King Lear : Act 2, Scene 4
Enter KING LEAR, Fool, and Gentleman.
[KENT (disguised as Caius) is in the stocks.]
KING LEAR
1 'Tis strange that they should so depart from home,
1. they: Regan, King Lear's second daughter, and her husband, the Duke of Cornwall.
2 And not send back my messenger.
2. my messenger: Caius [Kent in disguise].
Gentleman
As I learn'd,
3 The night before there was no purpose in them
4 Of this remove.
3-4. there was no . . . this remove: i.e., they had no intention of leaving their residence and coming to stay with Gloucester.
KENT
Hail to thee, noble master!
KING LEAR
5 Ha!?
6 Mak'st thou this shame thy pastime?
6. Mak'st thou this shame thy pastime?: Are you undergoing this humiliation for a joke?
KENT
No, my lord.
Fool
7 Ha, ha! he wears cruel garters. Horses are tied
7. cruel garters: i.e., the stocks.
>>>
>>> 8 by the heads, dogs and bears by the neck, monkeys
9 by the loins, and men by the legs when a man's
10 over-lusty at legs, then he wears wooden
11 nether-stocks.
KING LEAR
12 What's he that hath so much thy place mistook
12. What's: Who is. place: [important] position [as the King's messenger].
13 To set thee here?
KENT
It is both he and she;
14 Your son and daughter.
14. son: i.e., your son-in-law, the Duke of Cornwall. daughter: Regan, Lear's daughter and wife of the Duke of Cornwall.
KING LEAR
15 No.
KENT
16 Yes.
KING LEAR
17 No, I say.
KENT
18 I say, yea.
KING LEAR
19 No, no, they would not.
KENT
20 Yes, they have.
KING LEAR
21 By Jupiter, I swear, no.
KENT
22 By Juno, I swear, ay.
KING LEAR
They durst not do 't;
23 They could not, would not do 't; 'tis worse than murder,
24 To do upon respect such violent outrage:
24. upon respect: against the respect due a king.
25 Resolve me, with all modest haste, which way
25. Resolve me, with all modest haste: inform me with all reasonable haste.
26 Thou mightst deserve, or they impose, this usage,
27 Coming from us.
27. Coming from us: i.e., seeing that they knew you to be the king's messenger.
KENT
My lord, when at their home
28 I did commend your highness' letters to them,
28. commend: deliver; recommend [as coming from the king].
29 Ere I was risen from the place that show'd
30 My duty kneeling, came there a reeking post,
30. reeking post: stinking deliverer of messages.
31 Stew'd in his haste, half breathless, panting forth
31. Stew'd: bathed in his own sweat.
32 From Goneril his mistress salutations;
33 Deliver'd letters, spite of intermission,
33. spite of intermission: careless of interrupting me.
34 Which presently they read: on whose contents,
34. presently: immediately. on whose contents: in consequence of the contents.
35 They summon'd up their meiny, straight took horse;
35. meiny: household servants; retinue. straight: straightaway.
36 Commanded me to follow, and attend
37 The leisure of their answer; gave me cold looks:
38 And meeting here the other messenger,
38. the other messenger: Oswald.
39 Whose welcome, I perceived, had poison'd mine,—
40 Being the very fellow that of late
41 Display'd so saucily against your highness,—
41. Display'd so saucily: showed himself [to be] so insolent.
42 Having more man than wit about me, drew:
42. Having more man than wit: i.e., having more indignation than prudence.
43 He raised the house with loud and coward cries.
44 Your son and daughter found this trespass worth
45 The shame which here it suffers.
Fool
46 Winter's not gone yet, if the wild-geese fly that
46. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild-geese fly that way: i.e., if Regan and Cornwall are taking sides with Oswald, Goneril's steward, your troubles are not over.
47 way.
48 Fathers that wear rags
49 Do make their children blind;
49. blind: i.e., blind to their fathers' needs.
50 But fathers that bear bags
50. bags: money bags.
51 Shall see their children kind.
52 Fortune, that arrant whore,
52. turns the key: unlocks the door.
53 Ne'er turns the key to the poor.
54 But, for all this, thou shalt have as many dolours
54. dolours: sorrows (with a pun on "dollars").
55 for thy daughters as thou canst tell in a year.
55. for: because of. tell: count.
KING LEAR
56 O, how this mother swells up toward my heart!
56. mother: hysteria.
57 Hysterica passio, down, thou climbing sorrow,
57. Hysterica passio: an eruption of hysteria.
58 Thy element's below! — Where is this daughter?
58. Thy element's below!: your natural place in the body is lower down. >>>
KENT
59 With the earl, sir, here within.
KING LEAR
59 Follow me not;
60 Stay here.
Exit.
Gentleman
61 Made you no more offence but what you speak of?
KENT
62 None.
63 How chance the king comes with so small a train?
63. How chance the king comes with so small a train?: how does it happen that the king comes with so few followers?
Fool
64 An thou hadst been set i' the stocks for that
64. An: If.
65 question, thou hadst well deserved it.
KENT
66 Why, Fool?
Fool
67 We'll set thee to school to an ant, to teach thee
68 there's no labouring i' the winter. All that follow
67-68. We'll set . . . winter: i.e., you're ignoring the obvious. >>>
69 their noses are led by their eyes but blind men;
70 and there's not a nose among twenty but can
71 smell him that's stinking. Let go thy hold when
68-71. All that follow . . . smell him that's stinking: i.e., if they couldn't see that Lear was out of Fortune's favor, they would be able to smell him as his fortunes decay.
72 a great wheel runs down a hill, lest it break thy
73 neck with following; but the great one that goes
74 up the hill, let him draw thee after. When a wise
75 man gives thee better counsel, give me mine again:
76 I would have none but knaves follow it, since a fool
76. knaves: rascals, cheats.
77 gives it.
78 That sir which serves and seeks for gain,
79 And follows but for form,
80 Will pack when it begins to rain,
80. pack: pack up and be off.
81 And leave thee in the storm,
82 But I will tarry; the fool will stay,
83 And let the wise man fly:
84 The knave turns fool that runs away;
84. The knave turns fool that runs away: —I think the Fool is saying knaves who run have got their values all wrong.
85 The fool no knave, perdy.
85. perdy: by God, from the French, "par Dieu."
KENT
86 Where learned you this, Fool?
Fool
87 Not i' the stocks, fool.
Enter KING LEAR and GLOUCESTER.
KING LEAR
88 Deny to speak with me? They are sick? they are weary?
88. They: i.e., Cornwall and Regan.
89 They have travell'd all the night? Mere fetches;
89. fetches: far-fetched excuses.
90 The images of revolt and flying off.
90. images: signs of. flying off: desertion.
91 Fetch me a better answer.
GLOUCESTER
My dear lord,
92 You know the fiery quality of the duke;
92. quality: nature.
93 How unremoveable and fix'd he is
94 In his own course.
KING LEAR
95 Vengeance! plague! death! confusion!
95. confusion: destruction, chaos.
96 Fiery? what quality? Why, Gloucester, Gloucester,
97 I'ld speak with the Earl of Cornwall and his wife.
GLOUCESTER
98 Well, my good lord, I have inform'd them so.
KING LEAR
99 Inform'd them! Dost thou understand me, man?
GLOUCESTER
100 Ay, my good lord.
KING LEAR
101 The king would speak with Cornwall; the dear father
102 Would with his daughter speak, commands her service:
103 Are they inform'd of this? My breath and blood!
104 Fiery? the fiery Duke? Tell the hot Duke that—
105 No, but not yet: may be he is not well:
106 Infirmity doth still neglect all office
106. all office: all duties.
107 Whereto our health is bound; we are not ourselves
107. bound: involved.
108 When nature, being oppress'd, commands the mind
109 To suffer with the body: I'll forbear —
110 And am fall'n out with my more headier will —
110. am fall'n out with my more headier will: have become an enemy of my impetuous disposition.
111 To take the indisposed and sickly fit
111. take: i.e., mistake.
112 For the sound man.
[Looking on KENT.]
Death on my state! wherefore
112. my state: i.e., my state of mind, my emotional state.
113 Should he sit here? This act persuades me
114 That this remotion of the duke and her
114. remotion: i.e., staying out of sight by leaving their home, and by claiming to be to tired to see Lear,
115 Is practise only. Give me my servant forth.
115. practise: trickery.
116 Go tell the duke and 's wife I'ld speak with them,
117 Now, presently: bid them come forth and hear me,
117. presently: immediately.
118 Or at their chamber-door I'll beat the drum
119 Till it cry sleep to death.
119. Till it cry sleep to death: i.e., until the din of the drum makes sleep impossible.
GLOUCESTER
120 I would have all well betwixt you.
Exit.
KING LEAR
121 O me, my heart, my rising heart! But, down!
Fool
122 Cry to it, nuncle, as the cockney did to the eels
122. it: i.e., your heart. cockney: squeamish person.
123 when she put 'em i' the paste alive; she knapped 'em
123. paste: an empty pie crust. >>>
124 o' th' coxcombs with a stick, and cried 'Down,
123-124. knapped o' th' coxcombs: knocked on their fools' heads.
125 wantons, down!' 'Twas her brother that, in pure
124-125. 'Down . . . down!': 'down with you, you skittish critters!'
126 kindness to his horse, butter'd his hay.
126. butter'd his hay': — Horses are lactose intolerant; butter will make them sick.
Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, GLOUCESTER,
and Servants.
KING LEAR
127 Good morrow to you both.
CORNWALL
127 Hail to your grace!
Kent here set at liberty.
REGAN
128 I am glad to see your highness.
KING LEAR
129 Regan, I think you are; I know what reason
130 I have to think so: if thou shouldst not be glad,
131 I would divorce me from thy mother's tomb,
132 Sepulchring an adultress.
130-132. if thou . . . adultress: i.e., if you were not glad to see me, I would refuse to be buried next to your mother on the grounds that she must have been an adultress, which would mean that you would be a bastard, who would naturally not be glad to see me.
[To Kent.]
132 O, are you free?
133 Some other time for that.
[Exit Kent.]
133 Beloved Regan,
134 Thy sister's naught: O Regan, she hath tied
134. naught: worthless, wicked.
135 Sharp-tooth'd unkindness, like a vulture, here:
[Points to his heart.]
136 I can scarce speak to thee; thou'lt not believe
137 With how depraved a quality—O Regan!
REGAN
138 I pray you, sir, take patience: I have hope.
138. take patience: control yourself.
139 You less know how to value her desert
139. desert: deservingness; good qualities.
140 Than she to scant her duty.
140. scant: neglect
KING LEAR
Say, how is that?
Say, how is that?: i.e., What are you saying? — Lear is taken by surprise; he had expected Regan to be on his side.
REGAN
141 I cannot think my sister in the least
142 Would fail her obligation. If, sir, perchance
143 She have restrain'd the riots of your followers,
144 'Tis on such ground, and to such wholesome end,
145 As clears her from all blame.
KING LEAR
146 My curses on her!
REGAN
146 O, sir, you are old.
147 Nature in you stands on the very verge
147. nature: life.
148 Of her confine. You should be rul'd and led
148. of her confine: nature's extreme limit.
149 By some discretion that discerns your state
150 Better than you yourself. Therefore, I pray you,
151 That to our sister you do make return;
152 Say you have wrong'd her, sir.
KING LEAR
Ask her forgiveness?
153 Do you but mark how this becomes the house:
153. how this becomes the house: befits family honor.
154 'Dear daughter, I confess that I am old;
[Kneeling.]
155 Age is unnecessary. On my knees I beg
155. Age is unnecessary: old people are useless.
156 That you'll vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and food.'
REGAN
157 Good sir, no more; these are unsightly tricks:
158 Return you to my sister.
KING LEAR [Rising.]
158 Never, Regan:
159 She hath abated me of half my train;
160 Look'd black upon me; struck me with her tongue,
160. Look'd black . . . tongue: i.e., gave me an evil look and a tongue-lashing.
161 Most serpent-like, upon the very heart:
162 All the stor'd vengeances of heaven fall
163 On her ingrateful top! Strike her young bones,
163. her ingrateful top: ungrateful head.
164 You taking airs, with lameness!
164. taking airs: infectious winds.
CORNWALL
164 Fie, sir, fie!
KING LEAR
165 You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding flames
166 Into her scornful eyes! Infect her beauty,
167 You fen-suck'd fogs, drawn by the pow'rful sun,
168 To fall and blister!
166-168. Infect . . . blister!: you swamp-born toxic fogs, which are drawn up by the sun, fall upon Goneril, and ruin her beauty with blisters.
REGAN
O the blest gods! so
169 Will you wish on me, when the rash mood is on.
KING LEAR
170 No, Regan, thou shalt never have my curse:
171 Thy tender-hefted nature shall not give
171. tender-hefted: moved by a tender nature, lovingly inclined.
172 Thee o'er to harshness. Her eyes are fierce, but thine
173 Do comfort and not burn. 'Tis not in thee
174 To grudge my pleasures, to cut off my train,
175 To bandy hasty words, to scant my sizes,
175. to scant my sizes: reduce my allowances.
176 And in conclusion to oppose the bolt
176. oppose the bolt: lock the door.
177 Against my coming in. Thou better know'st
178 The offices of nature, bond of childhood,
178. offices of nature: natural duties. bond of childhood: the bond of love between a child and parent.
179 Effects of courtesy, dues of gratitude;
179. Effects . . . gratitude: the results of being treated with courtesy, and the obligations created by gratitude.
180 Thy half o' th' kingdom hast thou not forgot,
181 Wherein I thee endow'd.
REGAN
Good sir, to the purpose.
181. to the purpose: get to the point.
KING LEAR
182 Who put my man i' the stocks?
Tucket within.
Tucket within: trumpet flourish offstage.
CORNWALL
What trumpet's that?
REGAN
183 I know't, my sister's: this approves her letter,
183. approves: confirms.
184 That she would soon be here.
Enter Steward [OSWALD].
Is your lady come?
KING LEAR
185 This is a slave, whose easy-borrow'd pride
185. easy-borrowed pride: i.e., cheap pride, borrowed by a servant from his powerful boss.
186 Dwells in the fickle grace of her he follows.
187 Out, varlet, from my sight!
187. varlet: wretch.
CORNWALL
What means your grace?
KING LEAR
188 Who stock'd my servant? Regan, I have good hope
189 Thou didst not know on't. Who comes here? O heavens,
189. on't: of it.
Enter GONERIL.
190 If you do love old men, if your sweet sway
190. sway: controlling influence.
191 Allow obedience, if yourselves are old,
191. Allow obedience: i.e., approve of obedience in children.
192 Make it your cause; send down, and take my part!
192. send down: i.e., hurl a lightening bolt [?].
Illustrator: H.C. Selous
Illustrator: H.C. Selous
[To GONERIL.]
193 Art not ashamed to look upon this beard?
194 O Regan, wilt thou take her by the hand?
GONERIL
195 Why not by the hand, sir? How have I offended?
196 All's not offence that indiscretion finds
197 And dotage terms so.
196-197. All's . . . so: i.e., just because your rashness and feeble-minded old age have taken offense at me does not mean I have done anything wrong.
KING LEAR
O sides, you are too tough;
197. O sides, you are too tough: i.e., I feel that I am about to explode, and only my sides are holding me together.
198 Will you yet hold? How came my man i' the stocks?
CORNWALL
199 I set him there, sir: but his own disorders
199. disorders: disorderly behavior.
200 Deserved much less advancement.
200. Deserved much less advancement: i.e., deserved far worse treatment.
KING LEAR
200 You! did you?
REGAN
201 I pray you, father, being weak, seem so.
201. seem so: do not pretend to be otherwise.
202 If, till the expiration of your month,
203 You will return and sojourn with my sister,
204 Dismissing half your train, come then to me:
205 I am now from home, and out of that provision
205. from: away from. provision: store of supplies.
206 Which shall be needful for your entertainment.
206. Which shall be needful for your entertainment: which I will need to host you.
KING LEAR
207 Return to her, and fifty men dismiss'd?
208 No, rather I abjure all roofs, and choose
208. abjure: renounce.
209 To wage against the enmity o' th' air,
209. wage: contend.
210 To be a comrade with the wolf and owl,—
211 Necessity's sharp pinch! Return with her?
212 Why, the hot-blooded France, that dowerless took
212. dowerless: without a dowery.
213 Our youngest born, I could as well be brought
214 To knee his throne, and, squire-like; pension beg
214. knee: kneel to.
215 To keep base life afoot. Return with her?
216 Persuade me rather to be slave and sumpter
216. sumpter: drudge, pack-horse.
217 To this detested groom.
[Pointing at Oswald.]
GONERIL
217 At your choice, sir.
KING LEAR
218 I prithee, daughter, do not make me mad:
219 I will not trouble thee, my child; farewell:
220 We'll no more meet, no more see one another:
221 But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter —
carbuncle222 Or rather a disease that's in my flesh,
223 Which I must needs call mine: thou art a boil,
224 A plague-sore, an embossed carbuncle,
224. embossed: swollen, risen to a head. carbuncle: a group of coalescing boils.
225 In my corrupted blood. But I'll not chide thee;
226 Let shame come when it will, I do not call it:
227 I do not bid the thunder-bearer shoot, 227. thunder-bearer: Jove.
228 Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove:
228. high-judging: judging from on high.
229 Mend when thou canst; be better at thy leisure:
229. Mend: Make amends.
230 I can be patient; I can stay with Regan,
231 I and my hundred knights.
REGAN
Not altogether so:
232 I look'd not for you yet, nor am provided
232. look'd not for you: did not expect you.
233 For your fit welcome. Give ear, sir, to my sister;
234
For those that mingle reason with your passion
234. mingle reason with your passion: bring reason to the consideration of your passion.
235 Must be content to think you old, and so—
236 But she knows what she does.
KING LEAR
Is this well spoken?
236. well spoken: earnestly spoken, thought through.
REGAN
237 I dare avouch it, sir: what, fifty followers?
237. avouch: vouch for; acknowledge.
238 Is it not well? What should you need of more?
239 Yea, or so many, sith that both charge and danger
239. sith: since. charge: the expense.
240 Speak 'gainst so great a number? How, in one house,
241 Should many people, under two commands,
242 Hold amity? 'Tis hard; almost impossible.
242. Hold amity: maintain friendship.
GONERIL
243 Why might not you, my lord, receive attendance
244 From those that she calls servants or from mine?
REGAN
245 Why not, my lord? If then they chanced to slack ye,
245. to slack ye: to be careless in their attendance on you.
246 We could control them. If you will come to me,—
247 For now I spy a danger,—I entreat you
248 To bring but five and twenty: to no more
249 Will I give place or notice.
249. give place or notice: countenance; acknowledge.
KING LEAR
250 I gave you all—
REGAN
And in good time you gave it.
250. in good time: i.e., it was about time.
KING LEAR
251 Made you my guardians, my depositaries;
251. Made . . . depositaries: made you [Regan and Goneril] my protectors and the trustees of my kingdom.
252 But kept a reservation to be follow'd
253 With such a number. What, must I come to you
253. kept . . . number: reserved the right to maintain a retinue of such a number [one hundred].
254 With five and twenty, Regan? said you so?
REGAN
255 And speak't again, my lord; no more with me.
KING LEAR
256 Those wicked creatures yet do look well-favour'd,
257 When others are more wicked: not being the worst
256-257. Those wicked creatures yet do look well-favour'd, / When others are more wicked: i.e., Those creatures I already know are wicked [like Goneril] look attractive when others [like Regan] are more wicked.
258 Stands in some rank of praise.
[To Goneril.]
258 I'll go with thee:
259 Thy fifty yet doth double five and twenty,
Illustrator: Sir John Gilbert
260 And thou art twice her love.
GONERIL
260 Hear me, my lord;
261 What need you five and twenty, ten, or five,
262 To follow in a house where twice so many
263 Have a command to tend you?
REGAN
263 What need one?
KING LEAR
264 O, reason not the need! our basest beggars
265 Are in the poorest thing superfluous.
265. basest beggars . . . superfluous: i.e., even the poorest beggar has some little thing that he doesn't need to stay alive.
266 Allow not nature more than nature needs,
267 Man's life's as cheap as beast's. Thou art a lady;
266-267. Allow . . . beast's: i.e., if you don't allow more than nature needs [to maintain the body], man's life becomes as cheap as a beast's.
268 If only to go warm were gorgeous,
269 Why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear'st,
270 Which scarcely keeps thee warm. But, for true need,—
271 You heavens, give me that patience, patience I need!
271. patience: endurance, fortitude, self-control.
272 You see me here, you gods, a poor old man,
273 As full of grief as age; wretched in both!
274 If it be you that stir these daughters' hearts
275 Against their father, fool me not so much
276 To bear it tamely; touch me with noble anger,
275-276. fool me not so much / To bear it tamely: i.e., do not make me such a fool as to bear it without protest.
277 And let not women's weapons, water-drops,
278 Stain my man's cheeks! No, you unnatural hags,
279 I will have such revenges on you both
280 That all the world shall—I will do such things,—
281 What they are, yet I know not, but they shall be
282 The terrors of the earth! You think I'll weep:
283 No, I'll not weep.
284 I have full cause of weeping; but this heart
Storm and tempest.
285 Shall break into a hundred thousand flaws,
285. flaws: fragments.
286 Or ere I'll weep. O Fool, I shall go mad!
286. Or ere: before.
Exeunt [Lear, Gloucester, Gentleman, and Fool].
CORNWALL
287 Let us withdraw; 'twill be a storm.
REGAN
288 This house is little: the old man and 's people
289 Cannot be well bestow'd.
289. bestow'd: lodged.
GONERIL
290 'Tis his own blame hath put himself from rest,
290. hath put himself from rest: has deprived himself of rest.
291 And must needs taste his folly.
291. And must needs taste his folly: and he needs to experience the consequences of his folly
REGAN
292 For his particular, I'll receive him gladly,
292. For his particular: for his single self.
293 But not one follower.
GONERIL
293 So am I purposed.
294 Where is my lord of Gloucester?
CORNWALL
295 Follow'd the old man forth.
Enter GLOUCESTER.
He is return'd.
GLOUCESTER
296 The king is in high rage.
CORNWALL
Whither is he going?
GLOUCESTER
297 He calls to horse, but will I know not whither.
CORNWALL
298 'Tis best to give him way; he leads himself.
GONERIL
299 My lord, entreat him by no means to stay.
GLOUCESTER
300 Alack, the night comes on, and the bleak winds
301 Do sorely ruffle; for many miles about
301. ruffle: bluster; blow.
302 There's scarce a bush.
REGAN
302 O, sir, to wilful men,
303 The injuries that they themselves procure
304 Must be their schoolmasters. Shut up your doors:
305 He is attended with a desperate train;
305. desperate train: violent followers.
306 And what they may incense him to, being apt
307 To have his ear abused, wisdom bids fear.
307. abused: deceived.
CORNWALL
308 Shut up your doors, my lord; 'tis a wild night:
309 My Regan counsels well; come out o' th' storm.
Exeunt.