QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: The Taming of the Shrew
ACT/SCENE: Ind 1
SPEAKER: Lord
CONTEXT:
LORD
Go, sirrah, take them to the buttery
And give them friendly welcome every one.
Let them want nothing that my house affords.
Sirrah, go you to Barthol’mew, my page,
And see him dressed in all suits like a lady.
That done, conduct him to the drunkard’s chamber
And call him “madam,” do him obeisance.
Tell him from me, as he will win my love,
He bear himself with honourable action,
Such as he hath observed in noble ladies
Unto their lords, by them accomplishèd.
Such duty to the drunkard let him do
With soft low tongue and lowly courtesy,
And say, “What is ’t your honour will command,
Wherein your lady and your humble wife
May show her duty and make known her love?”
And then with kind embracements, tempting kisses,
And with declining head into his bosom,
Bid him shed tears, as being overjoyed
To see her noble lord restored to health,
Who for this seven years hath esteemed him
No better than a poor and loathsome beggar.
And if the boy have not a woman’s gift
To rain a shower of commanded tears,
An onion will do well for such a shift,
Which in a napkin being close conveyed
Shall in despite enforce a watery eye.
See this dispatched with all the haste thou canst:
Anon I’ll give thee more instructions.

DUTCH:
Verstaat de knaap de kunst der vrouwen niet,
En kan hij niet, zoo vaak hij wil, een vloed
Van tranen storten, dan moog’ hem een ui
Van dienst zijn, die, verborgen in een zakdoek,
Hem, trots zijn aard, uit de oogen water pers’

MORE:
Buttery=Storehouse
Want=Lack
Do him obeisance=Pay homage
Honourable action=In an honourable manner, honourably, properly
Accomplished=Perfected
Lowly=Humble
Declining=Bowed
Esteemed=Believed
Shift=Purpose
Close=Secretly
Anon=Imminently
Compleat:
Buttery=Een spyskamer, proviziekelder, bottelery
Want=Gebrek
Obeisance=Eerbiedigheid, neerbuiging
To accomplished=Voltooid, vervuld, volmaakt in goede manieren
Low=Nederig, laagjes
Declining=Afwyking, vermyding, schuuwing, daaling, afhelling, buiging; afwykende
Esteem=Achting, waarde
To make a shift=Zich behelpen, zich redden
Close=Besloten
Anon=Daadelyk, straks, aanstonds

Topics: deceit, appearance, civility, order/society, emotion and mood