KING LEAR

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

(PAGINA 6)

KING LEAR



ACT III





SCENE V Gloucester's castle.



[Enter CORNWALL and EDMUND]

CORNWALL I will have my revenge ere I depart his house.

EDMUND How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature thus

gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think

of.

CORNWALL I now perceive, it was not altogether your

brother's evil disposition made him seek his death;

but a provoking merit, set a-work by a reprovable

badness in himself.

EDMUND How malicious is my fortune, that I must 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!

CORNWALL o with me to the duchess.

EDMUND If the matter of this paper be certain, you have

mighty business in hand.

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.

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.

CORNWALL I will lay trust upon thee; and thou shalt find a

dearer father in my love.

[Exeunt]







KING LEAR



ACT III





SCENE VI A chamber in a farmhouse adjoining the castle.



[Enter GLOUCESTER, KING LEAR, KENT, Fool, and EDGAR]

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.

KENT All the power of his wits have given way to his

impatience: the gods reward your kindness!

[Exit GLOUCESTER]

EDGAR Frateretto calls me; and tells me

Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness.

Pray, innocent, and beware the foul fiend.

Fool Prithee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a

gentleman or a yeoman?

KING LEAR A king, 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.

KING LEAR To have a thousand with red burning spits

Come hissing in upon 'em,--

EDGAR 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.

KING LEAR It shall be done; I will arraign them straight.

[To EDGAR]

Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer;

[To the Fool]

Thou, sapient sir, sit here. Now, you she foxes!

EDGAR Look, where he stands and glares!

Wantest thou eyes at trial, madam?

Come o'er the bourn, Bessy, to me,--

Fool Her boat hath a leak,

And she must not speak

Why she dares not come over to thee.

EDGAR The foul fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of a

nightingale. Hopdance cries in Tom's belly for two

white herring. Croak not, black angel; I have no

food for thee.

KENT How do you, sir? Stand you not so amazed:

Will you lie down and rest upon the cushions?

KING LEAR I'll see their trial first. Bring in the evidence.

[To EDGAR]

Thou robed man of justice, take thy place;

[To the Fool]

And thou, his yoke-fellow of equity,

Bench by his side:

[To KENT]

you are o' the commission,

Sit you too.

EDGAR Let us deal justly.

Sleepest or wakest thou, jolly shepherd?

Thy sheep be in the corn;

And for one blast of thy minikin mouth,

Thy sheep shall take no harm.

Pur! the cat is gray.

KING LEAR Arraign her first; 'tis Goneril. I here take my

oath before this honourable assembly, she kicked the

poor king her father.

Fool Come hither, mistress. Is your name Goneril?

KING LEAR She cannot deny it.

Fool Cry you mercy, I took you for a joint-stool.

KING LEAR And here's another, whose warp'd 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?

EDGAR Bless thy five wits!

KENT O pity! Sir, where is the patience now,

That thou so oft have boasted to retain?

EDGAR [Aside] My tears begin to take his part so much,

They'll mar my counterfeiting.

KING LEAR The little dogs and all, Tray, Blanch, and

Sweet-heart, see, they bark at me.

EDGAR Tom will throw his head at them. Avaunt, you curs!

Be thy mouth or black or white,

Tooth that poisons if it bite;

Mastiff, grey-hound, mongrel grim,

Hound or spaniel, brach or lym,

Or bobtail tike or trundle-tail,

Tom will make them weep and wail:

For, with throwing thus my head,

Dogs leap 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.

KING LEAR Then let them anatomize Regan; see what breeds

about her heart. Is there any cause in nature that

makes 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 attire: but let them be changed.

KENT Now, good my lord, lie here and rest awhile.

KING LEAR Make no noise, make no noise; draw the curtains:

so, so, so. We'll go to supper i' he morning. So, so, so.

Fool And I'll go to bed at noon.

[Re-enter GLOUCESTER]

GLOUCESTER Come hither, friend: where is the king my master?

KENT Here, sir; but trouble him not, his wits are gone.

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,

And drive towards 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,

Stand in assured loss: take up, take up;

And follow me, that will to some provision

Give thee quick conduct.

KENT Oppressed nature sleeps:

This rest might yet have balm'd thy broken senses,

Which, if convenience will not allow,

Stand in hard cure.

[To the Fool]

Come, help to bear thy master;

Thou must not stay behind.

GLOUCESTER Come, come, away.

[Exeunt all but EDGAR]

EDGAR When we our betters see bearing our woes,

We scarcely think our miseries our foes.

Who alone suffers suffers most i' the mind,

Leaving free things and happy shows behind:

But then the mind much sufferance doth o'er skip,

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 father'd! Tom, away!

Mark the high noises; and thyself bewray,

When false opinion, whose wrong thought defiles thee,

In thy just proof, repeals and reconciles thee.

What will hap more to-night, safe 'scape the king!

Lurk, lurk.

[Exit]







KING LEAR



ACT III





SCENE VII Gloucester's castle.



[Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, GONERIL, EDMUND, and Servants]

CORNWALL Post speedily to my lord your husband; show him

this letter: the army of France is landed. Seek

out the villain Gloucester.

[Exeunt some of the Servants]

REGAN Hang him instantly.

GONERIL 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 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.

[Enter OSWALD]

How now! where's the king?

OSWALD My lord of Gloucester hath convey'd 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 lords dependants,

Are gone with him towards Dover; where they boast

To have well-armed friends.

CORNWALL Get horses for your mistress.

GONERIL Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.

CORNWALL Edmund, farewell.

[Exeunt GONERIL, EDMUND, and OSWALD]

Go seek the traitor Gloucester,

Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us.

[Exeunt other Servants]

Though well we may not pass upon his life

Without the form of justice, yet our power

Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men

May blame, but not control. Who's there? the traitor?

[Enter GLOUCESTER, brought in by two or three]

REGAN Ingrateful fox! 'tis he.

CORNWALL Bind fast his corky arms.

GLOUCESTER What mean your graces? Good my friends, consider

You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends.

CORNWALL Bind him, I say.

[Servants bind him]

REGAN Hard, hard. O filthy traitor!

GLOUCESTER Unmerciful lady as you are, I'm none.

CORNWALL To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt find--

[REGAN plucks his beard]

GLOUCESTER By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done

To pluck me by the beard.

REGAN So white, and 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 robbers' hands my hospitable favours

You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?

CORNWALL Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?

REGAN Be simple answerer, for we know the truth.

CORNWALL And what confederacy have you with the traitors

Late footed in the kingdom?

REGAN To whose hands have you 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.

CORNWALL Cunning.

REGAN And false.

CORNWALL Where hast thou sent the king?

GLOUCESTER To Dover.

REGAN Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charged at peril--

CORNWALL Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that.

GLOUCESTER I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course.

REGAN Wherefore to Dover, sir?

GLOUCESTER Because I would not see thy cruel nails

Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister

In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.

The sea, with such a storm as his bare head

In hell-black night endured, would have buoy'd up,

And quench'd the stelled fires:

Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain.

If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time,

Thou shouldst have said 'Good porter, turn the key,'

All cruels else subscribed: but I shall see

The winged vengeance overtake such children.

CORNWALL See't shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair.

Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot.

GLOUCESTER He that will think to live till he be old,

Give me some help! O cruel! O you gods!

REGAN One side will mock another; the other too.

CORNWALL If you see vengeance,--

First Servant Hold your hand, my lord:

I have served you ever since I was a child;

But better service have I never done you

Than now to bid you hold.

REGAN How now, you dog!

First Servant If you did wear a beard upon your chin,

I'd shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean?

CORNWALL My villain!

[They draw and fight]

First Servant Nay, then, come on, and take the chance of anger.

REGAN Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up thus!

[Takes a sword, and runs at him behind]

First Servant O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye left

To see some mischief on him. O!

[Dies]

CORNWALL Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly!

Where is thy lustre now?

GLOUCESTER All dark and comfortless. Where's my son Edmund?

Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature,

To quit 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.

GLOUCESTER O my follies! then Edgar was abused.

Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him!

REGAN Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell

His way to Dover.

[Exit one with GLOUCESTER]

How is't, my lord? how look you?

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.

[Exit CORNWALL, led by REGAN]

Second Servant I'll never care what wickedness I do,

If this man come to good.

Third Servant If she live long,

And in the end meet the old course of death,

Women will all turn monsters.

Second Servant Let's follow the old earl, and get the Bedlam

To lead him where he would: his roguish madness

Allows itself to any thing.

Third Servant Go thou: I'll fetch some flax and whites of eggs

To apply to his bleeding face. Now, heaven help him!

[Exeunt severally]



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