Part IV, The Early Modern Literary Period, also known as the English Renaissance
Part IV, The Early Modern Literary Period, also known as the English Renaissance
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I assume students will use No Fear Shakespeare for help following the Early Modern English. That is fine, but be sure to read the Early Modern English as well.
King Lear
By William Shakespeare
Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine
with Michael Poston and Rebecca Niles
Folger Shakespeare Library
http://www.folgerdigitaltexts.org/?chapter=5&play=Lr
Created on Apr 23, 2016, from FDT version <IP_ADDRESS>.
This work is licensed under
Link to License: Folger Shakespeare Library Terms of Use
Characters in the Play
LEAR, king of Britain
GONERIL, Lear’s eldest daughter
DUKE OF ALBANY, her husband
OSWALD, her steward
REGAN, Lear’s second daughter
DUKE OF CORNWALL, her husband
CORDELIA, Lear’s youngest daughter
KING OF FRANCE, her suitor and then husband
DUKE OF BURGUNDY, her suitor
EARL OF KENT
FOOL
EARL OF GLOUCESTER
EDGAR, his elder son
EDMUND, his younger and illegitimate son
CURAN, gentleman of Gloucester’s household
OLD MAN, a tenant of Gloucester’s
KNIGHT, serving Lear
GENTLEMEN
Three SERVANTS
MESSENGERS
DOCTOR
CAPTAINS
HERALD
Knights in Lear’s train, Servants, Officers, Soldiers, Attendants, Gentlemen
ACT 1
Scene 1
Enter Kent, Gloucester, and Edmund.
Kent, The Duke of Gloucester, and Gloucester’s illegitimate (bastard) son Edmund enter on stage.
KENT I thought the King had more affected the Duke
of Albany than Cornwall.
KENT I thought the King (King Lear) liked the Duke of Albany better than he liked the Duke of 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 5 (line number)
weighed that curiosity in neither can make choice
of either’s moiety.
GLOUCESTER I thought so too, but as King Lear divides his kingdom in order to step down as king, it’s impossible to tell which Duke he likes the best because he’s divided his kingdom so evenly between the two dukes, that even when they are curious to inspect the other one’s portion of the kingdom, it’s impossible to choose between the two portions as they are so equally weighted.
KENT Is not this your son, my lord?
KENT: Isn’t this man (Edmund) standing here your son, Gloucster?
GLOUCESTER His breeding, sir, hath been at my
charge. I have so often blushed to acknowledge 10
him that now I am brazed to ’t.
GLOUCESTER I am responsible for having conceived him, and also (as a double meaning/double entendre), I have been paying to raise him from his childhood. I’ve been embarrased to acknowledge he’s my son (because he was born out of wedlock), but now, I’ve acknowledged him so many times, I’m immune to the embarrassment.
KENT I cannot conceive you.
KENT I cannot conceive what you’re talking about. (This is a pun on the word conceive as with a man and woman conceiving a child, but it also means I cannot understand what you’re saying to me).
GLOUCESTER Sir, this young fellow’s mother could,
whereupon she grew round