King Lear : Act 4, Scene 7

           Enter CORDELIA, KENT [still dressed as
           Caius], and Doctor.

      CORDELIA
  1   O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work,
  2   To match thy goodness? My life will be too short,

measure attempt

3 And every measure fail me.

KENT

To . . . o'erpaid. To be acknowledged (as worthy by you) madam, is overpayment. All my reports ... but so. i.e., All my reports (about what happened to King Lear) align with observable truth, not exaggerated or understated, but just as the events happened. suited attired
weeds clothes

  4   To be acknowledged, madam, is o'erpaid.
  5   All my reports go with the modest truth;
  6   Nor more nor clipp'd, but so.

      CORDELIA
  6                                                   Be better suited:
  7   These weeds are memories of those worser hours:
  8   I prithee, put them off.

      KENT
  8                                         Pardon me, dear madam;

Yet ... intent revealing myself now would abort my plans My boon I make it The favor I beg is meet suitable

  9   Yet to be known shortens my made intent:
10   My boon I make it, that you know me not
11   Till time and I think meet.

      CORDELIA
12   Then be't so, my good lord.

           [To the Doctor.]

12                                                 How does the king?

wind up
child-changed father father changed by his children

knowledge medical expertise proceed . . . will i.e., do as you think fit array'd dressed

      Doctor
13   Madam, sleeps still.

      CORDELIA
13                                       O you kind gods,
14   Cure this great breach in his abused nature!
15   The untuned and jarring senses, O, wind up
16   Of this child-changed father!

      Doctor
16                                                   So please your majesty
17   That we may wake the king: he hath slept long.

      CORDELIA
18   Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed
19   I' the sway of your own will. Is he array'd?

      Gentleman
20   Ay, madam; in the heaviness of his sleep
21   We put fresh garments on him.

      Doctor
22   Be by, good madam, when we do awake him;

temperance calmness

23   I doubt not of his temperance.

      CORDELIA
23                                                     Very well.

           Enter LEAR in a chair carried by Servants.
           [Gentleman in attendance. Soft music.]

      Doctor
24   Please you, draw near. Louder the music there!

      CORDELIA
25   O my dear father! Restoration hang
26   Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss
27   Repair those violent harms that my two sisters

reverence revered spirit

28   Have in thy reverence made!

      KENT
28                                                   Kind and dear princess!

      CORDELIA

Had you not Even if you had not | white flakes locks of hair Had . . . them i.e., should have made them pity you
deep deep-toned | dread-bolted thunder accompanied by the dread thunderbolt
cross zigzag | to watch—poor perdu! i.e., to stand watch, like a lone sentinel at a dangerous outpost this thin helm this light helmet (Lear's hair)
Against my fire i.e., warming himself at my hearth | wast thou fain did you enjoy

29   Had you not been their father, these white flakes
30   Had challenged pity of them. Was this a face
31   To be opposed against the warring winds?
32   To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder?
33   In the most terrible and nimble stroke
34   Of quick, cross lightning? to watch—poor perdu!—
35   With this thin helm? Mine enemy's dog,
36   Though he had bit me, should have stood that night
37   Against my fire; and wast thou fain, poor father,
38   To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlorn,
39   In short and musty straw? Alack, alack!
40   'Tis wonder that thy life and wits at once

concluded all ended all at once

41 Had not concluded all. He wakes; speak to him.

Doctor

'tis fittest it's appropriate (that you speak to him first)

42   Madam, do you; 'tis fittest.

      CORDELIA
43   How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty?

      KING LEAR
44   You do me wrong to take me out o' the grave:
45   Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound

wheel of fire

46   Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
47   Do scald like moulten lead.

      CORDELIA
47                                                 Sir, do you know me?

      KING LEAR
48   You are a spirit, I know: when did you die?

      CORDELIA

wide astray (from reason); unbalanced

49   Still, still, far wide!

      Doctor
50   He's scarce awake: let him alone awhile.

      KING LEAR
51   Where have I been? Where am I? Fair daylight?

abused deceived

52   I am mightily abused. I should e'en die with pity,
53   To see another thus. I know not what to say.
54   I will not swear these are my hands: let's see;
55   I feel this pin prick. Would I were assured
56   Of my condition!

      CORDELIA
56                                 O, look upon me, sir,
57   And hold your hands in benediction o'er me:
58   No, sir, you must not kneel.

      KING LEAR
58                                                 Pray, do not mock me:

fond silly
Fourscore and upward over eighty

59   I am a very foolish fond old man,
60   Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less;
61   And, to deal plainly,
62   I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
63   Methinks I should know you, and know this man;

mainly entirely

64   Yet I am doubtful for I am mainly ignorant
65   What place this is; and all the skill I have
66   Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
67   Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me;
68   For, as I am a man, I think this lady
69   To be my child Cordelia.

      CORDELIA
69                                               And so I am, I am.

      KING LEAR

Be your tears wet? i.e., Are your tears real? Is this really happening?

70   Be your tears wet? yes, 'faith. I pray, weep not:
71   If you have poison for me, I will drink it.
72   I know you do not love me; for your sisters
73   Have, as I do remember, done me wrong:
74   You have some cause, they have not.

      CORDELIA

No cause, no cause. —Cordelia repeats that she has no reason to be angry with her father.

74                                               No cause, no cause.

      KING LEAR
75   Am I in France?

      KENT
75                                 In your own kingdom, sir.

      KING LEAR

abuse deceive; mock

76 Do not abuse me.

Doctor

rage frenzy

77 Be comforted, good madam: the great rage,
78 You see, is kill'd in him: and yet it is danger

even o'er the time he has lost fill in the blank spaces in his memory

79 To make him even o'er the time he has lost.
80 Desire him to go in; trouble him no more

Till further settling until his mind eases

81   Till further settling.

      CORDELIA
82   Will't please your highness walk?

      KING LEAR
82                                                   You must bear with me:
83   Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old and foolish.

           Exeunt [all but KENT and Gentleman].

      Gentleman
84   Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was so
85   slain?

      KENT
86   Most certain, sir.

      Gentleman

conductor leader

87   Who is conductor of his people?

      KENT
88   As 'tis said, the bastard son of Gloucester.

      Gentleman
89   They say Edgar, his banished son, is with the Earl
90   of Kent in Germany.

      KENT

look about be on guard

91   Report is changeable. 'Tis time to look about; the
92   powers of the kingdom approach apace.

      Gentleman

arbitrement decisive encounter

93   The arbitrement is like to be bloody. Fare you
94   well, sir.

           Exit [Gentleman].

      KENT

My point ... fought. The critical moment and outcome (of my plans) will be shaped for either better or worse according to how this day's battle is fought.

95   My point and period will be throughly wrought,
96   Or well or ill, as this day's battle's fought.

           Exit.