Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

BOY

in The Taming of a Shrew — Anonymous

Metadata

PlayThe Taming of a Shrew
AuthorAnonymous
Year (catalogued)1594
First performance1592
Decade1590s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyUnknown
Speech prefix(es)B • y. | Boy.
Words450
Characters2260
Typicality0.31 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA13358
BritDrama no.955
ClusterCluster 23 — Gulls, fops & laughing-stocks

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

Fear not my Lord, I'll dandell him well enough And make him think I love him mightily. O that my lovely Lord would once vouchsafe To look on me, and leave these frantic fits, Or were I now but half so eloquent, To paint in words what isle perform in deeds, I know your honour then would pity me. My lord I'll go bid them begin their play. I warrant you my lord, I will not leave you thus. I will sir, and fetch him presently. Friend, well met. Trust me sir it is the use where I was born, To salute men after this manner, yet notwithstanding If you be angry with me for calling of you friend, I am the more sorry for it, hoping the style Of a fool will make you amends for all. Marry sir, I hear you pertain to signior Ferando. Shall I entreat you to do me a message to your Master? Marry sir I serve young Polidor your masters friend. My name sirrah, I tell thee sirrah is called Catapie. Why slave wouldst thou eat me? Why villain my name is Catapie, But wilt thou tell me where thy master is. Why see where he comes. I will sir: come Sander. Come hither sirrah boy. Come, come, I did but jest, where is that Same piece of pie that I gave thee to keep. Tush 'tis no matter man I prethe give it me, I am very hungry I promise thee. Why come man, we shall have good cheer Anon at the bridehouse, for your masters gone to Church to be married already, and thears Such cheer as passes. I, but how wilt thou do now thy masters Married, thy mistress is such a devil, as sheele make Thee forget thy eating quickly, sheele Beatrice thee so. Sounes you slave will you be a Rival with My master in his love, speak but such Another word and I'll cut off one of thy legs. Come hither thou Imperfecksious slave in Regard of thy beggary, hold thee theres Twoshillings for thee? to pay for the Healing of thy left leg which I mean Furiously to invade or to maim at the least. Not I, for I'll strike any where. Well sirray your fair words hath something Alaied my Collar: I am content for this once To put it up and be friends with thee, But soft see where they come all from church, Belike they be Married already. It shall be done my Lord come help to bear him hence, I will sir She bade me tell you that she will not come, And you have any business, you must come to her.

Plot summary

Plot — The Taming of a Shrew
Forcibly ejected from an alehouse, Sly is sleeping off his drunkenness when he is found by a lord, who brings him home and tricks him into thinking himself a nobleman. A play is performed for him: The Taming of a Shrew. In the play, Aurelius of Sestos, newly arrived in Athens, falls in love with Philema; his friend Polidor already loves her sister, Emelia. To pursue his love, Aurelius pretends to be a wealthy merchant’s son and has his man Valeria assume his aristocratic identity. However, the girls’ father Alfonso has decreed that his eldest daughter Kate, a shrewish scold, must be married before them. The two wooers decide to persuade Ferando to marry Kate, but Alfonso has already promised him six thousand crowns to undertake the same task He and Kate meet unchaperoned, and they wrangle, but the marriage is arranged for the following Sunday; Kate seems outwardly unwilling but consents in an aside. Ferando goes to prepare his country house. Valeria is sent to teach Kate the lute, but she behaves aggressively. On the wedding day Ferando arrives in base clothes and forces Kate to leave with him immediately after the ceremony. When they arrive in the country, he claims that the dinner is burnt, and beats his servants. She is kept hungry, and denied her choice of clothing. Aurelius has Philotus pose as his father to persuade Alfonso that he is wealthy enough to marry Philema. He and Polidor are married to Kate’s younger sisters. Kate and Ferando visit them, after Kate submits to Ferando’s will. On the way, they meet the Duke of Sestos (who has come to Athens in disguise to spy on his son), and mock him. The Duke exposes Aurelio’s pretence and proposes to have those involved sent to prison, but Sly intervenes in the performance to prevent this. The three new husbands bet on whose wife will come when called. Ferando wins, and Kate explains to her sisters their duty as wives. Sly falls asleep during the performance. The lord puts him back where he was found. He returns home intending to tame his own wife.