Enter Cordelia, Kent in disguise, Doctor, and
Gentleman. CORDELIA
O, thou good Kent, how shall I live and work
To match thy goodness? My life will be too short,
And every measure fail me. KENT
To be acknowledged, madam, is o’erpaid.
All my reports go with the modest truth, 5
Nor more, nor clipped, but so. CORDELIA Be better suited.
These weeds are memories of those worser hours.
I prithee put them off. KENT Pardon, dear madam. 10
Yet to be known shortens my made intent.
My boon I make it that you know me not
Till time and I think meet. | Cordelia enters, talking with Kent. She tells him it's time for him to take off his "Caius" disguise, but Kent says he's not ready to become himself again—he's got a plan and he doesn't want Cordelia to reveal his true identity. |
CORDELIA
Then be ’t so, my good lord.—How does the King? DOCTOR Madam, sleeps still. 15 CORDELIA O, you kind gods,
Cure this great breach in his abusèd nature!
Th’ untuned and jarring senses, O, wind up,
Of this child-changèd father! DOCTOR So please your Majesty 20
That we may wake the King? He hath slept
long. CORDELIA
Be governed by your knowledge, and proceed
I’ th’ sway of your own will. Is he arrayed? Enter Lear in a chair carried by Servants. GENTLEMAN
Ay, madam. In the heaviness of sleep, 25
We put fresh garments on him. DOCTOR
Be by, good madam, when we do awake him.
I doubt not of his temperance. CORDELIA Very well. Music. DOCTOR
Please you, draw near.—Louder the music there. 30 CORDELIA, kissing Lear
O, my dear father, restoration hang
Thy medicine on my lips, and let this kiss
Repair those violent harms that my two sisters
Have in thy reverence made. KENT Kind and dear princess. 35 CORDELIA
Had you not been their father, these white flakes
Did challenge pity of them. Was this a face
To be opposed against the jarring winds?
To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder,
In the most terrible and nimble stroke 40
Of quick cross-lightning? To watch, poor perdu,
With this thin helm? Mine enemy’s dog,
Though he had bit me, should have stood that night
Against my fire. And wast thou fain, poor father,
To hovel thee with swine and rogues forlorn 45
In short and musty straw? Alack, alack,
’Tis wonder that thy life and wits at once
Had not concluded all.—He wakes. Speak to him. DOCTOR Madam, do you; ’tis fittest. CORDELIA
How does my royal lord? How fares your Majesty? 50 | The doctor who has been tending Lear tells Cordelia that her father is ready to be woken up. They put on music for him, and Cordelia kisses her father and talks about how his other daughters have abused him. When he finally begins to wake, Cordelia asks him how he feels. |
LEAR
You do me wrong to take me out o’ th’ grave.
Thou art a soul in bliss, but I am bound
Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
Do scald like molten lead. CORDELIA Sir, do you know me? 55 LEAR
You are a spirit, I know. Where did you die? CORDELIA Still, still, far wide. DOCTOR
He’s scarce awake. Let him alone awhile. LEAR
Where have I been? Where am I? Fair daylight?
I am mightily abused; I should e’en die with pity 60
To see another thus. I know not what to say.
I will not swear these are my hands. Let’s see.
I feel this pinprick. Would I were assured
Of my condition! CORDELIA O, look upon me, sir, 65
And hold your hand in benediction o’er me.
No, sir, you must not kneel. LEAR Pray do not mock:
I am a very foolish fond old man,
Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less, 70
And to deal plainly,
I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
Methinks I should know you and know this man,
Yet I am doubtful, for I am mainly ignorant
What place this is, and all the skill I have 75
Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me,
For, as I am a man, I think this lady
To be my child Cordelia. CORDELIA, weeping And so I am; I am. 80 | When Lear opens his eyes, he assumes he is in the afterworld and surrounded by spirits. Slowly, he gets his bearings and recognizes Cordelia. |
LEAR
Be your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray, weep not.
If you have poison for me, I will drink it.
I know you do not love me, for your sisters
Have, as I do remember, done me wrong.
You have some cause; they have not. 85 CORDELIA No cause, no
cause. LEAR Am I in France? KENT In your own kingdom, sir. LEAR Do not abuse me. 90 DOCTOR
Be comforted, good madam. The great rage,
You see, is killed in him, and yet it is danger
To make him even o’er the time he has lost.
Desire him to go in. Trouble him no more
Till further settling. 95 CORDELIA Will ’t please your Highness walk? LEAR You must bear with me.
Pray you now, forget, and forgive. I am old and
foolish. They exit. Kent and Gentleman remain. | The father and daughter are together for the first time since Lear unfairly banished her. Both of them need forgiveness from each other, but perhaps one more so than the other. When Cordelia kneels before him, he tries to kneel to her, and tells her he understands if she wants to poison him. They exit to continue this touching reunion scene offstage. |
GENTLEMAN Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall 100
was so slain? KENT Most certain, sir. GENTLEMAN Who is conductor of his people? KENT As ’tis said, the bastard son of Gloucester. GENTLEMAN They say Edgar, his banished son, is with 105
the Earl of Kent in Germany. KENT Report is changeable. ’Tis time to look about.
The powers of the kingdom approach apace. GENTLEMAN The arbitrament is like to be bloody. Fare
you well, sir. He exits. 110 KENT
My point and period will be throughly wrought,
Or well, or ill, as this day’s battle’s fought. He exits. | Kent and the Gentleman stay behind to share intel. They confirm that Cornwall is dead, and Edmund now leads his troops as the Earl of Gloucester. There are also rumors that Edgar is with the Earl of Kent in Germany. |