Read The Taming of the Shrew Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
41
hawking
hunting with hawks
43
welkin
sky
45
course
hunt the hare
46
breathèd
exercised, strong-winded
roe
small deer
48
Adonis
in classical mythology, a beautiful huntsman, pursued by
Cytherea
(Venus); when he was killed by a boar while hunting, she changed him into an anemone
49
Cytherea
more commonly known as Venus, the goddess of love
sedges
coarse grass growing by rivers
50
wanton
grow playful/flourishing/lustful
52
Io
in classical myth, a girl raped by Jove/ Jupiter, then turned into a heifer
maid
virgin
53
beguilèd
bewitched/deceived
surprised
attacked
54
lively
lifelike
55
Daphne
in classical mythology, a girl pursued by the god Apollo; she prayed for help and was turned into a laurel tree
58
workmanly
skillfully
61
waning
degenerate/declining from the perfection of Eden
63
envious
cruel
65
yet
even now
75
wit
senses
76
knew but
only knew
79
fay
faith
80
of
in
84
rail upon
rant, complain about
hostess … house
landlady of the inn
85
present … leet
bring accusations against her at the manorial court (
leet
)
86
stone … quarts
unlike
sealed quarts
,
stone jugs
had no official mark upon them guaranteeing they contained the specified amount of ale
88
woman’s … house
landlady’s maid
90
reckoned up
listed
91
Greece
possibly a corruption of “Greet,” a small village not far from Stratford
95
amends
recovery
99
Marry
by the Virgin Mary
fare
am getting along (plays on the sense of “food and drink”)
cheer
hospitality (plays on the sense of “food and drink”)
102
goodman
husband
107
Al’ce
Alice
112
abandoned
banished
119
In … malady
due to the risk of bringing on your old illness
121
stands for
is valid as
122
it stands
my penis is erect
hardly
plays on the idea of erectile hardness
124
despite
spite
126
pleasant
merry
127
meet
fitting
131
frame
adjust
132
bars
prevents
133
comonty … gambold
Sly’s mispronunciation of “comedy” and “gambol” (entertainment)
134
tumbling trick
acrobatic trick
135
stuff
matter (Sly responds to the literal sense of “furnishings”)
137
history
story
139
slip
slide by
Lucentio
name suggests “light,” making him a fitting partner for “Bianca” (the white/fair)
2
Padua
city in northern Italy
nursery
training ground (the university of Padua was one of the oldest in Europe)
3
for
in
Lombardy
Padua is not in Lombardy, which is probably, however, intended here to denote all of northern Italy
5
leave
permission
7
approved
tested, proved
8
breathe
rest
haply
perhaps/fortunately
institute
begin
9
ingenious
intellectual
10
grave
learned
11
Gave … first
i.e. both I and my father were born there
12
great traffic
extensive trade
13
come of
descended from
Bentivolii
a powerful Italian family who were, in fact, from Bologna rather than Pisa
14
Vincentio’s … deeds
it is appropriate that Vincentio’s son, who was brought up in Florence, should fulfill the expectations of him by adding to his fortune with acts of virtue
19
treats of
concerns
23
plash
pool
24
satiety
excess
25
Mi perdonato
“pardon me” (Italian)
26
affected
disposed
31
stoics
rigorous individuals practicing abstinence and endurance
stocks
stupid, senseless people
32
Aristotle
Greek philosopher
checks
recommendations of moral restraint
33
As
that
Ovid
Roman poet, author of
The Art of Love
abjured
rejected
34
Balk
argue, quibble over
35
common
everyday
36
quicken
enliven
38
Fall to
apply yourself/begin eating
stomach serves you
inclination/appetite requires
39
No … ta’en
a version of Horace’s famous statement that “he who has mixed usefulness with pleasure has gained every point”
40
affect
like
41
Gramercies
many thanks
42
wert
were to
45
beget
create
Bianca
Italian for “white”
pantaloon
in Italian comedy, the foolish old man
48
importune
urge
50
bestow
give in marriage
55
cart her
drive her around in a cart (usual punishment for a prostitute)
rough
violent/uncontrollable
56
will you
do you want
58
stale
bait/laughing-stock/prostitute (puns on the chess term “stalemate”)
mates
fellows (plays on the sense of “husbands”)
62
Iwis
indeed
not … heart
i.e. marriage is not something I even consider
63
her care
my chief desire
64
noddle
head
65
paint
i.e. redden with scratching
use
treat
68
toward
about to begin
69
wonderful froward
remarkably obstinate
73
Mum
hush
78
peat
pet
79
Put … why
make herself cry if she could think of an excuse
80
content you
be satisfied
81
pleasure
will
subscribe
submit
84
Minerva
goddess of wisdom
85
strange
distant, unfriendly
86
effects
causes
88
mew her up
confine her
89
for
on account of
90
her
i.e. Bianca
her
i.e. Kate’s (sharp)
93
for
because
98
Prefer
recommend
cunning
skillful
102
commune
discuss
104
appointed hours
given a timetable
belike
perhaps
106
dam
mother
gifts
qualities (ironic)
107
here’s … you
no one here will detain you
Their love
i.e. women’s love
108
blow our nails
wait patiently/waste time
fast … out
manage to survive/endure it as cordially as we can
109
Our … sides
i.e. we have both failed
110
light on
come across
112
wish
recommend
114
brooked parle
tolerated conversation/negotiation
115
advice
consideration
toucheth
concerns
117
labour and effect
work for and bring about
125
pass
surpass
126
alarums
noise (literally, a military call to arms)
127
an
if
129
had as lief
would as willingly
130
high cross
cross set on a pedestal in the town center
133
bar in law
legal impediment (i.e. Baptista’s refusal to let Bianca marry until Kate is married)
it … maintained
it shall progress in a friendly manner
136
have to’t afresh
renew our combat once again
137
Happy … dole!
Happiness to the winner! (proverbial)
ring
alludes to the jousting game in which competitors tried to lift a ring with their lances (puns on senses of “wedding ring” and “vagina”)
148
love in idleness
puns on “love-in-idleness,” a pansy thought to have power to stimulate love
150
secret
trusted
151
Anna … Carthage
Dido, Queen of Carthage, confided in her sister Anna that she was in love with Aeneas
157
rated
driven out through rebuke
159
Redime … minimo
“free yourself from bondage for as little ransom as you can” (Latin, inaccurately quoted, as in the standard Elizabethan grammar textbook, from Terence’s play
Eunuchus
)
160
Go forward
carry on
This
i.e. what you have said so far
162
so longly
for such a long time/so longingly
163
marked not
did not notice
pith
essence
165
daughter of Agenor
Europa, daughter of the King of Tyre; she was loved by
Jove
, who turned himself into a bull in order to abduct her
166
him
himself
167
kissed
i.e. knelt on
Cretan strand
shore of Crete (in fact, Europa was taken to, rather than from, Crete)
176
Bend
apply, direct
177
curst
bad-tempered
shrewd
shrewish, disagreeable
179
maid
unmarried virgin
180
closely
securely
181
annoyed
vexed/distracted
183
advised
aware
187
for my hand
by my hand/for my part