The Complete Works of William Shakespeare The Tragedy of King LearPart 3 out of 3
By th' law of arms thou wast not bound to answer An unknown opposite. Thou art not vanquish'd, But cozen'd and beguil'd. Alb. Shut your mouth, dame, Or with this paper shall I stop it. [Shows her her letter to Edmund.]- [To Edmund]. Hold, sir. [To Goneril] Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil. No tearing, lady! I perceive you know it. Gon. Say if I do- the laws are mine, not thine. Who can arraign me for't? Alb. Most monstrous! Know'st thou this paper? Gon. Ask me not what I know. Exit. Alb. Go after her. She's desperate; govern her. [Exit an Officer.] Edm. What, you have charg'd me with, that have I done, And more, much more. The time will bring it out. 'Tis past, and so am I.- But what art thou That hast this fortune on me? If thou'rt noble, I do forgive thee. Edg. Let's exchange charity. I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund; If more, the more th' hast wrong'd me. My name is Edgar and thy father's son. The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices Make instruments to scourge us. The dark and vicious place where thee he got Cost him his eyes. Edm. Th' hast spoken right; 'tis true. The wheel is come full circle; I am here. Alb. Methought thy very gait did prophesy A royal nobleness. I must embrace thee. Let sorrow split my heart if ever I Did hate thee, or thy father! Edg. Worthy prince, I know't. Alb. Where have you hid yourself? How have you known the miseries of your father? Edg. By nursing them, my lord. List a brief tale; And when 'tis told, O that my heart would burst! The bloody proclamation to escape That follow'd me so near (O, our lives' sweetness! That with the pain of death would hourly die Rather than die at once!) taught me to shift Into a madman's rags, t' assume a semblance That very dogs disdain'd; and in this habit Met I my father with his bleeding rings, Their precious stones new lost; became his guide, Led him, begg'd for him, sav'd him from despair; Never (O fault!) reveal'd myself unto him Until some half hour past, when I was arm'd, Not sure, though hoping of this good success, I ask'd his blessing, and from first to last Told him my pilgrimage. But his flaw'd heart (Alack, too weak the conflict to support!) 'Twixt two extremes of passion, joy and grief, Burst smilingly. Edm. This speech of yours hath mov'd me, And shall perchance do good; but speak you on; You look as you had something more to say. Alb. If there be more, more woful, hold it in; For I am almost ready to dissolve, Hearing of this. Edg. This would have seem'd a period To such as love not sorrow; but another, To amplify too much, would make much more, And top extremity. Whilst I was big in clamour, came there a man, Who, having seen me in my worst estate, Shunn'd my abhorr'd society; but then, finding Who 'twas that so endur'd, with his strong arms He fastened on my neck, and bellowed out As he'd burst heaven; threw him on my father; Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him That ever ear receiv'd; which in recounting His grief grew puissant, and the strings of life Began to crack. Twice then the trumpets sounded, And there I left him tranc'd. Alb. But who was this? Edg. Kent, sir, the banish'd Kent; who in disguise Followed his enemy king and did him service Improper for a slave. Enter a Gentleman with a bloody knife. Gent. Help, help! O, help! Edg. What kind of help? Alb. Speak, man. Edg. What means that bloody knife? Gent. 'Tis hot, it smokes. It came even from the heart of- O! she's dead! Alb. Who dead? Speak, man. Gent. Your lady, sir, your lady! and her sister By her is poisoned; she hath confess'd it. Edm. I was contracted to them both. All three Now marry in an instant. Enter Kent. Edg. Here comes Kent. Alb. Produce their bodies, be they alive or dead. [Exit Gentleman.] This judgement of the heavens, that makes us tremble Touches us not with pity. O, is this he? The time will not allow the compliment That very manners urges. Kent. I am come To bid my king and master aye good night. Is he not here? Alb. Great thing of us forgot! Speak, Edmund, where's the King? and where's Cordelia? The bodies of Goneril and Regan are brought in. Seest thou this object, Kent? Kent. Alack, why thus? Edm. Yet Edmund was belov'd. The one the other poisoned for my sake, And after slew herself. Alb. Even so. Cover their faces. Edm. I pant for life. Some good I mean to do, Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send (Be brief in't) to the castle; for my writ Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia. Nay, send in time. Alb. Run, run, O, run! Edg. To who, my lord? Who has the office? Send Thy token of reprieve. Edm. Well thought on. Take my sword; Give it the Captain. Alb. Haste thee for thy life. [Exit Edgar.] Edm. He hath commission from thy wife and me To hang Cordelia in the prison and To lay the blame upon her own despair That she fordid herself. Alb. The gods defend her! Bear him hence awhile. [Edmund is borne off.] Enter Lear, with Cordelia [dead] in his arms, [Edgar, Captain, and others following]. Lear. Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stone. Had I your tongues and eyes, I'ld use them so That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone for ever! I know when one is dead, and when one lives. She's dead as earth. Lend me a looking glass. If that her breath will mist or stain the stone, Why, then she lives. Kent. Is this the promis'd end? Edg. Or image of that horror? Alb. Fall and cease! Lear. This feather stirs; she lives! If it be so, It is a chance which does redeem all sorrows That ever I have felt. Kent. O my good master! Lear. Prithee away! Edg. 'Tis noble Kent, your friend. Lear. A plague upon you, murderers, traitors all! I might have sav'd her; now she's gone for ever! Cordelia, Cordelia! stay a little. Ha! What is't thou say'st, Her voice was ever soft, Gentle, and low- an excellent thing in woman. I kill'd the slave that was a-hanging thee. Capt. 'Tis true, my lords, he did. Lear. Did I not, fellow? I have seen the day, with my good biting falchion I would have made them skip. I am old now, And these same crosses spoil me. Who are you? Mine eyes are not o' th' best. I'll tell you straight. Kent. If fortune brag of two she lov'd and hated, One of them we behold. Lear. This' a dull sight. Are you not Kent? Kent. The same- Your servant Kent. Where is your servant Caius? Lear. He's a good fellow, I can tell you that. He'll strike, and quickly too. He's dead and rotten. Kent. No, my good lord; I am the very man- Lear. I'll see that straight. Kent. That from your first of difference and decay Have followed your sad steps. Lear. You're welcome hither. Kent. Nor no man else! All's cheerless, dark, and deadly. Your eldest daughters have fordone themselves, And desperately are dead. Lear. Ay, so I think. Alb. He knows not what he says; and vain is it That we present us to him. Edg. Very bootless. Enter a Captain. Capt. Edmund is dead, my lord. Alb. That's but a trifle here. You lords and noble friends, know our intent. What comfort to this great decay may come Shall be applied. For us, we will resign, During the life of this old Majesty, To him our absolute power; [to Edgar and Kent] you to your rights; With boot, and such addition as your honours Have more than merited.- All friends shall taste The wages of their virtue, and all foes The cup of their deservings.- O, see, see! Lear. And my poor fool is hang'd! No, no, no life! Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more, Never, never, never, never, never! Pray you undo this button. Thank you, sir. Do you see this? Look on her! look! her lips! Look there, look there! He dies. Edg. He faints! My lord, my lord! Kent. Break, heart; I prithee break! Edg. Look up, my lord. Kent. Vex not his ghost. O, let him pass! He hates him That would upon the rack of this tough world Stretch him out longer. Edg. He is gone indeed. Kent. The wonder is, he hath endur'd so long. He but usurp'd his life. Alb. Bear them from hence. Our present business Is general woe. [To Kent and Edgar] Friends of my soul, you twain Rule in this realm, and the gor'd state sustain. Kent. I have a journey, sir, shortly to go. My master calls me; I must not say no. Alb. The weight of this sad time we must obey, Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. The oldest have borne most; we that are young Shall never see so much, nor live so long. Exeunt with a dead march. THE END <
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