ACT I

SCENE I. King Lear's palace.

Enter KENT, GLOUCESTER, and EDMUND KENT I thought the king had more affected to the Duke of Albany than Cornwall. GLOUCESTER It did always seem so to us: but now, in the division of the kingdom, it seems impossible to find out who possess his liking most KENT Isnt this your son, my lord? GLOUCESTER Im in charge for his upbringing sir: It been times to tell people that he is my son, but now, Im brazed to it KENT I cant conceive you. GLOUCESTER Well, this young mans mother grew him: in her womb before having a husband on her bed. Can you smell a fault? KENT I cant wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper. GLOUCESTER But I have, sir, a legal son, some year elder than this. Oh, so, do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund? EDMUND No, my lord. GLOUCESTER This is Lord Kent: remember him as my honourable friend. EDMUND Pleased to meet you sir GLOUCESTER Ahh, The king is coming.

Sennet. Enter KING LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants
KING LEAR Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester. GLOUCESTER [exits] Exeunt GLOUCESTER and EDMUND KING LEAR Give me the map there, know that we have divided My kingdom into three So, tell me, my daughters Which of you shall we say love me most? That at the end, will receive largest gift. Goneril, our eldest-born, speak first. GONERIL Sir, I love you more than words; Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valued, rich or odd; It is truly sincere to love you as any child should ; A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable; Beyond all manner of so much I love you. LEAR Of all this territory, from this line to this, will belong to you and Albany. So, what says our second born, our dearest Regan, wife of Cornwall? Speak. REGAN Sir, I am made Of the self-same metal as my sister, And consider me as she is. In my true heart I find she names my very deed of love towards you; I love you more than any joy, which the most precious is only you; And I find in your dear highness' love, the only pleasure I want. KING LEAR To you and your heir, hereby obtain this ample third of our fair kingdom; Now now, our joy, Last but not least; to whose young love shares to France and Burgundy, what can you say to draw

A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak. CORDELIA Nothing, my lord. KING LEAR Nothing! CORDELIA Nothing. KING LEAR Nothing will come of nothing: speak again. CORDELIA Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty According to my bond; nor more nor less. KING LEAR Cordelia! Mend your speech a little, CORDELIA Good my lord, You have raised me, nurtured me, loved me: I Return those duties back as are right fit, Obey you, love you, and most honour you. Why have my sisters husbands, if they do love you all? Dont they love their husbands too? Well, when I shall marry, That lord must take Half of my love with him, half of my care and duty: Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters, Only to love you father. KING LEAR How could you say this? CORDELIA Yes, my lord KING LEAR So young, and so mean? CORDELIA So young, my lord, and true. KING LEAR Let it be so; The truth shall reveal I swear by the universe and all living things, Here I disclaim all my paternal care, All affections and property of blood Now, Out you, out! KING LEAR I loved her most, supposedly for the rest of my life Call France and Burgundy; why arent any of you doing anything? [Several attendants exit.] Cornwall and Albany, With my two daughters, this third land should be divided among you: With reservation of an hundred knights, By you to be sustained, shall my home Make with you by due turns. Only I still retain The name, and all the additions to a king; The sway, revenue, execution of the rest, Beloved sons, be yours; This crown part partially divided for you. [Giving the crown] KENT Royal Lear, Whom I have ever honoured as my king, Loved as my father KING LEAR Silent! KENT Let your anger fall, even if it hurt. When Lear is mad, Kent can be unmanner. What are you doing, old man? Its my duty that made me dread to speak, Especially when kings power bows to flattery. KING LEAR Kent, for your life sake, stop talking! KENT My life I never held but as a pawn to fight against your enemies; KING LEAR Out of my sight! KENT See better, Lear; KING LEAR O, vassal! villain! [Laying his hand on his sword] ALBANY & CORNWALL

Dear sir, forbear. KENT Revoke your doom; I'll tell you that this is evil. KING LEAR Hear me, traitor! Receive your punishment Kent, five days We do give you provision, And on the sixth day, vanished yourself from this kingdom. If on the tenth following, you are still here, Death is waiting upon you. This shall not be revoked.. KENT Fare thee well, king: Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here. [To CORDELIA] The gods take you to their dear shelter, my dear, That due the way you think, and has most rightly said! [To REGAN and GONERIL] And your large speeches may your deeds approve, That good effects may spring from words of love. Thus Kent, bids you all farewell; He'll shape his old course in a country new. Exit Flourish. Re-enter GLOUCESTER, with KING OF FRANCE, BURGUNDY, and Attendants GLOUCESTER Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord. KING LEAR My lord of Burgundy, When she was dear to us, we did hold her so; But now her price is fallen. Sir, there she stands: She's there, and she is yours. BURGUNDY I know no answer. KING LEAR Will you, with those infirmities she owes, Dower with our curse, and stranger with our oath, Take her, or leave her? BURGUNDY Royal Lear, And here I take Cordelia by the hand, Duchess of Burgundy. KING LEAR Nothing for you nor her, I swear. BURGUNDY I am sorry, then, you have so lost a father That you must lose a husband. CORDELIA Peace be with Burgundy! Since that respects of fortune are his love, I shall not be his wife. KING OF FRANCE Fairest Cordelia, that are most rich, being poor; Most choice, forsaken; and most loved, despised! You and your virtues here I seize upon: BURGUNDY Pardon me, royal sir; Election makes no negotiation on such conditions. KING LEAR Then leave her, sir; for, by the power that made me, I tell you all her wealth. [To KING OF FRANCE] For you, great king, To prevent you like a more worthier way Than on a woman whom nature is ashamed Almost to acknowledge hers. CORDELIA I beg your majesty,-If for I want that flattering and oily art, I am glad I dont have it, though by not having it has lost me in your liking. KING LEAR Better you has not been born than not to have pleased me better. KING OF FRANCE Is it but this, arghh My lord of Burgundy, What say you to the lady? Will you have her? She is herself a dowry, worth.

Your dowerless daughter, king Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France: KING LEAR You has her, France: let her be yours; for we Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see That face of hers again. Therefore be gone Without our grace, our love. Come, noble Burgundy. [Flourish. Exeunt all but KING OF FRANCE, GONERIL, REGAN, and CORDELIA] KING OF FRANCE Bid farewell to your sisters. CORDELIA The jewels of our father, with this tears within my eyes Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are; Love well our father So, farewell to you both. REGAN Prescribe not us our duties. GONERIL Let your study Be to content your lord, who has received you You have obedience scanted - failed, And well are worth the want that you have wanted. CORDELIA Time shall unfold what plaited cunning hides: Who cover faults, at last shame them derides. Well may you prosper! KING OF FRANCE Come, my fair Cordelia. [Exeunt KING OF FRANCE and CORDELIA] GONERIL Sister, it is not a little I have to say of what most nearly connected to us both. I think our father will leave here tonight. REGAN That's most certain, and with you; next month with us. GONERIL

You see how full of changes his age is; he always loved our sister most; and with what poor judgment he has now cast her off REGAN This the infirmity of his age: Kent's banishment. GONERIL Pray you, let's hit together REGAN We shall further think on it. GONERIL We must do something. [Exeunt] SCENE II. The Earl of Gloucester's castle. Enter EDMUND, with a letter EDMUND Why bastard? Wherefore base? Why brand they that I am With base? Illegitimate? Well, then, Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land: Our father's love to the bastard Edmund is same As to the legitimate: fine word,--legitimate! Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed, And my invention succeeded, Edmund the base Shall top the legitimate. Now, gods, stand up for bastards! [Enter GLOUCESTER] GLOUCESTER Kent been banished like that! And King of France gone in a temper! And the king gone to-night! subscribed his power! All of sudden! All this done EDMUND So please your lordship, none. [Putting up the letter] GLOUCESTER Why so seriously seek you to put up that letter?

EDMUND I know no news, my lord. GLOUCESTER What paper were you reading? EDMUND Nothing, my lord. GLOUCESTER No? the quality of nothing has not such need to hide itself. Let's see EDMUND I beg you, sir, pardon me: it is a letter from my brother, that I have not all over-read; I find it not fit for your over-looking. GLOUCESTER Let's see, let's see. GLOUCESTER [Reads] 'This policy and respect of age makes the world bitter; keeps our fortunes from us till we old. Come to me, If our father would sleep till I waked him, you should half his revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your brother, EDGAR.' Hum--conspiracy!--'Sleep till I waked him,-you should enjoy half his revenue,'--My son Edgar! Had he a hand to write this? a heart and brain to think?--When came this to you? Who brought it? EDMUND It was not brought me, my lord; there's the cunning of it; I found it thrown in at the casement of my closet. GLOUCESTER You know the character of your brother? EDMUND If the matter were good, my lord, I swear it were his; but, I hope his heart is not in the contents. GLOUCESTER It is his. O villain, villain! His very opinion in the letter! Unnatural, hated, Go, sirrah, seek him; I'll arrest him: Villain! Where is he?

EDMUND Know him no, sir. GLOUCESTER These late eclipses in the sun and moon signify no good to us: love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide: in cities, mutinies; in countries, conflict; in palaces, betrayal; and the cracked bond between son and father. there's son against father: the king falls from bias of nature; there's father against child. Find out this villain, Edmund. [Exit] EDMUND This is the excellent idiocy of the world blaming the sun, the moon, and the stars I should have been that I am, Edgar-[Enter EDGAR] And perfectly he comes like the tragedy of the old Comedy EDMUND Come, come; when you saw my father last? EDGAR Why, the night gone by. EDMUND Do you spoke you with him? EDGAR Yes, two hours together. EDMUND Parted you in good terms? Found you no displeasure in him by word or expressions? EDGAR None at all. EDMUND Bethink yourself where you may have offended him: and at my request stay away from his anger; EDGAR Some villain has done me wrong. EDMUND That's my fear. I pray you and, go armed.

EDGAR Armed, brother! EDMUND Brother, I advise you to the best; go armed! EDGAR Shall I hear from you soon? EDMUND I do serve you in this business. [Exit EDGAR] A naive father! and a brother noble, That they suspects none: I see the business. Exit SCENE III. The Duke of Albany's palace. Enter GONERIL, and OSWALD, her steward GONERIL Did my father strike my gentleman for harassing of his fool? OSWALD Yes, madam. GONERIL By day and night he wrongs me; I'll not endure it: His knights grow riotous When he returns from hunting, I will not speak with him; say I am sick: OSWALD He's coming, madam; I hear him. Horns within GONERIL If he dislike it, let him to our sister, Whose mind are mine, I know, in that are one, Not to be over-ruled. Remember what I tell you. OSWALD Well, madam. GONERIL And let the servants have colder looks on his knights ;

That I may speak: I'll write straight to my sister, To plan my very course. Prepare for dinner. [Exeunt] Separately SCENE IV. A hall in the same. Enter KENT, disguised KENT Now, I am the banished Kent, Hopefully, I can serve where I do stand condemned, So may it come, your master, whom I love most, Shall find me full of labours. Horns within. Enter KING LEAR, Knights, and Attendants KING LEAR Let me not stay a jot for dinner; go get it ready. [Exit an Attendant] How now! What are you? KENT A man, sir. KING LEAR What are you? KENT A very honest-hearted fellow, and as poor as the king. KING LEAR If you be as poor for a subject as he is a King, you are poor enough. What would you do? KENT Service. KING LEAR Who would you serve? KENT You. KING LEAR Does you know me, fellow? KENT No, sir; but you have that in your face

which I would fain call master. KING LEAR What's that? KENT Authority. KING LEAR How old are you? KENT Not so young, sir, to love a woman for singing, nor so old to dote on her for any thing: I have years before, forty eight. KING LEAR Follow me; you shall serve me: if I like you no more after dinner, I will not send you away yet. Dinner, ho, dinner! Where's my fool? fool? Go you, and call my fool. [Exit an Attendant] Enter OSWALD KING LEAR You, you, sir, where's my daughter? OSWALD So please you,-Exit KING LEAR What says the fellow there? Call the clotpoll back. [Exit a Knight] Where's my fool, ho? I think the world's asleep. [Re-enter Knight] How now! where's that mongrel? Knight He says, my lord, your daughter is not well. KING LEAR Why came not the slave back to me when I called him. Knight Sir, he answered me in the roundest manner, he would not. KING LEAR He would not!

I will look further into it. But where's my fool? I have not seen him this two days. Knight Since my young lady's going into France, sir, the fool has much away. KING LEAR Go you, call hither my fool. [Exit an Attendant] Re-enter OSWALD KING LEAR O, you sir, you, come you hither, sir: who am I,sir? OSWALD My lady's father. KING LEAR 'My lady's father'! Do you making faces at me, you rascal? [Striking him] OSWALD I'll not be struck, my lord. KENT Nor tripped neither, you base football player. [Tripping up his heels] Come, sir, arise, and away! I'll teach you differences: away, away! Again : but away! Go!. [Pushes OSWALD out] KING LEAR Now, my friendly knave, I thank you: there's earnest of your service. [Giving KENT money] Enter Fool Fool Let me hire him too: here's my coxcomb. [Offering KENT his cap] KING LEAR How now, my pretty knave! how do you do? Fool Well Sirrah, I'll teach you a speech. KING LEAR Do. Fool

Mark it, nuncle: Have more than you show, Speak less than you know, Lend less than you owe, Ride more than you go, Learn more than you heard, Set less than you expected; Leave your drink and your whore, And keep in-a-door, And you shall have more KENT This is nothing, fool. KING LEAR Why, no, boy; nothing can be made out of nothing. Fool The sweet fool in a fools costumethats me. The bitter one is the other onethats you. KING LEAR Do you call me fool, boy? Fool All your other titles you has given away; thats the one left. KENT This is not a fool, my lord. Fool No. Give me an egg, nuncle, and I'll give you two crowns. KING LEAR What two crowns shall they be? Fool Why, after I have cut the egg in the middle, and eat up the white, the two crowns of the egg left. When you cut both crown in the middle, and give away both parts to your daughters, your are such ass on the back over the donkey: you has little wise in you when you give your golden one away. If I speak like myself in this,-Singing Fools have a hard time in this year; For wise men are grown foolish, They know not how their fits to wear, Their manners are so stupid.

KING LEAR When were you wont to be so full of songs, sirrah? Fool I have used it, nuncle, ever since you made your daughters your mothers: for when you give them the power, and put down your own ass, Singing Then your daughter for sudden joy did weep, And I for sorrow sung, That such a king should play bo-peep, And go the fools among. Please, nuncle, keep a schoolmaster that can teach your fool to lie: I would die learn to lie. KING LEAR If you lie, sirrah, we'll have you whipped. Fool I wonder what relation you and your daughters are: they'll have me whipped for speaking true, you will have me whipped for lying; and sometimes I am whipped for holding my peace. I had rather be any kind of anything than a fool: and yet I would not be you, nuncle; you has spared your brain with of both sides, and left nothing in the middle: here comes one of the parings. Enter GONERIL KING LEAR How now, daughter! what makes that frowning on? Fool You was a pretty fellow when you has no need to care for her frowning. [To GONERIL] Yes, you, I will hold my tongue; so your face bids me, though you say nothing. Mum, mum, Pointing to KING LEAR That's a shealed peascod, empty. GONERIL Not only, sir, this your all-licensed fool, But other of your rude followers Do hourly quarrel; breaking forwards In rank and not-to-be endured riots. Sir,

I had thought, by making this well known unto you, By what yourself too late have spoke and done. Fool For, you grow, nuncle, Such a lighting candle burn the owner at last. KING LEAR Are you my daughter? GONERIL Sir, I know you are burdened; and put away These temper, that of late transform you from what you rightly are. KING LEAR Does any here know me? This is not Lear: Does Lear walk or speak such? Where are his eyes? Either his notion weakens or his judgement screwed--Ha! Who is it that can tell me who I am? Fool Lear's shadow. GONERIL This admiration, sir, is of other your new pranks. I do beseech you To understand my purposes aright: As you are old you should be wise. Here do you keep a hundred knights and men so disordered, that we are infected with their manners, Shows like a riotous and lust Make it more like a bar rather than a graced palace. Its shameful! KING LEAR Darkness and devils! Saddle my horses; call my knights together: I'll not trouble you. Yet I have a daughter. GONERIL You strike my people; and your disordered masses make servants of their betters. Enter ALBANY KING LEAR Youll be sorry later, but that too late repents,-

[To ALBANY] O, sir, Prepare my horses. Ingratitude more hideous when you show them in a child Uglier than the sea-monster! ALBANY Pray, sir, be patient. KING LEAR [To GONERIL] disgusting! You lie. My knights are men of choice and rarest parts, That all particulars of duty know, And in the most exact regard support O most small fault, [Striking his head] And my dear judgment out! Go, go, my people. ALBANY My lord, I am guiltless, as I am ignorant of what has moved you. KING LEAR It may be so, my lord. Hear, nature; dear goddess, hear! To make this creature fruitful! Dry up in her the organs; And from her derogate body never spring A babe to honour her! How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is To have a thankless child! Away, away! Exit ALBANY Now whats on earth comes this? GONERIL Never afflict yourself to know the cause; Re-enter KING LEAR KING LEAR What, fifty of my followers at a clap! Within a fortnight! Leave?! ALBANY What's the matter, sir? KING LEAR I'll tell you: [To GONERIL] Life and death! I am ashamed That these hot tears, which break from me

Should make you worth them. The untented woundings of a father's curse Let is be so: yet have I left a daughter, Who, I am sure, is kind and comfortable: Exeunt KING LEAR, KENT, and Attendants GONERIL Do you mark that, my lord? ALBANY I cannot be so unfair, Goneril, To the great love I bear you,-GONERIL Pray you, content. What, Oswald, ho! [To the Fool] You, sir, more knave than fool, after your master. Fool Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, Wait! Take the fool with you. Exit GONERIL Safer than trust too far: I know his heart. What he has said I have write to my sister If she sustain him and his hundred knights [Re-enter OSWALD] How now, Oswald! What, have you write that letter to my sister? OSWALD Yes, madam. GONERIL Take you some company, and away to horse: Inform her full of my particular fear; And there to add such reasons of your own As may compact it more. Get you gone; And hurry for your return. [Exit OSWALD] ALBANY How far your worries im afraid we might ruin whats well. GONERIL No no!, then-ALBANY Well, well; time decides.

Exeunt SCENE V. Court before the same. Enter KING LEAR, KENT, and Fool KING LEAR Go you before to Gloucester with these letters. Explains my daughter no further with any thing you know If your diligence be not speedy, I shall be there before you. KENT I will not sleep, my lord, till I have delivered your letter. Exit Fool Shall see your other daughter will use you kindly; yet I can tell what I can tell. KING LEAR Why, tell me, my boy? Fool She will taste as like this as a crab does to a crab; but I can tell why a snail has a house. KING LEAR Why? Fool Why, to put his head in; not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without a case. KING LEAR I will forget my nature. Be my horses ready? Fool Your asses are ready by them. Enter Gentleman How now! Are the horses ready? Gentleman Ready, my lord. KING LEAR Come, boy. Exeunt