King Lear : Act 2, Scene 1
Enter Bastard [EDMUND] and CURAN meets him.
and CURAN meets him: —Edmund and Curan just happen to run into one another. [Curan appears only in this scene.]
EDMUND
1 Save thee, Curan.
1. Save thee: God save thee.
CURAN
2 And you, sir. I have been with your father, and
2. your father: Gloucester.
3 given him notice that the Duke of Cornwall and
4 Regan his duchess will be here with him this night.
4. here: Gloucester's house.
EDMUND
5 How comes that?
CURAN
6 Nay, I know not. You have heard of the news
7 abroad; I mean the whisper'd ones, for they
8 are yet but ear-bussing arguments?
8. ear-bussing: ear-kissing, ear-whispering. arguments: subject matter of discussions.
EDMUND
9 Not I. Pray you, what are they?
CURAN
10 Have you heard of no likely wars toward, 'twixt
10. toward: imminent.
11 the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany?
EDMUND
12 Not a word.
CURAN
13 You may do, then, in time. Fare you well, sir.
Exit.
EDMUND
14 The duke be here tonight? The better! best!
15 This weaves itself perforce into my business.
16 My father hath set guard to take my brother;
16. hath . . . brother: is on the watch to catch Edgar in the act of plotting against his father.
17 And I have one thing, of a queasy question,
17. of a queasy question: which may be difficult to pull off.
18 Which I must act: briefness and fortune, work!
18. briefness and fortune, work!: i.e., may speedy action and good luck bring me success!
[Loudly.]
19 Brother, a word; descend: brother, I say!
[Quietly, so Edgar can't hear.]
20 My father watches—
19-20. Brother . . . watches: — Edmund calls for Edgar to come out of hiding, so that he can engage him in an incriminating conversation while their father, Gloucester, also in hiding, listens in.
>>>
Enter EDGAR.
20 O sir, fly this place;
20. fly: flee.
21 Intelligence is given where you are hid;
21. Intelligence is given where you are hid: i.e., your hiding place has been spied out.
22 You have now the good advantage of the night:
23 Have you not spoken 'gainst the Duke of Cornwall?
24 He's coming hither: now, i' the night, i' the haste,
25 And Regan with him: have you nothing said
26 Upon his party 'gainst the Duke of Albany?
25-26. have . . . Albany?: have you said anything on the side of the Duke of Cornwall and against the Duke of Albany? >>>
27 Advise yourself.
27. Advise yourself: consider carefully.
EDGAR
I am sure on't, not a word.
27. sure on't: sure of it.
EDMUND
28 I hear my father coming: pardon me:
29 In cunning I must draw my sword upon you
30 Draw; seem to defend yourself; now quit you well. —
30. quit you well: acquit yourself well; make a good show of fighting me off.
[Very Loudly.]
31 Yield! Come before my father! Light, ho, here! —
[Softly, to Edgar.]
32 Fly, brother.
[Very Loudly.]
Torches, torches!
[To Edgar? To the audience, with irony?]
So, farewell.
Exit Edgar.
33 Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion
34 Of my more fierce endeavour:
33-34. would beget opinion / Of my more fierce endeavour: would convince anyone that I fought very hard.
Max Bennet as Edmund
Brooklyn Academy of Music, 2014
Max Bennet as Edmund
Brooklyn Academy of Music, 2014
[Wounds his arm].
I have seen drunkards
35 Do more than this in sport.
[Shouting.]
Father, father!
36 Stop, stop! No help?
Enter GLOUCESTER, and Servants with torches.
GLOUCESTER
37 Now, Edmund, where's the villain?
EDMUND
38 Here stood he in the dark, his sharp sword out,
39 Mumbling of wicked charms, conjuring the moon
40 To stand's auspicious mistress —
40. stand's auspicious mistress: stand as his auspicious mistress; i.e., give him good luck in his deeds of darkness.
GLOUCESTER
But where is he?
EDMUND
41 Look, sir, I bleed.
GLOUCESTER
Where is the villain, Edmund?
EDMUND
42 Fled this way, sir. When by no means he could —
GLOUCESTER
43 Pursue him, ho! Go after.
[Exeunt some Servants.]
By no means what?
EDMUND
44 Persuade me to the murder of your lordship,
45 But that I told him, the revenging gods
45. But that: but when.
46 'Gainst parricides did all their thunders bend,
47 Spoke, with how manifold and strong a bond
48 The child was bound to the father; sir, in fine,
48. in fine: in sum.
49 Seeing how loathly opposite I stood
49. loathly opposite: abhorrently opposed.
50 To his unnatural purpose, in fell motion,
50. in fell motion: with a deadly thrust.
51 With his prepared sword, he charges home
51. charges home: strikes to the heart of.
52 My unprovided body, lanced mine arm:
52. unprovided: unarmed. lanced: pierced.
53 But when he saw my best alarum'd spirits,
53. alarum'd: called to arms, aroused to action.
54 Bold in the quarrel's right, roused to the encounter,
54. quarrel's right: justice of the cause.
55 Or whether gasted by the noise I made,
55. gasted: ghosted; scared.
56 Full suddenly he fled.
GLOUCESTER
Let him fly far:
57 Not in this land shall he remain uncaught;
58 And found — dispatch. The noble duke my master,
58. And found — dispatch: And once found, killed.
59 My worthy arch and patron, comes tonight:
59. arch: lord; chief; i.e., the Duke of Cornwall.
60 By his authority I will proclaim it,
61 That he which finds him shall deserve our thanks,
62 Bringing the murderous coward to the stake;
63 He that conceals him, death.
EDMUND
64 When I dissuaded him from his intent,
65 And found him pight to do it, with curst speech
65. pight: pitched, determined. curst: angry.
66 I threaten'd to discover him; he replied,
66. discover: expose; reveal.
67 'Thou unpossessing bastard! dost thou think,
67. unpossessing: without land or status.
68 If I would stand against thee, would the reposal
68. reposal: placing.
69 Of any trust, virtue, or worth in thee
70 Make thy words faith'd? No: what I should deny, —
70. faith'd: credible; believed.
71 As this I would: ay, though thou didst produce
72 My very character, —I'ld turn it all
72. My very character: i.e., incriminating evidence in my own handwriting.
73 To thy suggestion, plot, and damned practise:
73. suggestion: instigation. practise: plot.
74 And thou must make a dullard of the world,
74. make a dullard of the world: think people very stupid.
75 If they not thought the profits of my death
75. profits of my death Edgar's death might open the way for Edmund to become Gloucester's hier.
76. pregnant and potential: ready and powerful.
76. pregnant and potential: ready and powerful.
76 Were very pregnant and potential spurs
77 To make thee seek it.'
GLOUCESTER
O strange and fasten'd villain!
77. strange: unnatural. fasten'd: incorrigible.
78 Would he deny his letter? I never got him.
78. got: begot.
Tucket within.
Tucket: trumpet flourish.
79 Hark, the Duke's trumpets! I know not why he comes.
80 All ports I'll bar; the villain shall not 'scape;
80. All ports I'll bar: i.e., I'll close every town in the dukedom to him.
81 The Duke must grant me that: besides, his picture
82 I will send far and near, that all the kingdom
83 May have the due note of him; and of my land,
84 Loyal and natural boy, I'll work the means
84. natural: loving; illegitimate.
85 To make thee capable.
85. capable: legally able to inherit.
Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, and Attendants.
CORNWALL
86 How now, my noble friend! since I came hither,
87 Which I can call but now, I have heard strange news.
REGAN
88 If it be true, all vengeance comes too short
88. vengeance comes too short: i.e., vengeance is not enough.
89 Which can pursue the offender. How dost, my lord?
GLOUCESTER
90 O, madam, my old heart is crack'd, it's crack'd!
REGAN
91 What, did my father's godson seek your life?
92 He whom my father named? your Edgar?
GLOUCESTER
93 O, lady, lady, shame would have it hid!
REGAN
94 Was he not companion with the riotous knights
95 That tend upon my father?
GLOUCESTER
96 I know not, madam. 'Tis too bad, too bad.
EDMUND
97 Yes, madam, he was of that consort.
REGAN
98 No marvel, then, though he were ill affected:
98. ill affected: i.e., negatively affected.
99 'Tis they have put him on the old man's death,
99. have put him on: i.e., have put him up to; incited.
100 To have the expense and waste of his revenues.
100. To . . . revenues. : i.e., in order to loot Gloucester's estate once Edgar has inherited it.
101 I have this present evening from my sister
102 Been well inform'd of them; and with such cautions,
103 That if they come to sojourn at my house,
104 I'll not be there.
CORNWALL
104 Nor I, assure thee, Regan.
105 Edmund, I hear that you have shown your father
106 A child-like office.
106. A child-like office: a service that is natural to an affectionate child.
EDMUND
It was my duty, sir.
GLOUCESTER
107 He did bewray his practise; and received
107. bewray his practise: disclose his (Edgar's) plot.
108 This hurt you see, striving to apprehend him.
108. This hurt you see: i.e., the bloody wound that Edmund gave himself.
CORNWALL
109 Is he pursued?
GLOUCESTER
Ay, my good lord.
CORNWALL
110 If he be taken, he shall never more
111 Be fear'd of doing harm: make your own purpose,
110-111. he . . . harm: i.e., no one will will ever again have anything to fear from him.
112 How in my strength you please. For you, Edmund,
111-112. make . . . please: i.e., pursue and punish Edgar however you like, and I will back you up with my power and authority.
113 Whose virtue and obedience doth this instant
114 So much commend itself, you shall be ours:
115 Natures of such deep trust we shall much need;
116 You we first seize on.
EDMUND
I shall serve you, sir,
117 Truly, however else.
117. however else: if nothing else. — Edmund is making a show of modesty.
GLOUCESTER
For him I thank your grace.
117. For him on his (Edmund's) behalf.
CORNWALL
118 You know not why we came to visit you, —
REGAN
119 Thus out of season, threading dark-ey'd night?
120 Occasions, noble Gloucester, of some poise,
120. poise: weight, importance.
121 Wherein we must have use of your advice:
122 Our father he hath writ, so hath our sister,
123 Of differences, which I best thought it fit
122-123. Our . . . differences: i.e., both King Lear and Goneril have written to us of their dispute over King Lear's knights.
124 To answer from our home; the several messengers
124. from our home: from a location away from our home.
125 From hence attend dispatch. Our good old friend,
125. attend dispatch: wait to be dispatched.
126 Lay comforts to your bosom; and bestow
127 Your needful counsel to our business,
127. needful: badly needed.
128 Which craves the instant use.
128. craves the instant use: demands immediate attention.
GLOUCESTER
I serve you, madam:
129 Your graces are right welcome.
Exeunt.