You are here

All Site ContentTaming of the ShrewAct 1Scene 1
Back to the Play
“I will charm him first to keep his tongue”
Proverb
Act 1,
Scene 1
Lines 195-206

An explanation of “charm him” in Act 1, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

Lucentio

Basta; content thee, for I have it full.    
We have not yet been seen in any house,
Nor can we lie distinguished by our faces    
For man or master. Then it follows thus:
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead,    
Keep house and port and servants as I should;    
I will some other be, some Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.    
'Tis hatched and shall be so. Tranio, at once    
Uncase thee; take my coloured hat and cloak.    
When Biondello comes, he waits on thee,    
But I will charm him first to keep his tongue.

To charm someone’s tongue was proverbial. It meant to keep someone from spilling the beans, giving the game away.