Taming of the Shrew, Act 4 Scene 5 runs 80 lines of dialogue, spoken by 4 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 188 lines. This scene is part of Act 4 of Taming of the Shrew.
Full Dialogue
Petruchio ♂
Come on, i' God's name; once more toward our father's.
Good Lord, how bright and goodly shines the moon!
Good Lord, how bright and goodly shines the moon!
Katharina ♀
The moon! the sun: it is not moonlight now.
Petruchio ♂
I say it is the moon that shines so bright.
Katharina ♀
I know it is the sun that shines so bright.
Petruchio ♂
Now, by my mother's son, and that's myself,
It shall be moon, or star, or what I list,
Or ere I journey to your father's house.
Go on, and fetch our horses back again.
Evermore cross'd and cross'd; nothing but cross'd!
It shall be moon, or star, or what I list,
Or ere I journey to your father's house.
Go on, and fetch our horses back again.
Evermore cross'd and cross'd; nothing but cross'd!
Hortensio ♂
Say as he says, or we shall never go.
Katharina ♀
Forward, I pray, since we have come so far,
And be it moon, or sun, or what you please:
An if you please to call it a rush-candle,
Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
And be it moon, or sun, or what you please:
An if you please to call it a rush-candle,
Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
Petruchio ♂
I say it is the moon.
Katharina ♀
I know it is the moon.
Petruchio ♂
Nay, then you lie: it is the blessed sun.
Katharina ♀
Then, God be bless'd, it is the blessed sun:
But sun it is not, when you say it is not;
And the moon changes even as your mind.
What you will have it named, even that it is;
And so it shall be so for Katharina.
But sun it is not, when you say it is not;
And the moon changes even as your mind.
What you will have it named, even that it is;
And so it shall be so for Katharina.
Hortensio ♂
Petruchio, go thy ways; the field is won.
Petruchio ♂
Well, forward, forward! thus the bowl should run,
And not unluckily against the bias.
But, soft! company is coming here.
Good morrow, gentle mistress: where away?
Tell me, sweet Kate, and tell me truly too,
Hast thou beheld a fresher gentlewoman?
Such war of white and red within her cheeks!
What stars do spangle heaven with such beauty,
As those two eyes become that heavenly face?
Fair lovely maid, once more good day to thee.
Sweet Kate, embrace her for her beauty's sake.
And not unluckily against the bias.
But, soft! company is coming here.
Good morrow, gentle mistress: where away?
Tell me, sweet Kate, and tell me truly too,
Hast thou beheld a fresher gentlewoman?
Such war of white and red within her cheeks!
What stars do spangle heaven with such beauty,
As those two eyes become that heavenly face?
Fair lovely maid, once more good day to thee.
Sweet Kate, embrace her for her beauty's sake.
Hortensio ♂
A' will make the man mad, to make a woman of him.
Katharina ♀
Young budding virgin, fair and fresh and sweet,
Whither away, or where is thy abode?
Happy the parents of so fair a child;
Happier the man, whom favourable stars
Allot thee for his lovely bed-fellow!
Whither away, or where is thy abode?
Happy the parents of so fair a child;
Happier the man, whom favourable stars
Allot thee for his lovely bed-fellow!
Petruchio ♂
Why, how now, Kate! I hope thou art not mad:
This is a man, old, wrinkled, faded, wither'd,
And not a maiden, as thou say'st he is.
This is a man, old, wrinkled, faded, wither'd,
And not a maiden, as thou say'st he is.
Katharina ♀
Pardon, old father, my mistaking eyes,
That have been so bedazzled with the sun
That everything I look on seemeth green:
Now I perceive thou art a reverend father;
Pardon, I pray thee, for my mad mistaking.
That have been so bedazzled with the sun
That everything I look on seemeth green:
Now I perceive thou art a reverend father;
Pardon, I pray thee, for my mad mistaking.
Petruchio ♂
Do, good old grandsire; and withal make known
Which way thou travellest: if along with us,
We shall be joyful of thy company.
Which way thou travellest: if along with us,
We shall be joyful of thy company.
Vincentio ♂
Fair sir, and you my merry mistress,
That with your strange encounter much amazed me,
My name is call'd Vincentio; my dwelling Pisa;
And bound I am to Padua; there to visit
A son of mine, which long I have not seen.
That with your strange encounter much amazed me,
My name is call'd Vincentio; my dwelling Pisa;
And bound I am to Padua; there to visit
A son of mine, which long I have not seen.
Petruchio ♂
What is his name?
Vincentio ♂
Lucentio, gentle sir.
Petruchio ♂
Happily we met; the happier for thy son.
And now by law, as well as reverend age,
I may entitle thee my loving father:
The sister to my wife, this gentlewoman,
Thy son by this hath married. Wonder not,
Nor be grieved: she is of good esteem,
Her dowery wealthy, and of worthy birth;
Beside, so qualified as may beseem
The spouse of any noble gentleman.
Let me embrace with old Vincentio,
And wander we to see thy honest son,
Who will of thy arrival be full joyous.
And now by law, as well as reverend age,
I may entitle thee my loving father:
The sister to my wife, this gentlewoman,
Thy son by this hath married. Wonder not,
Nor be grieved: she is of good esteem,
Her dowery wealthy, and of worthy birth;
Beside, so qualified as may beseem
The spouse of any noble gentleman.
Let me embrace with old Vincentio,
And wander we to see thy honest son,
Who will of thy arrival be full joyous.
Vincentio ♂
But is it true? or else is it your pleasure,
Like pleasant travellers, to break a jest
Upon the company you overtake?
Like pleasant travellers, to break a jest
Upon the company you overtake?
Hortensio ♂
I do assure thee, father, so it is.
Petruchio ♂
Come, go along, and see the truth hereof;
For our first merriment hath made thee jealous.
For our first merriment hath made thee jealous.
Hortensio ♂
Well, Petruchio, this has put me in heart.
Have to my widow! and if she be froward,
Then hast thou taught Hortensio to be untoward.
Have to my widow! and if she be froward,
Then hast thou taught Hortensio to be untoward.
80 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petruchio | 42 | 52.5% |
| Katharina | 22 | 27.5% |
| Vincentio | 9 | 11.3% |
| Hortensio | 7 | 8.8% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 42 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 20 lines.
Total speakers on stage
4 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 4
This is Scene 5 of 5 in Act 4 of Taming of the Shrew.
Scene length vs. play average
At 80 lines, this scene is shorter than the Taming of the Shrew average scene in Taming of the Shrew (~188 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Previous: Act 4 Scene 4 · Next: Act 5 Scene 1
About Act 4 Scene 5 of Taming of the Shrew
Who carries Act 4 Scene 5 of Taming of the Shrew?
Petruchio, with 42 lines — about 53% of the scene.
Is the scene a dialogue or a solo?
With 4 speakers and the lead holding 53% of the lines, this scene is a balanced multi-voice exchange.