King Lear: Act 4, Scene 1 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 4, Scene 1 of King Lear from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Edgar in disguise. EDGAR Yet better thus, and known to be contemned, Than still contemned and flattered. To be worst, The lowest and most dejected thing of Fortune, Stands still in esperance, lives not in fear. The lamentable change is from the best; 5 The worst returns to laughter. Welcome, then, Thou unsubstantial air that I embrace. The wretch that thou hast blown unto the worst Owes nothing to thy blasts. But who comes here? Enter Gloucester and an old man. My father, poorly led? World, world, O world, 10 But that thy strange mutations make us hate thee, Life would not yield to age.	Edgar, disguised as Poor Tom, lurks outside in the cold. He comforts himself with the knowledge that, since he's hit rock bottom, at least things can't get any worse. Then, of course, Edgar sees his father stumble out of the castle bleeding from his eye sockets. Oops. Things just got worse.
OLD MAN O my good lord, I have been your tenant And your father’s tenant these fourscore years. GLOUCESTER Away, get thee away. Good friend, begone. 15 Thy comforts can do me no good at all; Thee they may hurt. OLD MAN You cannot see your way. GLOUCESTER I have no way and therefore want no eyes. I stumbled when I saw. Full oft ’tis seen 20 Our means secure us, and our mere defects Prove our commodities. O dear son Edgar, The food of thy abusèd father’s wrath, Might I but live to see thee in my touch, I’d say I had eyes again. 25	Gloucester speaks bitterly. An old man who has been a tenant on Gloucester's property has been trying to help him, though Gloucester declares he doesn't need help for his blindness—he was actually more blind (couldn't see the truth about his children) when his eyeballs were intact. Edgar listens in agony as Gloucester laments the loss of his good son, Edgar. Gloucester declares if he could only touch his boy again, it would be as good as having eyes.
OLD MAN How now? Who’s there? EDGAR, aside O gods, who is ’t can say “I am at the worst”? I am worse than e’er I was. OLD MAN ’Tis poor mad Tom. EDGAR, aside And worse I may be yet. The worst is not 30 So long as we can say “This is the worst.” OLD MAN Fellow, where goest? GLOUCESTER Is it a beggar-man? OLD MAN Madman and beggar too.	The old man, who has been helping Gloucester, introduces father and son, although Edgar is still disguised as "Poor Tom," the beggar from Bedlam. Brain Snack: Shakespeare borrowed the Gloucester/Edgar/Edmund plot from Phillip Sidney's The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia. In Book 2, Chapter 10 of the 1590 edition, the story's heroes encounter a blind king who is accompanied by his loyal son. It turns out that the loyal son has recently forgiven the king despite the fact that his father plotted to have him killed after the king's other kid (a treacherous and illegitimate son) stole his father's kingdom and poked out the old man's eyeballs.
GLOUCESTER He has some reason, else he could not beg. 35 I’ th’ last night’s storm, I such a fellow saw, Which made me think a man a worm. My son Came then into my mind, and yet my mind Was then scarce friends with him. I have heard more since. 40 As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods; They kill us for their sport. EDGAR, aside How should this be? Bad is the trade that must play fool to sorrow, Ang’ring itself and others.—Bless thee, master. 45	Now, back to Lear. Gloucester recalls seeing this fellow ("Poor Tom") in last night's storm and briefly thinking of his son, whom he still hated at the time. Gloucester admits he's since learned he was wrong about Edgar, but he blames the gods for what's happened to him, not himself. According to Gloucester, the gods are a lot like bad kids who pull the wings off of flies just for fun.
GLOUCESTER Is that the naked fellow? OLD MAN Ay, my lord. GLOUCESTER Then, prithee, get thee away. If for my sake Thou wilt o’ertake us hence a mile or twain I’ th’ way toward Dover, do it for ancient love, 50 And bring some covering for this naked soul, Which I’ll entreat to lead me.	Gloucester bids the old man to leave him into Poor Tom's care, and also to bring Poor Tom some clothes, because even madmen shouldn't be naked.
OLD MAN Alack, sir, he is mad. GLOUCESTER ’Tis the time’s plague when madmen lead the blind. Do as I bid thee, or rather do thy pleasure. 55 Above the rest, begone. OLD MAN I’ll bring him the best ’parel that I have, Come on ’t what will. He exits.	The old man thinks this is a bad idea, but Gloucester jokes that things are so messed up right now that it's fitting for the mad to lead the blind.
GLOUCESTER Sirrah, naked fellow— EDGAR Poor Tom’s a-cold. Aside. I cannot daub it further. 60 GLOUCESTER Come hither, fellow. EDGAR, aside And yet I must.—Bless thy sweet eyes, they bleed. GLOUCESTER Know’st thou the way to Dover? EDGAR Both stile and gate, horseway and footpath. Poor Tom hath been scared out of his good wits. 65 Bless thee, good man’s son, from the foul fiend. Five fiends have been in Poor Tom at once: of lust, as Obidicut; Hobbididance, prince of dumbness; Mahu, of stealing; Modo, of murder; Flibbertigibbet, of mopping and mowing, who since possesses 70 chambermaids and waiting women. So, bless thee, master.	fLeft alone with his father, Edgar still does not reveal his identity. For some reason, he keeps up his Poor Tom charade, talking nonsense to his father.
GLOUCESTER, giving him moneyHere, take this purse, thou whom the heavens’ plagues Have humbled to all strokes. That I am wretched 75 Makes thee the happier. Heavens, deal so still: Let the superfluous and lust-dieted man, That slaves your ordinance, that will not see Because he does not feel, feel your power quickly. So distribution should undo excess 80 And each man have enough. Dost thou know Dover? EDGAR Ay, master. GLOUCESTER There is a cliff, whose high and bending head Looks fearfully in the confinèd deep. Bring me but to the very brim of it, 85 And I’ll repair the misery thou dost bear With something rich about me. From that place I shall no leading need. EDGAR Give me thy arm. Poor Tom shall lead thee. 90 They exit.	Gloucester gives "Poor Tom" some money and asks him to lead him to the edge of a cliff in Dover. He tells "Tom" that once they get there, he'll give him something valuable—oh, and he won't need anyone to guide him back. This is a one-way trip, meaning that Gloucester intends to jump.