Open Source Shakespeare

Speeches (Lines) for Servant
in "Winter's Tale"

Total: 10

# Act, Scene, Line
(Click to see in context)
Speech text

1

II,3,1163

(stage directions). [Enter a Servant]

Servant. Please your highness, posts
From those you sent to the oracle are come
An hour since: Cleomenes and Dion,
Being well arrived from Delphos, are both landed,
Hasting to the court.


2

III,2,1366

(stage directions). [Enter Servant]

Servant. My lord the king, the king!


3

III,2,1368

Leontes. What is the business?

Servant. O sir, I shall be hated to report it!
The prince your son, with mere conceit and fear
Of the queen's speed, is gone.


4

III,2,1372

Leontes. How! gone!

Servant. Is dead.


5

IV,4,2072

(stage directions). [Enter Servant]

Servant. O master, if you did but hear the pedlar at the
door, you would never dance again after a tabour and
pipe; no, the bagpipe could not move you: he sings
several tunes faster than you'll tell money; he
utters them as he had eaten ballads and all men's
ears grew to his tunes.


6

IV,4,2082

Clown. He could never come better; he shall come in. I
love a ballad but even too well, if it be doleful
matter merrily set down, or a very pleasant thing
indeed and sung lamentably.

Servant. He hath songs for man or woman, of all sizes; no
milliner can so fit his customers with gloves: he
has the prettiest love-songs for maids; so without
bawdry, which is strange; with such delicate
burthens of dildos and fadings, 'jump her and thump
her;' and where some stretch-mouthed rascal would,
as it were, mean mischief and break a foul gap into
the matter, he makes the maid to answer 'Whoop, do me
no harm, good man;' puts him off, slights him, with
'Whoop, do me no harm, good man.'


7

IV,4,2095

Clown. Believe me, thou talkest of an admirable conceited
fellow. Has he any unbraided wares?

Servant. He hath ribbons of an the colours i' the rainbow;
points more than all the lawyers in Bohemia can
learnedly handle, though they come to him by the
gross: inkles, caddisses, cambrics, lawns: why, he
sings 'em over as they were gods or goddesses; you
would think a smock were a she-angel, he so chants
to the sleeve-hand and the work about the square on't.


8

IV,4,2218

(stage directions). [Re-enter Servant]

Servant. Master, there is three carters, three shepherds,
three neat-herds, three swine-herds, that have made
themselves all men of hair, they call themselves
Saltiers, and they have a dance which the wenches
say is a gallimaufry of gambols, because they are
not in't; but they themselves are o' the mind, if it
be not too rough for some that know little but
bowling, it will please plentifully.


9

IV,4,2230

Polixenes. You weary those that refresh us: pray, let's see
these four threes of herdsmen.

Servant. One three of them, by their own report, sir, hath
danced before the king; and not the worst of the
three but jumps twelve foot and a half by the squier.


10

IV,4,2235

Old Shepherd. Leave your prating: since these good men are
pleased, let them come in; but quickly now.

Servant. Why, they stay at door, sir.