King Lear (Quarto 1, 1608)

Introduction
2. Textual Introduction
Texts of this edition
1. King Lear (Folio, 1623)
3. Modern
5. Extended modern
7. Old-spelling transcription
8. King Lear (Quarto 1, 1608)
10. Modern
12. Extended modern
14. Old-spelling transcription
15. King Lear (Quarto 2, 1619)
17. Old-spelling transcription
Contextual materials
1. Sources for the Lear story
3. Holinshed on King Lear
5. The History of King Leir
7. Albion's England (Selection)
9. Hardyng's Chronicle (Selection)
11. Kings of Britain
13. Chronicles of England
15. Faerie Queene
17. The Mirror for Magistrates
18. Sources for the Gloucester plot
20. The Arcadia
22. A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures
23. Literary, political, and social contexts
25. Aristotle on tragedy
27. The Book of Job (Selections)
29. The Monk's Tale (Selections)
31. The Defense of Poetry
33. The First Blast of the Trumpet
35. Basilicon Doron
37. On Bastards
39. On Aging
40. King Lear's afterlife
42. King Lear (Adapted by Nahum Tate)
Facsimiles

The Historie of King Lear.
 880747Kent. I will not sleepe my Lord, till I haue deliuered 881your
 748letter.  Exit
 882749Foole. If a mans braines where in his heeles, wert not in 883dan-
 750ger of kibes?884   Lear. I boy.
 885751Foole. Then I prethe be mery, thy wit shal nere goe 886slipshod.
 887752Lear. Ha ha ha.
 888753Foole. Shalt see thy other daughter will vse thee kind889ly, for
 754though shees as like this, as a crab is like an 890apple, yet I con, what
 755I can tel.
 891756Lear. Why what canst thou tell my boy?
 892757Foole. Sheel tast as like this, as a crab doth to a 893crab, thou
 758canst not tell why ones nose stande in the middle 894of his face?
 895759Lear. No.
 896760Foole. Why, to keep his eyes on either side's nose, 897that what
 761a man cannot smell out, a may spie into.
 898762Lear. I did her wrong.
 899763Foole. Canst tell how an Oyster makes his shell. 900Lear. No.
 901764Foole. Nor I neither, but I can tell why a snayle has 902a house.
 903765Lear. Why?
 904766Foole. Why, to put his head in, not to giue it away to his
 905767daughter, and leaue his hornes without a case.
 906768Lear. I will forget my nature, so kind a father; be 907my horses
 769readie?
 908770Foole. Thy Asses are gone about them, the reason why 909the
 771seuen starres are no more then seuen, is a prettie reason.
 910772Lear. Because they are not eight.
 911773Foole. Yes thou wouldst make a good foole.
 912774Lear. To tak't againe perforce, Monster, ingratitude!
 913775Fool. If thou wert my foole Nunckle, id'e haue thee 914beatẽ for
 776being old before thy time.
 915777Lear. Hows that?
 916778Foole. Thou shouldst not haue beene old, before thou hadst
 917779beene wise.
 918780Lear. O let me not be mad sweet heauen! I would not be mad,
 919781keepe me in temper, I would not be mad, are 920the horses readie?
 921782Seruant. Readie my Lord. Lear. Come boy.   Exit.
 923783Foole. Shee that is maide now, and laughs at my departure,
 924784Shall not be a maide long, except things be cut shorter.  Exit
 Enter

Internet Shakespeare Editions

Reading Room

Toolbox

About this text

King Lear (Quarto 1, 1608)