Read The Taming of the Shrew Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
5
raiment
clothing
9
dissemble
lie
11
special
particular
13
Minion
hussy
14
affect
love
17
fair
well dressed
18
envy
despise
23
dame
madam (accusatory)
25
ply thy needle
sew/embroider
meddle not
have nothing to do
26
hilding
good-for-nothing
28
cross
provoke, thwart
29
flouts
mocks
31
suffer
listen to/permit/endure
33
dance … day
traditionally the fate of an unmarried elder sister
34
lead … hell
proverbially old maids did so because they had no children to lead in heaven
36
occasion of
opportunity for
habit
clothing
mean
humble
45
Go … orderly
apply yourself to the business with decorum
46
give me leave
excuse me/let me explain myself
48
wit
intelligence
51
forward
eager/presumptuous
54
for … entertainment
as an entrance-fee for my reception
57
sciences
fields of learning
59
Accept of
accept
60
Litio
Second Folio and many later editions emend to “Licio” throughout
Mantua
city in northern Italy
63
turn
purpose/needs
71
Saving
with respect for
72
poor petitioners
humble suitors
73
Baccare
!
“Stand back!” (mock-Latin)
74
I … doing
I am eager for action (perhaps plays on the sense of “having sex”)
76
grateful
agreeable
77
like
same
78
kindly
fittingly/affectionately
80
Rheims
northern French town with a well-known university
82
Cambio
Italian for “exchange”
85
walk … stranger
seem like a newcomer/seem as if you are not one of the group/stand aside
92
preferment
precedence (i.e. offering Kate before Bianca)
94
upon knowledge
when you know
101
Lucentio … name?
perhaps Baptista learns this by opening one of the books in which Lucentio’s name is written
103
mighty
renowned, noble
106
presently
at once
107
Holla
a shout to attract attention
111
orchard
garden
112
dinner
the main meal of the day, served between eleven and noon
passing
extremely
114
asketh haste
is urgent
122
in possession
i.e. on marriage
123
assure … widowhood
provide for her after my death/guarantee her rights as a widow
125
leases
property that is let
126
specialities
a special contract
127
covenants
formal agreements
128
special
unique/particular
130
father
i.e. father-in-law
136
So I
so I shall behave (like an
extreme gust
)
138
happy … speed
may the outcome be happy/fortunate
140
to the proof
so as to be invulnerable
broke
grazed, bleeding
145
prove
become/test the skill of
146
hold with
resist, withstand
147
break her to
teach her to play
148
broke … me
i.e. broken the
lute
over my head
149
frets
ridges for guiding the fingers (Kate shifts the sense to “vexations”)
152
fume
show anger
154
pate
head
155
amazèd
perplexed, dumbstruck
156
As … pillory
as if in the stocks (in which the head was confined by wooden boards)
157
fiddler
lute-player/meddler
158
Jack
base fellow
159
studied
practiced, planned
160
lusty
lively
163
discomfited
disheartened
164
in practice
with your lessons
168
attend
wait for
172
clear
serene, faultless
176
piercing
moving
177
pack
leave
179
crave
demand
180
banns
public proclamations of intended marriages
183
hard
puns on
heard
(which was pronounced similarly)
189
dainties … Kates
puns on “cates” (i.e.
dainties
, delicacies)
190
of
from
192
sounded
proclaimed/fathomed
193
deeply … belongs
loudly/in such depth as you deserve
194
moved
compelled (Kate shifts to the literal sense)
195
In good time!
Indeed!
196
you … first
from the start
197
movable
piece of furniture/changeable person
199
joint stool
low stool made by a joiner (“I took you for a joint stool” was a way of mockingly apologizing for ignoring someone)
200
sit on me
i.e. as I am a stool (with sexual innuendo)
201
Asses
puns on “arses”
bear
carry loads (Petruchio plays on the sense of “bear the weight of a man’s body/of a baby”)
204
burden
lie on top of/accuse
205
light
not heavy/promiscuous
206
light
quick
swain
rustic (contemptuous)
207
as … be
the right weight/of sound social standing
208
be
puns on “bee”
buzz
rumor—i.e. you should hear what actually is said about you; also a noise of impatience;
wasp
then shifts sense to insect noise
209
ta’en
seized upon, used
buzzard
fool (literally useless bird of prey)/ rumor-monger
210
turtle
turtle-dove (symbol of faithful love)
211
turtle … buzzard
i.e. only a fool will take me for a faithful wife, just as the turtle-dove mistakenly swallows an insect
213
waspish
spiteful/wasp-like
216
sting
plays on the sense of genitals/sexual urge
219
tails
puns on “tales”
220
with … tail
i.e. leaving me with the last word (
tail
puns on the sense of “vagina”)
come
plays on the sense of “have an orgasm”
again
back/once more
222
try
test
223
cuff
hit
224
lose your arms
waste your strength/loosen your grip/forfeit your coat of arms (the sign of being a
gentleman
)
225
strike
plays on the sense of “have sex with”
227
books
book of heraldry, where gentlemen’s coats of arms were recorded (plays on the notion of “good books” and on “vagina”)
228
crest
identifying feature on a coat of arms/tuft on the head of an animal (with phallic connotations)
coxcomb
fool’s cap (similar in appearance to a cock’s crest; plays on “cock”—i.e. penis)
229
combless
i.e. unthreatening
cock
cockerel/penis
so
provided that
hen
i.e. wife/harlot
230
craven
cock with no fighting spirit
232
fashion
manner
crab
sour crab-apple
236
glass
mirror
238
Well … one
well guessed for one so inexperienced
239
young
youthful/strong
241
cares
troubles
243
scape
escape
244
chafe
annoy, inflame
246
rough
harsh/ unmanageable
coy
disdainful, unresponsive
248
pleasant
merry
gamesome
sportive, playful
249
slow
easygoing, without a quick tongue
250
askance
scornfully
252
cross
combative/ill-tempered
253
entertain’st
receive
254
conference
conversation
259
halt
limp
260
whom … command
order you servants about (rather than me)
261
Dian
Diana, goddess of chastity, the moon and hunting
become
suit, enhance
262
gait
manner, bearing, way of walking
264
sportful
lively/playful/amorous
265
study
learn/practice
goodly
splendid (sarcastic)
266
extempore
spontaneous, improvised
mother-wit
natural intelligence
267
A … son
your mother must have had some wit, as left to yourself you would have none at all
268
wise … warm
“he is wise enough that can keep himself warm” (proverbial)
270
mean
intend to
274
will … you
whether you will or not
275
for your turn
right for you (plays on the sense of “for sex with you”)
280
wild Kate
puns on “wild-cat”
281
Conformable
pliant, obedient
282
Never make denial
do not refuse me
284
speed you
do you succeed, fare
286
amiss
adversely, without progress
287
In your dumps?
Down-hearted?
292
face … out
brazenly get his own way
295
policy
strategic purposes
297
temperate
moderate, gentle
298
Grissel
Patient Griselda was, in Boccaccio and Chaucer, a model of wifely obedience