William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (538 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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HERALD (reads) ‘If any man of quality or degree within the lists of the army will maintain upon Edmond, supposed Earl of Gloucester, that he is a manifold traitor, let him appear by the third sound of the trumpet. He is bold in his defence.’
First trumpet
Again.
Second trumpet
Again.
Third trumpet.
Trumpet answers within. Enter Edgar, armed
ALBANY (to the Herald)
Ask him his purposes, why he appears
Upon this call o’th’ trumpet.
Upon this call o’th’ trumpet.
HERALD (to Edgar)
What are you?
Your name, your quality, and why you answer
This present summons?
This present summons?
EDGAR
Know, my name is lost,
By treason’s tooth bare-gnawn and canker-bit.
Yet am I noble as the adversary
I come to cope.
Yet am I noble as the adversary
I come to cope.
ALBANY
Which is that adversary?
EDGAR
What’s he that speaks for Edmond, Earl of Gloucester?
EDMOND
Himself. What sayst thou to him?
EDGAR
Draw thy sword,
That if my speech offend a noble heart
Thy arm may do thee justice. Here is mine.
Thy arm may do thee justice. Here is mine.
He draws his sword
Behold, it is the privilege of mine honour,
My oath, and my profession. I protest,
Maugre thy strength, place, youth, and eminence,
Despite thy victor-sword and fire-new fortune,
Thy valour 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
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.
My oath, and my profession. I protest,
Maugre thy strength, place, youth, and eminence,
Despite thy victor-sword and fire-new fortune,
Thy valour 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
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.
EDMOND
In wisdom I should ask thy name,
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 demand
By rule of knighthood I disdain and spurn.
Back do I toss those treasons to thy head,
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 for ever. Trumpets, speak!
And that thy tongue some say of breeding breathes,
What safe and nicely I might well demand
By rule of knighthood I disdain and spurn.
Back do I toss those treasons to thy head,
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 for ever. Trumpets, speak!
Alarums. They fight. Edmond is vanquished
⌈ALL⌉
Save him, save him!
GONERIL
This is practice, Gloucester.
By th’ law of arms thou wast not bound to answer
An unknown opposite. Thou art not vanquished,
But cozened and beguiled.
An unknown opposite. Thou art not vanquished,
But cozened and beguiled.
ALBANY
Shut your mouth, dame,
Or with this paper shall I stopple it.
⌈
To Edmond
⌉ Hold, sir, thou worse than any name:
read thine own evil.
(
To Goneril
) No tearing, lady. I perceive you know it.
⌈
To Edmond
⌉ Hold, sir, thou worse than any name:
read thine own evil.
(
To Goneril
) 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?
Who can arraign me for’t?
Exit
ALBANY Most monstrous!—
O, know’st thou this paper?
EDMOND
Ask me not what I know.
ALBANY
Go after her. She’s desperate. Govern her.
Exit one or more
EDMOND
What you have charged me with, that have I done,
And more, much more. The time will bring it out.
‘Tis past, and so am I. (To Edgar) But what art thou,
That hast this fortune on me? If thou’rt noble,
I do forgive thee.
And more, much more. The time will bring it out.
‘Tis past, and so am I. (To Edgar) But what art thou,
That hast this fortune on me? If thou’rt noble,
I do forgive thee.
EDGAR
Let’s exchange charity.
I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmond.
If more, the more thou’st wronged me.
If more, the more thou’st wronged me.
⌈
He
takes off his
helmet
⌉
My name is Edgar, and thy father’s son.
The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices
Make instruments to plague us.
The dark and vicious place where thee he got
Cost him his eyes.
The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices
Make instruments to plague us.
The dark and vicious place where thee he got
Cost him his eyes.
EDMOND
Thou‘st spoken right. ’Tis true.
The wheel is come full circle. I am here.
ALBANY (to Edgar)
Methought thy very gait did prophesy
A royal nobleness. I must embrace thee.
Let sorrow split my heart if ever I
Did hate thee or thy father.
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?
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,
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,
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,
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.
And when ‘tis told, O that my heart would burst!
The bloody proclamation to escape
That followed me so near—O, our lives’ sweetness,
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,
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,
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.
EDMOND
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.
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,
Hearing of this.
For I am almost ready to dissolve,
Hearing of this.
Enter a Gentleman with a bloody knife
GENTLEMAN
Help, help, O help!
EDGAR
What kind of help?
ALBANY
Speak, man.
EDGAR
What means this bloody knife?
GENTLEMAN
’Tis hot, it smokes.
It came even from the heart 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.
By her is poisoned. She confesses it.
EDMOND
I was contracted to them both; all three
Now marry in an instant.
Now marry in an instant.
EDGAR
Here comes Kent.
Enter the Earl of Kent as himself
ALBANY
Produce the bodies, be they alive or dead.
Goneril’s and Regan’s bodies brought out
This judgement of the heavens, that makes us tremble,
Touches us not with pity.—O, is this he?
(
To Kent
) The time will not allow the compliment
Which very manners urges.
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 good night.
Is he not here?
Is he not here?
ALBANY
Great thing of us forgot!—
Speak, Edmond; where’s the King, and where’s
Cordelia?-
Seest thou this object, Kent?
Cordelia?-
Seest thou this object, Kent?
KENT Alack, why thus?
EDMOND Yet Edmond was beloved.
The one the other poisoned for my sake,
And after slew herself.
And after slew herself.
ALBANY
Even so.—Cover their faces.
EDMOND
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.
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.
ALBANY
Run, run, O run!
EDGAR
To who, my lord?—Who has the office? Send Thy token of reprieve.
EDMOND
Well thought on! Take my sword. The captain, Give it the captain.
EDGAR
Haste thee for thy life.
Exit
⌈
the Gentleman
⌉
⌈
the Gentleman
⌉
EDMOND (
to Albany
)
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,
That she fordid herself.
To hang Cordelia in the prison, and
To lay the blame upon her own despair,
That she fordid herself.
ALBANY
The gods defend her!—Bear him hence a while.
Exeunt some with Edmond
Enter King Lear with Queen Cordelia in his arms,
⌈
followed by the Gentleman
⌉
LEAR
Howl, 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 for ever.
I know when one is dead and when one lives.
She’s dead as earth.
Had I your tongues and eyes, I’d use them so
That heaven’s vault should crack. She’s gone for ever.
I know when one is dead and when one lives.
She’s dead as earth.
⌈
He lays her down
⌉
Lend me a looking-glass.
If that her breath will mist or stain the stone,
Why, then she lives.
Why, then she lives.
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
That ever I have felt.
It is a chance which does redeem all sorrows
That ever I have felt.
KENT ⌈
kneeling
⌉
kneeling
⌉
O, my good master!
LEAR
Prithee, away.
EDGAR
’Tis noble Kent, your friend.
LEAR
A plague upon you, murderers, traitors all.
I might have saved her; now she’s gone for ever.-
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.
I might have saved her; now she’s gone for ever.-
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.
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 them skip. I am old now,
And these same crosses spoil me. (
To Kent)
Who are
you?
Mine eyes are not o’th’ best, I’ll tell you straight.
I would have made them skip. I am old now,
And these same crosses spoil me. (
To Kent)
Who 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.
One of them we behold.
LEAR
This’ a dull sight.
Are you not Kent?
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.
He’ll strike, and quickly too. He’s dead and rotten.
KENT
No, my good lord, I am the very man—
LEAR I’ll see that straight.
KENT
That from your first of difference and decay
Have followed your sad steps.
Have followed your sad steps.
LEAR
You’re welcome hither.
KENT
Nor no man else. All’s cheerless, dark, and deadly.
Your eldest daughters have fordone themselves,
And desperately are dead.
Your eldest daughters have fordone themselves,
And desperately are dead.
LEAR
Ay, so think I.
ALBANY
He knows not what he says; and vain is it
That we present us to him.
That we present us to him.
Enter a Messenger
EDGAR
Very bootless.
MESSENGER (
to Albany
)
to Albany
)
Edmond is dead, my lord.
ALBANY
That’s but a trifle here.—
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