The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (943 page)

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

This 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?

I have seen the day, with my good biting falchion

I would have made them skip: I am old now,

And these same crosses spoil me. Who are you?

Mine eyes are not o' the best: I'll tell you straight.

I did, didn't I, my man?

I have seen the day when I could have made them dance

with my cutting light sword: I am old now,

and that's taken my ability. Who are you?

My sight is not very good: I should know you.

KENT

If fortune brag of two she loved and hated,

One of them we behold.

If fortune said that there were two people, one she loved and one she hated,

we see one of them here.

KING LEAR

This is a dull sight. Are you not Kent?

This is a sad sight. Aren't you Kent?

KENT

The same,

Your servant Kent: Where is your servant Caius?

I'm him,

your servant Kent: where is your servant, Caius?

KING LEAR

He's a good fellow, I can tell you that;

He'll strike, and quickly too: he's dead and rotten.

He's a good fellow, I can tell you that;

he'll attack, and quickly too: he's dead and rotting.

KENT

No, my good lord; I am the very man,--

No, my good lord; I am the very man–

KING LEAR

I'll see that straight.

I'll deal with that in a moment.

KENT

That, from your first of difference and decay,

Have follow'd your sad steps.

That has followed your sad steps ever since

your fortunes began to change.

KING LEAR

You are welcome hither.

You are welcome here.

KENT

Nor no man else: all's cheerless, dark, and deadly.

Your eldest daughters have fordone them selves,

And desperately are dead.

I am really the man: everything is unhappy, dark, and deadly.

Your eldest daughters have destroyed themselves,

and are dead through despair.

KING LEAR

Ay, so I think.

Yes, that's what I think.

ALBANY

He knows not what he says: and vain it is

That we present us to him.

He doesn't know what he's saying: it's no use

talking to him.

EDGAR

Very bootless.

Enter a Captain

Very useless.

Captain

Edmund is dead, my lord.

Edmund is dead, my lord.

ALBANY

That's but a trifle here.

You lords and noble friends, know our intent.

What comfort to this great decay may come

Shall be applied: for us we will resign,

During the life of this old majesty,

To him our absolute power:

To EDGAR and KENT

you, to your rights:

With boot, and such addition as your honours

Have more than merited. All friends shall taste

The wages of their virtue, and all foes

The cup of their deservings. O, see, see!

That means hardly anything at the moment.

You lords and noble friends, listen to my wishes.

Anything that can bring comfort to poor Lear

shall be given: as for me I will hand over,

for as long as this old Majesty is alive,

my absolute power to him:

I shall give you two your rights:

with all the additional rewards which your great deeds

richly deserve. All friends shall be paid

rewards for their virtue, and all enemies

shall be punished as they deserve. Oh! Look, look!

KING LEAR

And my poor fool is hang'd! No, no, no life!

Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life,

And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more,

Never, never, never, never, never!

Pray you, undo this button: thank you, sir.

Do you see this? Look on her, look, her lips,

Look there, look there!

Dies

And my poor fool is hanged! No, no, no life!

Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life,

and you have no breath? You'll never come back,

never, never, never, never, never!

Please, undo this button: thank you, sir.

Can you see this? Look at her, look, her lips,

look there, look there!

EDGAR

He faints! My lord, my lord!

He faints! My lord, my lord!

KENT

Break, heart; I prithee, break!

Break, heart; please, break!

EDGAR

Look up, my lord.

Look up, my lord.

KENT

Vex not his ghost: O, let him pass! he hates him much

That would upon the rack of this tough world

Stretch him out longer.

Do not torture his spirit: let him go! You would have to really hate him

to stretch him out upon the rack of this harsh world

any longer.

EDGAR

He is gone, indeed.

Yes, he's gone.

KENT

The wonder is, he hath endured so long:

He but usurp'd his life.

It's amazing he survived so long:

he overthrew his life.

ALBANY

Bear them from hence. Our present business

Is general woe.

To KENT and EDGAR