Part IV, The Early Modern Literary Period, also known as the English Renaissance
38
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ACT 3
Scene 1
Storm still. Enter Kent in disguise, and a Gentleman,
severally.
KENT Who’s there, besides foul weather?
Who is there other than bad weather?
GENTLEMAN
One minded like the weather, most unquietly.
Someone whose mind is just as disturbed as the weather.
KENT I know you. Where’s the King?
I know you. Where’s the king?
GENTLEMAN
Contending with the fretful elements;
Bids the wind blow the earth into the sea 5
Or swell the curlèd waters ’bove the main,
That things might change or cease; tears his white
hair,
Which the impetuous blasts with eyeless rage
Catch in their fury and make nothing of; 10
Strives in his little world of man to outscorn
The to-and-fro conflicting wind and rain.
This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would
couch,
The lion and the belly-pinchèd wolf 15
Keep their fur dry, unbonneted he runs
And bids what will take all.
He’s out in this bad weather. He is speaking to the wind and asking it to blow the Earth into the sea or cause a tidal wave so that something might change for him because he’s so upset. He is tears out his gray hair, and the hair is being blown around in the wind like nothing. The king is trying to outdo the rain and wind through his own kind of storm of anger. During a storm this bad, the bear, the liion, and the wolf would all stay sheltered to keep their fur dry, but he runs around without even a hat on his head.
KENT But who is with him?
But who’s with him?
GENTLEMAN
None but the Fool, who labors to outjest
His heart-struck injuries. 20
Just the Fool who is trying to make jokes to cheer him up.
KENT Sir, I do know you
And dare upon the warrant of my note
Commend a dear thing to you. There is division,
Although as yet the face of it is covered
With mutual cunning, ’twixt Albany and Cornwall, 25
Who have—as who have not, that their great stars
Throned and set high?—servants, who seem no less,
Which are to France the spies and speculations
Intelligent of our state. From France there comes
a power 30
Into this scattered kingdom, who already,
Wise in our negligence, have secret feet
In some of our best ports and are at point
To show their open banner. Now to you:
If on my credit you dare build so far 35
To make your speed to Dover, you shall find
Some that will thank you, making just report
Of how unnatural and bemadding sorrow
The King hath cause to plain: what hath been seen,
Either in snuffs and packings of the dukes, 40
Or the hard rein which both of them hath borne
Against the old kind king, or something deeper,
Whereof perchance these are but furnishings.
I am a gentleman of blood and breeding,
And from some knowledge and assurance offer 45
This office to you.
I know you, Gentleman, and I trust you even to tell you that Albany and Cornwall are not getting along. Also, their servants have been spying for them and have found out that France’s soldiers are moving into England and already are in the ports and about to reveal themselves. I suggest you go quickly to Dover to report the wrong done to King Lear by the two Dukes of Albany and Cornwall.
GENTLEMAN
I will talk further with you.
I’ll talk some more with you.
KENT No, do not.
For confirmation that I am much more
Than my outwall, open this purse and take 50
What it contains.
Kent hands him a purse and a ring.
If you shall see Cordelia
(As fear not but you shall), show her this ring,
And she will tell you who that fellow is
That yet you do not know. Fie on this storm! 55
I will go seek the King.
No, don’t. To show that I am not as poor as my clothing makes me appear (remember he’s in disguise), take what’s in this purse.
Kent hands him a purse and ring.
If you see Cordelia, and you will, show her the ring, and she will let you know the person to whom it belongs. I’m disgusted with this storm. I’m going to go look for the King.
GENTLEMAN
Give me your hand. Have you no more to say?
Give me your hand. Do you have more to say?
KENT
Few words, but, to effect, more than all yet:
That when we have found the King—in which your
pain 60
That way, I’ll this—he that first lights on him
Holla the other.
They exit separately.
Not much except you should go one direction, and I’ll go the over. The first to find the king needs to holler to the other.
They both exit.
Scene 2
Storm still. Enter Lear and Fool.
LEAR
Blow winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage, blow!
You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout
Till you have drenched our steeples, drowned the
cocks.
You sulph’rous and thought-executing fires, 5
Vaunt-couriers of oak-cleaving thunderbolts,
Singe my white head. And thou, all-shaking
thunder,
Strike flat the thick rotundity o’ th’ world.
Crack nature’s molds, all germens spill at once 10
That makes ingrateful man.
Lear is speaking to the storm.
Blow winds. Rain, drench everything, including the steeples and the roosters. Lightning, the messenger of thunder, singe my head, and thunder, crack so loudly that the Earth flattens and nature breaks apart, and plants and flowers spill their seeds, and all seeds and embryos that eventually create ungrateful men break apart as well.
FOOL O nuncle, court holy water in a dry house is
better than this rainwater out o’ door. Good nuncle,
Ask thy daughters’ blessing. Here’s a night
pities neither wise men nor fools. 15
Oh, uncle, it’s better to be in a dry house than in the rain outdoors on this kind of night. Ask for your two daughters’ blessing so that you can be sheltered inside because this night is bad for everyone, including wise men and fools.
LEAR
Rumble thy bellyful! Spit, fire! Spout, rain!
Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire are my daughters.
I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness.
I never gave you kingdom, called you children;
You owe me no subscription. Then let fall 20
Your horrible pleasure. Here I stand your slave,
A poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man.
But yet I call you servile ministers,
That will with two pernicious daughters join
Your high-engendered battles ’gainst a head 25
So old and white as this. O, ho, ’tis foul!
The elements like rain and fire can all do what they will because none of them are my daughters. The storm isn’t being unkind to me the way my daughters are. I never gave the storm a kingdom the way I did my daughters, so the storm owes me nothing. The storm can come down upon me as it does. I am the storm’s slave, and I am just a weak old and hated man. On the other hand, the storm, the rain, thunder, wind, and lightning have joined together with my evil daughters to wage battles against me and come down hard upon my old white head. Oh, this is foul!
FOOL He that has a house to put ’s head in has a good
headpiece.
The codpiece that will house
Before the head has any, 30
The head and he shall louse;
So beggars marry many.
The man that makes his toe
What he his heart should make,
Shall of a corn cry woe, 35
And turn his sleep to wake.
For there was never yet fair woman but she made
mouths in a glass.
Note: a codpiece was a fashion style for men during Shakespeare’s time that was a covering for the genitals. It went out of fashion fairly quickly. Here is a BBC article about it if you want to read more: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240202-what-happened-to-the-codpiece
FOOL: If you have a house over your head, that’s good. If you have a house for your codpiece (in other words a man having sex with a woman) before you have a house/roof over your head, that’s a problem, and you will end up in a bad marriage with a poor woman who will end up giving you lice.
If a man considers his toe to be as important to his body as his heart, he will be miserable and cry over a corn on his toe and not be able to sleep. (The meaning here is that Lear is treating his daughters as more important than he and his kingdom, and as a result, he’s in emotional pain and cannot sleep).
Beautiful women will look in the mirror and practice making attractive faces at themselves. (This is just a conclusion to the Fool’s speech that does not quite tie back to anything else).
LEAR
No, I will be the pattern of all patience.
I will say nothing. 40
I’ll be perfectly patient and say nothing.
Enter Kent in disguise.
KENT Who’s there?
Kent comes in.
Who’s there?
FOOL Marry, here’s grace and a codpiece; that’s a
wise man and a fool.
Here’s a wise man and a fool (compared Lear to grace and himself to a codpiece)
KENT
Alas, sir, are you here? Things that love night
Love not such nights as these. The wrathful skies 45
Gallow the very wanderers of the dark
And make them keep their caves. Since I was man,
Such sheets of fire, such bursts of horrid thunder,
Such groans of roaring wind and rain I never
Remember to have heard. Man’s nature cannot carry 50
Th’ affliction nor the fear.
Oh no, are you out here in this weather? Even living creatures that like the night don’t like this night. The skies are so angry that animals that wander in the dark won’t do it tonight and stay inside their caves. As long as I’ve been an adult, I don’t recall this bad of a storm with the lightning setting fires, the sound of the wind and rain, and the thunder. This is too scary for people.
LEAR Let the great gods
That keep this dreadful pudder o’er our heads
Find out their enemies now. Tremble, thou wretch,
That hast within thee undivulgèd crimes 55
Unwhipped of justice. Hide thee, thou bloody hand,
Thou perjured, and thou simular of virtue
That art incestuous. Caitiff, to pieces shake,
That under covert and convenient seeming
Has practiced on man’s life. Close pent-up guilts, 60
Rive your concealing continents and cry
These dreadful summoners grace. I am a man
More sinned against than sinning.
Let the great gods that keep this dreadful turmoil (the storm) over our heads find all the criminals in the world now. If you are a criminal who has not confessed your crime and been punished yet, be afraid. Murderers with bloody hands, those who have practiced incest, liars, and any similar unvirtuous people need to be afraid now. Villains who have plotted against someone’s life need to shake to pieces with fear. Guilty people will have their guilts revealed to the summoner who summons people to court. I am a man more sinned against than sinning (meaning people have done me wrong more than I have done them wrong).
KENT Alack,
bareheaded? 65
Gracious my lord, hard by here is a hovel.
Some friendship will it lend you ’gainst the tempest.
Repose you there while I to this hard house—
More harder than the stones whereof ’tis raised,
Which even but now, demanding after you, 70
Denied me to come in—return and force
Their scanted courtesy.
Oh my! Lear, you don’t have anything to cover your head. Over there is a hovel (a shed, or really miserable looking small shelter) to take shelter in. It can be a friend to you against this storm, and you can shelter in it while I go to Regan’s house, a very difficult house to go to, and previously, they refused to allow me to come in. I’m going to return there now though and force them to be courteous.
LEAR My wits begin to turn.—
Come on, my boy. How dost, my boy? Art cold?
I am cold myself.—Where is this straw, my fellow? 75
The art of our necessities is strange
And can make vile things precious. Come, your
hovel.—
Poor Fool and knave, I have one part in my heart
That’s sorry yet for thee. 80
I’m starting to lose my mind. (to the Fool): Come on boy.How are you? Are you cold? I’m cold too. Look at this straw the hovel is made of. When needed, something as crude looking as straw can seem precious to us. Come to the hovel. Poor Fool, I feel sorry for you.
FOOL sings
He that has and a little tiny wit,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
Must make content with his fortunes fit,
Though the rain it raineth every day.
The Fool sings
If you are not that wise, you need to be content with whatever luck you have, even if every day is a bad rainy and windy day.
LEAR
True, my good boy.—Come, bring us to this hovel. 85
That’s true. Let’s go into this hovel now.
Lear and Kent exit.
Lear and Kent go in.
FOOL This is a brave night to cool a courtesan. I’ll
speak a prophecy ere I go:
When priests are more in word than matter,
When brewers mar their malt with water,
When nobles are their tailors’ tutors, 90
No heretics burned but wenches’ suitors,
When every case in law is right,
No squire in debt, nor no poor knight;
When slanders do not live in tongues,
Nor cutpurses come not to throngs, 95
When usurers tell their gold i’ th’ field,
And bawds and whores do churches build,
Then shall the realm of Albion
Come to great confusion;
Then comes the time, who lives to see ’t, 100
That going shall be used with feet.
This prophecy Merlin shall make, for I live before
his time.
He exits.
Before I go into the hovel, here’s a prediction from me:
When priests are more talk, than action
When brewers brewing beer mess up and brew more water than alcohol
When nobles are doing the work of tailors (dealing with clothing and fashion)
When heretics (people against the Church) are not burned at the stake but become the sexual partners of young women
On the other hand, when every court case is dealt with justly
and no knight or squire is in debt
when no one is a slanderer (liar saying false bad things about others)
and no thieves go into crowds of people to steal
when people who are usurers (money lenders who charge such high interest rates that’s it’s criminal) leave all their gold in the field
and when whores build churches
then England will come to great confusion.
The magician Merlin will make this prophecy in the future because he hasn’t been born yet.
The Fool exits.
The Fool is basically saying that at some point in the future, all of the social order in England will be topsy turvey and overturned. No one will be in their usual social roles, and it will destroy the nation.
Scene 3
Enter Gloucester and Edmund.
GLOUCESTER Alack, alack, Edmund, I like not this
unnatural dealing. When I desired their leave that I
might pity him, they took from me the use of mine
own house, charged me on pain of perpetual
displeasure neither to speak of him, entreat for 5
him, or any way sustain him.
Oh no, Edmund, I don’t like how unnaturally Goneril and the Duke of Albany are treating me. When I expressed pity for King Lear and wanted to go to him, they banished me from my own house and told me never to speak of him, beg help for him, or help him in any way or they would be angry with me forever.
EDMUND Most savage and unnatural.
This is so savage of them and unnatural.
GLOUCESTER Go to; say you nothing. There is division
between the dukes, and a worse matter than that. I
have received a letter this night; ’tis dangerous to 10
be spoken; I have locked the letter in my closet.
These injuries the King now bears will be revenged
home; there is part of a power already footed. We
must incline to the King. I will look him and privily
relieve him. Go you and maintain talk with the 15
Duke, that my charity be not of him perceived. If he
ask for me, I am ill and gone to bed. If I die for it, as
no less is threatened me, the King my old master
must be relieved. There is strange things toward,
Edmund. Pray you, be careful. He exits. 20
Don’t say anything about it, Edmund. The two Dukes, Albany and Cornwall, are in conflict right now, and even worse than that, I received a letter tonight that is dangerous to even talk about; I have locked it up in my bedroom. The king of France is going to take vengeance for the injuries caused against King Lear by Goneril and Regan. An army is already on foot, and I need to go to the king to help him out. Go to the Duke of Albany and talk to him to cover for him so that my help to the King won’t be noticed by him. If the Duke asks for me, tell him I’m sick and have gone to bed. I’m going to help the King, my old master, even if I die for it, and they’ve threatened me that I will. Strange events are happening, Edmund.
Gloucester exits.
EDMUND
This courtesy forbid thee shall the Duke
Instantly know, and of that letter too.
This seems a fair deserving, and must draw me
That which my father loses—no less than all.
The younger rises when the old doth fall. 25
He exits.
I’l going to tell the Duke immediately that my father is helping the king, and I’ll also tell him about the hidden letter. It seems fair to do that, and I hope it will benefit me so that I gain the assets my father loses. I want everything of his. I’m the younger son who will rise, when the older father falls.
Scene 4
Enter Lear, Kent in disguise, and Fool.
Lear, Kent, and the Fool come on stage.
KENT
Here is the place, my lord. Good my lord, enter.
The tyranny of the open night ’s too rough
For nature to endure. Storm still.
Here’s the place King Lear. Go inside. This night is too rough for anything in nature to tolerate it.
LEAR Let me alone.
Leave me alone.
KENT
Good my lord, enter here.
Go inside here, my lord.
5
LEAR Wilt break my heart?
Will it break my heart?
KENT
I had rather break mine own. Good my lord, enter.
I’d rather break my own heart than yours. Go inside, my lord.
LEAR
Thou think’st ’tis much that this contentious storm
Invades us to the skin. So ’tis to thee.
But where the greater malady is fixed, 10
The lesser is scarce felt. Thou ’dst shun a bear,
But if thy flight lay toward the roaring sea,
Thou ’dst meet the bear i’ th’ mouth. When the
mind’s free,
The body’s delicate. This tempest in my mind 15
Doth from my senses take all feeling else
Save what beats there. Filial ingratitude!
Is it not as this mouth should tear this hand
For lifting food to ’t? But I will punish home.
No, I will weep no more. In such a night 20
To shut me out? Pour on. I will endure.
In such a night as this? O Regan, Goneril,
Your old kind father whose frank heart gave all!
O, that way madness lies. Let me shun that;
No more of that. 25
You think this storm is so bad to me? To you, it is. But for me, I have bigger problems, so I hardly feel this small problem of the storm. You would run away from a bear, but if your running took you straight into the wild water of the sea, you would turn around and face the bear instead of running into the sea. When the mind is free of problems and emotional turmoil, the body is weak, but the emotional turmoil and anger in my mind makes my five senses and body unable to feel anything else. The ingratitude of children! Isn’t it like if my mouth would tear up my hand for bringing food up to it? But I will punish my daughters quickly. I won’t cry anymore. Did these daughters really shut me out in such an awful night? Rain, continue to pour, I will endure it. Oh, Goneril and Regan, I am your kind old father whose honest heart gave you everything. Oh no, I cannot think like this anymore or I’ll go mad (lose my mind).
KENT Good my lord, enter here.
Go inside, my lord.
LEAR
Prithee, go in thyself. Seek thine own ease.
This tempest will not give me leave to ponder
On things would hurt me more. But I’ll go in.—
In, boy; go first.—You houseless poverty— 30
Nay, get thee in. I’ll pray, and then I’ll sleep.
Fool exits.
Please go in yourself. Seek your own comfort. This storm is not even giving me the opportunity to think about things that would hurt me more than it does. But I’ll go in. (To the Fool): you go in first, boy. You are poor and without a home, so get inside. I’ll pray and then sleep.
The Fool goes inside the hovel.
Poor naked wretches, wheresoe’er you are,
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,
How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,
Your looped and windowed raggedness defend 35
you
From seasons such as these? O, I have ta’en
Too little care of this. Take physic, pomp.
Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel,
That thou may’st shake the superflux to them 40
And show the heavens more just.
Poor people without enough clothes to wear , whereever you are, who are putting up with this storm coming down on you, how can you be defended against these kinds of horrible storms when you have no house to protect you and no food or clothing? Oh, as king, I have not taken enough care of these problems. I need to expose myself to what the poor people in my kingdom feel in order to stop being so arrogant and self-important and to provide them with the excess I don’t need, so that the world is shown to have more justice to them.
“Physic” is a word for medicine, so he’s using the metaphor of taking medicine to say that he should be trying to humble himself to feel what his people feel in the kingdom.
EDGAR within Fathom and half, fathom and half!
Poor Tom!
Edgar comes on stage disguised as Poor Tom, a madman (because he is fleeing Gloucester’s anger), and he is exclaiming with a phrase that sailors use because of the storm.
Enter Fool.
FOOL Come not in here, nuncle; here’s a spirit. Help
me, help me! 45
The Fool walks on stage.
Don’t come in here, uncle, King Lear. There’s a ghost or spirit in this hovel. Help me, help me!
KENT Give me thy hand. Who’s there?
Give me your hand. Who’s there?
FOOL A spirit, a spirit! He says his name’s Poor Tom.
A spirit, a spirit! He says his name is Poor Tom.
KENT What art thou that dost grumble there i’ th’
straw? Come forth.
What are you in the straw there, making noise? Come out.
Enter Edgar in disguise.
Edgar enters in disguise.
EDGAR Away. The foul fiend follows me. Through the 50
sharp hawthorn blows the cold wind. Hum! Go to
thy cold bed and warm thee.
Go away. The devil (foul fiend) is following me. The wind is blowing through the trees, and it’s cold. Go to your cold bed, and warm up.
LEAR Didst thou give all to thy daughters? And art thou
come to this?
Did you give everything you own to your daughters, and that’s why you are like this?
EDGAR Who gives anything to Poor Tom, whom the 55
foul fiend hath led through fire and through flame,
through ford and whirlpool, o’er bog and quagmire;
that hath laid knives under his pillow and
halters in his pew, set ratsbane by his porridge,
made him proud of heart to ride on a bay trotting 60
horse over four-inched bridges to course his own
shadow for a traitor? Bless thy five wits! Tom’s
a-cold. O, do de, do de, do de. Bless thee from
whirlwinds, star-blasting, and taking! Do Poor Tom
some charity, whom the foul fiend vexes. There 65
could I have him now, and there—and there again
—and there. Storm still.
Who gives anything to Poor Tom?
The devil has led me through fire and flame, through shallow parts of rivers that I wade through, and through whirlpools, bogs, and quagmires (wet and boggy land). The devil has also put knives under my pillow, halters in my church pew, rat poison by my porridge that I eat (things that I could be killed with or kill myself with), and made me ride a horse over narrow and dangerous bridges for someone who was a traitor.
Bless my five senses! I’m cold. (He sings a little)
Protect me from the wind, negative influence from the stars, and being taken over by evil spirits!
Give me some charity because the devil is tormenting me.
There is the devil, and there, and there, and over there!
LEAR
Has his daughters brought him to this pass?—
Couldst thou save nothing? Wouldst thou give ’em
all? 70
Have his daughters brought him to this level? Couldn’t you have saved something? Did you really give them everything?
FOOL Nay, he reserved a blanket, else we had been all
shamed.
Well, he saved himself a blanket to cover his nudity, or we all would have been embarrassed to see him naked.
LEAR
Now all the plagues that in the pendulous air
Hang fated o’er men’s faults light on thy daughters!
Lear curses the daughters he believes have harmed Poor Tom.
Now all the plagues that are in the air and that are fated to punish people for their mistakes should fall on your daughters!
KENT He hath no daughters, sir. 75
He does not have daughters, sir.
LEAR
Death, traitor! Nothing could have subdued nature
To such a lowness but his unkind daughters.
Is it the fashion that discarded fathers
Should have thus little mercy on their flesh?
Judicious punishment! ’Twas this flesh begot 80
Those pelican daughters.
You are a traitor to say he has no daughters (this is hyperbole from King Lear)!
Nothing would have brought him so low but unkind daughters.
Is it normal for fathers who have been deserted by their daughters to have no mercy on themselves? I guess this is a just punishment to fall this low in life considering it was your own body that produced these horrible and greedy daughters (peilicans were believed to feed on their own parents).
EDGAR Pillicock sat on Pillicock Hill. Alow, alow, loo,
loo.
Pillicock means penis and is obviously an old word no longer used. Pillicock Hill could be an old nursery rhyme, but Edgar is using a word play based on hearing the word “pelican” from King Lear.
FOOL This cold night will turn us all to fools and
madmen. 85
It’s so cold we’ll all be madmen and fools.
EDGAR Take heed o’ th’ foul fiend. Obey thy parents,
keep thy word’s justice, swear not, commit not with
man’s sworn spouse, set not thy sweet heart on
proud array. Tom’s a-cold.
Beware of the devil. Obey your parents, keep your promises, don’t swear, do not commit adultery, don’t wear overly proud clothing. I’m cold.
LEAR What hast thou been? 90
What have you been?
EDGAR A servingman, proud in heart and mind, that
curled my hair, wore gloves in my cap, served the
lust of my mistress’ heart and did the act of
darkness with her, swore as many oaths as I spake
words and broke them in the sweet face of heaven; 95
one that slept in the contriving of lust and waked to
do it. Wine loved I deeply, dice dearly, and in
woman out-paramoured the Turk. False of heart,
light of ear, bloody of hand; hog in sloth, fox in
stealth, wolf in greediness, dog in madness, lion in 100
prey. Let not the creaking of shoes nor the rustling
of silks betray thy poor heart to woman. Keep thy
foot out of brothels, thy hand out of plackets, thy
pen from lenders’ books, and defy the foul fiend.
Still through the hawthorn blows the cold wind; 105
says suum, mun, nonny. Dolphin my boy, boy, sessa!
Let him trot by. Storm still.
I’ve been a proud servant who curled my hair, wore a cap and gloves, and had sex with my mistress, and I made many promises and broke them as well. I slept in lust and woke up to have sex. I loved wine and gambling, and I had more mistresses than a Turk (this was an early modern stereotype about Turkish men having harems full of women). I have a false heart (basically he’s saying he’s a liar, but remember he’s playing a character of Poor Tom), light ear (meaning he believes everything he hears instead of fact-checking it, so he’s easily influenced by anyone), bloody hand (from having murdered or hurt people), am as lazy as a hog lying in the mud, as stealthy as a fox, greedy as a wolf, mad as a dog, and like a lion in hunting prey.
Don’t let your girlfriend or wife notice you’re sneaking around with another woman (that is, hearing shoes creaking on the floor and silk clothing rustling because a man and woman are sneaking around behind another woman’s back). Stay out of brothels, and keep your hands out of the slit in a woman’s petticoat, don’t sign for any loans, and defy the devil.
The wind is still blowing cold.
Poor Tom starts singing some nonsense about dolphins.
LEAR Thou wert better in a grave than to answer with
thy uncovered body this extremity of the skies.—Is
man no more than this? Consider him well.—Thou 110
ow’st the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep
no wool, the cat no perfume. Ha, here’s three on ’s
are sophisticated. Thou art the thing itself; unaccommodated
man is no more but such a poor, bare,
forked animal as thou art. Off, off, you lendings! 115
Come, unbutton here. Tearing off his clothes.
You would be better off dead in the grave than out in this weather without clothing.
Is this all mankind (humanity, but during the Early Modern Period, mankind or man was the phrase used).
Consider Poor Tom here.
You don’t owe anything to the silk worm or the sheep or any other animal because you are not clothed at all in wool or silk (Poor Tom is naked except for a blanket).
Three of us here are clothed in the kinds of things that represent civilized life.
You, Poor Tom, have nothing, no accommodations at all.
Your nakedness shows that mankind is just the same as animals if it were not for the trappings of civilized life.
Off with the clothes I’ve borrowed!
He tears off his clothes.
FOOL Prithee, nuncle, be contented. ’Tis a naughty
night to swim in. Now, a little fire in a wild field
were like an old lecher’s heart—a small spark, all
the rest on ’s body cold. 120
Uncle, please, this is a bad night to be without clothes as though you were swimming in this storm.
A fire in a field is similar to an old pervert’s heart. There is just a small spark in the fire and in the old man’s heart, and everything else is cold. (In other words, it’s too hard to build a fire to keep yourself warm in this field and in the storm).
Enter Gloucester, with a torch.
Gloucester comes in with a torch to light his way.
Look, here comes a walking fire.
FOOL: Look, here comes a walking fire. (This is a joke about how a torch is lit by fire, and it’s being carried by Gloucester)
EDGAR This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet. He begins
at curfew and walks till the first cock. He
gives the web and the pin, squints the eye, and
makes the harelip, mildews the white wheat, and 125
hurts the poor creature of earth.
Swithold footed thrice the ’old,
He met the nightmare and her ninefold,
Bid her alight,
And her troth plight, 130
And aroint thee, witch, aroint thee.
Flibbertigibbet is a devil character from English folklore.
EDGAR: This is the devil, Flibbertigibbet. He starts his activities after curfew and keeps going until midnight. He gives people cataracts, so they have to squint their eye. He causes people to have a harelip and wheat to rot in the field and hurts the creatures of Earth. Saint Withold, an Anglo-Saxon exorcist, tries to help against this demon visiting people while they are asleep by commanding the demon to leave the sleeper alone and do no harm.
KENT How fares your Grace?
How are you doing Lear?
LEAR What’s he?
Who is he?
KENT Who’s there? What is ’t you seek?
Who is there? What do you want?
GLOUCESTER What are you there? Your names? 135
Who are you there? What are your names?
EDGAR Poor Tom, that eats the swimming frog, the
toad, the tadpole, the wall newt, and the water;
that, in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend
rages, eats cow dung for sallets, swallows the old
rat and the ditch-dog, drinks the green mantle of 140
the standing pool; who is whipped from tithing to
tithing, and stocked, punished, and imprisoned;
who hath had three suits to his back, six shirts to
his body,
Horse to ride, and weapon to wear; 145
But mice and rats and such small deer
Have been Tom’s food for seven long year.
Beware my follower. Peace, Smulkin! Peace, thou
fiend!
My name’s Poor Tom who eats frogs, toads, tadpoles, and newts. When the devil is raging, I eat cow dung, rats, and dogs that are dead in a ditch, and drink the green algae from a standing pool of water. I am whipped all the time by the devil from one parish to another (parishes are where churches are located) and put in the stocks, and punished, and imprisoned. I’ve only owned six suits and three shirts and a horse to ride and a weapon. But the only food I’ve had for the last seven years has been mice, rats, and small deer. Beware of my follower, the Devil. Peace devil! (Smulkin is the name of another devil from folklore)
GLOUCESTER, to Lear
What, hath your Grace no better company? 150
What, don’t you have any better company to be in, Lear?
EDGAR The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman. Modo
he’s called, and Mahu.
The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman. He’s called Modo and Mahu (other Early Modern names for devils in stories).
GLOUCESTER, to Lear
Our flesh and blood, my lord, is grown so vile
That it doth hate what gets it.
Our own children, our flesh and blood, are so vile they hate those who conceived them.
EDGAR Poor Tom’s a-cold. 155
I’m cold.
GLOUCESTER, to Lear
Go in with me. My duty cannot suffer
T’ obey in all your daughters’ hard commands.
Though their injunction be to bar my doors
And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you,
Yet have I ventured to come seek you out 160
And bring you where both fire and food is ready.
Go in with me. I can’t put up with and obey your daughters harsh commands to lock my doors and not let you in and make you stay outside in this awful night. I’ve come to look for you and bring you where there is food to eat and a fire.
LEAR
First let me talk with this philosopher.
To Edgar. What is the cause of thunder?
First, let me talk to Poor Tom (Edgar).
What’s the cause of thunder?
KENT
Good my lord, take his offer; go into th’ house.
Lear, take his offer and go in the house.
LEAR
I’ll talk a word with this same learnèd Theban.— 165
What is your study?
I’ll take a word with Poor Tom instead (as though he were an ancient Greek philosopher)
What do you study?
EDGAR How to prevent the fiend and to kill vermin.
How to stop the devil and kill vermin.
LEAR Let me ask you one word in private.
They talk aside.
Let me talk to you in private.
They talk in private.
KENT, to Gloucester
Importune him once more to go, my lord.
His wits begin t’ unsettle. 170
Gloucester, Ask him to go again. His mind is unsettled.
GLOUCESTER Canst thou blame him?
Storm still.
His daughters seek his death. Ah, that good Kent!
He said it would be thus, poor banished man.
Thou sayest the King grows mad; I’ll tell thee,
friend, 175
I am almost mad myself. I had a son,
Now outlawed from my blood. He sought my life
But lately, very late. I loved him, friend,
No father his son dearer. True to tell thee,
The grief hath crazed my wits. What a night’s this! 180
—I do beseech your Grace—
Can you blame him? His daughters want him dead. Ah, Kent said it would be this way, the poor banished man. You’re telling me the king is going mad; well, I’m almost mad myself. I had a son who is now not allowed to come near me. He wanted to kill me recently. I loved him, and no father has ever held his son dearer. To tell you the truth, the grief from this has made me mad. What a night this is! I do ask you, Lear —
LEAR O, cry you mercy, sir.
To Edgar. Noble philosopher, your company.
I beg your pardon, sir (to Gloucester)
To Edgar, noble philosopher, I want your company.
EDGAR Tom’s a-cold.
I’m cold.
GLOUCESTER, to Edgar
In fellow, there, into th’ hovel. Keep thee warm. 185
Go into the hove to keep warm.
LEAR Come, let’s in all.
Come on, let’s all go into the hovel.
KENT This way, my lord.
This way, Lear, my lord.
LEAR, indicating Edgar With him.
I will keep still with my philosopher.
With Poor Tom though, I still want to be with my philosopher.
KENT, to Gloucester
Good my lord, soothe him. Let him take the fellow. 190
Yes, let him take Poor Tom to soothe himself.
GLOUCESTER, to Kent Take him you on.
Go ahead and take him.
KENT, to Edgar
Sirrah, come on: go along with us.
Come on, go with us.
LEAR Come, good Athenian.
Come, good Athenian (again, an ancient Greek philosopher from Athens; Lear’s madness has him imagining Poor Tom is a philosopher).
GLOUCESTER No words, no words. Hush.
I’m speechless. Hush.
EDGAR
Child Rowland to the dark tower came. 195
His word was still “Fie, foh, and fum,
I smell the blood of a British man.”
They exit.
A child in this context is a candidate for knighthood, so this is referring to a part of a ballad about Rowland as a candidate for knighthood in the Charlemagne legends. The rest of this is a quote from the folktale Jack and the Beanstalk/Jack and the Giant Killer.
Scene 5
Enter Cornwall, and Edmund with a paper.
CORNWALL I will have my revenge ere I depart his
house.
Cornwall and Edmund have a paper.
Cornwall says I will have my revenge before I leave this house.
EDMUND How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature
thus gives way to loyalty, something fears me to
think of.
5
CORNWALL I now perceive it was not altogether your
brother’s evil disposition made him seek his death,
but a provoking merit set awork by a reprovable
badness in himself.
I now see that it’s not just that your brother has an evil disposition, and that’s why he’s seeking your father’s death, but it’s that your father has something bad within himself that causes Edgar to seek to kill him.
EDMUND How malicious is my fortune that I must 10
repent to be just! This is the letter he spoke of,
which approves him an intelligent party to the
advantages of France. O heavens, that this treason
were not, or not I the detector.
It’s my bad fortune that put me in this situation where I have to repent about doing the right thing by turning over this letter. Here’s the letter my father spoke about that proves he knows France is working on invading England. Oh heavens, I wish this treason were not happening and that I had not found it out.
CORNWALL Go with me to the Duchess. 15
Go with me to the Duchess (Regan).
EDMUND If the matter of this paper be certain, you
have mighty business in hand.
If this letter is correct, you have important business to work on.
CORNWALL True or false, it hath made thee Earl of
Gloucester. Seek out where thy father is, that he
may be ready for our apprehension. 20
Whether it’s true or not, it has made you Earl of Gloucester in place of your father. Look for your father, so he’ll be ready for our vengeance.
EDMUND, aside If I find him comforting the King, it
will stuff his suspicion more fully.—I will persevere
in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore
between that and my blood.
Speaking aside to himsel: If I find my father with the King, it will make everyone more suspicious of him.
To Cornwall: I will continue being loyal to you, although this is such a tough position for me to be in because it is creating conflict between me and my blood relatives.
CORNWALL I will lay trust upon thee, and thou shalt 25
find a dearer father in my love.
They exit.
I will place my trust in you, and you will find my love for you to be better than your father’s.
Scene 6
Enter Kent in disguise, and Gloucester.
The location in this scene is somewhere inside Gloucester’s house or a building near it.
GLOUCESTER Here is better than the open air. Take it
thankfully. I will piece out the comfort with what
addition I can. I will not be long from you.
Inside is better than outside. I will try to eke out some comfort. I will not be away from you long.
KENT All the power of his wits have given way to his
impatience. The gods reward your kindness! 5
Gloucester exits.
Enter Lear, Edgar in disguise, and Fool.
Lear’s mind is now impatient.
The gods reward you for your kindness.
Lear, Edgar as Poor Tom, and the Fool come on stage.
EDGAR Frateretto calls me and tells me Nero is an
angler in the lake of darkness. Pray, innocent, and
beware the foul fiend.
Frateretto is another name for a folklore demon. Nero was a murderous dictator of Rome.
Frateretto calls out to me and tells me Nero is fishing in hell. Beware of the devil.
FOOL Prithee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a
gentleman or a yeoman. 10
Uncle, tell me if a madman is a gentleman or a property owner (class below a gentleman).
LEAR A king, a king!
A madman is a king!
FOOL No, he’s a yeoman that has a gentleman to his
son, for he’s a mad yeoman that sees his son a
gentleman before him.
No, if a property owner sees his son become a gentleman and advanced above him, then he’ll go mad.
LEAR
To have a thousand with red burning spits 15
Come hissing in upon ’em!
To have a thousand devils with burning spits come hissing and surround my daughters! (Spits are rods for holding food over a fire).
EDGAR The foul fiend bites my back.
The foul fiend bites my back.
FOOL He’s mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a
horse’s health, a boy’s love, or a whore’s oath.
Anyone who trusts a wolf to be tame, a horse to be healthy, a boy to love a girl, or a whore’s promises is mad!
LEAR
It shall be done. I will arraign them straight. 20
To Edgar. Come, sit thou here, most learnèd
justice.
To Fool. Thou sapient sir, sit here. Now, you
she-foxes—
It will be done. I will put my daughters on trial.
Poor Tom, come sit here, wise judge.
Fool, You wise sir, sit here.
Now, you cunning daughters …
EDGAR Look where he stands and glares!—Want’st 25
thou eyes at trial, madam?
Sings. Come o’er the burn, Bessy, to me—
Look how Lear stands and glares (or alternatively, look how that devil stands and glares!)
Do you want spectators at your trial, Madam? (imagining Goneril and Regan to be there)
Edgar/Poor Tom sings
FOOL sings
Her boat hath a leak,
And she must not speak
Why she dares not come over to thee. 30
The Fool sings.
Her boat has a leak, and she must not speak. Why does she not dare to come over to you?
(The leaky boat may be a reference to the daughters’ sexual promiscuity or menstrual period)
EDGAR The foul fiend haunts Poor Tom in the voice of
a nightingale. Hoppedance cries in Tom’s belly for
two white herring.—Croak not, black angel. I have
no food for thee.
The devil is haunting me in the voice of a nightingale bird. (This is a reference to the Fool’s singing).
Hoppendance (another devil name) cries inside my belly for two fish (Tom’s hungry and calling his growling stomach a devil). Don’t croak, devil. I don’t have food for you.
KENT, to Lear
How do you, sir? Stand you not so amazed. 35
Will you lie down and rest upon the cushions?
How are you, Lear? Don’t stand there so amazed. Will you lie down and rest on the cushions?
LEAR
I’ll see their trial first. Bring in their evidence.
To Edgar. Thou robèd man of justice, take thy
place,
To Fool. And thou, his yokefellow of equity, 40
Bench by his side. To Kent. You are o’ th’
commission;
Sit you, too.
I’ll see their trial first. Bring in the evidence.
Poor Tom, take your place as judge.
Fool, you will be a partner in law as well.
Kent, you sit too as you are also commissoned as a justice.
EDGAR Let us deal justly.
Sings. Sleepest or wakest, thou jolly shepherd? 45
Thy sheep be in the corn.
And for one blast of thy minikin mouth,
Thy sheep shall take no harm.
Purr the cat is gray.
Let’s deal justly with this.
He sings:
Are you asleep or awake, shepherd? Your sheep are lost in the grainfield. Call them in, and they won’t be harmed. Purr the cat is gray (this is another devil name).
LEAR Arraign her first; ’tis Goneril. I here take my oath 50
before this honorable assembly, kicked the poor
king her father.
Put Goneril on trial first. I swear on my oath before this assembly, she kicked me, the king and her father.
FOOL Come hither, mistress. Is your name Goneril?
Come here, mistress, Is your name Goneril?
LEAR She cannot deny it.
She can’t deny it.
FOOL Cry you mercy, I took you for a joint stool. 55
I beg your pardon, I thought you were a stool (piece of furniture)
LEAR
And here’s another whose warped looks proclaim
What store her heart is made on. Stop her there!
Arms, arms, sword, fire! Corruption in the place!
False justicer, why hast thou let her ’scape?
Here’s another one whose warped looks show her heart is bad. Stop her! Weapons, swords, fire! There’s corruption here. Why have you let her escape, judge?
EDGAR Bless thy five wits! 60
Bless your five wits! (kind of like bless your heart).
KENT, to Lear
O pity! Sir, where is the patience now
That you so oft have boasted to retain?
What a pity! Lear, where is your patience you’ve bragged about in the past?
EDGAR, aside
My tears begin to take his part so much
They mar my counterfeiting.
Edgar as himself instead of Poor Tom and talking to himself:
I’m having trouble pretending to be Poor Tom because I feel so sorry for King Lear and am starting to cry.
LEAR The little dogs and all, 65
Tray, Blanch, and Sweetheart, see, they bark at me.
See these little dogs, they are barking at me (Lear’s imagining some dogs in the room, and even they are being mean to him).
EDGAR Tom will throw his head at them.—Avaunt, you
curs!
Be thy mouth or black or white,
Tooth that poisons if it bite, 70
Mastiff, greyhound, mongrel grim,
Hound or spaniel, brach, or lym,
Bobtail tike, or trundle-tail,
Tom will make him weep and wail;
For, with throwing thus my head, 75
Dogs leapt the hatch, and all are fled.
Do de, de, de. Sessa! Come, march to wakes
and fairs and market towns. Poor Tom, thy horn
is dry.
I’ll threaten them. Go away, you dogs! Whether your mouth is black or white or your tooth poisons someone when you bite, whether you are a mastiff, a greyhound, a mongrel, a hound, a spaniel, a female hound that hunts by scent (brach), a part of the dog’s body like a limb, a tail, a mite in the dog’s fur or tail, or a poorly bred dog with a curly tail, I will make you weep and wail because when I threaten this way, dogs all flee and jump out of the lower half of the door. Cease, go away! March away to festivals, and fairs, and market towns. My horn bottle that I use as a beggar to beg for drinks is all dry now.
LEAR Then let them anatomize Regan; see what breeds 80
about her heart. Is there any cause in nature that
make these hard hearts? To Edgar. You, sir, I
entertain for one of my hundred; only I do not like
the fashion of your garments. You will say they are
Persian, but let them be changed. 85
Let them figure out Regan now, and see what is growing in her heart. Is there any cause in nature for these children to have such hard hearts?
Poor Tom, You, sir, I consider one of my one hundred knights I keep, but I don’t like your clothes (which is the blanket he keeps himself wrapped in). You will say they are fine Persian rugs, but they need to be changed.
KENT
Now, good my lord, lie here and rest awhile.
Now, Lear, lie here and rest a while.
LEAR, lying down Make no noise, make no noise.
Draw the curtains. So, so, we’ll go to supper i’ th’
morning.
Lear lies down.
Make no noise, make no noise, and draw the curtains. (there are probably no curtains to draw; they are a figment of Lear’s imagination)
We’ll eat in the morning.
FOOL And I’ll go to bed at noon. 90
And I’ll go to bed at noon.
Enter Gloucester.
GLOUCESTER, to Kent
Come hither, friend. Where is the King my master?
Come here, Kent disguised as Caius. Where is the king, my master?
KENT
Here, sir, but trouble him not; his wits are gone.
Here, but leave him alone; he’s lost his mind.
GLOUCESTER
Good friend, I prithee, take him in thy arms.
I have o’erheard a plot of death upon him.
There is a litter ready; lay him in ’t, 95
And drive toward Dover, friend, where thou shalt
meet
Both welcome and protection. Take up thy master.
If thou shouldst dally half an hour, his life,
With thine and all that offer to defend him, 100
Stand in assurèd loss. Take up, take up,
And follow me, that will to some provision
Give thee quick conduct.
Take him in your arms, good friend. I have heard there is a plot to kill him. A boat is ready. Lay him down in it, and go to Dover, where you will be welcomed and protected. If you don’t hurry and even take a half hour more, he and the rest of you that offer to defend him will all lose your lives. Gather yourselves and follow me. I’ll take you to some supplies that will help you.
KENT Oppressèd nature sleeps.
This rest might yet have balmed thy broken sinews, 105
Which, if convenience will not allow,
Stand in hard cure. To the Fool. Come, help to
bear thy master.
Thou must not stay behind.
Lear’s been oppressed and now sleeps. Resting might have helped heal his broken nerves; if circumstances will not allow rest, it will be hard to cure him. Fool, come help to carry your master. You must not stay behind.
GLOUCESTER Come, come away. 110
All but Edgar exit, carrying Lear.
Come, come away.
Everyone exits but Edgar, carrying Lear.
EDGAR
When we our betters see bearing our woes,
We scarcely think our miseries our foes.
Who alone suffers suffers most i’ th’ mind,
Leaving free things and happy shows behind.
But then the mind much sufferance doth o’erskip 115
When grief hath mates and bearing fellowship.
How light and portable my pain seems now
When that which makes me bend makes the King
bow!
He childed as I fathered. Tom, away. 120
Mark the high noises, and thyself bewray
When false opinion, whose wrong thoughts defile
thee,
In thy just proof repeals and reconciles thee.
What will hap more tonight, safe ’scape the King! 125
Lurk, lurk.
He exits.
We almost forget our own misery when we see people above us (like the king) having hard times. If we suffer alone, we are the most miserable and leave any happy circumstances behind us. But when we have others to suffer with, the mind does better and skips over some of the suffering. My pain seems so much lighter when the King has pain that is so much worse. My pain just makes me bend, but his makes him bow all the way down. He has a problem with his children, and I have a similar problem with my father. I’ll go away now. I’ll expose the truth when false opinions are ruining my reputation and will reconcile myself with my father. What more will happen tonight? I hope the King escapes safely.
Scene 7
Enter Cornwall, Regan, Goneril, Edmund, the Bastard,
and Servants.
The setting is Gloucester’s house.
CORNWALL, to Goneril Post speedily to my lord your
husband. Show him this letter. He gives her a
paper. The army of France is landed.—Seek out
the traitor Gloucester. Some Servants exit.
Goneril, go quickly to your husband, Albany. Show him this letter. He hands her a paper. The army of France has landed. Find Gloucester, the traitor.
Servants exit.
REGAN Hang him instantly. 5
Hang Gloucester instantly.
GONERIL Pluck out his eyes.
Pluck out his eyes.
CORNWALL Leave him to my displeasure.—Edmund,
keep you our sister company. The revenges we are
bound to take upon your traitorous father are not
fit for your beholding. Advise the Duke, where you 10
are going, to a most festinate preparation; we are
bound to the like. Our posts shall be swift and
intelligent betwixt us.—Farewell, dear sister.—
Farewell, my lord of Gloucester.
Leave him to me.
Edmund, keep Goneril company. You should not see the revenge we are going to take on your father. Let the Duke of Albany know you are going in haste. We are going in haste too. Farewell, Goneril. Farewell, Edmund, Lord of Gloucester.
Enter Oswald, the Steward.
How now? Where’s the King? 15
Oswald comes in.
CORNWALL Where’s the king?
OSWALD
My lord of Gloucester hath conveyed him hence.
Some five- or six-and-thirty of his knights,
Hot questrists after him, met him at gate,
Who, with some other of the lord’s dependents,
Are gone with him toward Dover, where they boast 20
To have well-armèd friends.
Gloucester (not Edmund, the original Gloucester) took the king away along with 35 or 36 of his knights who met him at the gate, along with some other people who are dependent on the king. All are gone to Dover where they have well-armed friends.
CORNWALL Get horses for your mistress.
Oswald exits.
Get horses for Regan, your mistress.
GONERIL Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.
Farewell, Cornwall, and Regan.
CORNWALL
Edmund, farewell. Goneril and Edmund exit.
Go seek the traitor Gloucester. 25
Pinion him like a thief; bring him before us.
Some Servants exit.
Farewell Edmund.
Goneril and Edmund leave.
Find the traitor Gloucester and tie him down like a thief, and bring him to me.
Servants exits.
Though well we may not pass upon his life
Without the form of justice, yet our power
Shall do a court’sy to our wrath, which men
May blame but not control. 30
Without going through the justice system, we may not be able to kill him, but we have the power to exercise our anger against him.
Enter Gloucester and Servants.
Who’s there? The
traitor?
Gloucester and servants enter.
Who is there? Is it the traitor?
REGAN Ingrateful fox! ’Tis he.
It’s him, the ungrateful fox.
CORNWALL Bind fast his corky arms.
Bind his cork-like arms, fast.
GLOUCESTER
What means your Graces? Good my friends, 35
consider
You are my guests; do me no foul play, friends.
What do you mean? Friends, think about how you are my guests, and don’t do me foul play.
CORNWALL
Bind him, I say.
Bind him, I say!
REGAN Hard, hard. O filthy traitor!
Yes, bind him hard. Filthy traitor!
GLOUCESTER
Unmerciful lady as you are, I’m none. 40
Lady, I’m not a trait. You are unmerciful.
CORNWALL
To this chair bind him. Servants bind Gloucester.
Villain, thou shalt find—
Regan plucks Gloucester’s beard.
Tie him to this chair.
Villain, you will find …
Regan pulls out part of his beard.
GLOUCESTER
By the kind gods, ’tis most ignobly done
To pluck me by the beard.
My God, this is not right to pluck my beard.
REGAN
So white, and such a traitor? 45
Are you so old and white-haired, yet such a traitor?
GLOUCESTER Naughty lady,
These hairs which thou dost ravish from my chin
Will quicken and accuse thee. I am your host;
With robber’s hands my hospitable favors
You should not ruffle thus. What will you do? 50
Naughty lady, these hairs you pull out of my chin will come to life and accuse you because I am your host, and you should not act like a robber when I’m showing you hospitality. What are you going to do?
CORNWALL
Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?
What letters have you had lately from France?
REGAN
Be simple-answered, for we know the truth.
Answer honestly because we know the truth.
CORNWALL
And what confederacy have you with the traitors
Late footed in the kingdom?
And what alliance do you have with the traitors who have just arrived in the kingdom?
REGAN To whose hands 55
You have sent the lunatic king. Speak.
GLOUCESTER
I have a letter guessingly set down
Which came from one that’s of a neutral heart,
And not from one opposed.
I have a letter from someone neutral, not the opposition. The letter is theorizing about what was going to happen.
CORNWALL Cunning. 60
Cunning.
REGAN And false.
And false.
CORNWALL Where hast thou sent the King?
Where have you sent the King?
GLOUCESTER To Dover.
To Dover.
REGAN
Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charged at
peril— 65
Why to Dover? Were you not told not to do this at your peril?
CORNWALL
Wherefore to Dover? Let him answer that.
GLOUCESTER
I am tied to th’ stake, and I must stand the course.
I am already tied up, so I must continue and not reveal anything.
REGAN Wherefore to Dover?
Why to Dover?
GLOUCESTER
Because I would not see thy cruel nails
Pluck out his poor old eyes, nor thy fierce sister 70
In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.
The sea, with such a storm as his bare head
In hell-black night endured, would have buoyed up
And quenched the stellèd fires;
Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain. 75
If wolves had at thy gate howled that stern time,
Thou shouldst have said “Good porter, turn the
key.”
All cruels else subscribe. But I shall see
The wingèd vengeance overtake such children. 80
Because I don’t want to see your cruel nails pluck out his eyes nor see Goneril, your sister, bite into his flesh with her fangs. Even the sea would have pitied him in the storm he endured and have swelled up like a wave to cover the stars (the storm showed disorder in the universe, including the cosmos, so the sea would have been helping stop the disorder). With his tears, Lear helped the heavens rain. If the wolves had howled like him at your gate, you would have asked the porter to let him in because you would feel so badly for them. Everything else is too cruel. I will see vengeance overtake you though.
CORNWALL
See ’t shalt thou never.—Fellows, hold the chair.—
Upon these eyes of thine I’ll set my foot.
You will never see that. Fellows, hold the chair. I’ll set my foot on your eyes.
GLOUCESTER
He that will think to live till he be old,
Give me some help!
As Servants hold the chair, Cornwall forces out
one of Gloucester’s eyes.
O cruel! O you gods! 85
Anyone who wants to live until he’s old…
Help me!
Servants hold the chair, and Cornwall forces out one of Gloucester’s eyes.
Oh you gods! This is cruel.
REGAN
One side will mock another. Th’ other too.
So that one side doesn’t mock the other, I’ll take out his other eye.
CORNWALL
If you see vengeance—
If you see vengeance ..
FIRST SERVANT Hold your hand,
my lord.
I have served you ever since I was a child, 90
But better service have I never done you
Than now to bid you hold.
Don’t do it, Cornwall. I’ve been your servant since I was a child, but I’ve never served you better than to now tell you to hold off doing this.
REGAN How now, you dog?
What, you dog?
FIRST SERVANT
If you did wear a beard upon your chin,
I’d shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean? 95
If you had a beard, I’d shake it in this quarrel. What do you mean?
CORNWALL My villain? Draw and fight.
My villain, what?
They draw weapons and fight.
FIRST SERVANT
Nay, then, come on, and take the chance of anger.
No, then, come on and fight.
REGAN, to an Attendant
Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up thus?
She takes a sword and runs
at him behind; kills him.
To an attendant
Give me your sword? A low class person stands up this way?
She kills him from behind.
FIRST SERVANT
O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye left
To see some mischief on him. O! He dies. 100
Oh, I’m killed. My lord Gloucester, you still have one eye, so use it to harm him.
Servant dies.
CORNWALL
Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly!
Forcing out Gloucester’s other eye.
Where is thy luster now?
I’ll prevent that one eye from seeing more. Out jelly of the eye!
He takes out the other eye.
Where is your shine now?
GLOUCESTER
All dark and comfortless! Where’s my son
Edmund?—
Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature 105
To quit this horrid act.
It’s all dark and without any comfort. Where’s my son, Edmund?
Edmund, use everything in your nature to stop this horrid act.
REGAN Out, treacherous villain!
Thou call’st on him that hates thee. It was he
That made the overture of thy treasons to us,
Who is too good to pity thee. 110
Villain, get out of here. You’re callling on Edmund, and he hates you. He’s the one who told us of your treason. He’s too good to pity you anyway.
GLOUCESTER
O my follies! Then Edgar was abused.
Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him.
Oh my mistakes! Edgar was abused then. Forgive me for how I treated Edgar, and make him prosper, gods.
REGAN
Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell
His way to Dover.
Some Servants exit with Gloucester.
How is ’t, my lord? How look you? 115
Servants throw him outside the gates, and let him smell his way to Dover.
Cornwall, are you okay?
CORNWALL
I have received a hurt. Follow me, lady.—
Turn out that eyeless villain. Throw this slave
Upon the dunghill.—Regan, I bleed apace.
Untimely comes this hurt. Give me your arm.
Cornwall and Regan exit.
I’m injured. Follow me, Lady. Get rid of that eyeless villain. Throw this dead servant on the dunghill. Regan, I am bleeding fast. This injury is coming at a bad time. Give me your arm.
They exit.
SECOND SERVANT
I’ll never care what wickedness I do 120
If this man come to good.
I’ll never care how much evil I do if Cornwall ends up having a good life.
THIRD SERVANT If she live long
And in the end meet the old course of death,
Women will all turn monsters.
If she lives long enough to die a natural death (Regan), then women will all end up turning into monsters. (He’s saying she is so evil, she should not be able to live to an old age).
SECOND SERVANT
Let’s follow the old earl and get the Bedlam 125
To lead him where he would. His roguish madness
Allows itself to anything.
Let’s follow Gloucester and get Poor Tom to lead him. His madness allows for anything.
THIRD SERVANT
Go thou. I’ll fetch some flax and whites of eggs
To apply to his bleeding face. Now heaven help him!
They exit.
Go. I’ll get some egg whites and flax to apply to his bleeding face. Heaven help him!
