No Fear Shakespeare
King Lear
Get this No Fear to go!
Act 3, Scene 7, Page 4
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REGAN
And false.
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REGAN
Clever lies.
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CORNWALL
Where hast thou sent the king?
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CORNWALL
Where have you sent the king?
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GLOUCESTER
To Dover.
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GLOUCESTER
To Dover.
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REGAN
Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charged at peril—
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REGAN
Why Dover? Weren’t you ordered, on penalty of—
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CORNWALL
Wherefore to Dover?—Let him first answer that.
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CORNWALL
Why Dover?—Let him answer that question first.
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GLOUCESTER
I am tied to th' stake, and I must stand the course.
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GLOUCESTER
I’m backed into a corner with nowhere to run.
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REGAN
Wherefore to Dover, sir?
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REGAN
Why Dover?
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GLOUCESTER
Because I would not see thy cruèl nails
Pluck out his poor old eyes, nor thy fierce sister
In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.
The sea, with such a storm as his bare head
In hell-black night endured, would have buoyed up,
And quenched the stellèd fires.
Yet poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain.
If wolves had at thy gate howled that stern time,
Thou shouldst have said, “Good porter, turn the key,”
All cruèls else subscribed. But I shall see
The wingèd vengeance overtake such children.
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GLOUCESTER
Because I didn’t want to watch while you gouged out his poor old eyes with your cruel fingernails, or while your vicious sister sank her fangs into his sacred flesh. You left him out in the storm in the black night, bareheaded, a storm so terrible that if it had happened at sea, the waters would have risen up and extinguished the fire burning in the stars. And the poor old man just wept, mixing his tears with the rain. If wolves had been howling outside your gate at the heart of that storm, you would’ve told your doorman to let them in, despite all the cruelties you inflict on the world. But soon I’ll see the gods punish you for your lack of respect to your father.
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CORNWALL
“See” ’t shalt thou never.—Fellows, hold the chair.—
Upon these eyes of thine I’ll set my foot.
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CORNWALL
You won’t be seeing anything.—Hold his chair still, men.—I’m going to put my foot on his eyes.
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GLOUCESTER
He that will think to live till he be old,
Give me some help!
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GLOUCESTER
Oh, help me, anyone who wants to live long!
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CORNWALL plucks out one of GLOUCESTER’s eyes and stamps on it |
CORNWALL gouges out one of GLOUCESTER’s eyes and steps on it. |
