QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: The Taming of the Shrew
ACT/SCENE: 5.2
SPEAKER: Katherine
CONTEXT:
KATHERINE
(…) And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,
And not obedient to his honest will,
What is she but a foul contending rebel
And graceless traitor to her loving lord?
I am ashamed that women are so simple
To offer war where they should kneel for peace;
Or seek for rule, supremacy and sway
When they are bound to serve, love, and obey.
Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth,
Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,
But that our soft conditions and our hearts
Should well agree with our external parts?
Come, come, you froward and unable worms!
My mind hath been as big as one of yours,
My heart as great, my reason haply more,
To bandy word for word and frown for frown.
But now I see our lances are but straws,
Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,
That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.
Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,
And place your hands below your husband’s foot:
In token of which duty, if he please,
My hand is ready, may it do him ease.

DUTCH:
Ziet, drieste, zwakke, licht vertreden wormen!
‘k Was eens zoo stug van geest als een van u,
Zoo trotsch van hart; en ‘k had, naar ‘k denk, meer grond,
Om woord met woord en drift met drift te keeren ;

MORE:
Froward=Disobedient, contrary, difficult.
Peevish=Obstinate
Simple=Foolish
Unapt=Not fit
Conditions=Characteristics
Heart=Courage
Big=Arrogant
Vail your stomachs=Reduce your pride
Boot=Profit, use
Do him ease=Please him
Compleat:
Froward=Gemelyk, knorrig, kribbig.
Peevish=Kribbig, gemelyk
Simple=Onbeschadigend, eenvoudig
Haply=Misschien
Condition=Aardt, gesteltenis
Vail=Bedekken
Stomach=Trek (appetite); hart (spirit)
No boot=Te vergeefs, vruchteloos
To much boot=Met veel winst

Topics: insultauthority, independence