Not Peer Reviewed
- Edition: King Lear
King Lear (Modern, Folio)
- Introduction
- Texts of this edition
- Contextual materials
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- Holinshed on King Lear
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- The History of King Leir
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- Albion's England (Selection)
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- Hardyng's Chronicle (Selection)
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- Kings of Britain
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- Chronicles of England
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- Faerie Queene
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- The Mirror for Magistrates
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- The Arcadia
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- A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures
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- Aristotle on tragedy
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- The Book of Job (Selections)
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- The Monk's Tale (Selections)
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- The Defense of Poetry
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- The First Blast of the Trumpet
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- Basilicon Doron
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- On Bastards
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- On Aging
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- King Lear (Adapted by Nahum Tate)
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- Facsimiles
Here is the place, my lord. Good my lord, enter.
3.4.3.1Storm still
1781Lear
Let me alone.
Good my lord, enter here.
1783Lear
Wilt break my heart?
I had rather break mine own. 1785Good my lord, enter.
Thou think'st 'tis much that this contentious storm
Good my lord, enter here.
Prithee go in thyself, seek thine own ease.
3.4.27.1Exit [the Fool].
30I'll pray, and then I'll sleep.
Fathom and half, fathom and half! Poor Tom.
Come not in here, nuncle, here's a spirit. Help 1821me, help me!
Give me thy hand. Who's there?
A spirit, a spirit. He says his name's Poor 1824Tom.
What art thou that dost grumble there i'th'1826straw? Come forth.
3.4.41.1[Edgar comes forward.]
Away, the foul fiend follows me. Through the 1828sharp hawthorn blow the winds. Humh, go to thy 1829bed and warm thee.
Did'st thou give all to thy daughters? And art 1831thou come to this?
Who gives anything to poor Tom, whom 1833the foul fiend hath led though fire and through flame, 1834through ford and whirlpool, o'er bog and 1835quagmire; that hath laid knives under his pillow and halters 1836in his pew, set ratsbane by his porridge; made him 1837proud of heart, to ride on a bay trotting-horse over four-1838inched bridges; to course his own shadow for a traitor. 1839Bless thy five wits. Tom's a'cold. O do, de, do, de, do de. 1840Bless thee from whirlwinds, star-blasting, and 1841taking. Do poor Tom some charity, whom the foul fiend 1842vexes. There could I have him now, and there, and there 1843again, and there.
3.4.44.1Storm still
Have his daughters brought him to this pass? 1845Couldst thou save nothing? Wouldst thou give 'em all?
Nay, he reserved a blanket, else we had been all 1847shamed.
Now all the plagues that in the pendulous air
He hath no daughters, sir.
Death, traitor! Nothing could have subdued nature
Pillicock sat on Pillicock hill. Alow, alow, loo, loo.
This cold night will turn us all to fools and 1859madmen.
Take heed o'th'foul fiend, obey thy 1861parents, keep thy word's justice, swear not, commit not 1862with man's sworn spouse, set not thy sweetheart on 1863proud array. Tom's a-cold.
What hast thou been?
A servingman, proud in heart and mind, that 1866curled my hair, wore gloves in my cap, served the lust 1867of my mistress' heart and did the act of darkness with 1868her; swore as many oaths as I spake words, and broke 1869them in the sweet face of heaven. One that slept in the 1870contriving of lust and waked to do it. Wine loved I 1871dearly, dice dearly, and in woman out-paramoured 1872the Turk; false of heart, light of ear, bloody of hand; 1873hog in sloth, fox in stealth, wolf in greediness, dog 1874in madness, lion in prey. Let not the creaking of shoes 1875nor the rustling of silks betray thy poor heart to wo1876man. Keep thy foot out of brothels, thy hand out of 1877plackets, thy pen from lenders' books, and defy the 1878foul fiend. Still through the hawthorn blows the 1879cold wind. Says suum, mun, nonny, dolphin my boy, 1880boy sesey. Let him trot by.
3.4.60.1Storm still
Thou wert better in a grave than to answer 1882with thy uncovered body this extremity of the skies. Is 1883man no more than this? Consider him well. Thou owest 1884the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no 1885wool, the cat no perfume. Ha? Here's three on's are 1886sophisticated; thou art the thing itself. 1887Unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked 1888animal as thou art. Off, off you lendings. [Attempts to take off his clothes] Come, un1889button here.
Prithee nuncle be contented. 'Tis a naughty 1892night to swim in. Now a little fire in a wild field 1893were like an old letcher's heart, a small spark, all the rest 1894on's body cold. Look, here comes a walking fire.
This is the foul Flibbertigibet. He begins at 1896curfew and walks at first cock. He gives the web 1897and the pin, squints the eye, and makes the harelip; 1898mildews the white wheat and hurts the poor 1899creature of earth.
3.4.63.1[Sings.]
3.4.67 And her troth plight,
How fares your grace?
What's he?
Who's there? What is't you seek?
What are you there? Your names?
Poor Tom, that eats the swimming frog, the 1909toad, the tadpole, the wall-newt, and the water; that 1910in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats 1911cow dung for salads, swallows the old rat and the 1912ditch dog; drinks the green mantle of the standing 1913pool; who is whipped from tithing to tithing, and 1914stocked, punished, and imprisoned; who hath three suits 1915to his back, six shirts to his body.
What, hath your grace no better company?
The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman. Modo, 1922he's called, and Mahu.
Our flesh and blood, my lord, is grown so
Poor Tom's a-cold.
[To Lear] Go in with me. My duty cannot suffer
First let me talk with this philosopher.
Good my lord, take his offer. 1935Go into th'house.
I'll talk a word with this same learnèd Theban.
How to prevent the fiend, and to kill vermin.
Let me ask you one word in private.
[To Gloucester] Importune him once more to go, my lord.
1942Gloucester
Canst thou blame him?
3.4.97.1Storm still
1952Lear
Oh, cry you mercy, sir.
Tom's a-cold.
In fellow. There, into th'hovel; keep thee warm.
Come, let's in all.
1957Kent
This way, my lord.
1958Lear
With him.
[To Gloucester] Good my lord, soothe him. 1961Let him take the fellow.
Take him you on.
Sirrah, come on. Go along with us.
Come, good Athenian.
1965Gloucester
No words, no words, hush.
Childe Rowland to the dark tower came,