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.
 19321661Lear. First let me talke with this Philosopher,
 19331662What is the cause of thunder?
 19341663Kent. My good Lord take his offer, 1935goe into the house.
 19361664Lear. Ile talke a word with this most learned Theban, 1937what is
 1665your studie?
 19381666Edg. How to preuent the fiend, and to kill vermine.
 19391667Lear. Let me aske you one word in priuate.
 19401668Kent. Importune him to goe my Lord, 1941his wits begin (to vnsettle.
 19421669Glost. Canst thou blame him,
 19431670His daughters seeke his death, O that good Kent,
 19441671He said it would be thus, poore banisht man,
 19451672Thou sayest the King growes mad, ile tell thee friend
 19461673I am almost mad my selfe, I had a sonne
 19471674Now out-lawed from my bloud, a sought my life
 19481675But lately, very late, I lou'd him friend
 19491676No father his sonne deerer, true to tell thee,
 19501677The greefe hath craz'd my wits,
 1678What a nights this?1951 I doe beseech your Grace.
 19521679Lear. O crie you mercie 1953noble Philosopher, your com-(pany.
 19541680Edg. Toms a cold.
 19551681Glost. In fellow there, in't houell keepe thee warme.
 19561682Lear. Come lets in all.
 19571683Kent. This way my Lord.
 19581684Lear. With him 1959I wil keep stil, with my Philosopher.
 19601685Ken. Good my Lord sooth him, 1961let him take the fellow.
 19621686Glost. Take him you on.
 19631687Kent. Sirah come on, goe along with vs?
 19641688Lear. Come good Athenian.
 19651689Glost. No words, no words, hush.
 19661690Edg. Child Rowland, to the darke towne come,
 19671691His word was still fy fo and fum,
 19681692I smell the bloud of a British man.
 19701693Enter Cornewell and Bastard.
 19711694Corn. I will haue my reuenge ere I depart the house.
 19721695Bast. How my Lord I may be censured, that nature 1973thus giues
 1696way to loyaltie, some thing feares me to 1975thinke of.
 1697Corn. I now perceiue it was not altogether your 1976brothers e-
 1698uill disposition made him seeke his death, but 1977a prouoking merit,
set

Internet Shakespeare Editions

Reading Room

Toolbox

About this text

King Lear (Quarto 1, 1608)