King Lear

LEAR    Woe that²²⁸ too late repents!— Is it your will?

To a Servant

Speak, sir.— Prepare my horses.

Ingratitude, thou marble-hearted fiend,

More hideous when thou show’st thee in a child

Than the sea-monster!

ALBANY    Pray, sir, be patient.

To Goneril

LEAR    Detested kite²³⁴, thou liest.

My train are men of choice and rarest parts²³⁵,

That all particulars of duty know

And in the most exact regard support²³⁷

The worships of their name. O, most small fault,

How ugly didst thou in Cordelia show!

Which, like an engine²⁴⁰, wrenched my frame of nature

From the fixed place, drew from my heart all love,

And added to the gall²⁴². O Lear, Lear, Lear!

Hits his head

Beat at this gate, that let thy folly in,

And thy dear judgement out!— Go, go, my people.

ALBANY    My lord, I am guiltless as I am ignorant

Of what hath moved²⁴⁶ you.

LEAR    It may be so, my lord.—

Hear, nature, hear, dear goddess, hear!

Suspend thy purpose if thou didst intend

To make this creature fruitful:

Into her womb convey sterility,

Dry up in her the organs of increase²⁵²,

And from her derogate²⁵³ body never spring

A babe to honour her: if she must teem²⁵⁴,

Create her child of spleen²⁵⁵, that it may live

And be a thwart disnatured²⁵⁶ torment to her:

Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth,

With cadent tears fret²⁵⁸ channels in her cheeks,

Turn all her mother’s pains and benefits²⁵⁹

To laughter and contempt, that she may feel

How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is

To have a thankless child!— Away, away!

Exit

Perhaps with Kent and Knights

ALBANY    Now, gods that we adore, whereof comes this?

GONERIL    Never afflict yourself to know more of it,

But let his disposition have that scope

As dotage²⁶⁶ gives it.

Enter Lear

LEAR    What, fifty of my followers at a clap²⁶⁷?

Within a fortnight?

ALBANY    What’s the matter, sir?

To Goneril

LEAR    I’ll tell thee:— Life and death! I am ashamed

That thou hast power to shake my manhood thus,

That these hot tears, which break from me perforce²⁷²,

Should make thee worth them. Blasts²⁷³ and fogs upon thee!

Th’untented²⁷⁴ woundings of a father’s curse

Pierce every sense about thee! Old fond²⁷⁵ eyes,

Beweep this cause again, I’ll pluck ye out

And cast you, with the waters that you loose²⁷⁷,

To temper clay²⁷⁸. Ha? Let it be so.

I have another daughter,

Who, I am sure, is kind and comfortable²⁸⁰:

When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails

She’ll flay thy wolvish visage²⁸². Thou shalt find

That I’ll resume the shape which thou dost think

I have cast off for ever.

Exeunt [Lear, perhaps with Kent and Knights]

GONERIL    Do you mark that?

ALBANY    I cannot be so partial²⁸⁶, Goneril,

To the great love I bear you—

GONERIL    Pray you, content²⁸⁸.— What, Oswald, ho!—

To Fool

You, sir, more knave than fool, after your master.

FOOL    Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, take the fool with

thee.

Sings

A fox, when one has caught her,

And such a daughter

Should sure to the slaughter,

If my cap would buy a halter²⁹⁵:

So the fool follows after.

Exit

GONERIL    This man hath had good counsel. A hundred knights?

’Tis politic²⁹⁸ and safe to let him keep

At point a hundred knights: yes, that²⁹⁹ on every dream,

Each buzz, each fancy³⁰⁰, each complaint, dislike,

He may enguard³⁰¹ his dotage with their powers

And hold our lives in³⁰² mercy.— Oswald, I say!

ALBANY    Well, you may fear too far.

GONERIL    Safer than trust too far:

Let me still³⁰⁵ take away the harms I fear,

Not fear still to be taken³⁰⁶. I know his heart.

What he hath uttered I have writ my sister:

If she sustain him and his hundred knights

When I have showed th’unfitness—

Enter Steward [Oswald]

How now, Oswald?

What, have you writ that letter to my sister?

OSWALD    Ay, madam.

GONERIL    Take you some company and away to horse:

Inform her full of my particular fear,

And thereto add such reasons of your own

As may compact³¹⁵ it more. Get you gone,

And hasten your return.—

[Exit Oswald]

No, no, my lord,

This milky gentleness and course of yours

Though I condemn not, yet, under pardon³¹⁸,

You are much more at task³¹⁹ for want of wisdom

Than praised for harmful mildness.

ALBANY    How far your eyes may pierce I cannot tell:

Striving to better, oft we mar what’s well.

GONERIL    Nay, then—

ALBANY    Well, well, th’event³²⁴.

Exeunt

Act 1 Scene 5

running scene 3 continues

Kent disguised as Caius

Enter Lear, Kent, Gentleman and Fool

To Kent

LEAR    Go you before¹ to Gloucester with these letters.

Acquaint my daughter no further with anything you know

than comes from her demand out of³ the letter. If your

diligence be not speedy, I shall be there afore you.

KENT    I will not sleep, my lord, till I have delivered your

letter.

Exit

FOOL    If a man’s brains were in’s heels, were’t not in

danger of kibes⁸?