No Fear Shakespeare
The Taming of the Shrew
Get this No Fear to go!
Act 4, Scene 2, Page 5
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TRANIO
(as
LUCENTIO) What countryman, I
pray?
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TRANIO
(speaking as
LUCENTIO) What country are you from,
if I may ask?
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MERCHANT
Of
Mantua.
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MERCHANT
Mantua.
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TRANIO
(as
LUCENTIO) Of Mantua, sir? Marry, God
forbid!
And come to Padua, careless of your life?
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TRANIO
(as
LUCENTIO) Mantua, sir? Oh Lord, I
hope not. And coming to Padua? Do you want to get killed?
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MERCHANT
My life, sir! how, I pray? For that goes hard.
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MERCHANT
Killed? Why? That would be a little extreme!
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TRANIO
'Tis death for anyone in Mantua
To come to Padua. Know you not the cause?
Your ships are stayed at Venice, and the Duke,
For private quarrel ’twixt your duke and him,
Hath published and proclaimed it openly.
'Tis marvel, but that you are but newly come,
You might have heard it else proclaimed about.
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TRANIO
It’s a capital offense for anyone from Mantua to come to
Padua. Didn’t you know? The Duke of Padua has publicly
proclaimed it. He’s feuding with your duke, and all ships
from Mantua are being held up at Venice. It’s strange that
you haven’t heard. There are signs up all over
town—but I guess it’s because you’ve
only just arrived.
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MERCHANT
Alas, sir, it is worse for me than so,
For I have bills for money by exchange
From Florence, and must here deliver them.
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MERCHANT
Oh dear, oh dear. This is very bad, very bad. I have promissory
notes from Florence that I have to deliver.
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TRANIO
(as
LUCENTIO) Well, sir, to do you
courtesy,
This will I do, and this I will advise you.
First tell me, have you ever been at Pisa?
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TRANIO
(as
LUCENTIO) Well, look, just to be nice
I’ll help you out and give you some advice to boot. First
tell me, though—have you ever been to Pisa?
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MERCHANT
Ay, sir, in Pisa have I often been,
Pisa renownèd for grave citizens.
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MERCHANT
Oh yes, sir, I have often been to Pisa—Pisa, City of
Wise Men.
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TRANIO
(as
LUCENTIO) Among them know you one
Vincentio?
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TRANIO
(as
LUCENTIO) There’s one of
them called Vincentio? Do you know him?
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MERCHANT
I know him not, but I have heard of him:
A merchant of incomparable wealth.
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MERCHANT
I’ve heard of him but I’ve never met him. A
merchant of unheard-of wealth.
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