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All Site ContentTaming of the ShrewAct 1Scene 1
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“daughter of Agenor … Jove”
Mythological Allusion
Act 1,
Scene 1
Lines 162-167

An explanation of Lucentio’s reference to “the daughter of Agenor” in Act 1, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

Tranio

Master, you look'd so longly on the maid,    
Perhaps you marked not what's the pith of all.    

Lucentio

O yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face,
Such as the daughter of Agenor had,
That made great Jove to humble him to her hand    
When, with his knees, he kissed the Cretan strand.    

According to ancient mythology, Jove, king of the gods, became enamored with the beautiful daughter of King Agenor. So he turned himself into a tame white bull, and when she climbed on his back he plunged into the sea and carried her off to the island of Crete. There, he turned back into human form and humbly knelt before her on the sandy shore.