King Lear : Act 4, Scene 7
Enter CORDELIA, KENT [still dressed as
Caius], and Doctor.
CORDELIA
1 O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work,
2 To match thy goodness? My life will be too short,
3 And every measure fail me.
3. measure: attempt.
KENT
4 To be acknowledged, madam, is o'erpaid.
4. To . . . o'erpaid.: To be acknowledged [as worthy by you] madam, is overpayment.
5 All my reports go with the modest truth;
5. All my reports . . . but so.: i.e., All my reports [about what happened to King Lear] align with observable truth, not exaggerated or understated, but just as the events happened.
6 Nor more nor clipp'd, but so.
CORDELIA
Be better suited:
6. suited: dressed.
7 These weeds are memories of those worser hours:
7. weeds: clothes.
8 I prithee, put them off.
KENT
Pardon me, dear madam;
9 Yet to be known shortens my made intent:
9. Yet . . . intent: revealing myself now would abort my plans.
10 My boon I make it, that you know me not
10. My boon I make it: The favor I beg is.
11 Till time and I think meet.
11. meet: suitable.
CORDELIA
12 Then be't so, my good lord.
[To the Doctor.]
How does the king?
Doctor
13 Madam, sleeps still.
CORDELIA
O you kind gods,
14 Cure this great breach in his abused nature!
15 The untuned and jarring senses, O, wind up
16 Of this child-changed father!
15-16. wind up: put in tune. On a stringed instrument, this is done by winding up the tuning pegs. child-changed father: father changed by his children.
Doctor
So please your majesty
17 That we may wake the king: he hath slept long.
CORDELIA
18 Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed
19 I' the sway of your own will. Is he array'd?
18-19. proceed . . . will: i.e., do as you think fit
array'd: dressed.
array'd: dressed.
Gentleman
20 Ay, madam; in the heaviness of his sleep
21 We put fresh garments on him.
Doctor
22 Be by, good madam, when we do awake him;
23 I doubt not of his temperance.
23. temperance: calmness.
CORDELIA
Very well.
Enter LEAR in a chair carried by Servants.
chair: i.e., open sedan chair.
[Gentleman in attendance. Soft music.]
Doctor
24 Please you, draw near. Louder the music there!
CORDELIA
25 O my dear father! Restoration hang
26 Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss
27 Repair those violent harms that my two sisters
28 Have in thy reverence made!
28. reverence: revered spirit.
Romola Garai as Cordelia, Ian McKellen as Lear
TV Movie 2008
[Cordelia kisses King Lear.]
KENT
Kind and dear princess!
CORDELIA
29 Had you not been their father, these white flakes
30 Had challenged pity of them. Was this a face
29-30. Had you not: Even if you had not. white flakes: locks of hair. Had . . .
them: i.e., should have made them pity you.
31 To be opposed against the warring winds?
32 To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder?
32. deep: deep-toned. dread-bolted thunder: thunder accompanied by the dread thunderbolt.
33 In the most terrible and nimble stroke
34 Of quick, cross lightning? to watch—poor perdu!—
34. cross: zigzag.
35 With this thin helm? Mine enemy's dog,
35-36. to watch—poor perdu!: i.e., to stand watch, like a lost sentinel. this thin helm: this light helmet [Lear's hair].
36 Though he had bit me, should have stood that night
37 Against my fire; and wast thou fain, poor father,
37. Against my fire: i.e., warming himself at my hearth. wast thou fain: did you enjoy.
38 To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlorn,
39 In short and musty straw? Alack, alack!
40 'Tis wonder that thy life and wits at once
41 Had not concluded all. He wakes; speak to him.
41. concluded all: ended all at once.
Doctor
42 Madam, do you; 'tis fittest.
42. 'tis fittest: it's appropriate [that you speak to him first].
CORDELIA
43 How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty?
KING LEAR
44 You do me wrong to take me out o' the grave:
45 Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound
45. that: so that
46 Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
47 Do scald like moulten lead.
CORDELIA
Sir, do you know me?
KING LEAR
48 You are a spirit, I know: when did you die?
CORDELIA
49 Still, still, far wide!
49. wide : astray [from reason]; unbalanced.
Doctor
50 He's scarce awake: let him alone awhile.
KING LEAR
51 Where have I been? Where am I? Fair daylight?
52 I am mightily abused. I should e'en die with pity,
52. abused: deceived.
53 To see another thus. I know not what to say.
54 I will not swear these are my hands: let's see;
[King Lear pricks a hand.]
55 I feel this pin prick. Would I were assured
56 Of my condition!
55-56. Would I were assured / Of my condition!: i.e., if only I knew if I am alive or dead, in heaven or in hell!
CORDELIA
O, look upon me, sir,
57 And hold your hands in benediction o'er me:
[King Lear starts to kneel to Cordelia.]
58 No, sir, you must not kneel.
KING LEAR
Pray, do not mock me:
59 I am a very foolish fond old man,
59. fond: silly.
60 Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less;
60. Fourscore and upward: over eighty.
61 And, to deal plainly,
62 I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
63 Methinks I should know you, and know this man;
64 Yet I am doubtful for I am mainly ignorant
64. mainly: entirely.
65 What place this is; and all the skill I have
66 Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
67 Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me;
68 For, as I am a man, I think this lady
69 To be my child Cordelia.
CORDELIA
And so I am, I am.
KING LEAR
70 Be your tears wet? yes, 'faith. I pray, weep not:
70. Be your tears wet?: i.e., Are your tears real? Is this really happening?
71 If you have poison for me, I will drink it.
72 I know you do not love me; for your sisters
73 Have, as I do remember, done me wrong:
74 You have some cause, they have not.
74. You have some cause: You have some good reason to be angry with me.
CORDELIA
No cause, no cause.
KING LEAR
75 Am I in France?
KENT
In your own kingdom, sir.
KING LEAR
76 Do not abuse me.
76. abuse: deceive; mock.
Doctor
77 Be comforted, good madam: the great rage,
77. rage: frenzy.
78 You see, is kill'd in him: and yet it is danger
79 To make him even o'er the time he has lost.
79. even o'er the time he has lost: fill in the blank spaces in his memory.
80 Desire him to go in; trouble him no more
81 Till further settling.
81. Till further settling: until his mind eases.
CORDELIA
82 Will't please your highness walk?
KING LEAR
You must bear with me:
83 Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old and foolish.
Exeunt [all but KENT and Gentleman].
Gentleman
84 Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was so
85 slain?
KENT
86 Most certain, sir.
Gentleman
87 Who is conductor of his people?
87. conductor : leader.
KENT
88 As 'tis said, the bastard son of Gloucester.
88. As 'tis said: Just as it has been rumored.
Gentleman
89 They say Edgar, his banished son, is with the Earl
90 of Kent in Germany.
KENT
91 Report is changeable. 'Tis time to look about; the
91. look about : be on guard.
92 powers of the kingdom approach apace.
Gentleman
93 The arbitrement is like to be bloody. Fare you
93. arbitrement : decisive battle.
94 well, sir.
Exit [Gentleman].
KENT
95 My point and period will be throughly wrought,
96 Or well or ill, as this day's battle's fought.
95-96. My point . . . fought. : The critical moment and outcome [of my plans] will be shaped for either better or worse according to how this day's battle is fought.
Exit.