King Lear

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

Hear me one word.

ALBANY    I’ll overtake you³⁴.— Speak.

EDGAR Before you fight the battle, ope this letter³⁵:

Gives a letter

If you have victory, let the trumpet sound³⁶

For him that brought it. Wretched though I seem,

I can produce a champion³⁸ that will prove

What is avouchèd there. If you miscarry³⁹,

Your business of the world hath so an end,

And machination⁴¹ ceases. Fortune loves you.

ALBANY    Stay till I have read the letter.

EDGAR    I was forbid it.

When time shall serve, let but the herald cry⁴⁴

And I’ll appear again.

Exit

ALBANY    Why, fare thee well: I will o’erlook⁴⁶ thy paper.

Enter Edmund

EDMUND    The enemy’s in view: draw up your powers⁴⁷.

Offers a paper

Here is the guess of their true strength and forces

By diligent discovery⁴⁹, but your haste

Is now urged on you.

ALBANY    We will greet the time⁵¹.

Exit

EDMUND    To both these sisters have I sworn my love,

Each jealous⁵³ of the other, as the stung

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

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 side⁵⁸,

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

His countenance⁶⁰ for the battle, which being done,

Let her who would be rid of him devise

His speedy taking off⁶². As for the mercy

Which he intends to Lear and to Cordelia,

The battle done and they within our power,

Shall never see his pardon, for my state⁶⁵

Stands on me to defend, not to debate.

Exit

Act 5 Scene 2

running scene 19

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

EDGAR    Here, father¹, take the shadow of this tree

For your good host². Pray that the right may thrive.

If ever I return to you again,

I’ll bring you comfort.

GLOUCESTER    Grace go with you, sir!

Exit [Edgar]

Alarum and retreat within

Enter Edgar

EDGAR    Away, old man! Give me thy hand, away!

King Lear hath lost, he and his daughter ta’en⁷:

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

Their going hence, even as their coming hither:

Ripeness¹² is all: come on.

GLOUCESTER    And that’s true too.

Exeunt

Act 5 Scene 3

running scene 20

Enter in conquest, with Drum and Colours, Edmund, Lear and Cordelia as prisoners, Soldiers, Captain

EDMUND    Some officers take them away: good guard¹,

Until their greater pleasures² first be known

That are to censure³ them.

To Lear

CORDELIA We are not the first

Who with best meaning⁵ have incurred the worst.

For thee, oppressèd king, I am cast down⁶:

Myself could else out-frown 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:

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 rogues¹⁴

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

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

And take upon’s the mystery of things¹⁷,

As if we were God’s spies: and we’ll wear out¹⁸

In a walled prison packs and sects¹⁹ of great ones

That ebb and flow by th’moon²⁰.

EDMUND    Take them away.

LEAR    Upon such sacrifices²², my Cordelia,

The gods themselves throw incense²³. Have I caught thee?

He that parts us shall bring a brand from heaven²⁴

And fire us hence like foxes. Wipe thine eyes:

The good years shall devour them, flesh and fell²⁶,

Ere they shall make us weep: We’ll see ’em starved²⁷ first. Come.

Exeunt [Lear and Cordelia, guarded]

EDMUND    Come hither, captain, hark.

Gives 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

Are as the time is; to be tender-minded³³

Does not become³⁴ a sword. Thy great employment

Will not bear question³⁵: either say thou’lt do’t

Or thrive by other means.

CAPTAIN    I’ll do’t, my lord.

EDMUND    About it, and write happy³⁸ when th’hast done.

Mark, I say, instantly, and carry³⁹ it so

As I have set it down.

Exit Captain

Flourish. Enter Albany, Goneril, Regan, Soldiers

ALBANY    Sir, you have showed today your valiant strain⁴¹,

And fortune led you well. You have the captives

Who were the opposites⁴³ of this day’s strife: