Katharina. A very mean meaning. Widow. Right, I mean you. Katharina. And I am mean indeed, respecting you. Petruchio. To her, Kate! Hortensio. To her, widow! Petruchio. A hundred marks, my Kate does put her down. [All laugh, especially Katharina and the Widow.] Widow. Am I your bird? I mean to shift my bush; You are welcome all. [She runs out trippingly R. 2, followed by Bianca and Katharina.] Lucentio. 'Tis well, sir, that you hunted for yourself; 'Tis thought your deer holds you at bay.1 Baptista. O ho, Petruchio! Lucentio hits you now. And he whose wife is most obedient To come at first when he doth send for her, Shall win the wager which we will propose. Hortensio. Content. What is the wager? Lucentio. Petruchio. Twenty crowns! Twenty crowns. I'll venture so much on my hawk or hound, But twenty times so much upon my wife. Lucentio. A hundred then. 1 at bay: the hunter's term. When a deer turns in desperation to face its pursuers, it is said to be "at bay." 2 in good sadness: in all seriousness. Baptista. Son, I'll stand half, Bianca comes. Lucentio. I'll have no halves; I'll bear it all myself. [Reënter Tranio R. 2.] Lucentio. How now! what news? Tranio. Sir, my mistress sends you word Petruchio. How! she is busy and she cannot come! Hortensio. Tranio, go and entreat my wife To come to me forthwith. [Exit Tranio R. 2.] Petruchio. O, ho! entreat her! I am afraid, sir, Nay, then she must needs come. Hortensio. Do what you can, yours will not be entreated. [Reënter Tranio R. 2.] Now, where's my wife? Tranio. She says you have some goodly jest in hand. Say, I command her come to me. [Exit Grumio R. 2.] Baptista. Now, by my halidom,1 here comes Katharina! Katharina. What is your will, sir, that you send for me? [Exit Katharina R. 2.] Lucentio. Here is a wonder, if you talk of a wonder. For she is changed, as she had never been. Katharine, that cap of yours becomes you not; [She does.] Widow. Let me never have a cause to sigh, Till I be brought to such a silly pass! Bianca. Fie! what foolish duty call you this? Hath cost me an hundred crowns since supper-time. Beginning to laugh, Katharina walks over to her husband, and the curtain falls upon the picture of her looking up into Petruchio's face with a smile of complete understanding. 1 by my halidom: upon my sacred oath. 2 Katharina complies with this command instantly; she has grown into the merry spirit of Petruchio's ways and suspects already some goodhumored ending to whatever he proposes. NOTE. When playing without a front curtain, the actors may feel that they need a final couplet from the complete play to help their exeunt from the stage. Petruchio. [To Lucentio.] 'Twas I won the wager, though you hit the white; And, being a winner, God give you good-night! [Exeunt.] ADDITIONAL READINGS The story of Hortensio's attempt to court Bianca in the guise of a musician is interesting. I, ii, 117–137,1 172–176. II, i, 54-61, 76-111, 143-166. III, i. IV, ii, 1-43. If one of the cast can play a guitar or mandolin, a most interesting addition may be made to the playlet by presenting Hortensio as the music teacher. The additional lines can be supplied easily from the foregoing supplementary readings. The Latin in Act III, Scene 1 should be omitted, leaving Lucentio and Bianca to converse in whispers that are inaudible to Hortensio. 1 The line numbers refer to the Tudor edition of The Taming of the Shrew. HAMLET A Playlet, Covering the Basic Plot of THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK THE PERSONS OF THE DRAMA CLAUDIUS (clô'dí-ŭs), King of Denmark (děn'märk). GERTRUDE (gûr'trood), Queen of Denmark, and mother to Hamlet. HAMLET (hăm lět), son to the late, and nephew to the present King. HORATIO (hô-rā'shō), friend to Hamlet. POLONIUS (pō-lō'ní-us), Lord Chamberlain. LAERTES (lā-ĕr'tēz), son to Polonius. FRANCISCO (från-sis'kō), a soldier. Five Players.* OSRIC (Ŏz'rik), a courtier. FORTINBRAS (fôr'tin-brăs), Prince of Norway. Ghost of Hamlet's father. 17 reading parts.* SETTING: Denmark. TIME: The tenth century. SYNOPSIS ACT I. Scene 1. A platform before the King's castle. The guard. Horatio. The ghost of Hamlet's father. Scene 2. Polonius' advice to Laertes, who is leaving Denmark for France, to attend the University. Scene 3. Hamlet watching with the guard the next night. *It is possible to reduce the cast to 11 if Fortinbras is omitted, and if Francisco, Osric, Laertes, Marcellus, and Bernardo read the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth actors respectively. Many supernumerary soldiers and attendants may appear. |