71 beastly irrational
76 holy cords sacred bonds of affection (as between husbands and wives, parents and children)
77 intrince entangled, intricate
77 smooth appease
80 Renege deny
80 halcyon beaks (the halcyon or kingfisher serves here as a type of the opportunist because, when hung up by the tail or neck, it was supposed to turn with the wind, like a weathervane)
81 gale and vary varying gale (hendiadys)
83 epileptic distorted by grinning
84 Smile you do you smile at
Goose, if I had you upon Sarum Plain,deg
I'd drive ye cackling home to Camelot.deg
Cornwall. What, art thou mad, old fellow?
Gloucester. How fell you out? Say that.
Kent. No contrariesdeg hold more antipathy Than I and such a knave.
Cornwall. Why dost thou call him knave? What is his fault?
Kent. His countenance likesdeg me not.
Cornwall. No more perchance does mine, nor his, nor hers.
Kent. Sir, 'tis my occupation to be plain: I have seen better faces in my time
Than stands on any shoulder that I see
Before me at this instant.
Cornwall. This is some fellow Who, having been praised for bluntness, doth
affect
A saucy roughness, and constrains the garb
Quite from his nature.deg He cannot flatter, he;
An honest mind and plain, he must speak truth.
Anddeg they will take it, so; if not, he's plain.
These kind of knaves I know, which in this
plainness
Harbor more craft and more corrupter ends
Than twenty silly-ducking observantsdeg
That stretch their duties nicely.deg
Kent. Sir, in good faith, in sincere verity, Under th' allowancedeg of your great aspect,deg
Whose influence,deg like the wreath of radiant fire 85 Sarum Plain Salisbury Plain
86 Camelot the residence of King Arthur (presumably a particular point, now lost, is intended here)
89 contraries opposites
92 likes pleases
99-100 constrains ... nature forces the manner of candid speech to be a cloak, not for candor but for craft
102 And if
105 silly-ducking obesrvants ridiculously obsequious attendants
106 nicely punctiliously
08 allowance approval 108 aspect (1) appearance (2) position of the heavenly bodies
109 influence astrological power
On flick'ring Phoebus' frontdeg--
Cornwall. What mean'st by this?
Kent. To go out of my dialect,deg which you discommend so much. I know, sir, I am no flatterer. Hedeg that beguiled you in a plain accent was a plain knave, which, for my part, I will not be, though I should win your displeasure to entreat me to't.deg
Cornwall. What was th' offense you gave him?
Oswald. I never gave him any. It pleased the King his master very latedeg
To strike at me, upon his misconstruction;deg
When he, compact,deg and flattering his displeasure,
Tripped me behind; being down, insulted, railed,
And put upon him such a deal of mandeg
That worthied him,deg got praises of the King
For him attempting who was self-subdued;deg
And, in the fleshmentdeg of this dread exploit,
Drew on me here again.
Kent. None of these rogues and cowards But Ajax is their fool.deg
Cornwall. Fetch forth the stocks! You stubborndeg ancient knave, you reverentdeg
braggart,
We'll teach you.
Kent. Sir, I am too old to learn. 110 Phoebus' front forehead of the sun
111 dialect customary manner of speaking
112 He i.e., the sort of candid-crafty man Cornwall has been describing
114-15 though ... to't even if I were to succeed in bringing your graceless person ("displeasure" personified, and in lieu of the expected form, "your grace") to beg me to be a plain knave
118 very late recently
119 misconstruction misunderstanding
120 compact in league with the king
122 put ... man pretended such manly behavior
123 worthied him made him seem heroic
124 For ... self-subdued for attacking a man (Oswald) who offered no resistance
125 fleshment the bloodthirstiness excited by his first success or "fleshing"
126-27 None ... fool i.e., cowardly rogues like Oswald always impose on fools like Cornwall (who is likened to Ajax: [1] the braggart Greek warrior [2] a jakes or privy)
128 stubborn rude
128 reverent old
Call not your stocks for me, I serve the King,
On whose employment I was sent to you.
You shall do small respect, show too bold malice
Against the grace and persondeg of my master,
Stocking his messenger.
Cornwall. Fetch forth the stocks. As I have life and honor, There shall he sit till noon.
Regan. Till noon? Till night, my lord, and all night too.
Kent. Why, madam, if I were your father's dog, You should not use me so.
Regan. Sir, being his knave, I will.
Cornwall. This is a fellow of the selfsame colordeg Our sister speaks of. Come, bring awaydeg the stocks. Stocks brought out.
Gloucester. Let me beseech your Grace not to do so. His fault is much, and the good King his master
Will checkdeg him for't. Your purposeddeg low
correction
Is such as basest and contemned'stdeg wretches
For pilf'rings and most common trespasses
Are punished with.
The King his master needs must take it ill
That he, so slightly valued indeg his messenger,
Should have him thus restrained.
Cornwall. I'll answerdeg that.
Regan. My sister may receive it much more worse, To have her gentleman abused, assaulted,
For following her affairs. Put in his legs.
[Kent is put in the stocks.]
Come, my good lord, away!
[Exeunt all but Gloucester and Kent.]
133 grace and person i.e., Lear as sovereign and in his personal character
140 color kind
141 away out
144 check correct
144 purposed intended
145 contemned'st most despised
149 slightly valued in little honored in the person of
150 answer answer for
Gloucester. I am sorry for thee, friend. 'Tis the Duke's pleasure, Whose dispositiondeg all the world well knows
Will not be rubbeddeg nor stopped. I'll entreat for
thee.
Kent. Pray do not, sir. I have watcheddeg and traveled hard. Some time I shall sleep out, the rest I'll whistle.
A good man's fortune may grow out at heels.deg
Givedeg you good morrow.
Gloucester. The Duke's to blame in this. 'Twill be ill taken.deg Exit.
Kent. Good King, that must approvedeg the common saw,deg Thou out of Heaven's benediction com'st
To the warm sun.deg
Approach, thou beacon to this under globe,deg
That by thy comfortabledeg beams I may
Peruse this letter. Nothing almost sees miracles
But misery.deg I know 'tis from Cordelia,
Who hath most fortunately been informed
Of my obscureddeg course. And shall find time
From this enormous state, seeking to give
Losses their remedies.deg All weary and o'erwatched,
Take vantage,deg heavy eyes, not to behold
This shameful lodging. Fortune, good night;
Smile once more, turn thy wheel.deg
Sleeps.
156 disposition inclination
157 rubbed diverted (metaphor
from the game of bowls)
158 watched gone without sleep
160 A ... heels even a good man may have bad fortune
161 Give God give
162 taken received 163 approve confirm
163 saw proverb
164-65 Thou ... sun i.e., Lear goes from better to worse, from Heaven's blessing or shelter to lack of shelter
166 beacon ... globe i.e., the sun, whose rising Kent anticipates
167 comfortable comforting
168-69 Nothing ... misery i.e., true perception belongs only to the wretched
171 obscured disguised
171-73 shall ... remedies (a possible reading: Cordelia, away from this monstrous state of things, will find occasion to right the wrongs we suffer)
174 vantage advantage (of sleep)
176 turn thy wheel i.e., so that Kent, who is at the bottom, may climb upward
[Scene 3. A wood.]
Enter Edgar.
Edgar. I heard myself proclaimed, And by the happydeg hollow of a tree
Escaped the hunt. No port is free, no place
That guard and most unusual vigilance
Does not attend my taking.deg Whiles I may 'scape,
I will preserve myself; and am bethoughtdeg
To take the basest and most poorest shape
That ever penury, in contempt of man,
Brought near to beast;deg my face I'll grime with filth,
Blanketdeg my loins, elfdeg all my hairs in knots,
And with presenteddeg nakedness outfacedeg
The winds and persecutions of the sky.
The country gives me proofdeg and precedent
Of Bedlamdeg beggars, who, with roaring voices,
Strikedeg in their numbed and mortifieddeg bare arms
Pins, wooden pricks,deg nails, sprigs of rosemary;
And with this horrible object,deg from lowdeg farms,
Poor peltingdeg villages, sheepcotes, and mills,
Sometimes with lunatic bans,deg sometime with
prayers,
Enforce their charity. Poor Turlygod, Poor Tom,deg
That's something yet: Edgar I nothing am.deg Exit.
2.3.2 happy lucky
5 attend my taking watch to capture me
6 am bethought have decided
8-9 penury ... beast poverty, to show how contemptible man is, reduced to the level of a beast
10 Blanket cover only with a blanket
10 elf tangle (into, "elflocks," supposed to be caused by elves)
11 presented the show of
11 outface brave
13 proof example
14 Bedlam (see 1.2.r. 146-47)
15 strike stick
15 mortified not alive to pain
16 pricks skewers
17 object spectacle
17 low humble
18 pelting paltry
19 bans curses
20 Poor ... Tom (Edgar recites the names a Bedlam beggar gives himself)
21 That's ... am there's a chance for me in that I am no longer known for myself
[Scene 4. Before Gloucester's castle. Kent in the stocks.]
Enter Lear, Fool, and Gentleman.
Lear. 'Tis strange that they should so depart from home, And not send back my messenger.
Gentleman. As I learned, The night before there was no purposedeg in them Of this remove.deg
Kent. Hail to thee, noble master.
Lear. Ha! Mak'st thou this shame thy pastime?deg
Kent. No, my lord.
Fool. Ha, ha, he wears crueldeg garters. Horses are tied by the heads, dogs and bears by th' neck, monkeys by th' loins, and men by th' legs. When a man's overlusty at legs,deg then he wears wooden netherstocks.deg
Lear. What's he that hath so much thy place mistook To set thee here?
Kent. It is both he and she, Your son and daughter.
Lear. No.
Kent. Yes.
Lear. No, I say.
Kent. I say yea.
2.4.3 purpose intention
4 remove removal
6 Mak'st ... pastime i.e., are you doing this to amuse yourself
7 cruel (1) painful (2) "crewel," a worsted yarn used in garters
9-10 overlusty at legs (1) a vagabond (2) ? sexually promiscuous
10 netherstocks stockings (as opposed to knee breeches or upperstocks)
Lear. No, no, they would not.
Kent. Yes, they have.
Lear. By Jupiter, I swear no!
Kent. By Juno, I swear ay!
Lear. They durst not do't; They could not, would not do't. 'Tis worse than
murder
To do upon respectdeg such violent outrage.
Resolvedeg me with all modestdeg haste which way
Thou mightst deserve or they impose this usage,
Coming from us.
Kent. My lord, when at their home I did commenddeg your Highness' letters to them,
Ere I was risen from the place that showed
My duty kneeling, came there a reeking post,deg
Steweddeg in his haste, half breathless, panting forth
From Goneril his mistress salutations,
Delivered letters, spite of intermission,deg
Which presentlydeg they read; ondeg whose contents
They summoned up their meiny,deg straight took
horse,
Commanded me to follow and attend
The leisure of their answer, gave me cold looks,
And meeting here the other messenger,
Whose welcome I perceived had poisoned mine,
Being the very fellow which of late
Displayeddeg so saucily against your Highness,
Having more man than witdeg about me, drew;
He raiseddeg the house, with loud and coward cries.
Your son and daughter found this trespass worthdeg
The shame which here it suffers.
23 upon respect (1) on the respect due to the King (2) deliberately
24 Resolve inform
24 modest becoming
27 commend deliver
29 reeking post sweating messenger
30 stewed steaming
32 spite of intermission in spite of the interrupting of my business
33 presently at once
33 on on the strength of
34 meiny retinue
40 Displayed showed off
41 more man than wit more manhood than sense
42 raised aroused
43 worth deserving
Fool. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geese fly that way.deg Fathers that wear rags
Do make their children blind,deg
But fathers that bear bagsdeg
Shall see their children kind.
Fortune, that arrant whore,
Ne'er turns the keydeg to th' poor.
But for all this, thou shalt have as many dolorsdeg for
thy daughters as thou canst telldeg in a year.
Lear. O, how this motherdeg swells up toward my heart! Hysterica passio,deg down, thou climbing sorrow, Thy element'sdeg below. Where is this daughter?
Kent. With the Earl, sir, here within.
Lear. Follow me not; Stay here. Exit.
Gentleman. Made you no more offense but what you speak of?
Kent. None. How chancedeg the King comes with so small a number?
Fool. Anddeg thou hadst been set i' th' stocks for that question, thou'dst well deserved it.
Kent. Why, Fool?
Fool. We'll set thee to school to an ant, to teach thee there's no laboring i' th' winter.deg All that follow 45-46 Winter's ... way i.e., more trouble is to come, since Cornwall and Regan act so ("geese" is used contemptuously, as in Kent's quarrel with Oswald, 2.2. 85-6)
48 blind i.e., indifferent
49 bags moneybags
52 turns the key i.e., opens the door
53 dolors (1) sorrows (2) dollars (English name for Spanish and German coins)
54 tell (1) tell abou
t (2) count
55-56 mother ... Hysterica passio hysteria, causing suffocation or choking
57 element proper place
62 How chance how does it happen that
63 And if
66-67 We'll ... winter (in the popular fable the ant, unlike the improvident grasshopper, anticipates the winter when none can labor by laying up provisions in the summer. Lear, trusting foolishly to summer days, finds himself unprovided for, and unable to provide, now that "winter" has come)
their noses are led by their eyes but blind men, and there's not a nose among twenty but can smell him that's stinking.deg Let go thy hold when a great wheel runs down a hill, lest it break thy neck with following. But the great one that goes upward, let him draw thee after. When a wise man gives thee better counsel, give me mine again. I would have none but knaves follow it since a Fool gives it. That sir, which serves and seeks for gain,
And follows but for form,deg
Will pack,deg when it begins to rain,
And leave thee in the storm.
But I will tarry; the Fool will stay,
And let the wise man fly.
The knave turns Fool that runs away,
The Fool no knave,deg perdy.deg
Kent. Where learned you this, Fool?
Fool. Not i' th' stocks, fool. Enter Lear and Gloucester.
Lear. Denydeg to speak with me? They are sick, they are weary, They have traveled all the night? Mere fetches,deg
The imagesdeg of revolt and flying off!deg
Fetch me a better answer.
Gloucester. My dear lord, You know the fiery qualitydeg of the Duke,
How unremovable and fixed he is
In his own course.
Lear. Vengeance, plague, death, confusion! Fiery? What quality? Why, Gloucester, Gloucester,
I'd speak with the Duke of Cornwall and his wife.
67-70 All ... stinking i.e., all can smell out the decay of Lear's fortunes
78 form show
79 pack be off 83--84 The ... knave i.e., the faithless man is the true fool, for wisdom requires fidelity. Lear's Fool, who remains faithful, is at least no knave
84 perdy by God (Fr. par Dieu)
87 Deny refuse
88 fetches subterfuges, acts of tacking (nautical metaphor)
89 images exact likenesses
89 flying off desertion
91 quality temperament.
King Lear (Folger Shakespeare Library) Page 13
