King Lear

by: William Shakespeare

Act 4 Scene 7

1 2 3 4 5

Original Text

Modern Text
Enter CORDELIA, KENT disguised, GENTLEMAN, and DOCTOR
CORDELIA enters with KENT in disguise, the GENTLEMAN, and the DOCTOR.
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.
 CORDELIA
Oh, Kent, what could I ever do to become as good as you are? I won’t live long enough, and all my efforts will fail me.
KENT
To be acknowledged, madam, is o'erpaid.
5All my reports go with the modest truth,
Nor more, nor clipped, but so.
 KENT
Just being thanked is more than enough for me, madam. I hope all reports about me simply tell the truth, no more or less.
CORDELIA
     Be better suited.
These weeds are memories of those worser hours.
I prithee, put them off.
 CORDELIA
Change into better clothes. These rags will just remind us of those bad times when you had to wear a disguise. Please take them off.
KENT
   Pardon, dear madam.
Yet to be known shortens my made intent.
10My boon I make it that you know me not
Till time and I think meet.
 KENT
I’m sorry, madam, but I can’t do that yet. If people recognize me now, I won’t be able to carry out my plans. I have to ask you, as a favor, not to let on that you recognize me until the time is right.
CORDELIA
   Then be ’t so, my good lord.—
How does the king?
 CORDELIA
All right, my lord.—How’s the king doing?
DOCTOR
   Madam, sleeps still.
 DOCTOR
He’s still sleeping, ma'am.
CORDELIA
     O you kind gods,
Cure this great breach in his abusèd nature,
Th' untuned and jarring senses, O, wind up,
15Of this child-changèd father!
 CORDELIA
Kind gods, heal the wounds that he’s wrongly suffered! Restore the sanity of this father whose children have driven him mad and changed him into a child again!
DOCTOR
     So please your majesty
That we may wake the king? He hath slept long.
 DOCTOR
Would you mind if we woke up the king? He’s slept a long time.
Read the Summary of Act 4, scenes 6–7
1 2 3 4 5

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