Prescanned Shakespeare.com
presented by Acoustic Learning


King Lear

Act III, Scene 6

A chamber in a farmhouse adjoining the castle.
 
[Enter GLOUCESTER, LEAR, KENT, Fool, and EDGAR]
 
GLOUCESTER
Here is better than the open air, take it thankfully: I will piece out the comfort with what addition I can: I will not be long from you.
 
KENT
All the power of his wits, have given way to his impatience: the gods reward your kindness.
 
[Exit GLOUCESTER]
 
EDGAR
Frateretto calls me, and tells me Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness: pray innocent, and beware the foul fiend.
 
FOOL
Prithee nuncle tell me, whether a madman be a gentleman, or a yeoman?
 
LEAR
A king, a king.
 
FOOL
No, he's a yeoman, that has a gentleman to his son: for he's a mad yeoman that sees his son a gentleman before him.
 
LEAR
           ,        ,               ,    ,        ,
      To have | a thous|and with / red burn|ing spits
            ,        ,    x
      Come his|sing in | upon 'em,
 
EDGAR
       .    T     T     T         ,
      The foul fiend bites | my back.  (tri with prev)
 
FOOL
He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse's health, a boy's love, or a whore's oath.
 
LEAR
           ,          ,    ,            ,              ,
      It shall | be done;| I will | arraign | them straight.
             ,           ,            ,       ,    ,
      Come* sit | thou here,| most learn|ed just|icer;
            ,  2     ,          ,         ,          x
      Thou sap|ient sir,| sit^here.| Now^you | she foxes.
 
EDGAR
        ,                ,            ,     oo
      Look where | he stands | and glares.|
         ,            ,        ,       ,
      Wantst thou | eyes at | trial,| madam?
            ,          ,      ,          ,
      Come^ore | the bourn | Bessy,| to me.   (tetra with prev two)
 
FOOL
           ,             __
      Her boat hath | a leak,
           ,              ,
      And she must^|not speak
      <-             ,               ,         __
        Why || she dares not | come^over | to thee.
 
EDGAR
The foul fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of a nightingale. Hopdance cries in Tom's belly for two white herring. Croak not, black angel; I have no food for thee.
 
KENT
           ,        ,      ,          ,          ,
      How do | you sir?| Stand you | not so | amazed:
          2     ,      ,          ,     ,          ,
      Will you lie | down and | rest u|pon the | cushions?
 
LEAR
            ,            x       ,      ,               ,  2
      I'll see | their trial | first. Bring / in the | evidence*.
            ,      ,         ,         ,          ,
      Thou rob|ed man | of just|ice, take | thy place;
            ,          ,    ,           ,    ,
      And thou,| his yoke-|fellow | of eq|uity,
        ,     2        T    T   T     ,    2     ,
      Bench by his | side: you are | of the com|mission,
       T   T   T
      Sit you too.
 
EDGAR
                    T   T   T      ,
                   Let us deal | justly.
        ,            ,        ,     ,        ,
      Sleepest | or wak|est thou,| jolly | shepherd?
            ,         ,         ,    oo
      Thy sheep | be in | the corn;|
                 ,    ,       2     ,   2     ,
      And for / one blast | of thy min|ikin mouth,
            ,             ,    __    __
      Thy sheep | shall take | no | harm.
      ___        ,         ,    oo
      Pur,| the cat | is gray.|
 
LEAR
Arraign her first; 'tis Goneril. I here take my oath before this honorable assembly, she kicked the poor king her father.
 
FOOL
Come hither, mistress. Is your name Goneril?
 
LEAR
She cannot deny it.
 
FOOL
Cry you mercy, I took you for a joint-stool.
 
LEAR
             ,       ,                 ,     ,          ,
      And here's | anoth|er, whose^/warped looks | proclaim
             ,           ,          ,          ,          ,
      What store | her heart | is made | on. Stop | her there,
        T     T     T       ,        ,          2      ,
      Arms, arms, sword,| fire. Cor|ruption | in the place.
        ,     ,          ,               ,           ,
      False just/icer,| why hast | thou let | her 'scape?
 
EDGAR
       ___    ___    __     __    oo
      Bless | thy | five | wits.|
 
KENT
         ,      ,      ,             ,         ,
      O pit|y: Sir,| where is | the pa|tience now
             ,        ,           ,       ,       ,
      That thou | so oft | have boast|ed to | retain?
 
EDGAR
           ,        ,         ,          ,         ,
      My tears | begin | to take | his part | so much,
               ,         ,       ,
      They'll mar | my count|erfeit|ing.  \\
 
LEAR
           ,        ,         ,
      The lit|tle dogs,| and all:  \\
        T      T     .    T      T     T     T      ,    2
      Tray, Blanch, and sweet-|heart: see, they | bark at me*.
 
EDGAR
       ,           ,           ,    2          ,
      Tom will | throw his | head at them:| avaunt | you
      <-  ,      ,         ,          ,         ___
        Curs,|| be thy | mouth or | black or | white:
        ,           ,         ,       __
      Tooth that | poisons | if it | bite:
       ,          T     T    T          ,
      Mastiff,| grey-hound, mon|grel, grim,
        ,          ,         ,         ___
      Hound or | spaniel,| brach, or | hym:
          ,         ,          ,        ,
      Or bob|tail^right,| or trun|dle-tail,
       ,           ,           ,         __
      Tom will | make them | weep and | wail,
       ,           ,          ,        __
      For with | throwing | thus my | head,
        T    T    .    T          ,          ,
      Dogs leapt the hatch,| and all | are fled.
           ,       ,   ,             ,        ,         ,
      Do, de, de, de. Sessa: Come, march to wakes and fairs,  ????
            ,       ,           ,          ,        ,
      And mark|et-towns:| poor Tom | thy horn | is dry.
 
LEAR
Then let them anatomize Regan; see what breeds about her heart. Is there any cause in nature that makes these hard hearts. You sir, I entertain for one of my hundred; only, I do not like the fashion of your garments. You will say they are Persian; but let them be changed.
 
KENT
Now good my lord, lie here, and rest awhile.
 
LEAR
Make no noise, make no noise, draw the curtains: so, so, we'll go to supper in he morning.
 
FOOL
And I'll go to bed at noon.
 
[Enter GLOUCESTER]
 
GLOUCESTER
            ,         ,
      Come^hith|er friend:
                             ,     2        ,        ,
                           Where is the | king my | master?
 
KENT
        ,              ,     2     ,          ,          ,
      Here sir,| but troub|le him not,| his wits | are gone.
 
GLOUCESTER
               ,         ,        ,         ,         ,
      Good* friend,| I prith|ee take | him in | thy arms;
       2      ,    ,         ,         ,      ,
      I have ore|heard a | plot of | death u|pon him:
        ,           ,       ,       ,          x
      There is | a lit|ter rea|dy, lay | him in it,
       .    T      T     T        ,              ,            ,
      And drive towards Dov|er friend,| where* thou | shalt meet
        ,   ,           2     ,          ,    2       ,
      Both wel/come, and pro|tection.| Take up thy | master,
           ,              ,       ,         ,          ,
      If thou | shouldst dal|ly half | an hour,| his life
             ,          ,          ,       2     ,   ,
      With thine,| and all | that of|fer to de/fend him,
        ,           ,       ,          ,         ,
      Stand in | assur|ed loss.| Take^up,| take^up,
           ,       ,     ,      2       ,       ,
      And fol|low me,| that will to | some pro|vision
        ,           T    T   T
      Give thee | quick conduct.
 
KENT
          ,       ,         ,
      Oppres|sed na|ture sleeps:  (tri with prev)
             ,           ,            ,            x      ,
      This rest | might^yet | have balmed | thy broken | senses,
        ,             ,     ,          ,       ,
      Which, if | conven|ience | will not | allow,
        T    .   T    T
      Stand in hard cure.   \\
       __      ,         ,         ,       oo
      Come,| help to | bear thy | master;|
             ,          ,        ,
      Thou must | not stay | behind.
 
GLOUCESTER
                                       T     T   . T
                                     Come, come, away.
 
[Exeunt all but EDGAR]
 
EDGAR
            ,        ,        ,      ,             ,
      When we | our bet|ters see | bearing | our woes,
            ,        ,          ,     ,          ,
      We scarce|ly think | our mis|eries | our foes.
       T  .  T   T         ,        ,      2      ,
      Who alone suf|fers suf|fers most | in the mind,
       ,          T     T    .   T       ,         ,
      Leaving | free things and hap|py shows | behind:
            ,          ,          ,    2       ,          ,
      But then | the mind | much suf|ferance doth | ore^skip,
             ,            ,           ,       ,       ,
      When grief | hath mates,| and bear|ing fel|lowship.
            ,           ,    ,         ,           ,
      How light | and port|able | my pain | seems^now,
             ,            ,          ,      T    .    T   T
      When that | which makes | me bend | makes the king bow,
           ,       ,       ,         ,      ,
      He chil|ded as | I fath|ered. Tom | away.
        T   .    T    T       ,         ,        ,
      Mark the high nois|es, and | thyself | bewray,
             ,       ,                ,      ,          ,           o
      When false | opin|ion, whose^/wrong thought | defiles | thee,
                 ,    ,         ,          ,      ,           o
      In thy / just proof,| repeals | and rec|onciles | thee.    (hex with prev)
                   ,    ,        ,       T     T    .    T
      What will / hap more | tonight,| safe 'scape the king.
       __     __
      Lurk,| lurk.  \\
 
[Exit]

← Previous Scene | Next Scene →


Home