35 40 45, 50 55 60 LEAR Meantime we shall express our darker purpose. — Give me the map there— Know that we have divided In three our kingdom, and 'tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age, Conferring them on younger strengths while we Unburdened crawl toward death— Our son of Cornwall, ‘And you, our no less loving son of Albany, We have this hour a constant will to publish Our daughters! several dowers, that future strife May be prevented now. The two great princes, France and Burgundy, Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, ‘And here are to be answered._— Tell me, my daughters, (Since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state) Which of you shall we say doth love us most ‘That we our largest bounty may extend ‘Where nature doth with merit challenge?— G oneril, Our eldest born, speak first. GONERIL Sir, | do love you more than words can wield the matter, Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty, Beyond what can be valued, rich ar rare, No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor, ‘As much as chi A love that makes breath poor and speech unable, Beyond all manner of so much I ove you. e'er loved or father found— CORDELIA [Aside] What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be silent. LEAR In the meantime | will discuss my more secret plan. Give me that map there. | now deciare that | have divided my kingdom into three parts, which will be handed over to my sons-in-law. It's my firm intention to free myself from all worry and business in my old age, so that I can crawl unburdened towards death. To you, my so law Cornwall, and to you, my equally loving son- in-law Albany, at this time I want to publicly announce what each of my daughters will inherit from me, so as to prevent quarreling after | die. ‘The two great rulers of France and Burgundy— ‘who are rivals in pursuing my youngest daughter Cordelia's love—have stayed at my court for a long time. And they will soon have their answer. Now tell me, my daughters, (since I'm about to give up my throne, my lands, and the worries and stress of being a ruler), tell me which one of you loves me the most. Then I can give my greatest gifts to the one who best deserves them. Goneril, my oldest, you speak first. GONERIL Sir, Hove you more than words can express, more dearly than eyesight, space, and liberty, beyond all ‘wealth, no matter how valuable or precious. | love you as much as life itself, and I love you with all my grace, health, beauty, and honor, as much as any daughter ever loved, or any father ever received. My love is so great that it makes my voice weak and my words fail. | love you beyond any comparison | could ever make, CORDELIA [To herself] What will | do when it's my turn to speak? | can only love, and be silent.os 70 75 80 85 LEAR fall these bounds, even from this line to this, With shadowy forests and with champains riched, With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads, We make thee lady. To thine and Albany's issue Be this perpetual—What says our second daughter, ‘Our dearest Regan, wife of Cornwall? Speak. REGAN Sir, lam made of that self mettle as my sister, And prize me at her worth. In my true heart, I find she names my very deed of love— Only she comes too short, that I profess. Myself an enemy to all other joys, Which the most precious square of sense possesses. And find | am alone felicitate In your dear highness’ love. ‘CORDELIA [Aside] Then poor Cordelia! And yet not so, since | am sure my love's More ponderous than my tongue. LEAR To thee and thine hereditary ever this ample third of our fair kingdom, No less in space, validity, and pleasure Than that conferred on Goneril— But now, our joy, Although our last and least, to whose young love The vines of France and milk of Burgundy Strive to be interessed. What can you say to draw A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak. Remait CORDELIA Nothing, my lord. LEAR [To GONERIL] | now give you all this land, from. this line to that one, containing dark forests, fertile plains, bountiful rivers, and wide meadows. This and will forever belong to you and Albany's descendants. Now what does my second daughter, my dear Regan, Cornwall's wife, have to say? Speak. REGAN Sir, | am made of the same materials as my sister, and | consider myself her equal in my love for you ‘Truly, she has described my feelings for you ‘exactly—but she fell alittle short. I reject any joy. whatsoever except my love for you, which is everything | need in life, and | find that the only thing that makes me truly happy is your dear Highness's love. ‘CORDELIA [To herself] And now it's poor Cordelia's turn! And yet I'm not poor at all, since | know my love is, weightier and more sincere than my words. LEAR [To REGAN] To you and your heirs | now give this large third of my fair kingdom, which is no less in area, value, or beauty than the land | gave to Goneril. But now for Cordelia, the joy of my life— though the youngest of my daughters—who has been courted so seriously by the rulers of fertile France and Burgundy. What can you tell me that will earn a larger portion of my kingdom than your sisters? CORDELIA Nothing, my lord.LEAR 90 Nothing? ‘CORDELIA Nothing. LEAR How? Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again. ‘CORDELIA Unhappy that | am, | cannot heave My heart into my mouth. | love your majesty 95 According to my bond, no more nor less. LEAR How, how, Cordelia? Mend your speach a little, Lest you may mar your fortunes. ‘CORDELIA Good my lord, You have begot me, bred me, loved me. | 100. Retum those duties back as are right fit— Obey you, love you, and most honor you. 105 Sure, | shall never marry Ii To love my father all. LEAR But goes thy heart with this? ‘CORDELIA Ay, good my lord. LEAR Nothing? ‘CORDELIA Nothing. LEAR ‘What is this? "Nothing" will earn you nothing. ‘Speak again. ‘CORDELIA am unlucky, for | can't put my heart's emotions into words. | love your Majesty as a daughter should love her father, no more and no less. LEAR Whaat is this, Cordelia? Fix your speech a little, or you may damage your future. ‘CORDELIA My good lord, you fathered me, raised me, and loved me. In return, | am dutiful to you, as | should be. | obey you, love you, and honor you. Why do ike my sisters are married—toving only LEAR But do you really mean this? CORDELIA Yes, my good lord.110 115 120 125 130 LEAR So young and so untender? CORDELIA So young, my lord, and true. LEAR Let it be so. Thy truth then be thy dower. For by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hecate and the night, By all the operation of the orbs From whom we do exist and cease to be— Here | disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity, and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee from this for ever. The barbarous Scythian, Orhe that makes his generation messes To gorge Be as well neighbored, pitied, and relieved ‘As thou my sometime daughter. appetite, shall to my bosom KENT Good my liege— LEAR Peace, Kent. Come not between the dragon and his wrath. {loved her most and thought to set my rest (On her kind nursery. [To CORDELIA] Hence, and avoid my sight!— So be my grave my peace as here | give Her father’s heart from her.— Call France. Who stirs? Call Burgundy.— LEAR So young and so heartless? CORDELIA So young, my lord, and honest. LEAR Then this is how it will be: your truth will be your only inheritance. For now | swear by the holy light of the sun, the mysteries of witchcraft and the night, and by all the stars whose movements control our lives—t hereby disown you as my daughter. | give up all my duties as a father and dissolve all family ties between us. From now on you will be a stranger ta me. Even a foreign barbarian who eats his own children will be as close to my heart, pitied, and helped during difficult times as you were, my former daughter. KENT But your Majesty— LEAR Quiet, Kent. Don't come between the dragon and its anger. | loved Cordelia most of all, and had hoped to spend my old age in her loving care. [Te CORDELIA] Now go away, and get out of my sight! I'l only have peace when I'm dead, now that I've decided to stop loving her. [To his servants] Call the King of France. Will someone go? Call the Duke of Burgundy.135 140 145 150 155 160 Exeunt several attendants Cornwall and Albany, With my two daughters’ dowers digest this thit Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her. | do invest you jointly with my power, Preeminence, and all the large effects That troop with majesty, Ourself, by monthly course, With reservation of an hundred knights By you to be sustained, shall our abode Make with you by due turns. Only shall we retain The name, and all th’ additions to a king. The sway, revenue, execution of the rest, Beloved sons, be yours; which to confirm, This coronet part between you. [Gives CORNWALL and ALBANY the coronet] KENT Royal Lear, Whom | have ever honored as my king, Loved as my father, as my master followed, ‘As my great patron thought on in my prayers— LEAR The bow is bent and drawn. Make from the shaft. KENT Let it fall rather, though the fork invade The region of my heart. Be Kent unmannerly When Lear is mad. What wouldst thou do, old man? Think’st thou that duty shall have dread to speak When power to flattery bows? To plainness honor's bound ‘When majesty falls to folly. Reserve thy state, And in thy best consideration check This hideous rashness. Answer my life my judgment, Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least, Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound Reverbs no hollowness. Several attendants exit. Cornwall and Albany, you divide Cornelia's my kingdom between you. Let her marry her pride, which she calls "honesty." I now give the two of you all my power, privileges, and the riches that come with kingship. For myself will keep an entourage of a hundred knights, and | will ive with ‘one of you one month, and the other the next month. I'll keep the title of king and its accompanying honors, but everything else—the power, responsibility, and income—is now yours, my beloved sons-in-law. To confirm this, take this crown and share it between you. [He gives CORNWALL and ALBANY the crown] KENT Royal Lear, 've always honored you as my king, loved you as my father, followed you as my master, and thanked you as my benefactor in my prayers— LEAR I've already bent my bow and taken aim. Get out of the way of the arrow. KENT Letit strike me, no matter what, even if the arrow strikes my heart. Kent must be rude when Lear is acting madly. What are you doing, old man? Do you think that loyal men will be afraid to speak when a king gives in to flattery? If | consider myself honorable, then I'm obligated to speak bluntly when majesty turns to foolishness. Use your best judgment and rethink this rash, horrible decision. | swear on my life that your youngest daughter doesn't love you the least—just because her words don't echo hollowly, it doesn't mean her heart is unloving,165 170 175 LEAR Kent, on thy life, no more. KENT My life I never held but as a pawn To wage against thy enemies , nor fear to lose it, Thy safety being motive. LEAR Out of my sight! KENT See better, Lear, and let me still remain The true blank of thine eye. LEAR Now, by Apollo— KENT Now, by Apollo, King, Thou swear'st thy gods in vain. LEAR O vassall Miscreant! ALBANY, CORNWALL Dear sir, forbear! KENT Do, kill thy physician, and the fee bestow Upon thy foul disease. Revoke thy gift, (Or whilst I can vent clamor from my throat, Ill tell thee thou dost evil. LEAR Kent, if you value your li ., say nothing more. KENT I've never valued my life except as a tool you could use against your enemies. | don't fear to lose my life if it will help preserve your safety. LEAR Get out of my sight! KENT Lear, if it will help you see better, let me stay here and always be the target of your angry looks. LEAR Now, | swear by Apollo— KENT You swear by Apollo, King? Now you're taking the ral ree vin. LEAR You peasant! Villain! ALBANY, CORNWALL Dear sir, please stop! KENT Go ahead, kill your doctor and pay the medical bill to your foul disease. Take back your gift to Albany and Cornwall, or as long as I can make a fuss, I'l keep telling you that you've done an evil thing.180 185 190 195 200 KENT Do, kill thy physician, and the fee bestow Upon thy foul disease. Revoke thy gift, Or whilst | can vent clamor from my throat, I'l tell thee thou dost evil LEAR Hear me, recreant! On thine allegiance hear me. ‘That thou hast sought to make us break our vows, Which we durst never yet, and with strained pride To come betwixt our sentence and our power, Which nor our nature nor our place can bear, Our potency made good, take thy reward: Five days we do allot thee for provision To shield thee from diseases of the world. ‘And on the sixth to turn thy hated back KENT Why, fare thee well, King, Sith thus thou wilt appear, Freedom lives 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 large speeches may your deeds approve, That good effects may spring from words of love- Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu. Hell shape his old course in a country new. Fle Ste cecal URIS my kingdom. if your banished selfig KENT Go ahead, kill your doctor and pay the medical bill to your foul disease. Take back your gift to Albany and Cornwall, or as long as | can make a fuss, I'l keep telling you that you've done an evil thing. LEAR Listen to me, you traitor! If you still show me allegiance as my subject, hear me. You've tried to make me break my promise to Cornwall and Albany, and I've never broken a promise yet. You tried to overturn my sentence of judgment on Cordelia, and neither my personality nor my role as king can accept such disrespect of power. To prove my authority, here is the reward for your actions: you have five days to gather whatever you need to survive the misfortunes of the world, And on the sixth day you must turn your hated KENT Well, farewell then, King, Since this is how you insist on acting, freedom has left this kingdom and been replaced by banishment. [To CORDELIA] Lady, may the gods shelter you, for you've thought with justice and spoken correctly. [To REGAN and GONERIL] And may your actions live up to your grand words, so that we can see good deeds spring from words of love. And so Kent bids you all farewell, you princes. He'll go be his same old self in a new country.