King Lear

William Shakespeare

Description

King Lear, who is elderly and wants to retire from power, decides to divide his realm among his three daughters, and declares he'll offer the largest share to the one who loves him most.

Informations

• Publié par: Interactive Media
• Date de parution: 15 septembre 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781910833490
• Langue: English

Extrait

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare
King Lear



LONDON ∙ NEW YORK ∙ TORONTO ∙ SAO PAULO ∙ MOSCOW
PARIS ∙ MADRID ∙ BERLIN ∙ ROME ∙ MEXICO CITY ∙ MUMBAI ∙ SEOUL ∙ DOHA
TOKYO ∙ SYDNEY ∙ CAPE TOWN ∙ AUCKLAND ∙ BEIJING
New Edition
Published by Sovereign Classic
www.sovereignclassic.net
This Edition
First published in 2015
Copyright © 2015 Sovereign Classic
Contents
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
ACT IV
ACT V
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Lear, King of Britain
King of France
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Cornwall
Duke of Albany
Earl of Kent
Earl of Gloucester
Edgar, son to Gloucester
Edmund, bastard son to Gloucester
Curan, a courtier
Oswald, steward to Goneril
Old Man, tenant to Gloucester
Doctor
Fool
An Officer, employed by Edmund
A Gentleman, attendant on Cordelia
A Herald
Servants to Cornwall
Goneril, Regan, Cordelia, daughters to Lear
Knights of Lear’s train, Officers, Messengers, Soldiers, and Attendants
Scene: Britain
ACT I
SCENE I. KING LEAR’S PALACE.
Enter KENT, GLOUCESTER, and EDMUND
KENT
I tho ught the king had more affected the Duke of Albany tha n Cornwall.
GLOUCESTER
It did alw ays seem so to us: but now, in the division o f the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weighed, t hat curiosity in neither can make choice of either’ s moiety.
KENT
Is no t thi s your son, my lord?
GLOUCESTER
His breedi ng, sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often b lushed to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it.
KENT
I can not c onceive you.
GLOUCESTER
Sir, this young fellow’s mother could: whereupon she grew r ound-wombed, and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cr adle ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you sme ll a fault?
KENT
I can not w ish the fault undone, the issue of it being so p roper.
GLOUCESTER
But I have , sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though thi s knave came something saucily into the world befo re he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; ther e was good sport at his making, and the whoreson m ust be acknowledged. Do you know this noble gent leman, Edmund?
EDMUND
No, my lor d.
GLOUCESTER
My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as my honourable friend.
EDMUND
My service s to your lordship.
KENT
I mus t lov e you, and sue to know you better.
EDMUND
Sir , I sha ll study deserving.
GLOUCESTER
He hath be en out nine years, and away he shall again. The king is coming.
Sennet. Enter KING LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants
KING LEAR
Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester.
GLOUCESTER
I shall, m y liege.
Exeunt GLOUCESTER and EDMUND
KING LEAR
Meantime w e shall express our darker purpose. Give me th e map there. Know that we have divided In three o ur kingdom: and ‘tis our fast intent To shake a ll cares and business from our age; Conferring them on younger strengths, while we Unburthen’ d crawl toward death. Our son of Cornwall, And you, o ur no less loving son of Albany, We have th is hour a constant will to publish Our daught ers’ several dowers, that future strife May be pre vented now. The princes, France and Burgundy, Great riva ls in our youngest daughter’s love, Long in ou r court have made their amorous sojourn, And here a re to be answer’d. Tell me, my daughters,-- Since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest o f territory, cares of state,-- Which of y ou shall we say doth love us most? That we ou r largest bounty may extend Where natu re doth with merit challenge. Goneril, Our eldest -born, speak first.
GONERIL
Si r, I lov e you more than words can wield the matter; Dearer tha n eye-sight, space, and liberty; Beyond wha t can be valued, rich or rare; No less th an life, with grace, health, beauty, honour; As much as child e’er loved, or father found; A love tha t makes breath poor, and speech unable; Beyond all manner of so much I love you.
CORDELIA
[ Aside] Wh at shall Cordelia do? Love, and be silent.
LEAR
Of al l the se bounds, even from this line to this, With shado wy forests and with champains rich’d, With plent eous rivers and wide-skirted meads, We make th ee lady: to thine and Albany’s issue Be this pe rpetual. What says our second daughter, Our deares t Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak.
REGAN
Sir, I am made Of the sel f-same metal that my sister is, And prize me at her worth. In my true heart I find she names my very deed of love; Only she c omes too short: that I profess Myself an enemy to all other joys, Which the most precious square of sense possesses; And find I am alone felicitate In your de ar highness’ love.
CORDELIA
[ Aside] Th en poor Cordelia! And yet no t so; since, I am sure, my love’s More riche r than my tongue.
KING LEAR
To thee an d thine hereditary ever Remain thi s ample third of our fair kingdom; No less in space, validity, and pleasure, Than that conferr’d on Goneril. Now, our joy, Although t he last, not least; to whose young love The vines of France and milk of Burgundy Strive to be interess’d; what can you say to draw A third mo re opulent than your sisters? Speak.
CORDELIA
N othing, m y lord.
KING LEAR
Nothing!
C ORDELIA
N othing.
K ING LEAR
Nothing wi ll come of nothing: speak again.
CORDELIA
U nhappy th at I am, I cannot heave My heart i nto my mouth: I love your majesty According to my bond; nor more nor less.
KING LEAR
How, how, Cordelia! mend your speech a little, Lest it ma y mar your fortunes.
CORDELIA
G ood my lo rd, You have b egot me, bred me, loved me: I Return tho se duties back as are right fit, Obey you, love you, and most honour you. Why have m y sisters husbands, if they say They love you all? Haply, when I shall wed, That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry Half my lo ve with him, half my care and duty: Sure, I sh all never marry like my sisters, To love my father all.
KING LEAR
But goes t hy heart with this?
CORDELIA
A y, good m y lord.
KING LEAR
So young, and so untender?
CORDELIA
S o young, my lord, and true.
KING LEAR
Let it be so; thy truth, then, be thy dower: For, by th e sacred radiance of the sun, The myster ies of Hecate, and the night; By all the operation of the orbs From whom we do exist, and cease to be; Here I dis claim all my paternal care, Propinquit y and property of blood, And as a s tranger to my heart and me Hold thee, from this, for ever. The barbarous Scythian, Or he that makes his generation messes To gorge h is appetite, shall to my bosom Be as well neighbour’d, pitied, and relieved, As thou my sometime daughter.
KENT
Good my li ege,--
KING LEAR
Peace, Ken t! Come not b etween the dragon and his wrath. I loved he r most, and thought to set my rest On her kin d nursery. Hence, and avoid my sight! So be my g rave my peace, as here I give Her father ’s heart from her! Call France; who stirs? Call Burgu ndy. Cornwall and Albany, With my tw o daughters’ dowers digest this third: Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her. I do inves t you jointly with my power, Pre-eminen ce, and all the large effects That troop with majesty. Ourself, by monthly course, With reser vation of an hundred knights, By you to be sustain’d, shall our abode Make with you by due turns. Only we still retain The name, and all the additions to a king; The sway, revenue, execution of the rest, Beloved so ns, be yours: which to confirm, This coron et part betwixt you.
Giving the crown
KENT
Royal Lear , Whom I hav e ever honour’d as my king, Loved as m y father, as my master follow’d, As my grea t patron thought on in my prayers,--
KING LEAR
The bow is bent and drawn, make from the shaft.
KENT
Let i t fal l rather, though the fork invade The region of my heart: be Kent unmannerly, When Lear is mad. What wilt thou do, old man? Think’st t hou that duty shall have dread to speak, When power to flattery bows? To plainness honour’s bound, When majes ty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom; And, in th y best consideration, cheque This hideo us rashness: answer my life my judgment, Thy younge st daughter does not love thee least; Nor are th ose empty-hearted whose low sound Reverbs no hollowness.
KING LEAR
Kent, on t hy life, no more.
KENT
My li fe I never held but as a pawn To wage ag ainst thy enemies; nor fear to lose it, Thy safety being the motive.
KING LEAR
Out of my sight!
KENT
See b etter , Lear; and let me still remain The true b lank of thine eye.
KING LEAR
Now, by Ap ollo,--
KENT
Now, by Ap ollo, king, Thou swear ’st thy gods in vain.
KING LEAR
O, vassal! miscreant!
Laying his hand on his sword
ALBANY COR NWALL
De ar sir, f orbear.
KENT
Do: Ki ll th y ph ysician, and the fee bestow Upon thy fo ul disease. Revoke thy doom; Or, whilst I can vent clamour from my throat, I’ll tell t hee thou dost evil.
KING LEAR
H ear me, re creant! On thine al legiance, hear me! Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow, Which we du rst never yet, and with strain’d pride To come bet ween our sentence and our power, Which nor o ur nature nor our place can bear, Our potency made good, take thy reward. Five days w e do allot thee, for provision To shield t hee from diseases of the world; And on the sixth to turn thy hated back Upon our ki ngdom: if, on the tenth day following, Thy banish’ d trunk be found in our dominions, The moment is thy death. Away! by Jupiter, This shall not be revoked.
KENT
Fare t hee w ell, king: sith thus thou wilt appear, Freedom liv es hence, and banishment is here.
To CORDELIA
The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid, That justly think’st, and hast most rightly said!
To REGAN and GONERIL
And your la rge speeches may your deeds approve, That good e ffects may spring from words of love. Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu; He’ll shape his old course in a country new.
Exit