The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 572
Back do I toss these treasons to thy head;
With the hell-hated lie o'erwhelm thy heart;
Which, for they yet glance by and scarcely bruise,
This sword of mine shall give them instant way,
Where they shall rest for ever. Trumpets, speak!
Alarums. They fight. EDMUND falls
By rights I should ask your name;
but since you look so fair and warlike in appearance,
and the way you speak shows you have some breeding,
although I would be within my rights to delay,
through the rules of knighthood, I shan't do that:
I throw these accusations at you;
may your devilish lies swamp your heart;
the lies have only glanced off me and hardly raised a bruise,
I shall cut them a path into your heart with my sword,
where they will stay forever. Sound the trumpets!
ALBANY
Save him, save him!
Save him, save him!
GONERIL
This is practise, Gloucester:
By the law of arms thou wast not bound to answer
An unknown opposite; thou art not vanquish'd,
But cozen'd and beguiled.
This is treachery, Gloucester:
by the laws of knighthood you are never obliged to accept a challenge
from an unidentified opponent; you are not beaten,
you have been misled and tricked.
ALBANY
Shut your mouth, dame,
Or with this paper shall I stop it: Hold, sir:
Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil:
No tearing, lady: I perceive you know it.
Gives the letter to EDMUND
Shut your mouth, woman,
or I'll gag you with this paper: wait, sir:
you, too bad to be named, read about your own evil:
don't go tearing it up, lady: I can see you know what is.
GONERIL
Say, if I do, the laws are mine, not thine:
Who can arraign me for't?
So what if I do, I make the law, not you:
who can charge me for it?
ALBANY
Most monstrous! oh!
Know'st thou this paper?
You monster! Oh!
Do you know about this letter?
GONERIL
Ask me not what I know.
Exit
Don't ask me what I know.
ALBANY
Go after her: she's desperate; govern her.
Go after: she's desperate, control her.
EDMUND
What you have charged me with, that have I done;
And more, much more; the time will bring it out:
'Tis past, and so am I. But what art thou
That hast this fortune on me? If thou'rt noble,
I do forgive thee.
What you have accused me of, I admit to;
that and much more; it will be revealed in time:
it's gone, and so am I. But who are you
who has triumphed over me? If you are noble
I will forgive you.
EDGAR
Let's exchange charity.
I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund;
If more, the more thou hast wrong'd me.
My name is Edgar, and thy father's son.
The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices
Make instruments to plague us:
The dark and vicious place where thee he got
Cost him his eyes.
If you forgive me I'll forgive you.
I am just as highborn as you, Edmund;
if more so, then you have wronged me even more.
My name is Edgar, and I am your father's son.
The gods are just, and they make tools to attack us
out of our enjoyable vices:
the dark and vicious act of conceiving you
cost him his eyes.
EDMUND
Thou hast spoken right, 'tis true;
The wheel is come full circle: I am here.
You tell it how it is, it's true;
the wheel has come full circle, and here I am.
ALBANY
Methought thy very gait did prophesy
A royal nobleness: I must embrace thee:
Let sorrow split my heart, if ever I
Did hate thee or thy father!
I thought even the way you walked proclaimed
a royal nobility: I must embrace you:
may sorrow split my heart, if I ever
hated you or your father!
EDGAR
Worthy prince, I know't.
Good prince, I know that's true.
ALBANY
Where have you hid yourself?
How have you known the miseries of your father?
Where have you been hiding?
How did you find out about your father's misery?
EDGAR
By nursing them, my lord. List a brief tale;
And when 'tis told, O, that my heart would burst!
The bloody proclamation to escape,
That follow'd me so near,--O, our lives' sweetness!
That we the pain of death would hourly die
Rather than die at once!--taught me to shift
Into a madman's rags; to assume a semblance
That very dogs disdain'd: and in this habit
Met I my father with his bleeding rings,
Their precious stones new lost: became his guide,
Led him, begg'd for him, saved him from despair;
Never,--O fault!--reveal'd myself unto him,
Until some half-hour past, when I was arm'd:
Not sure, though hoping, of this good success,
I ask'd his blessing, and from first to last
Told him my pilgrimage: but his flaw'd heart,
Alack, too weak the conflict to support!
'Twixt two extremes of passion, joy and grief,
Burst smilingly.
By caring for him, my lord. Listen to a brief tale;
and when I have told it I wish that my heart would burst!
To escape the death sentence
which was following me–oh, our lives are so sweet!
We would rather feel the pain of death every hour
rather than die at once!–I changed myself
into a madman's rags, taking on an appearance
that even dogs hated: dressed like this
I met my father with his bloody sockets,
the eyes just recently torn from them; I became his guide,
led him, begged for him, kept him from giving up;
I never–what a mistake!–told him who I was,
until half an hour ago, when I had armed myself;
although I was hoping for this good result, I was not certain,
so I asked him for his blessing, and told him about my journey
from beginning to end: but his damaged heart
was too weak to cope with the conflict between
the two extremes of passion, joy and grief,
and it burst with happiness.
EDMUND
This speech of yours hath moved me,
And shall perchance do good: but speak you on;
You look as you had something more to say.
This speech of yours has moved me,
and some good may come of it: but go on,
you look as if you have something else to say.
ALBANY
If there be more, more woeful, hold it in;
For I am almost ready to dissolve,
Hearing of this.
If there is more that is more sad, keep it to yourself;
I am nearly ready to cry
hearing of this.
EDGAR
This would have seem'd a period
To such as love not sorrow; but another,
To amplify too much, would ma
ke much more,
And top extremity.
Whilst I was big in clamour came there in a man,
Who, having seen me in my worst estate,
Shunn'd my abhorr'd society; but then, finding
Who 'twas that so endured, with his strong arms
He fastened on my neck, and bellow'd out
As he'ld burst heaven; threw him on my father;
Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him
That ever ear received: which in recounting
His grief grew puissant and the strings of life
Began to crack: twice then the trumpets sounded,
And there I left him tranced.
This would have seemed to be the limit
of sorrow; but something else
far worse created more sorrow
and exceeded it.
While I was loudly mourning a man came in
who, having seen me at my lowest ebb,
rejected my hated society; but then, finding out
who it was who suffered like this, threw his strong arms
around my neck, and cried out as if
he could burst the sky; he threw himself on my father,
and told the saddest tale of him and Lear
that anyone ever heard: as he was telling it
his grief grew strong, and his heartstrings
began to crack: then the trumpets sounded twice,
and I left him there unconscious.
ALBANY
But who was this?
But who was this?
EDGAR
Kent, sir, the banish'd Kent; who in disguise
Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service
Improper for a slave.
Enter a Gentleman, with a bloody knife
Kent, sir, the exiled Kent; disguised
he followed his hostile king, and served him
in a way that would have been improper for a slave.
Gentleman
Help, help, O, help!
Help, help, O, help!
EDGAR
What kind of help?
What kind of help?
ALBANY
Speak, man.
Speak, man.
EDGAR
What means that bloody knife?
Will does that bloody knife signify?
Gentleman
'Tis hot, it smokes;
It came even from the heart of--O, she's dead!
It's hot, it smokes;
it came from the heart of–oh, she's dead!
ALBANY
Who dead? speak, man.
Who is dead? Speak, man.
Gentleman
Your lady, sir, your lady: and her sister
By her is poisoned; she hath confess'd it.
Your lady, sir, your lady: and she has poisoned
her sister; she has admitted to it.
EDMUND
I was contracted to them both: all three
Now marry in an instant.
I was engaged to them both:
now all three are married at once.
EDGAR
Here comes Kent.
Here comes Kent.
ALBANY
Produce their bodies, be they alive or dead:
This judgment of the heavens, that makes us tremble,
Touches us not with pity.
Exit Gentleman
Enter KENT
O, is this he?
The time will not allow the compliment
Which very manners urges.
Bring out their bodies, dead or alive;
this judgement of the gods makes me tremble,
but I have no pity for the victims.
Oh, is this him?
There's no time for the pleasantries
which manners demand.
KENT
I am come
To bid my king and master aye good night:
Is he not here?
I have come
to say goodbye to my King and master;
is he not here?
ALBANY
Great thing of us forgot!
Speak, Edmund, where's the king? and where's Cordelia?
See'st thou this object, Kent?
The bodies of GONERIL and REGAN are brought in
What a great thing I have forgotten!
Tell us, Edmund, where's the King? And where's Cordelia?
Do you see these things, Kent?
KENT
Alack, why thus?
Alas, what has happened?
EDMUND
Yet Edmund was beloved:
The one the other poison'd for my sake,
And after slew herself.
You see that somebody loved Edmund:
One poisoned the other for my sake,
and then killed herself.
ALBANY
Even so. Cover their faces.
That's how it was. Cover their faces.
EDMUND
I pant for life: some good I mean to do,
Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send,
Be brief in it, to the castle; for my writ
Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia:
Nay, send in time.
I am gasping for breath: I mean to do some good,
in spite of my nature. Send someone quickly,
hurry up about it, to the castle; for I have ordered
the death of Lear and Cordelia:
send someone in time to stop it.
ALBANY
Run, run, O, run!
Run, run, oh, run!
EDGAR
To who, my lord? Who hath the office? send
Thy token of reprieve.
Who are you telling, my lord? Who's got the job? Send
something to show the reprieve is genuine.
EDMUND
Well thought on: take my sword,
Give it the captain.
Good thinking: take my sword,
give it to the captain.
ALBANY
Haste thee, for thy life.
Exit EDGAR
Hurry, as if your life depended on it.
EDMUND
He hath commission from thy wife and me
To hang Cordelia in the prison, and
To lay the blame upon her own despair,
That she fordid herself.
He has orders from your wife and me
to hang Cordelia in the prison, and
to blame her own despair,
saying she committed suicide.
ALBANY
The gods defend her! Bear him hence awhile.
EDMUND is borne off
Re-enter KING LEAR, with CORDELIA dead in his arms; EDGAR, Captain, and others following
May the gods save her! Carry him away for a while.
KING LEAR
Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones:
Had I your tongues and eyes, I'ld use them so
That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone for ever!
I know when one is dead, and when one lives;
She's dead as earth. Lend me a looking-glass;
If that her breath will mist or stain the stone,
Why, then she lives.
Howl, howl, howl, howl! Oh, you have hearts of stone:
if I had your tongues and eyes I would be wailing and crying
so that the skies would crack. She's gone forever!
I know the difference between the living and the dead;
she's as dead as earth. Lend me a mirror;
if her breath mists or stains the crystal,
well then, she is alive.
KENT
Is this the promised end?
Is this the last judgement?
EDGAR
Or image of that horror?
Or a representation of that horror?
ALBANY
Fall, and cease!
Let the skies fall and everything end!
KING LEAR
T
his feather stirs; she lives! if it be so,
It is a chance which does redeem all sorrows
That ever I have felt.
This feather moves; she's alive! If it's the case,
that piece of luck would make up for all the sorrow
that I have ever felt.
KENT
[Kneeling] O my good master!
Oh my good master!
KING LEAR
Prithee, away.
Please, go.
EDGAR
'Tis noble Kent, your friend.
It is noble Kent, your friend.
KING LEAR
A plague upon you, murderers, traitors all!
I might have saved her; now she's gone for ever!
Cordelia, Cordelia! stay a little. Ha!
What is't thou say'st? Her voice was ever soft,
Gentle, and low, an excellent thing in woman.
I kill'd the slave that was a-hanging thee.
A curse upon you, you're all murderers and traitors!
I might have saved her; now she's gone forever!
Cordelia, Cordelia! Stay awhile. Ha!
What's that you say? She always spoke softly,
gentle and quiet, an excellent thing in a woman.
I killed the scum that was hanging you.
Captain
'Tis true, my lords, he did.
That's true, my lords, he did.
KING LEAR
Did I not, fellow?