King Lear

Parallel Text Edition

Rene Weis

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781138836969
• eBook ISBN: 9781317863298
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

This reissed edition of Longman Annotated Texts King Lear includes comprehensive notes, annotations and an introduction, all designed to be of use to undergraduates and interested readers.

King Lear is one of Shakespeare's most widely studied tragedies. However, since the late 1970s textual scholars, critics and editors have argued that there is no single 'King Lear' text. Anyone studying the play needs to be aware of two different texts, one based on the quarto of 1608, The History of King Lear, and a revised version published in the first folio of 1623, The Tragedy of King Lear. This edition offers a fully annotated, modern spelling version of the texts set side by side, identifying and elucidating the major discrepancies between the two. It presents some possible reasons for the differences between the two texts, which themselves shed light on a number of issues relating to literary transmission in the Renaissance and give an insight into the nature of performance and censorship.

THE TEXTS

The History of King Lear (Q: 1608)

[DRAMATIS PERSONAE

LEAR, King of Britain

GONERIL, Lear’s eldest daughter

REGAN, Lear’s second daughter

CORDELIA, Lear’s youngest daughter

Duke of ALBANY, Goneril’s husband

Duke of CORNWALL, Regan’s husband

King of FRANCE, Cordelia’s husband

Duke of BURGUNDY, suitor of Cordelia

Earl of KENT, later disguised as Caius

Earl of GLOUCESTER

EDGAR, elder son of Gloucester, later disguised as Poor Tom

EDMUND, bastard son of Gloucester

OLD MAN, a tenant of Gloucester

CURAN, a retainer of Gloucester

Lear’s FOOL

OSWALD, Goneril’s steward

GENTLEMAN, attendant on Cordelia

DOCTOR

THREE SERVANTS of Cornwall

HERALD

THREE CAPTAINS

SERVANT

KNIGHT

MESSENGER

Knights of Lear’s train, Attendants, Soldiers, Trumpeters, Others]

The Tragedy of King Lear (F: 1623)

[DRAMATIS PERSONAE

LEAR, King of Britain

GONERIL, Lear’s eldest daughter

REGAN, Lear’s second daughter

CORDELIA, Lear’s youngest daughter

Duke of ALBANY, Goneril’s husband

Duke of CORNWALL, Regan’s husband

King of FRANCE, Cordelia’s husband

Duke of BURGUNDY, suitor of Cordelia

Earl of KENT, later disguised as Caius

Earl of GLOUCESTER

EDGAR, elder son of Gloucester, later disguised as Poor Tom

EDMUND, bastard son of Gloucester

OLD MAN, a tenant of Gloucester

CURAN, a retainer of Gloucester

Lear’s FOOL

OSWALD, Goneril’s steward

GENTLEMAN, attendant on Cordelia

A SERVANT of Cornwall

HERALD

Two CAPTAINS

SERVANT

KNIGHT

TWO MESSENGERS

Knights of Lear’s train, Attendants, Soldiers, Trumpeters, Others]

[Act 1 Scene 1]

Enter Kent, Gloucester, and Edmund

Kent I thought the King had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall.

Gloucester It did always seem so to us, but now in the division of the kingdoms, it appears not which of the dukes he values most, for equalities are so weighed that [5] curiosity in neither can make choice of either’s moiety.

Kent Is not this your son, my lord?

Gloucester His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge. I have so often blushed to acknowledge him that now I am brazed to it. 10

Kent I cannot conceive you.

Gloucester Sir, this young fellow’s mother could, whereupon she grew round-wombed and had indeed, sir, a son for her cradle ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault? 15

Kent I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper.

Gloucester But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account. Though this knave came something saucily into the world [20] before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged. Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund?

Edmund No, my lord. 25

Gloucester My lord of Kent. Remember him hereafter as my honourable friend.

Edmund My services to your lordship.

Kent I must love you, and sue to know you better.

Edmund Sir, I shall study deserving. 30

Gloucester He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again. The King is coming.

Sound a sennet. Enter one bearing a coronet, then Lear, then the Dukes of Albany and Cornwall; next Goneril, Regan, Cordelia, with Followers

Lear Attend my lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester.

Gloucester I shall, my liege. [Exit]

Lear Meantime we will express our darker purposes. 35

The map there. Know we have divided

In three our kingdom, and ’tis our first intent

To shake all cares and business of our state,

Confirming them on younger years.

The two great princes, France and Burgundy, 40

Great rivals in our youngest daughter’s love,

Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn,

And here are to be answered. Tell me, my daughters,

Which of you shall we say doth love us most,

That we our largest bounty may extend 45

Where merit doth most challenge it?

Goneril, our eldest born, speak first.

Goneril Sir, I do love you more than words can wield the matter,

Dearer than eyesight, space, or liberty,

Beyond what can be valued rich or rare; 50

No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour;

As much as child e’er loved, or father, friend;

A love that makes breath poor and speech unable.

Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

Cordelia [aside] What shall Cordelia do? Love and be silent. 55

Lear Of all these bounds, even from this line to this,

With shady forests and wide-skirted meads,

We make thee lady. To thine and Albany’s issue

Be this perpetual. What says our second daughter,

Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak. 60

Regan Sir, I am made

Of the self-same metal that my sister is,

And prize me at her worth in my true heart.

I find she names my very deed of love;

Only she came short: that I profess 65

Myself an enemy to all other joys

Which the most precious square of sense possesses,

And find I am alone felicitate

In your dear highness’ love.

Cordelia [aside] Then poor Cordelia!

And yet not so, since I am sure my love’s 70

More richer than my tongue.

Lear To thee and thine hereditary ever

Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom;

No less in space, validity, and pleasure

Than that confirmed on Goneril. But now, our joy, 75

Although the last, not least in our dear love,

What can you say to wi...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title page
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of plates
• Acknowledgements
• Publisher's acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 The Integral King Lear Its War and Variants of Convergence
• 2 Note on the Text and Annotations
• 1 The Texts
• Bibliography
• Index