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King Lear: Act III, Scene 7

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King Lear
Act III, Scene 7

Gloucester’s castle.

Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell his way to Dover.

Johann Heinrich Ramberg, 1829

  1. Enter Cornwall, Regan, Goneril, Bastard Edmund, and
  2. Servants.

Cornwall

1 - 3
  1. To Goneril.
  2. Post speedily to my lord your husband, show him this letter.
  3. The army of France is landed.—Seek out the traitor
  4. Gloucester.
  1. Exeunt some of the Servants.

Regan

4
  1. Hang him instantly.

Goneril

5
  1. Pluck out his eyes.

Cornwall

6 - 13
  1. Leave him to my displeasure. Edmund, keep you our sister
  2. company; the revenges we are bound to take upon your
  3. traitorous father are not fit for your beholding. Advise the
  4. Duke, where you are going, to a most festinate preparation;
  5. we are bound to the like. Our posts shall be swift and
  6. intelligent betwixt us. Farewell, dear sister, farewell, my
  7. Lord of Gloucester.
  8. Enter Steward Oswald.
  9. How now? Where’s the King?

Oswald

14 - 19
  1. My Lord of Gloucester hath convey’d him hence.
  2. Some five or six and thirty of his knights,
  3. Hot questrists after him, met him at gate,
  4. Who, with some other of the lord’s dependents,
  5. Are gone with him toward Dover, where they boast
  6. To have well-armed friends.

Cornwall

20
  1.                             Get horses for your mistress.

Goneril

21
  1. Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.

Cornwall

22 - 29
  1. Edmund, farewell.
  2. Exeunt Goneril, Edmund, and Oswald.
  3.                   Go seek the traitor Gloucester,
  4. Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us.
  5. Exeunt other Servants.
  6. Though well we may not pass upon his life
  7. Without the form of justice, yet our power
  8. Shall do a court’sy to our wrath, which men
  9. May blame, but not control.
  10. Enter Gloucester, brought in by two or three Servants.
  11.                             Who’s there? The traitor?

Regan

30
  1. Ingrateful fox, ’tis he.

Cornwall

31
  1. Bind fast his corky arms.

Gloucester

32 - 33
  1. What means your Graces? Good my friends, consider
  2. You are my guests. Do me no foul play, friends.

Cornwall

34
  1. Bind him, I say.
  1. Servants bind him.

Regan

35
  1.                  Hard, hard. O filthy traitor!

Gloucester

36
  1. Unmerciful lady as you are, I’m none.

Cornwall

37
  1. To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt find—
  1. Regan plucks his beard.

Gloucester

38 - 39
  1. By the kind gods, ’tis most ignobly done
  2. To pluck me by the beard.

Regan

40
  1. So white, and such a traitor?

Gloucester

41 - 45
  1.                               Naughty lady,
  2. These hairs which thou dost ravish from my chin
  3. Will quicken and accuse thee. I am your host,
  4. With robber’s hands my hospitable favors
  5. You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?

Cornwall

46
  1. Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?

Regan

47
  1. Be simple-answer’d, for we know the truth.

Cornwall

48 - 49
  1. And what confederacy have you with the traitors
  2. Late footed in the kingdom?

Regan

50 - 51
  1. To whose hands you have sent the lunatic King—
  2. Speak.

Gloucester

52 - 54
  1. I have a letter guessingly set down,
  2. Which came from one that’s of a neutral heart,
  3. And not from one oppos’d.

Cornwall

55
  1.                           Cunning.

Regan

56
  1.          And false.

Cornwall

57
  1. Where hast thou sent the King?

Gloucester

58
  1. To Dover.

Regan

59
  1. Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charg’d at peril—

Cornwall

60
  1. Wherefore to Dover? Let him answer that.

Gloucester

61
  1. I am tied to th’ stake, and I must stand the course.

Regan

62
  1. Wherefore to Dover?

Gloucester

63 - 73
  1. Because I would not see thy cruel nails
  2. Pluck out his poor old eyes, nor thy fierce sister
  3. In his anointed flesh rash boarish fangs.
  4. The sea, with such a storm as his bare head
  5. In hell-black night endur’d, would have buoy’d up
  6. And quench’d the stelled fires;
  7. Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain.
  8. If wolves had at thy gate howl’d that dearn time,
  9. Thou shouldst have said, “Good porter, turn the key.”
  10. All cruels else subscribe; but I shall see
  11. The winged vengeance overtake such children.

Cornwall

74 - 75
  1. See’t shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair,
  2. Upon these eyes of thine I’ll set my foot.

Gloucester

76 - 77
  1. He that will think to live till he be old,
  2. Give me some help! O cruel! O you gods!

Regan

78
  1. One side will mock another; th’ other too.

Cornwall

79
  1. If you see vengeance—

First Servant

80 - 83
  1.                       Hold your hand, my lord!
  2. I have serv’d you ever since I was a child;
  3. But better service have I never done you
  4. Than now to bid you hold.

Regan

84
  1.                           How now, you dog?

First Servant

85 - 86
  1. If you did wear a beard upon your chin,
  2. I’ld shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean?

Cornwall

87
  1. My villain!
  1. Draw and fight.

First Servant

88
  1. Nay then come on, and take the chance of anger.
  1. Cornwall is wounded.

Regan

89
  1. Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up thus?
  1. She takes a sword and runs at him behind; kills him.

First Servant

90 - 91
  1. O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye left
  2. To see some mischief on him. O!
  1. He dies.

Cornwall

92 - 93
  1. Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vild jelly!
  2. Where is thy lustre now?

Gloucester

94 - 96
  1. All dark and comfortless! Where’s my son Edmund?
  2. Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature,
  3. To quit this horrid act.

Regan

97 - 100
  1.                          Out, treacherous villain!
  2. Thou call’st on him that hates thee. It was he
  3. That made the overture of thy treasons to us,
  4. Who is too good to pity thee.

Gloucester

101 - 102
  1. O my follies! Then Edgar was abus’d.
  2. Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him!

Regan

103 - 105
  1. Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell
  2. His way to Dover.
  3. Exit one with Gloucester.
  4.                   How is’t, my lord? How look you?

Cornwall

106 - 109
  1. I have receiv’d a hurt; follow me, lady.—
  2. Turn out that eyeless villain; throw this slave
  3. Upon the dunghill. Regan, I bleed apace,
  4. Untimely comes this hurt. Give me your arm.
  1. Exit, led by Regan.

Second Servant

110 - 111
  1. I’ll never care what wickedness I do,
  2. If this man come to good.

Third Servant

112 - 114
  1.                           If she live long,
  2. And in the end meet the old course of death,
  3. Women will all turn monsters.

Second Servant

115 - 117
  1. Let’s follow the old Earl, and get the Bedlam
  2. To lead him where he would; his roguish madness
  3. Allows itself to any thing.

Third Servant

118 - 119
  1. Go thou. I’ll fetch some flax and whites of eggs
  2. To apply to his bleeding face. Now heaven help him!
  1. Exeunt severally.
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