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ACT 5

Scene 1

Enter, with Drum and Colors, Edmund, Regan,
Gentlemen, and Soldiers.

EDMUND, to a Gentleman

Know of the Duke if his last purpose hold,

Or whether since he is advised by aught

To change the course. He’s full of alteration

And self-reproving. Bring his constant pleasure.

A Gentleman exits.

REGAN

Our sister’s man is certainly miscarried.                                                  5

EDMUND

’Tis to be doubted, madam.

REGAN  Now, sweet lord,

You know the goodness I intend upon you;

Tell me but truly, but then speak the truth,

Do you not love my sister?                                                                      10

EDMUND  In honored love.

REGAN

But have you never found my brother’s way

To the forfended place?

EDMUND  That thought abuses you.

REGAN

I am doubtful that you have been conjunct                                       15

And bosomed with her as far as we call hers.

EDMUND  No, by mine honor, madam.

REGAN

I never shall endure her. Dear my lord,

Be not familiar with her.

EDMUND

Fear me not. She and the Duke, her husband.                                     20

Enter, with Drum and Colors, Albany, Goneril, Soldiers.

GONERIL, aside

I had rather lose the battle than that sister

Should loosen him and me.

ALBANY

Our very loving sister, well bemet.—

Sir, this I heard: the King is come to his daughter,

With others whom the rigor of our state                                               25

Forced to cry out. Where I could not be honest,

I never yet was valiant. For this business,

It touches us as France invades our land,

Not bolds the King, with others whom, I fear,

Most just and heavy causes make oppose.                                         30

EDMUND

Sir, you speak nobly.

REGAN  Why is this reasoned?

GONERIL

Combine together ’gainst the enemy,

For these domestic and particular broils

Are not the question here.                                                                        35

ALBANY  Let’s then determine

With th’ ancient of war on our proceeding.

EDMUND

I shall attend you presently at your tent.

REGAN  Sister, you’ll go with us?

GONERIL  No.                                                                                               40

REGAN

’Tis most convenient. Pray, go with us.

GONERIL, aside

Oho, I know the riddle.—I will go.

They begin to exit.

Enter Edgar dressed as a peasant.

EDGAR, to Albany

If e’er your Grace had speech with man so poor,

Hear me one word.

ALBANY, to those exiting

I’ll overtake you.—Speak.                                                                   45

Both the armies exit.

EDGAR, giving him a paper

Before you fight the battle, ope this letter.

If you have victory, let the trumpet sound

For him that brought it. Wretched though I seem,

I can produce a champion that will prove

What is avouchèd there. If you miscarry,                                            50

Your business of the world hath so an end,

And machination ceases. Fortune love you.

ALBANY  Stay till I have read the letter.

EDGAR  I was forbid it.

When time shall serve, let but the herald cry                                       55

And I’ll appear again.                                                                    He exits.

ALBANY

Why, fare thee well. I will o’erlook thy paper.

Enter Edmund.

EDMUND

The enemy’s in view. Draw up your powers.

Giving him a paper.

Here is the guess of their true strength and forces

By diligent discovery. But your haste                                                   60

Is now urged on you.

ALBANY  We will greet the time.

He exits.

EDMUND

To both these sisters have I sworn my love,

Each jealous of the other as the stung

Are of the adder. Which of them shall I take?                                    65

Both? One? Or neither? Neither can be enjoyed

If both remain alive. To take the widow

Exasperates, makes mad her sister Goneril,

And hardly shall I carry out my side,

Her husband being alive. Now, then, we’ll use                                    70

His countenance for the battle, which, being done,

Let her who would be rid of him devise

His speedy taking off. As for the mercy

Which he intends to Lear and to Cordelia,

The battle done and they within our power,                                        75

Shall never see his pardon, for my state

Stands on me to defend, not to debate.

He exits.

Scene 2

Alarum within. Enter, with Drum and Colors, Lear,
Cordelia, and Soldiers, over the stage, and exit.
Enter Edgar and Gloucester.

EDGAR

Here, father, take the shadow of this tree

For your good host. Pray that the right may thrive.

If ever I return to you again,

I’ll bring you comfort.

GLOUCESTER  Grace go with you, sir.                                                       5

Edgar exits.

Alarum and Retreat within.

Enter Edgar.

EDGAR

Away, old man. Give me thy hand. Away.

King Lear hath lost, he and his daughter ta’en.

Give me thy hand. Come on.

GLOUCESTER

No further, sir. A man may rot even here.

EDGAR

What, in ill thoughts again? Men must endure                                    10

Their going hence even as their coming hither.

Ripeness is all. Come on.

GLOUCESTER  And that’s true too.

They exit.

Scene 3

Enter in conquest, with Drum and Colors, Edmund;
Lear and Cordelia as prisoners; Soldiers, Captain.

EDMUND

Some officers take them away. Good guard

Until their greater pleasures first be known

That are to censure them.

CORDELIA, to Lear  We are not the first

Who with best meaning have incurred the worst.                                  5

For thee, oppressèd king, I am cast down.

Myself could else outfrown false Fortune’s frown.

Shall we not see these daughters and these sisters?

LEAR

No, no, no, no. Come, let’s away to prison.

We two alone will sing like birds i’ th’ cage.                                         10

When thou dost ask me blessing, I’ll kneel down

And ask of thee forgiveness. So we’ll live,

And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh

At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues

Talk of court news, and we’ll talk with them too—                           15

Who loses and who wins; who’s in, who’s out—

And take upon ’s the mystery of things,

As if we were God’s spies. And we’ll wear out,

In a walled prison, packs and sects of great ones

That ebb and flow by th’ moon.                                                            20

EDMUND  Take them away.

LEAR

Upon such sacrifices, my Cordelia,

The gods themselves throw incense. Have I caught

thee?

He that parts us shall bring a brand from heaven                              25

And fire us hence like foxes. Wipe thine eyes.

The good years shall devour them, flesh and fell,

Ere they shall make us weep. We’ll see ’em starved

first.

Come.                                                                                                          30

Lear and Cordelia exit, with Soldiers.

EDMUND  Come hither, captain. Hark.

Handing him a paper.

Take thou this note. Go follow them to prison.

One step I have advanced thee. If thou dost

As this instructs thee, thou dost make thy way

To noble fortunes. Know thou this: that men                                      35

Are as the time is; to be tender-minded

Does not become a sword. Thy great employment

Will not bear question. Either say thou ’lt do ’t,

Or thrive by other means.

CAPTAIN  I’ll do ’t, my lord.                                                                      40

EDMUND

About it, and write “happy” when th’ hast done.

Mark, I say, instantly, and carry it so

As I have set it down.

CAPTAIN

I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats.

If it be man’s work, I’ll do ’t.                                       Captain exits.  45

Flourish. Enter Albany, Goneril, Regan, Soldiers and a
Captain.

ALBANY, to Edmund

Sir, you have showed today your valiant strain,

And Fortune led you well. You have the captives

Who were the opposites of this day’s strife.

I do require them of you, so to use them

As we shall find their merits and our safety                                         50

May equally determine.

EDMUND  Sir, I thought it fit

To send the old and miserable king

To some retention and appointed guard,

Whose age had charms in it, whose title more,                                    55

To pluck the common bosom on his side

And turn our impressed lances in our eyes,

Which do command them. With him I sent the

Queen,

My reason all the same, and they are ready                                        60

Tomorrow, or at further space, t’ appear

Where you shall hold your session. At this time

We sweat and bleed. The friend hath lost his friend,

And the best quarrels in the heat are cursed

By those that feel their sharpness.                                                         65

The question of Cordelia and her father

Requires a fitter place.

ALBANY  Sir, by your patience,

I hold you but a subject of this war,

Not as a brother.                                                                                        70

REGAN  That’s as we list to grace him.

Methinks our pleasure might have been demanded

Ere you had spoke so far. He led our powers,

Bore the commission of my place and person,

The which immediacy may well stand up                                            75

And call itself your brother.

GONERIL  Not so hot.

In his own grace he doth exalt himself

More than in your addition.

REGAN  In my rights,                                                                                   80

By me invested, he compeers the best.

GONERIL

That were the most if he should husband you.

REGAN

Jesters do oft prove prophets.

GONERIL  Holla, holla!

That eye that told you so looked but asquint.                                     85

REGAN

Lady, I am not well, else I should answer

From a full-flowing stomach. To Edmund.

General,

Take thou my soldiers, prisoners, patrimony.

Dispose of them, of me; the walls is thine.                                           90

Witness the world that I create thee here

My lord and master.

GONERIL  Mean you to enjoy him?

ALBANY

The let-alone lies not in your goodwill.

EDMUND

Nor in thine, lord.                                                                                       95

ALBANY  Half-blooded fellow, yes.

REGAN, to Edmund

Let the drum strike, and prove my title thine.

ALBANY

Stay yet, hear reason.—Edmund, I arrest thee

On capital treason; and, in thine attaint,

This gilded serpent.—For your claim, fair                                          100

sister,

I bar it in the interest of my wife.

’Tis she is subcontracted to this lord,

And I, her husband, contradict your banns.

If you will marry, make your loves to me.                                         105

My lady is bespoke.

GONERIL  An interlude!

ALBANY

Thou art armed, Gloucester. Let the trumpet sound.

If none appear to prove upon thy person

Thy heinous, manifest, and many treasons,                                     110

There is my pledge.                                           He throws down a glove.

I’ll make it on thy heart,

Ere I taste bread, thou art in nothing less

Than I have here proclaimed thee.

REGAN  Sick, O, sick!                                                                                115

GONERIL, aside  If not, I’ll ne’er trust medicine.

EDMUND

There’s my exchange.                                      He throws down a glove.

What in the world he is

That names me traitor, villain-like he lies.

Call by the trumpet. He that dares approach,                                   120

On him, on you, who not, I will maintain

My truth and honor firmly.

ALBANY

A herald, ho!

EDMUND  A herald, ho, a herald!

ALBANY

Trust to thy single virtue, for thy soldiers,                                          125

All levied in my name, have in my name

Took their discharge.

REGAN  My sickness grows upon me.

ALBANY

She is not well. Convey her to my tent.

Regan is helped to exit.

Enter a Herald.

Come hither, herald. Let the trumpet sound,                                     130

And read out this.                                     He hands the Herald a paper.

CAPTAIN  Sound, trumpet!

A trumpet sounds.

HERALD reads.

If any man of quality or degree, within the lists of the

army, will maintain upon Edmund, supposed Earl of

Gloucester, that he is a manifold traitor, let him                          135

appear by the third sound of the trumpet. He is bold in

his defense.                                                            First trumpet sounds.

HERALD  Again!                                                    Second trumpet sounds.

HERALD  Again!                                                       Third trumpet sounds.

Trumpet answers within.

Enter Edgar armed.

ALBANY, to Herald

Ask him his purposes, why he appears                                               140

Upon this call o’ th’ trumpet.

HERALD  What are you?

Your name, your quality, and why you answer

This present summons?

EDGAR  Know my name is lost,                                                              145

By treason’s tooth bare-gnawn and canker-bit.

Yet am I noble as the adversary

I come to cope.

ALBANY  Which is that adversary?

EDGAR

What’s he that speaks for Edmund, Earl of                                      150

Gloucester?

EDMUND

Himself. What sayest thou to him?

EDGAR  Draw thy sword,

That if my speech offend a noble heart,

Thy arm may do thee justice. Here is mine.                                      155

He draws his sword.

Behold, it is my privilege, the privilege of mine

honors,

My oath, and my profession. I protest,

Maugre thy strength, place, youth, and eminence,

Despite thy victor-sword and fire-new fortune,                                 160

Thy valor, and thy heart, thou art a traitor,

False to thy gods, thy brother, and thy father,

Conspirant ’gainst this high illustrious prince,

And from th’ extremest upward of thy head

To the descent and dust below thy foot,                                            165

A most toad-spotted traitor. Say thou “no,”

This sword, this arm, and my best spirits are bent

To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak,

Thou liest.

EDMUND  In wisdom I should ask thy name,                                      170

But since thy outside looks so fair and warlike,

And that thy tongue some say of breeding breathes,

What safe and nicely I might well delay

By rule of knighthood, I disdain and spurn.

Back do I toss these treasons to thy head,                                        175

With the hell-hated lie o’erwhelm thy heart,

Which, for they yet glance by and scarcely bruise,

This sword of mine shall give them instant way,

Where they shall rest forever. Trumpets, speak!

He draws his sword. Alarums. Fights.

Edmund falls, wounded.

ALBANY, to Edgar

Save him, save him!                                                                               180

GONERIL  This is practice, Gloucester.

By th’ law of war, thou wast not bound to answer

An unknown opposite. Thou art not vanquished,

But cozened and beguiled.

ALBANY  Shut your mouth, dame,                                                        185

Or with this paper shall I stopple it.—Hold, sir.—

Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil.

No tearing, lady. I perceive you know it.

GONERIL

Say if I do; the laws are mine, not thine.

Who can arraign me for ’t?                                                                   190

ALBANY  Most monstrous! O!

Know’st thou this paper?

GONERIL  Ask me not what I know.

She exits.

ALBANY

Go after her, she’s desperate. Govern her.

A Soldier exits.

EDMUND, to Edgar

What you have charged me with, that have I done,                        195

And more, much more. The time will bring it out.

’Tis past, and so am I. But what art thou

That hast this fortune on me? If thou ’rt noble,

I do forgive thee.

EDGAR  Let’s exchange charity.                                                             200

I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund;

If more, the more th’ hast wronged me.

My name is Edgar and thy father’s son.

The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices

Make instruments to plague us.                                                           205

The dark and vicious place where thee he got

Cost him his eyes.

EDMUND  Th’ hast spoken right. ’Tis true.

The wheel is come full circle; I am here.

ALBANY, to Edgar

Methought thy very gait did prophesy                                               210

A royal nobleness. I must embrace thee.

Let sorrow split my heart if ever I

Did hate thee or thy father!

EDGAR  Worthy prince, I know ’t.

ALBANY  Where have you hid yourself?                                              215

How have you known the miseries of your father?

EDGAR

By nursing them, my lord. List a brief tale,

And when ’tis told, O, that my heart would burst!

The bloody proclamation to escape

That followed me so near—O, our lives’ sweetness,                        220

That we the pain of death would hourly die

Rather than die at once!—taught me to shift

Into a madman’s rags, t’ assume a semblance

That very dogs disdained, and in this habit

Met I my father with his bleeding rings,                                             225

Their precious stones new lost; became his guide,

Led him, begged for him, saved him from despair.

Never—O fault!—revealed myself unto him

Until some half hour past, when I was armed.

Not sure, though hoping of this good success,                                   230

I asked his blessing, and from first to last

Told him our pilgrimage. But his flawed heart

(Alack, too weak the conflict to support)

’Twixt two extremes of passion, joy and grief,

Burst smilingly.                                                                                        235

EDMUND  This speech of yours hath moved me,

And shall perchance do good. But speak you on.

You look as you had something more to say.

ALBANY

If there be more, more woeful, hold it in,

For I am almost ready to dissolve,                                                      240

Hearing of this.

EDGAR  This would have seemed a period

To such as love not sorrow; but another,

To amplify too much, would make much more

And top extremity. Whilst I                                                                  245

Was big in clamor, came there in a man

Who, having seen me in my worst estate,

Shunned my abhorred society; but then, finding

Who ’twas that so endured, with his strong arms

He fastened on my neck and bellowed out                                       250

As he’d burst heaven, threw him on my father,

Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him

That ever ear received, which, in recounting,

His grief grew puissant, and the strings of life

Began to crack. Twice then the trumpets sounded,                         255

And there I left him tranced.

ALBANY  But who was this?

EDGAR

Kent, sir, the banished Kent, who in disguise

Followed his enemy king and did him service

Improper for a slave.                                                                             260

Enter a Gentleman with a bloody knife.

GENTLEMAN

Help, help, O, help!

EDGAR  What kind of help?

ALBANY, to Gentleman  Speak, man!

EDGAR  What means this bloody knife?

GENTLEMAN

’Tis hot, it smokes! It came even from the heart                              265

Of—O, she’s dead!

ALBANY  Who dead? Speak, man.

GENTLEMAN

Your lady, sir, your lady. And her sister

By her is poisoned. She confesses it.

EDMUND

I was contracted to them both. All three                                            270

Now marry in an instant.

EDGAR  Here comes Kent.

Enter Kent.

ALBANY, to the Gentleman

Produce the bodies, be they alive or dead.

Gentleman exits.

This judgment of the heavens, that makes us

tremble,                                                                                                 275

Touches us not with pity. O, is this he?

To Kent. The time will not allow the compliment

Which very manners urges.

KENT  I am come

To bid my king and master aye goodnight.                                       280

Is he not here?

ALBANY  Great thing of us forgot!

Speak, Edmund, where’s the King? And where’s

Cordelia?

Goneril and Regan’s bodies brought out.

Seest thou this object, Kent?                                                                285

KENT  Alack, why thus?

EDMUND  Yet Edmund was beloved.

The one the other poisoned for my sake,

And after slew herself.

ALBANY  Even so.—Cover their faces.                                                 290

EDMUND

I pant for life. Some good I mean to do

Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send—

Be brief in it—to th’ castle, for my writ

Is on the life of Lear, and on Cordelia.

Nay, send in time.                                                                                   295

ALBANY  Run, run, O, run!

EDGAR

To who, my lord? To Edmund. Who has the office?

Send

Thy token of reprieve.

EDMUND

Well thought on. Take my sword. Give it the                                    300

Captain.

EDGAR, to a Soldier  Haste thee for thy life.

The Soldier exits with Edmund’s sword.

EDMUND, to Albany

He hath commission from thy wife and me

To hang Cordelia in the prison, and

To lay the blame upon her own despair,                                            305

That she fordid herself.

ALBANY

The gods defend her!—Bear him hence awhile.

Edmund is carried off.

Enter Lear with Cordelia in his arms,
followed by a Gentleman.

LEAR

Howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones!

Had I your tongues and eyes, I’d use them so

That heaven’s vault should crack. She’s gone                                  310

forever.

I know when one is dead and when one lives.

She’s dead as earth.—Lend me a looking glass.

If that her breath will mist or stain the stone,

Why, then she lives.                                                                                315

KENT  Is this the promised end?

EDGAR

Or image of that horror?

ALBANY  Fall and cease.

LEAR

This feather stirs. She lives. If it be so,

It is a chance which does redeem all sorrows                                    320

That ever I have felt.

KENT  O, my good master—

LEAR

Prithee, away.

EDGAR  ’Tis noble Kent, your friend.

LEAR

A plague upon you, murderers, traitors all!                                        325

I might have saved her. Now she’s gone forever.—

Cordelia, Cordelia, stay a little. Ha!

What is ’t thou sayst?—Her voice was ever soft,

Gentle, and low, an excellent thing in woman.

I killed the slave that was a-hanging thee.                                         330

GENTLEMAN

’Tis true, my lords, he did.

LEAR  Did I not, fellow?

I have seen the day, with my good biting falchion

I would have made him skip. I am old now,

And these same crosses spoil me. To Kent. Who                              335

are you?

Mine eyes are not o’ th’ best. I’ll tell you straight.

KENT

If Fortune brag of two she loved and hated,

One of them we behold.

LEAR

This is a dull sight. Are you not Kent?                                                 340

KENT  The same,

Your servant Kent. Where is your servant Caius?

LEAR

He’s a good fellow, I can tell you that.

He’ll strike and quickly too. He’s dead and rotten.

KENT

No, my good lord, I am the very man—                                            345

LEAR  I’ll see that straight.

KENT

That from your first of difference and decay

Have followed your sad steps.

LEAR  You are welcome

hither.                                                                                                     350

KENT

Nor no man else. All’s cheerless, dark, and deadly.

Your eldest daughters have fordone themselves,

And desperately are dead.

LEAR  Ay, so I think.

ALBANY

He knows not what he says, and vain is it                                         355

That we present us to him.

EDGAR  Very bootless.

Enter a Messenger.

MESSENGER  Edmund is dead, my lord.

ALBANY  That’s but a trifle here.—

You lords and noble friends, know our intent:                                  360

What comfort to this great decay may come

Shall be applied. For us, we will resign,

During the life of this old Majesty,

To him our absolute power; you to your rights,

With boot and such addition as your Honors                                   365

Have more than merited. All friends shall taste

The wages of their virtue, and all foes

The cup of their deservings. O, see, see!

LEAR

And my poor fool is hanged. No, no, no life?

Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life,                                        370

And thou no breath at all? Thou ’lt come no more,

Never, never, never, never, never.—

Pray you undo this button. Thank you, sir.

Do you see this? Look on her, look, her lips,

Look there, look there!                                                          He dies.  375

EDGAR  He faints. To Lear. My lord,

my lord!

KENT

Break, heart, I prithee, break!

EDGAR  Look up, my lord.

KENT

Vex not his ghost. O, let him pass! He hates him                              380

That would upon the rack of this tough world

Stretch him out longer.

EDGAR  He is gone indeed.

KENT

The wonder is he hath endured so long.

He but usurped his life.                                                                          385

ALBANY

Bear them from hence. Our present business

Is general woe. To Edgar and Kent. Friends of my

soul, you twain

Rule in this realm, and the gored state sustain.

KENT

I have a journey, sir, shortly to go;                                                      390

My master calls me. I must not say no.

EDGAR

The weight of this sad time we must obey,

Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.

The oldest hath borne most; we that are young

Shall never see so much nor live so long.                                           395

They exit with a dead march.