King Lear

Looked black upon me, struck me with her tongue

Most serpent-like upon the very heart.

All the stored vengeances of heaven fall

On her ingrateful top³⁵⁴! Strike her young bones,

You taking³⁵⁵ airs, with lameness—

CORNWALL    Fie, sir, fie!

LEAR    You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding flames

Into her scornful eyes! Infect her beauty,

You fen-sucked fogs drawn by the powerful sun³⁵⁹

To fall and blister!

REGAN    O the blest gods! So will you wish on me

When the rash mood is on.

LEAR    No, Regan, thou shalt never have my curse:

Thy tender-hafted³⁶⁴ nature shall not give

Thee o’er to harshness. Her eyes are fierce, but thine

Do comfort and not burn. ’Tis not in thee

To grudge my pleasures, to cut off my train,

To bandy hasty words, to scant my sizes³⁶⁸,

And, in conclusion, to oppose the bolt³⁶⁹

Against my coming in: thou better know’st

The offices of nature³⁷¹, bond of childhood,

Effects³⁷² of courtesy, dues of gratitude:

Thy half o’th’kingdom hast thou not forgot,

Wherein I thee endowed.

Tucket within

REGAN    Good sir, to th’purpose³⁷⁵.

LEAR    Who put my man i’th’stocks?

Enter Steward [Oswald]

CORNWALL    What trumpet’s that?

REGAN    I know’t my sister’s: this approves³⁷⁸ her letter,

To Oswald

That she would soon be here.— Is your lady come?

LEAR    This is a slave, whose easy-borrowed³⁸⁰ pride

Dwells in the sickly grace³⁸¹ of her he follows.—

Out, varlet, from my sight!

CORNWALL    What means your grace?

Enter Goneril

LEAR    Who stocked my servant? Regan, I have good hope

Thou didst not know on’t³⁸⁵. Who comes here? O heavens,

If you do love old men, if your sweet sway³⁸⁶

Allow³⁸⁷ obedience, if you yourselves are old,

Make it your cause, send down, and take my part!—

To Goneril

Art not ashamed to look upon this beard³⁸⁹?—

O Regan, will you take her by the hand?

Regan and Goneril join hands

GONERIL    Why not by th’hand, sir? How have I offended?

All’s not offence that indiscretion³⁹² finds

And dotage terms so.

LEAR    O sides³⁹⁴, you are too tough!

Will you yet hold?— How came my man i’th’stocks?

CORNWALL    I set him there, sir: but his own disorders³⁹⁶

Deserved much less advancement³⁹⁷.

LEAR    You? Did you?

REGAN    I pray you, father, being weak, seem so.

If till the expiration of your month,

You will return and sojourn with my sister,

Dismissing half your train, come then to me:

I am now from home, and out of that provision

Which shall be needful for your entertainment⁴⁰⁴.

LEAR    Return to her? And fifty men dismissed?

No, rather I abjure⁴⁰⁶ all roofs, and choose

To wage against the enmity o’th’air⁴⁰⁷,

To be a comrade with the wolf and owl,

Necessity’s⁴⁰⁹ sharp pinch! Return with her?

Why, the hot-blooded France, that dowerless took

Our youngest born, I could as well be brought

To knee his throne and, squire-like, pension⁴¹² beg

To keep base life afoot⁴¹³. Return with her?

Persuade me rather to be slave and sumpter⁴¹⁴

To this detested groom⁴¹⁵.

Points at Oswald

GONERIL    At your choice, sir.

LEAR    I prithee, daughter, do not make me mad.

I will not trouble thee, my child, farewell:

We’ll no more meet, no more see one another.

But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter —

Or rather a disease that’s in my flesh,

Which I must needs call mine: thou art a boil,

A plague-sore, or embossèd carbuncle⁴²³,

In my corrupted blood⁴²⁴. But I’ll not chide thee:

Let shame come when it will, I do not call it:

I do not bid the thunder-bearer shoot,

Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove.

Mend⁴²⁸ when thou canst, be better at thy leisure:

I can be patient, I can stay with Regan,

I and my hundred knights.

REGAN    Not altogether so:

I looked not for⁴³² you yet, nor am provided

For your fit welcome. Give ear, sir, to my sister,

For those that mingle reason with your passion⁴³⁴

Must be content to think you old, and so —

But she knows what she does.

LEAR    Is this well spoken?

REGAN    I dare avouch⁴³⁸ it, sir: what, fifty followers?

Is it not well? What should you need of more?

Yea, or so many, sith that both charge and danger⁴⁴⁰

Speak gainst so great a number? How in one house

Should many people under two commands

Hold amity? ’Tis hard, almost impossible.

GONERIL    Why might not you, my lord, receive attendance

From those that she calls servants, or from mine?

REGAN    Why not, my lord? If then they chanced to slack ye⁴⁴⁶,

We could control⁴⁴⁷ them. If you will come to me —

For now I spy a danger — I entreat you

To bring but five-and-twenty: to no more

Will I give place or notice⁴⁵⁰.

LEAR    I gave you all—

REGAN    And in good time you gave it⁴⁵².

LEAR    Made you my guardians, my depositaries⁴⁵³,

But kept a reservation⁴⁵⁴ to be followed

With such a number. What, must I come to you

With five-and-twenty? Regan, said you so?

REGAN    And speak’t again, my lord: no more with me.

LEAR    Those wicked creatures yet do look well-favoured⁴⁵⁸

When others are more wicked: not being the worst