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Original Text |
Modern Text |
Enter LEAR , KENT disguised, and FOOL
|
Enter LEAR , KENT disguised, and FOOL
|
LEAR (to KENT, giving him letters) Go you before to Gloucester with these letters. Acquaint my daughter no further with anything you know than comes from her demand out of the letter. If your diligence be not speedy, I shall be there afore you.
|
LEAR (to KENT, giving him letters) Go you before to Gloucester with these letters. Acquaint my daughter no further with anything you know than comes from her demand out of the letter. If your diligence be not speedy, I shall be there afore you.
|
KENT I will not sleep, my lord, till I have delivered your letter.
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KENT I will not sleep, my lord, till I have delivered your letter.
|
Exit KENT
|
Exit KENT
|
FOOL If a man’s brains were in ’s heels, were ’t not in danger of kibes?
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FOOL If a man’s brains were in ’s heels, were ’t not in danger of kibes?
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LEAR Ay, boy.
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LEAR Ay, boy.
|
FOOL 10 Then, I prithee, be merry. Thy wit shall ne'er go slipshod.
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FOOL Then, I prithee, be merry. Thy wit shall ne'er go slipshod.
|
LEAR Ha, ha, ha!
|
LEAR Ha, ha, ha!
|
FOOL Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly. For though she’s as like this as a crab’s like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.
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FOOL Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly. For though she’s as like this as a crab’s like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.
|
LEAR 15 Why, what canst thou tell, my boy?
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LEAR Why, what canst thou tell, my boy?
|
FOOL She will taste as like this as a crab does to a crab. Thou canst tell why one’s nose stands i' th' middle on ’s face?
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FOOL She will taste as like this as a crab does to a crab. Thou canst tell why one’s nose stands i' th' middle on ’s face?
|
LEAR No.
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LEAR No.
|
FOOL Why, to keep one’s eyes of either side ’s nose, that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into.
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FOOL Why, to keep one’s eyes of either side ’s nose, that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into.
|
LEAR I did her wrong—
|
LEAR I did her wrong—
|
FOOL Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell?
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FOOL Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell?
|
LEAR No.
|
LEAR No.
|
FOOL Nor I neither. But I can tell why a snail has a house.
|
FOOL Nor I neither. But I can tell why a snail has a house.
|
LEAR 25 Why?
|
LEAR Why?
|
FOOL Why, to put ’s head in—not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case.
|
FOOL Why, to put ’s head in—not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case.
|
LEAR I will forget my nature. So kind a father!—Be my horses ready?
|
LEAR I will forget my nature. So kind a father!—Be my horses ready?
|
FOOL |
FOOL |
LEAR Because they are not eight?
|
LEAR Because they are not eight?
|
FOOL Yes indeed. Thou wouldst make a good fool.
|
FOOL Yes indeed. Thou wouldst make a good fool.
|
LEAR To take ’t again perforce— Monster ingratitude!
|
LEAR To take ’t again perforce— Monster ingratitude!
|
FOOL |
FOOL |
LEAR How’s that?
|
LEAR How’s that?
|
FOOL Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.
|
FOOL Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.
|
LEAR O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven!
40 I would not be mad.
Keep me in temper. I would not be mad.
|
LEAR O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven!
I would not be mad.
Keep me in temper. I would not be mad.
|
Enter a GENTLEMAN
|
Enter a GENTLEMAN
|
How now? Are the horses ready?
|
How now? Are the horses ready?
|
GENTLEMAN Ready, my lord.
|
GENTLEMAN Ready, my lord.
|
LEAR Come, boy.
|
LEAR Come, boy.
|
Exeunt LEAR and GENTLEMAN
|
Exeunt LEAR and GENTLEMAN
|
FOOL 45 She that’s a maid now and laughs at my departure,
Shall not be a maid long unless things be cut shorter.
|
FOOL She that’s a maid now and laughs at my departure,
Shall not be a maid long unless things be cut shorter.
|
Exit
|
Exit
|
Original Text |
Modern Text |
Enter LEAR , KENT disguised, and FOOL
|
Enter LEAR , KENT disguised, and FOOL
|
LEAR (to KENT, giving him letters) Go you before to Gloucester with these letters. Acquaint my daughter no further with anything you know than comes from her demand out of the letter. If your diligence be not speedy, I shall be there afore you.
|
LEAR (to KENT, giving him letters) Go you before to Gloucester with these letters. Acquaint my daughter no further with anything you know than comes from her demand out of the letter. If your diligence be not speedy, I shall be there afore you.
|
KENT I will not sleep, my lord, till I have delivered your letter.
|
KENT I will not sleep, my lord, till I have delivered your letter.
|
Exit KENT
|
Exit KENT
|
FOOL If a man’s brains were in ’s heels, were ’t not in danger of kibes?
|
FOOL If a man’s brains were in ’s heels, were ’t not in danger of kibes?
|
LEAR Ay, boy.
|
LEAR Ay, boy.
|
FOOL 10 Then, I prithee, be merry. Thy wit shall ne'er go slipshod.
|
FOOL Then, I prithee, be merry. Thy wit shall ne'er go slipshod.
|
LEAR Ha, ha, ha!
|
LEAR Ha, ha, ha!
|
FOOL Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly. For though she’s as like this as a crab’s like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.
|
FOOL Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly. For though she’s as like this as a crab’s like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.
|
LEAR 15 Why, what canst thou tell, my boy?
|
LEAR Why, what canst thou tell, my boy?
|
FOOL She will taste as like this as a crab does to a crab. Thou canst tell why one’s nose stands i' th' middle on ’s face?
|
FOOL She will taste as like this as a crab does to a crab. Thou canst tell why one’s nose stands i' th' middle on ’s face?
|
LEAR No.
|
LEAR No.
|
FOOL Why, to keep one’s eyes of either side ’s nose, that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into.
|
FOOL Why, to keep one’s eyes of either side ’s nose, that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into.
|
LEAR I did her wrong—
|
LEAR I did her wrong—
|
FOOL Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell?
|
FOOL Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell?
|
LEAR No.
|
LEAR No.
|
FOOL Nor I neither. But I can tell why a snail has a house.
|
FOOL Nor I neither. But I can tell why a snail has a house.
|
LEAR 25 Why?
|
LEAR Why?
|
FOOL Why, to put ’s head in—not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case.
|
FOOL Why, to put ’s head in—not to give it away to his daughters and leave his horns without a case.
|
LEAR I will forget my nature. So kind a father!—Be my horses ready?
|
LEAR I will forget my nature. So kind a father!—Be my horses ready?
|
FOOL |
FOOL |
LEAR Because they are not eight?
|
LEAR Because they are not eight?
|
FOOL Yes indeed. Thou wouldst make a good fool.
|
FOOL Yes indeed. Thou wouldst make a good fool.
|
LEAR To take ’t again perforce— Monster ingratitude!
|
LEAR To take ’t again perforce— Monster ingratitude!
|
FOOL |
FOOL |
LEAR How’s that?
|
LEAR How’s that?
|
FOOL Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.
|
FOOL Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.
|
LEAR O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven!
40 I would not be mad.
Keep me in temper. I would not be mad.
|
LEAR O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven!
I would not be mad.
Keep me in temper. I would not be mad.
|
Enter a GENTLEMAN
|
Enter a GENTLEMAN
|
How now? Are the horses ready?
|
How now? Are the horses ready?
|
GENTLEMAN Ready, my lord.
|
GENTLEMAN Ready, my lord.
|
LEAR Come, boy.
|
LEAR Come, boy.
|
Exeunt LEAR and GENTLEMAN
|
Exeunt LEAR and GENTLEMAN
|
FOOL 45 She that’s a maid now and laughs at my departure,
Shall not be a maid long unless things be cut shorter.
|
FOOL She that’s a maid now and laughs at my departure,
Shall not be a maid long unless things be cut shorter.
|
Exit
|
Exit
|
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