KING LEAR [[THE FOLIO TEXT]]

Act 1 Scene 1

(Enter the Earl of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester, and Edmond)
l1l	Kent	 I thought the King had more affected the Duke of
l2l		Albany than Cornwall.
l3l	Gloucester	It did always seem so to us, but now in the
l4l		division of the kingdom it appears not which of the
l5l		Dukes he values most# for qualities are so weighed that
l6l		curiosity in neither can make choice of either’s moiety.
l7l	Kent	Is not this your son, my lord?
l8l	Gloucester	His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge. I
l9l		have so often blushed to acknowledge him that now I
l10l		am brazed to ’t.
l11l	Kent	I cannot conceive you.
l12l	Gloucester	Sir, this young fellow’s mother could,
l13l		whereupon she grew round-wombed and had indeed,
l14l		sir, a son for her cradle ere she had a husband for her
l15l		bed. Do you smell a fault?
l16l	Kent	I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being
l17l		so proper.
l18l	Gloucester	But I have a son, sir, by order of law, some
l19l		year older than this, who yet is no dearer in my
l20l		account. Though this knave came something saucily
l21l		to the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother
l22l		fair, there was good sport at his making, and the
l23l		whoreson must be acknowledged.
		(To Edmond)
		 Do you
l24l		know this noble gentleman, Edmond?
l25l	Edmond	No, my lord.
l26l	Gloucester	(to Edmond)
		 My lord of Kent. Remember him
l27l		hereafter as my honourable friend.
l28l	Edmond	(to Kent)
		 My services to your lordship.
l29l	Kent	I must love you, and sue to know you better.
l30l	Edmond	Sir, I shall study deserving.
l31l	Gloucester	(to Kent)
		 He hath been out nine years, and
l32l		away he shall again.
		(Sennet)
l33l		The King is coming.
		(Enter King Lear, the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany, Goneril, Regan, Cordelia, and attendants)
l34l	Lear	 Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester.
l35l	Gloucester	I shall, my lord.
		(Exit)
l36l	Lear	 Meantime we shall express our darker purpose.
l37l		Give me the map there. Know that we have divided
l38l		In three our kingdom, and ’tis our fast intent
l39l		To shake all cares and business from our age,
l40l		Conferring them on younger strengths while we
l41l		Unburdened crawl toward death. Our son of Cornwall,
l42l		And you, our no less loving son of Albany,
l43l		We have this hour a constant will to publish
l44l		Our daughters’ several dowers, that future strife
l45l		May be prevented now. The princes France and Burgundy—
l46l		Great rivals in our youngest daughter’s love—
l47l		Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn,
l48l		And here are to be answered. Tell me, my daughters—
l49l		Since now we will divest us both of rule,
l50l		Interest of territory, cares of state—
l51l		Which of you shall we say doth love us most,
l52l		That we our largest bounty may extend
l53l		Where nature doth with merit challenge? Goneril,
l54l		Our eldest born, speak first.
l55l	Goneril	Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter#
l56l		Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty#
l57l		Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare,
l58l		No less than life# with grace, health, beauty, honour#
l59l		As much as child e’er loved or father found#
l60l		A love that makes breath poor and speech unable.
l61l		Beyond all manner of so much I love you.
l62l	Cordelia	(aside)
		 What shall Cordelia speak? Love and be silent.
l63l	Lear	(to Goneril)
		 Of all these bounds even from this line to this,
l64l		With shadowy forests and with champaigns riched,
l65l		With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,
l66l		We make thee lady. To thine and Albany’s issues
l67l		Be this perpetual.—What says our second daughter?
l68l		Our dearest Regan, wife of Cornwall?
l69l	Regan	I am made of that self mettle as my sister,
l70l		And prize me at her worth. In my true heart
l71l		I find she names my very deed of love—
l72l		Only she comes too short, that I profess
l73l		Myself an enemy to all other joys
l74l		Which the most precious square of sense possesses,
l75l		And find I am alone felicitate
l76l		In your dear highness’ love.
	Cordelia	
		(aside)
		 Then poor Cordelia—
l77l		And yet not so, since I am sure my love’s
l78l		More ponderous than my tongue.
l79l	Lear	(to Regan)
		 To thee and thine hereditary ever
l80l		Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom,
l81l		No less in space, validity, and pleasure
l82l		Than that conferred on Goneril.
		(To Cordelia)
		 Now our joy,
l83l		Although our last and least, to whose young love
l84l		The vines of France and milk of Burgundy
l85l		Strive to be interessed: what can you say to draw
l86l		A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak.
l87l	Cordelia	Nothing, my lord.
l88l	Lear	Nothing?
l89l	Cordelia	Nothing.
l90l	Lear	Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again.
l91l	Cordelia	Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave
l92l		My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty
l93l		According to my bond, no more nor less.
l94l	Lear	How, how, Cordelia? Mend your speech a little
l95l		Lest you may mar your fortunes.
	Cordelia	Good my lord,
l96l		You have begot me, bred me, loved me.
l97l		I return those duties back as are right fit—
l98l		Obey you, love you, and most honour you.
l99l		Why have my sisters husbands if they say
l100l		They love you all? Haply when I shall wed
l101l		That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry
l102l		Half my love with him, half my care and duty.
l103l		Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters.
l104l	Lear	But goes thy heart with this?
l105l	Cordelia	Ay, my good lord.
l106l	Lear	So young and so untender?
l107l	Cordelia	So young, my lord, and true.
l108l	Lear	Let it be so. Thy truth then be thy dower#
l109l		For by the sacred radiance of the sun,
l110l		The mysteries of Hecate and the night,
l111l		By all the operation of the orbs
l112l		From whom we do exist and cease to be,
l113l		Here I disclaim all my paternal care,
l114l		Propinquity, and property of blood,
l115l		And as a stranger to my heart and me
l116l		Hold thee from this for ever. The barbarous Scythian,
l117l		Or he that makes his generation messes
l118l		To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom
l119l		Be as well neighboured, pitied, and relieved
l120l		As thou, my sometime daughter.
	Kent	Good my liege—
l121l	Lear	Peace, Kent.
l122l		Come not between the dragon and his wrath.
l123l		I loved her most, and thought to set my rest
l124l		On her kind nursery.
		(To Cordelia)
		 Hence, and avoid my sight!—
l125l		So be my grave my peace as here I give
l126l		Her father’s heart from her. Call France. Who stirs?
l127l		Call Burgundy.
		(Exit one or more)
		 Cornwall and Albany,
l128l		With my two daughters’ dowers digest the third.
l129l		Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her.
l130l		I do invest you jointly with my power,
l131l		Pre-eminence, and all the large effects
l132l		That troop with majesty. Ourself by monthly course,
l133l		With reservation of an hundred knights
l134l		By you to be sustained, shall our abode
l135l		Make with you by due turn. Only we shall retain
l136l		The name and all th’ addition to a king. The sway,
l137l		Revenue, execution of the rest,
l138l		Belovèd sons, be yours# which to confirm,
l139l		This crownet part between you.
	Kent	Royal Lear,
l140l		Whom I have ever honoured as my king,
l141l		Loved as my father, as my master followed,
l142l		As my great patron thought on in my prayers—
l143l	Lear	The bow is bent and drawn# make from the shaft.
l144l	Kent	Let it fall rather, though the fork invade
l145l		The region of my heart. Be Kent unmannerly
l146l		When Lear is mad. What wouldst thou do, old man?
l147l		Think’st thou that duty shall have dread to speak
l148l		When power to flattery bows? To plainness honour’s bound
l149l		When majesty falls to folly. Reserve thy state,
l150l		And in thy best consideration check
l151l		This hideous rashness. Answer my life my judgement,
l152l		Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least,
l153l		Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sounds
l154l		Reverb no hollowness.
	Lear	Kent, on thy life, no more!
l155l	Kent	My life I never held but as a pawn
l156l		To wage against thine enemies, ne’er feared to lose it,
l157l		Thy safety being motive.
	Lear	Out of my sight!
l158l	Kent	See better, Lear, and let me still remain
l159l		The true blank of thine eye.
	Lear	Now, by Apollo—
l160l	Kent	Now, by Apollo, King, thou swear’st thy gods in vain.
l161l	Lear	(making to strike him)
		 O vassal! Miscreant!
	Albany And [Cordelia]	Dear sir, forbear.
l162l	Kent	(to Lear)
		 Kill thy physician, and thy fee bestow
l163l		Upon the foul disease. Revoke thy gift,
l164l		Or whilst I can vent clamour from my throat
l165l		I’ll tell thee thou dost evil.
l166l	Lear	Hear me, recreant# on thine allegiance hear me!
l167l		That thou hast sought to make us break our vows,
l168l		Which we durst never yet, and with strained pride
l169l		To come betwixt our sentence and our power,
l170l		Which nor our nature nor our place can bear,
l171l		Our potency made good take thy reward:
l172l		Five days we do allot thee for provision
l173l		To shield thee from disasters of the world,
l174l		And on the sixth to turn thy hated back
l175l		Upon our kingdom. If on the seventh day following
l176l		Thy banished trunk be found in our dominions,
l177l		The moment is thy death. Away! By Jupiter,
l178l		This shall not be revoked.
l179l	Kent	Fare thee well, King# sith thus thou wilt appear,
l180l		Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.
l181l		(To Cordelia)
		 The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid,
l182l		That justly think’st, and hast most rightly said.
l183l		(To Goneril and Regan)
		 And your large speeches may your deeds approve,
l184l		That good effects may spring from words of love.
l185l		Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu#
l186l		He’ll shape his old course in a country new.
		(Exit)
l187l		(Flourish. Enter the Duke of Gloucester with the King France, the Duke of Burgundy, and attendants)
		[Cordelia]	 Here’s France and Burgundy, my noble lord.
l188l	Lear	My lord of Burgundy,
l189l		We first address toward you, who with this King
l190l		Hath rivalled for our daughter: what in the least
l191l		Will you require in present dower with her
l192l		Or cease your quest of love?
	Burgundy	Most royal majesty,
l193l		I crave no more than hath your highness offered#
l194l		Nor will you tender less.
	Lear	Right noble Burgundy,
l195l		When she was dear to us we did hold her so#
l196l		But now her price is fallen. Sir, there she stands.
l197l		If aught within that little seeming substance,
l198l		Or all of it, with our displeasure pieced,
l199l		And nothing more, may fitly like your grace,
l200l		She’s there, and she is yours.
	Burgundy	I know no answer.
l201l	Lear	Will you with those infirmities she owes,
l202l		Unfriended, new adopted to our hate,
l203l		Dowered with our curse and strangered with our oath,
l204l		Take her or leave her?
	Burgundy	Pardon me, royal sir.
l205l		Election makes not up in such conditions.
l206l	Lear	Then leave her, sir# for by the power that made me,
l207l		I tell you all her wealth.
		(To France)
		 For you, great King,
l208l		I would not from your love make such a stray
l209l		To match you where I hate, therefore beseech you
l210l		T’ avert your liking a more worthier way
l211l		Than on a wretch whom nature is ashamed
l212l		Almost t’ acknowledge hers.
	France	This is most strange,
l213l		That she whom even but now was your best object,
l214l		The argument of your praise, balm of your age,
l215l		The best, the dear’st, should in this trice of time
l216l		Commit a thing so monstrous to dismantle
l217l		So many folds of favour. Sure, her offence
l218l		Must be of such unnatural degree
l219l		That monsters it, or your fore-vouched affection
l220l		Fall into taint# which to believe of her
l221l		Must be a faith that reason without miracle
l222l		Should never plant in me.
l223l	Cordelia	(to Lear)
		 I yet beseech your majesty,
l224l		If for I want that glib and oily art
l225l		To speak and purpose not—since what I well intend,
l226l		I’ll do ’t before I speak—that you make known
l227l		It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,
l228l		No unchaste action or dishonoured step
l229l		That hath deprived me of your grace and favour,
l230l		But even the want of that for which I am richer—
l231l		A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue
l232l		That I am glad I have not, though not to have it
l233l		Hath lost me in your liking.
	Lear	Better thou
l234l		Hadst not been born than not t’ have pleased me better.
l235l	France	Is it but this—a tardiness in nature,
l236l		Which often leaves the history unspoke
l237l		That it intends to do?—My lord of Burgundy,
l238l		What say you to the lady? Love’s not love
l239l		When it is mingled with regards that stands
l240l		Aloof from th’ entire point. Will you have her?
l241l		She is herself a dowry.
	Burgundy	
		(to Lear)
		 Royal King,
l242l		Give but that portion which yourself proposed,
l243l		And here I take Cordelia by the hand,
l244l		Duchess of Burgundy.
l245l	Lear	Nothing. I have sworn. I am firm.
l246l	Burgundy	(to Cordelia)
		 I am sorry, then, you have so lost a father
l247l		That you must lose a husband.
	Cordelia	Peace be with Burgundy#
l248l		Since that respect and fortunes are his love,
l249l		I shall not be his wife.
l250l	France	Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor#
l251l		Most choice, forsaken# and most loved, despised:
l252l		Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon.
l253l		Be it lawful, I take up what’s cast away.
l254l		Gods, gods! ’Tis strange that from their cold’st neglect
l255l		My love should kindle to inflamed respect.—
l256l		Thy dowerless daughter, King, thrown to my chance,
l257l		Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France.
l258l		Not all the dukes of wat’rish Burgundy
l259l		Can buy this unprized precious maid of me.—
l260l		Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though unkind.
l261l		Thou losest here, a better where to find.
l262l	Lear	Thou hast her, France. Let her be thine, for we
l263l		Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see
l264l		That face of hers again. Therefore be gone,
l265l		Without our grace, our love, our benison.—
l266l		Come, noble Burgundy.
		(Flourish. Exeunt all but France and the sisters)
		
	France	 Bid farewell to your sisters.
l267l	Cordelia	Ye jewels of our father, with washed eyes
l268l		Cordelia leaves you. I know you what you are,
l269l		And like a sister am most loath to call
l270l		Your faults as they are named. Love well our father.
l271l		To your professèd bosoms I commit him.
l272l		But yet, alas, stood I within his grace
l273l		I would prefer him to a better place.
l274l		So farewell to you both.
l275l	Regan	Prescribe not us our duty.
l276l	Goneril	Let your study
l277l		Be to content your lord, who hath received you
l278l		At fortune’s alms. You have obedience scanted,
l279l		And well are worth the want that you have wanted.
l280l	Cordelia	Time shall unfold what pleated cunning hides,
l281l		Who covert faults at last with shame derides.
l282l		Well may you prosper.
	France	Come, my fair Cordelia.
		(Exeunt France and Cordelia)
l283l	Goneril	 Sister, it is not little I have to say of what most
l284l		nearly appertains to us both. I think our father will
l285l		hence tonight.
l286l	Regan	That’s most certain, and with you. Next month
l287l		with us.
l288l	Goneril	You see how full of changes his age is. The
l289l		observation we have made of it hath been little. He
l290l		always loved our sister most, and with what poor
l291l		judgement he hath now cast her off appears too grossly.
l292l	Regan	’Tis the infirmity of his age# yet he hath ever but
l293l		slenderly known himself.
l294l	Goneril	The best and soundest of his time hath been but
l295l		rash# then must we look from his age to receive not
l296l		alone the imperfections of long-engrafted condition, but
l297l		therewithal the unruly waywardness that infirm and
l298l		choleric years bring with them.
l299l	Regan	Such unconstant starts are we like to have from
l300l		him as this of Kent’s banishment.
l301l	Goneril	There is further compliment of leave-taking
l302l		between France and him. Pray you, let us sit together.
l303l		If our father carry authority with such disposition as
l304l		he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us.
l305l	Regan	We shall further think of it.
l306l	Goneril	We must do something, and i’ th’ heat.
		(Exeunt)