King Lear

King Lear

By William Shakespeare.

Table of Contents

1. Titlepage
2. Imprint
3. Dramatis Personae
4. King Lear
   1. Act I
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
      4. Scene IV
      5. Scene V
   2. Act II
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
      4. Scene IV
   3. Act III
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
      4. Scene IV
      5. Scene V
      6. Scene VI
      7. Scene VII
   4. Act IV
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
      4. Scene IV
      5. Scene V
      6. Scene VI
      7. Scene VII
   5. Act V
      1. Scene I
      2. Scene II
      3. Scene III
5. Colophon
6. Uncopyright

Imprint

This ebook is the product of many hours of hard work by volunteers for Standard Ebooks, and builds on the hard work of other literature lovers made possible by the public domain.

This particular ebook is based on a transcription produced for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and on digital scans available at the HathiTrust Digital Library.

The writing and artwork within are believed to be in the U.S. public domain, and Standard Ebooks releases this ebook edition under the terms in the CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. For full license information, see the Uncopyright at the end of this ebook.

Standard Ebooks is a volunteer-driven project that produces ebook editions of public domain literature using modern typography, technology, and editorial standards, and distributes them free of cost. You can download this and other ebooks carefully produced for true book lovers at standardebooks.org.

Dramatis Personae

• Lear, king of Britain

• King of France

• Duke of Burgundy

• Duke of Cornwall

• Duke of Albany

• Earl of Kent

• Earl of Gloucester

• Edgar, son to Gloucester

• Edmund, bastard son to Gloucester

• Curan, a courtier

• Old Man, tenant to Gloucester

• Doctor

• Fool

• Oswald, steward to Goneril

• A Captain employed by Edmund

• Gentleman attendant on Cordelia

• A Herald

• Servants to Cornwall

• Goneril, Regan, Cordelia, daughters to Lear

• Knights of Lear’s train, Captains, Messengers, Soldiers, and Attendants

Scene: Britain

King Lear

Act I

Scene I

King Lear’s palace

	Enter Kent, Gloucester, and Edmund.
Kent	I thought the king had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall.
Gloucester	It did always seem so to us: but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weighed, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either’s moiety.
Kent	Is not this your son, my lord?
Gloucester	His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blushed to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it.
Kent	I cannot conceive you.
Gloucester	Sir, this young fellow’s mother could: whereupon she grew round-wombed, and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cradle ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault?
Kent	I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper.
Gloucester	But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came something saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged. Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund?
Edmund	No, my lord.
Gloucester	My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as my honourable friend.
Edmund	My services to your lordship.
Kent	I must love you, and sue to know you better.
Edmund	Sir, I shall study deserving.
Gloucester	He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again. The king is coming.
	Sennet. Enter King Lear, Cornwall, Albany, Goneril, Regan, Cordelia, and Attendants.
King Lear	Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester.
Gloucester	I shall, my liege.
	Exeunt Gloucester and Edmund.
King 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 Unburthen’d 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 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 answer’d. 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. Goneril, Our eldest-born, speak first.
Goneril	Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter; Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour; As much as child e’er loved, or father found; A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable; Beyond all manner of so much I love you.
Cordelia	Aside. What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be silent.
Lear	Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, With shadowy forests and with champains rich’d, 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 to Cornwall? Speak.
Regan	Sir, I am made Of the self-same metal that my sister is, 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 I am alone felicitate In your dear highness’ love.
Cordelia	Aside. Then poor Cordelia! And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love’s More richer than my tongue.
King Lear	To thee and thine hereditary ever Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom; No less in space, validity, and pleasure, Than that conferr’d on Goneril. Now, our joy, Although the last, not