“the lustful bed, on purpose trimmed up for Semiramis”
Historical Allusion
Act Introduction,
Scene 2
Lines 35-37
An explanation of the reference to Semiramis in Introduction 2 of myShakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
Lord
Or wilt thou sleep? We'll have thee to a couch
Softer and sweeter than the lustful bed
On purpose trimmed up for Semiramis.
Semiramis was a legendary queen of the ancient kingdom of Assyria, which encompassed what is today Syria and Iraq. She was reported to have been extremely voluptuous.
