King Lear : Act 3, Scene 7
Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, GONERIL,
EDMUND, and Servants.
CORNWALL
1 Post speedily to my lord your husband; show him
1. Post: Ride with a letter. my lord your husband: i.e., Goneril's husband, the Duke of Albany.
2 this letter: the army of France is landed. Seek
3 out the villain Gloucester.
REGAN
4 Hang him instantly.
GONERIL
5 Pluck out his eyes.
CORNWALL
6 Leave him to my displeasure. Edmund, keep you our
7 sister company: the revenges we are bound to take
6-7. our sister: i.e., Cornwall's sister-in-law, Goneril. we are bound: i.e., I am bound by duty.
8 upon your traitorous father are not fit for your
9 beholding. Advise the duke, where you are going, to
10 a most festinate preparation: we are bound to the
10. festinate preparation: i.e., speedy preparation for war with France. are bound : are committed.
11 like. Our posts shall be swift and intelligent
11. posts: messengers. intelligent: well-informed.
12 betwixt us. Farewell, dear sister: farewell, my
13 lord of Gloucester.
12-13. my lord of Gloucester: i.e., Edmund, now the recipient of his father's forfeited title and estate.
Enter Steward [OSWALD].
14 How now! where's the king?
OSWALD
15 My lord of Gloucester hath convey'd him hence:
15. my lord of Gloucester: Gloucester.
16 Some five or six and thirty of his knights,
16. his knights: Lear's knights.
17 Hot questrists after him, met him at gate;
17. questrists: searchers.
18 Who, with some other of the lord's dependants,
18. the lord's: Gloucester's.
19 Are gone with him towards Dover; where they boast
20 To have well-armed friends.
CORNWALL
Get horses for your mistress.
GONERIL
21 Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.
CORNWALL
22 Edmund, farewell.
Exeunt [GONERIL, EDMUND, and OSWALD].
22 Go seek the traitor Gloucester,
23 Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us.
23. Pinion him: tie his hands and arms.
[Exeunt some Servants.]
24 Though well we may not pass upon his life
25 Without the form of justice, yet our power
24-25. Though well . . . justice: though rightly I may not pass sentence upon his life without a legal trial.
26 Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men
26. do a courtesy to: bow to.
27 May blame, but not control. Who's there? the traitor?
27. control: openly oppose.
Enter GLOUCESTER, [brought in by two or
three] Servants.
REGAN
28 Ingrateful fox! 'tis he.
CORNWALL
29 Bind fast his corky arms.
29. corky: withered with age.
GLOUCESTER
30 What mean your graces? Good my friends, consider
Illustrator: H.C. Selous
31 You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends.
CORNWALL
32 Bind him, I say.
[Servants bind him.]
REGAN
32 Hard, hard. O filthy traitor!
GLOUCESTER
33 Unmerciful lady as you are, I'm none.
33. I'm none: I'm not one [a "filthy traitor"].
CORNWALL
34 To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt find—
[REGAN plucks his beard.]
plucks his beard: This is an act of extreme contempt.
GLOUCESTER
35 By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done
36 To pluck me by the beard.
REGAN
37 So white, and such a traitor!
37. white: white-haired; venerable.
GLOUCESTER
Naughty lady,
Naughty: Wicked.
38 These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my chin,
38. ravish: tear.
39 Will quicken, and accuse thee: I am your host:
39. quicken: come to life.
40 With robbers' hands my hospitable favours
40. my hospitable favours: i.e., my welcoming face.
41 You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?
41. ruffle: snatch at roughly.
CORNWALL
42 Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?
42. late: lately.
REGAN
43 Be simple-answer'd, for we know the truth.
43. simple-answer'd : straightforward.
CORNWALL
44 And what confederacy have you with the traitors
45 Late footed in the kingdom?
45. Late footed: recently landed.
REGAN
46 To whose hands have you sent the lunatic king?
47 Speak.
GLOUCESTER
I have a letter guessingly set down,
47. guessingly set down: written without confirmation; speculative.
48 Which came from one that's of a neutral heart,
49 And not from one opposed.
CORNWALL
Cunning.
REGAN
And false.
CORNWALL
50 Where hast thou sent the king?
GLOUCESTER
51 To Dover.
REGAN
52 Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charged at peril—
CORNWALL
53 Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that.
GLOUCESTER
54 I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course.
54. 
I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course: Gloucester compares his plight to that of the bear in a bear-baiting, in which the bear was tied to a stake had to fight off a pack of dogs. >>>
I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course: Gloucester compares his plight to that of the bear in a bear-baiting, in which the bear was tied to a stake had to fight off a pack of dogs. >>> REGAN
55 Wherefore to Dover, sir?
GLOUCESTER
56 Because I would not see thy cruel nails
57 Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister
58 In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.
58. anointed: sanctified; consecrated with holy oils [as part of the king's coronation].
59 The sea, with such a storm as his bare head
60 In hell-black night endured, would have buoy'd up,
60. buoy'd up: risen high.
61 And quench'd the stelled fires:
61. stelled fires: stars' fires.
62 Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain.
62. holp: helped. Lear added to the rain by weeping.
63 If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that dearn time,
63. dearn : dire; dread.
64 Thou shouldst have said 'Good porter, turn the key,'
64. turn the key: i.e., open the door and let them in.
65 All cruels else subscribe: but I shall see
65. All cruels else subscribe: i.e., all other cruel beings would have yielded to pity, but you do not.
66 The winged vengeance overtake such children.
66. winged : swooping down from heaven; swift.
CORNWALL
67 See't shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair.
67. Fellows: servants.
68 Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot.
GLOUCESTER
69 He that will think to live till he be old,
69. will think: hopes.
70 Give me some help!
[Cornwall stomps out one of
Gloucester's eyes.]
70 O cruel! O you gods!
REGAN
71 One side will mock another; the other too.
71. 
One . . . too: i.e., one side will make the other look bad, so let's do the other one too!
One . . . too: i.e., one side will make the other look bad, so let's do the other one too! CORNWALL
72 If you see vengeance,—
First Servant
Hold your hand, my lord:
72. Hold your hand : i.e., stop what you are doing; do not attack Gloucester again.
73 I have served you ever since I was a child;
74 But better service have I never done you
75 Than now to bid you hold.
REGAN
75 How now, you dog!
First Servant [To Regan.]
76 If you did wear a beard upon your chin,
77 I'd shake it on this quarrel.
77. shake it: shake your beard; i.e., spit in your face. on this quarrel: in this cause.
REGAN
What do you mean?
What do you mean?: i.e., What do you think you are doing?; How dare you!
CORNWALL
78 My villain!
78. villain: serf.
[Cornwall draws his sword.]
First Servant
79 Nay, then, come on, and take the chance of anger.
79. Nay, then, come on: i.e., OK, let's fight. take the chance of anger: take your chances in an angry quarrel.
[The Servant draws his sword. They fight
and the Servant wounds Cornwall.]
REGAN
80 Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up thus!
[Takes a sword, stabs the servant
in the back, and so] kills him.
First Servant
81 O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye left
82 To see some mischief on him. O!
82. To see some mischief on him: i.e., to see the injury that I have done him.
[Dies.]
CORNWALL
83 Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly!
[Plucks out Gloucester's remaining eye.]
84 Where is thy lustre now?
84. lustre: luster, gloss.
GLOUCESTER
85 All dark and comfortless. Where's my son Edmund?
86 Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature,
86. enkindle . . . nature: i.e., turn your natural love for your father into a blaze of righteous anger.
87 To quit this horrid act.
87. To quit : to requite; avenge.
REGAN
Out, treacherous villain!
Out: An exclamation of anger or impatience.
88 Thou call'st on him that hates thee: it was he
89 That made the overture of thy treasons to us;
89. overture : revelation; disclosure.
90 Who is too good to pity thee.
GLOUCESTER
91 O my follies! then Edgar was abused.
91. follies: stupidities. abused: wronged; slandered.
92 Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him!
92. prosper him: cause him to prosper.
REGAN
93 Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell
94 His way to Dover.
94. 
Dover: Dover's white cliffs face France across the narrowest part of the English Channel. This is the place where King Lear has been taken, and where the King of France will land with his army.
Dover: Dover's white cliffs face France across the narrowest part of the English Channel. This is the place where King Lear has been taken, and where the King of France will land with his army. Exit [one] with GLOUCESTER.
[REGAN sees that Cornwall is
wounded.]
How is't, my lord? how look you?
How is't, my lord? how look you? : How is it with you? How do you feel?
CORNWALL
95 I have received a hurt: follow me, lady.
95. a hurt : an injury.
96 Turn out that eyeless villain; throw this slave
96. this slave: i.e., the servant that Regan killed.
97 Upon the dunghill. Regan, I bleed apace:
97. apace: at a considerable pace; fast and getting faster.
98 Untimely comes this hurt: give me your arm.
Exit [CORNWALL, assisted by REGAN.]
Second Servant
99 I'll never care what wickedness I do,
100 If this man come to good.
Third Servant
If she live long,
101 And in the end meet the old course of death,
101. old: customary; natural.
102 Women will all turn monsters.
102. Women will all turn monsters.: Because they will not fear punishment for their crimes.
Second Servant
103 Let's follow the old earl, and get the Bedlam
103. the old earl: Gloucester [Edmund is the new earl]. Bedlam: Madman; i.e., Edgar, disguised as "Poor Tom." his roguish madness / Allows itself to any thing.: i.e., the fact that he is a vagabond madman allows him to get away with anything. [Perhaps the servant thinks that in the company of a madman Gloucester will be relatively safe from detection by his enemies.]
104 To lead him where he would: his roguish madness
105 Allows itself to any thing.
Third Servant
106 Go thou: I'll fetch some flax and whites of eggs
107 To apply to his bleeding face. Now, heaven help him!
Exeunt [in different directions].