I marvel Cambio comes not all this while.
[Enter PETRUCHIO, KATHERINA, VINCENTIO, and ATTENDANTS.]
Petruchio
2260 Sir, here's the door; this is Lucentio's house:
2261 My father's bears more toward the market-place;
2262 Thither must I, and here I leave you, sir.
Vincentio
2263 You shall not choose but drink before you go.
2264 I think I shall command your welcome here,
2265 And by all likelihood some cheer is toward.
[Knocks.]
Gremio
2266 They're busy within; you were best knock louder.
[Enter PEDANT above, at a window.]
Pedant
2267 What's he that knocks as he would beat down the gate?
Vincentio
2268 Is Signior Lucentio within, sir?
Pedant
2269 He's within, sir, but not to be spoken withal.
Vincentio
2270 What if a man bring him a hundred pound or two to make
2271 merry withal?
Pedant
2272 Keep your hundred pounds to yourself: he shall need none so
2273 long as I live.
Petruchio
2274 Nay, I told you your son was well beloved in Padua. Do
2275 you hear, sir? To leave frivolous circumstances, I pray you tell
2276 Signior Lucentio that his father is come from Pisa, and is here
2277 at the door to speak with him.
Pedant
2278 Thou liest: his father is come from Padua, and here looking
2279 out at the window.
Vincentio
2280 Art thou his father?
Pedant
2281 Ay, sir; so his mother says, if I may believe her.
[To VINCENTIO]
Petruchio
2282 Why, how now, gentleman! why, this is flat
2283 knavery to take upon you another man's name.
Pedant
2284 Lay hands on the villain: I believe 'a means to cozen
2285 somebody in this city under my countenance.
[Re-enter BIONDELLO.]
Biondello
2286 I have seen them in the church together: God send 'em
2287 good shipping! But who is here? Mine old master, Vincentio! Now
2288 we are undone and brought to nothing.
[Seeing BIONDELLO.]
Vincentio
2289 Come hither, crack-hemp.
Biondello
2290 I hope I may choose, sir.
Vincentio
2291 Come hither, you rogue. What, have you forgot me?
Biondello
2292 Forgot you! No, sir: I could not forget you, for I never
2293 saw you before in all my life.
Vincentio
2294 What, you notorious villain! didst thou never see thy
2295 master's father, Vincentio?
Biondello
2296 What, my old worshipful old master? Yes, marry, sir; see
2297 where he looks out of the window.
Vincentio
2298 Is't so, indeed?
[He beats BIONDELLO.]
Biondello
2299 Help, help, help! here's a madman will murder me.
[Exit.]
Pedant
2300 Help, son! help, Signior Baptista!
[Exit from the window.]
Petruchio
2301 Prithee, Kate, let's stand aside and see the end of this
2302 controversy.
[They retire.]
[Re-enter PEDANT below; BAPTISTA, TRANIO, and SERVANTS.]
Tranio
2303 Sir, what are you that offer to beat my servant?
Vincentio
2304 What am I, sir! nay, what are you, sir? O immortal gods!
2305 O fine villain! A silken doublet, a velvet hose, a scarlet cloak,
2306 and a copatain hat! O, I am undone! I am undone! While I play the
2307 good husband at home, my son and my servant spend all at the
2308 university.
Tranio
2309 How now! what's the matter?
Baptista
2310 What, is the man lunatic?
Tranio
2311 Sir, you seem a sober ancient gentleman by your habit, but
2312 your words show you a madman. Why, sir, what 'cerns it you if I
2313 wear pearl and gold? I thank my good father, I am able to
2314 maintain it.
Vincentio
2315 Thy father! O villain! he is a sailmaker in Bergamo.
Baptista
2316 You mistake, sir; you mistake, sir. Pray, what do you
2317 think is his name?
Vincentio
2318 His name! As if I knew not his name! I have brought him
2319 up ever since he was three years old, and his name is Tranio.
Pedant
2320 Away, away, mad ass! His name is Lucentio; and he is mine
2321 only son, and heir to the lands of me, Signior Vicentio.
Vincentio
2322 Lucentio! O, he hath murdered his master! Lay hold on
2323 him, I charge you, in the Duke's name. O, my son, my son! Tell
2324 me, thou villain, where is my son, Lucentio?
Tranio
2325 Call forth an officer.
[Enter one with an OFFICER.]
Tranio
2326 Carry this mad knave to the gaol. Father Baptista, I charge you
2327 see that he be forthcoming.
Vincentio
2328 Carry me to the gaol!
Gremio
2329 Stay, officer; he shall not go to prison.
Baptista
2330 Talk not, Signior Gremio; I say he shall go to prison.
Gremio
2331 Take heed, Signior Baptista, lest you be cony-catched in
2332 this business; I dare swear this is the right Vincentio.
Pedant
2333 Swear if thou darest.
Gremio
2334 Nay, I dare not swear it.
Tranio
2335 Then thou wert best say that I am not Lucentio.
Gremio
2336 Yes, I know thee to be Signior Lucentio.
Baptista
2337 Away with the dotard! to the gaol with him!
Vincentio
2338 Thus strangers may be haled and abus'd: O monstrous
2339 villain!
[Re-enter BIONDELLO, with LUCENTIO and BIANCA.]
Biondello
2340 O! we are spoiled; and yonder he is: deny him, forswear
2341 him, or else we are all undone.
[Kneeling.]
Lucentio
2342 Pardon, sweet father.
Vincentio
2343 Lives my sweetest son?
[BIONDELLO, TRANIO, and PEDANT, run out.]
[Kneeling.]
Bianca
2344 Pardon, dear father.
Baptista
2345 How hast thou offended?
2346 Where is Lucentio?
Lucentio
2347 Here's Lucentio,
2348 Right son to the right Vincentio;
2349 That have by marriage made thy daughter mine,
2350 While counterfeit supposes blear'd thine eyne.
Gremio
2351 Here 's packing, with a witness, to deceive us all!
Vincentio
2352 Where is that damned villain, Tranio,
2353 That fac'd and brav'd me in this matter so?
Baptista
2354 Why, tell me, is not this my Cambio?
Bianca
2355 Cambio is chang'd into Lucentio.
Lucentio
2356 Love wrought these miracles. Bianca's love
2357 Made me exchange my state with Tranio,
2358 While he did bear my countenance in the town;
2359 And happily I have arriv'd at the last
2360 Unto the wished haven of my bliss.
2361 What Tranio did, myself enforc'd him to;
2362 Then pardon him, sweet father, for my sake.
Vincentio
2363 I'll slit the villain's nose that would have sent me to
2364 the gaol.
[To LUCENTIO.]
Baptista
2365 But do you hear, sir? Have you married my
2366 daughter without asking my good will?
Vincentio
2367 Fear not, Baptista; we will content you, go to: but I
2368 will in, to be revenged for this villainy.
[Exit.]
Baptista
2369 And I to sound the depth of this knavery.
[Exit.]
Lucentio
2370 Look not pale, Bianca; thy father will not frown.
[Exeunt LUCENTIO and BIANCA.]
Gremio
2371 My cake is dough, but I'll in among the rest;
2372 Out of hope of all but my share of the feast.
[Exit.]
[PETRUCHIO and KATHERINA advance.]
Katherina
2373 Husband, let's follow to see the end of this ado.
Petruchio
2374 First kiss me, Kate, and we will.
Katherina
2375 What! in the midst of the street?
Petruchio
2376 What! art thou ashamed of me?
Katherina
2377 No, sir; God forbid; but ashamed to kiss.
Petruchio
2378 Why, then, let's home again. Come, sirrah, let's away.
Katherina
2379 Nay, I will give thee a kiss: now pray thee, love, stay.
Petruchio
2380 Is not this well? Come, my sweet Kate:
2381 Better once than never, for never too late.
[Exeunt.]

Reading mode

Word definitions on hover

Notes

TLN 2257archaic vocab
“see the church o' your back”
Biondello means he will watch until Lucentio's back is inside the church — i.e., he will witness the actual wedding before returning. The phrase 'see the church of your back' is an Elizabethan idiom for watching someone enter a church door.
TLN 2284archaic vocab
“cozen somebody in this city under my countenance”
'Cozen' means to cheat or swindle; 'under my countenance' means using the Pedant's appearance — his identity as the false Vincentio — as cover. The Pedant accuses the real Vincentio of planning to defraud people by impersonating him, when it is the Pedant himself who has been the impersonator all along.
TLN 2286archaic vocab
“God send 'em good shipping”
'Good shipping' means a safe, prosperous voyage — hence, good luck in their enterprise. Biondello uses a seafaring metaphor for Lucentio and Bianca's clandestine marriage, wishing them safe passage as he would wish departing sailors.
TLN 2289archaic vocab
“crack-hemp”
'Crack-hemp' is a vivid Elizabethan insult meaning someone destined to be hanged — one who will 'crack' (strain, snap) the hemp rope of the gallows. Vincentio slings it at Biondello as a way of saying 'you rogue, you will end on the gibbet.'
TLN 2305cultural context
“silken doublet, a velvet hose, a scarlet cloak, and a copatain hat”
Vincentio catalogues the expensive clothing Tranio is wearing as proof of money wasted. A doublet is the fitted jacket worn over the shirt; hose are breeches/stockings; a scarlet cloak and a 'copatain' (or copitain) hat — tall and conical like a sugar-loaf — were luxury items. Silk, velvet, and scarlet dye were enormously costly and normally restricted by sumptuary law to the nobility.
TLN 2306archaic vocab
“while I play the good husband at home”
'Good husband' here means a careful, frugal manager of a household — not a spouse. Vincentio is saying he pinches pennies at home while his son and servant blow his money in Padua. 'Husbandry' (from Old English 'husbonda', householder) meant prudent domestic economy.
TLN 2331archaic vocab
“lest you be cony-catched in this business”
A 'cony' is a rabbit, and 'cony-catching' was Elizabethan slang for confidence-tricking — the art of decoying a naive victim (the 'cony') into a swindle. Gremio warns Baptista he is being deceived, urging him not to be played for a fool.
TLN 2338archaic vocab
“strangers may be haled and abus'd”
'Haled' means dragged by force — hauled off to prison. Vincentio protests that any traveller ('stranger') arriving in a city can be seized and abused this way. 'Abused' in Elizabethan English meant deceived or wronged, not mistreated in the modern physical sense.
TLN 2350historical topical
“counterfeit supposes blear'd thine eyne”
'Supposes' means mistaken assumptions about identity — the very swaps the subplot turns on. The word is also the title of the play's acknowledged source, George Gascoigne's 'Supposes' (1566), itself a prose translation of Ariosto's 'I Suppositi' (1509). 'Blear'd thine eyne' means blurred/deceived your eyes ('eyne' is an archaic plural of 'eyes'). Lucentio is telling the company that false appearances fooled them all.
TLN 2371archaic vocab
“My cake is dough”
'My cake is dough' is an Elizabethan proverb meaning my plan has failed, my scheme came to nothing — as dough that never rose to become bread. Gremio has lost Bianca to Lucentio and ruefully acknowledges his defeat in a single culinary idiom.
TLN 2381rhetorical device
“Better once than never, for never too late”
Petruchio ends the scene by inverting the proverb 'Better late than never' (Tilley B332): 'Better once than never, for never too late.' He turns the maxim into a lover's compliment — any kiss from Katherina, however delayed, is better than none.