what is king trying to say in this passage
Difficult Passages in Rex LearFrom Shakespearean Tragedy by A. C. Bradley. London: MacMillan and Co. The post-obit are notes on some passages where I have not been able to accept any of the current interpretations, or on which I wish to express an opinion or correspond a little-known view. one. Kent's soliloquy at the end of II. two. (a) In this speech communication the awarding of the words 'Nothing, almost sees miracles only misery' seems not to have been understood. The 'misery' is surely non that of Kent but that of Lear, who has come up 'out of sky'due south benediction to the warm sun,' i.east. to misery. This, says Kent, is just the situation where something like miraculous assistance may exist looked for; and he finds the sign of it in the fact that a letter from Cordelia has just reached him; for his class since his adjournment has been so obscured that it is simply by the rarest adept fortune (something like a phenomenon) that Cordelia has got intelligence of information technology. We may suppose that this intelligence came from 1 of Albany'south or Cornwall's servants, some of whom are, he says (Three. i. 23), to France the spies and speculations Intelligent of our state.(b) The words 'and shall find fourth dimension,' etc., have been much discussed. Some take idea that they are detached phrases from the alphabetic character which Kent is reading: but Kent has simply unsaid past his accost to the sun that he has no light to read the letter byane. It has also been suggested that the anacoluthon is meant to represent Kent's sleepiness, which prevents him from finishing the judgement, and induces him to dismiss his thoughts and yield to his drowsiness. But I remember nothing like this elsewhere in Shakespeare, and it seems much more probable that the passage is decadent, possibly from the loss of a line containing words like 'to rescue us' earlier 'From this enormous state' (with 'land' cf. 'our state' in the lines quoted above). When we achieve III. i. nosotros find that Kent has now read the letter; he knows that a forcefulness is coming from France and indeed has already 'secret feet' in some of the harbours. So he sends the Gentleman to Dover. 2. The Fool's Song in II. iv. At II. four. 62 Kent asks why the King comes with so small-scale a train. The Fool answers, in effect, that about of his followers have deserted him considering they run into that his fortunes are sinking. He proceeds to advise Kent ironically to follow their case, though he confesses he does non intend to follow it himself. 'Let go thy hold when a great wheel runs down a hill, lest information technology break thy neck with post-obit it: but the great ane that goes up the hill, let him draw thee after. When a wise man gives thee better counsel, give me mine again: I would have none merely knaves follow information technology, since a fool gives information technology. That sir which serves and seeks for gain,The last two lines accept caused difficulty. Johnson wanted to read, The fool turns knave that runs away,i.east. if I ran away, I should prove myself to be a knave and a wise human being, just, being a fool, I stay, as no knave or wise man would. Those who rightly defend the existing reading misunderstand information technology, I retrieve. Shakespeare is not pointing out, in 'The knave turns fool that runs abroad,' that the wise knave who runs away is really a 'fool with a circumbendibus,' 'moral miscalculator as well as moral coward.' The Fool is referring to his ain words, 'I would have none simply knaves follow [my communication to desert the King], since a fool gives it'; and the last two lines of his song mean, 'The knave who runs away follows the communication given by a fool; but I, the fool, shall non follow my own advice past turning knave.' For the ideas compare the striking passage in Timon, I. i. 64 ff. iii. 'Decline your head.' At IV. ii. 18 Goneril, dismissing Edmund in the presence of Oswald, says: This trusty servantI copy Furness's note on 'Decline': 'STEEVENS thinks that Goneril bids Edmund decline his head that she might, while giving him a kiss, appear to Oswald only to be whispering to him. Simply this, WRIGHT says, is giving Goneril credit for too much delicacy, and Oswald was a "serviceable villain." DELIUS suggests that peradventure she wishes to put a chain effectually his neck.' Surely 'Decline your caput' is connected, not with 'Wear this' (whatever 'this' may exist), but with 'this buss,' etc. Edmund is a proficient deal taller than Goneril, and must stoop to be kissed. four. Self-embrace'd. At IV. two. 59 Albany, horrified at the passions of anger, hate, and contempt expressed in his wife'southward face, breaks out: See thyself, devil!The passage has been much discussed, mainly considering of the foreign expression 'self-cover'd,' for which of course emendations have been proposed. The full general pregnant is clear. Albany tells his wife that she is a devil in a woman's shape, and warns her not to cast off that shape by be-monstering her feature (appearance), since it is this shape alone that protects her from his wrath. Almost all commentators go astray because they imagine that, in the words 'thou inverse and self-embrace'd thing,' Albany is speaking to Goneril as a adult female who has been changed into a fiend. Really he is addressing her as a fiend which has changed its ain shape and causeless that of a adult female; and I propose that 'cocky-cover'd' means either 'which hast covered or curtained thyself,' or 'whose self is covered' [so Craig in Arden edition], non (what of form information technology ought to mean) 'which hast been covered by thyself.' Maybe the concluding lines of this passage (which does not announced in the Folios) should be arranged thus: To let these hands obey my blood, they're apt plentyv. The phase-directions at V. i. 37, 39. In V. i. in that location first enter Edmund, Regan, and their army or soldiers: and then, at line 18, Albany, Goneril, and their army or soldiers. Edmund and Albany speak very stiffly to one some other, and Goneril bids them defer their private quarrels and attend to concern. And then follows this passage (according to the modern texts): Alb. Let's then determineIt would appear from this that all the leading persons are to become to a Council of War with the ancient (plural) in Albany'south tent; and they are going out, followed by their armies, when Edgar comes in. Why in the globe, so, should Goneril propose (every bit she obviously does) to absent herself from the Council; and why, withal more than, should Regan object to her doing so? This is a question which always perplexed me, and I could not believe in the only answers I e'er plant suggested, viz., that Regan wanted to go on Edmund and Goneril together in order that she might detect them (Moberly, quoted in Furness), or that she could not carry to lose sight of Goneril, for fright Goneril should upshot a meeting with Edmund after the Quango (Delius, if I understand him). Only I find in Koppel what seems to be the solution (Verbesserungsvorschläge, p. 127 f.). He points out that the modern stage-directions are wrong. For the modern management 'As they are going out, enter Edgar disguised,' the Ff. read, 'Exeunt both the armies. Enter Edgar.' For 'Exeunt all but Albany and Edgar' the Ff. have cipher, just Q1 has 'exeunt' after 'word.' For the first direction Koppel would read, 'Exeunt Regan, Goneril, Gentlemen, and Soldiers': for the 2nd he would read, after 'overtake you lot,' 'Get out Edmund.' This makes all articulate. Albany proposes a Council of War. Edmund assents, and says he will come up at once to Albany's tent for that purpose. The Council will consist of Albany, Edmund, and the ancient of war. Regan, accordingly, is going away with her soldiers; just she observes that Goneril shows no sign of moving with her soldiers; and she at once suspects that Goneril means to attend the Council in order to be with Edmund. Total of jealousy, she invites Goneril to get with her. Goneril refuses, simply then, seeing Regan'southward motive, contemptuously and ironically consents (I doubt if 'O ho, I know the riddle' should be 'aside,' equally in modern editions, post-obit Capell). Accordingly the two sisters go out, followed by their soldiers; and Edmund and Albany are just going out, in a different management, to Albany's tent when Edgar enters. His words cause Albany to stay; Albany says to Edmund, every bit Edmund leaves, 'I'll overtake you'; and and then, turning to Edgar, bids him 'speak.' half dozen. V. 3. 151 ff. When Edmund falls in combat with the disguised Edgar, Albany produces the letter of the alphabet from Goneril to Edmund, which Edgar had found in Oswald's pocket and had handed over to Albany. This alphabetic character suggested to Edmund the murder of Albany. The passage in the World edition is as follows: Gon. This is practice, Gloucester:The first of the stage-directions is not in the Qq. or Ff.: it was inserted by Johnson. The second ('Exit') is both in the Qq. and in the Ff., but the latter place it afterwards the words 'arraign me for't.' And they give the words 'Ask me not what I know' to Edmund, not to Goneril, as in the Qq. (followed by the Earth). I will not go into the various views of these lines, but will simply say what seems to me well-nigh likely. It does not matter much where precisely Goneril's 'exit' comes; simply I believe the Folios are right in giving the words 'Ask me not what I know' to Edmund. It has been pointed out by Knight that the question 'Know'st 1000 this paper?' cannot very well exist addressed to Goneril, for Albany has already said to her, 'I perceive yous know it.' It is possible to go over this difficulty by saying that Albany wants her confession: but there is some other fact which seems to have passed unnoticed. When Albany is undoubtedly speaking to his married woman, he uses the plural pronoun, 'Close your mouth, dame,' 'No violent, lady; I perceive you know it.' When then he asks 'Know'st thou this newspaper?' he is probably not speaking to her. I should take the passage thus. At 'Hold, sir,' [omitted in Qq.] Albany holds the letter of the alphabet out towards Edmund for him to see, or possibly gives it to him.2 The adjacent line, with its 'thou,' is addressed to Edmund, whose 'reciprocal vows' are mentioned in the letter. Goneril snatches at it to tear it up: and Albany, who does not know whether Edmund ever saw the letter or not, says to her 'I perceive you know information technology,' the 'you' being emphatic (her very wish to tear it showed she knew what was in it). She practically admits her cognition, defies him, and goes out to kill herself. He exclaims in horror at her, and, turning again to Edmund, asks if he knows information technology. Edmund, who of course does not know information technology, refuses to answer (like Iago), not (like Iago) out of disobedience, simply from chivalry towards Goneril; and, having refused to answer this charge, he goes on to acknowledge the charges brought against himself previously past Albany (82 f.) and Edgar (130 f.). I should explain the change from 'you' to 'thou' in his speech by supposing that at first he is speaking to Albany and Edgar together. vii. V. iii. 278. Lear, looking at Kent, asks, Who are you?Kent is not answering Lear, nor is he speaking of himself. He is speaking of Lear. The all-time interpretation is probably that of Malone, co-ordinate to which Kent ways, 'We see the man most hated by Fortune, whoever may be the human she has loved all-time'; and maybe it is supported by the variation of the text in the Qq., though their texts are then bad in this scene that their support is worth little. But it occurs to me as possible that the meaning is rather: 'Did Fortune ever show the extremes both of her beloved and of her hatred to whatsoever other man every bit she has shown them to this man?' eight. The terminal lines. Alb. Bear them from hence. Our present businessAnd then the Globe. The stage-management (right, of course) is Johnson's. The last iv lines are given by the Ff. to Edgar, by the Qq. to Albany. The Qq. read 'have borne most.' To whom ought the last four lines to exist given, and what exercise they mean? It is proper that the principal person should speak last, and this is in favour of Albany. Only in this scene at any rate the Ff., which give the speech to Edgar, have the ameliorate text (though Ff. 2, 3, 4, make Kent die after his two lines!); Kent has answered Albany, simply Edgar has non; and the lines seem to be rather more than appropriate to Edgar. For the 'gentle reproof' of Kent's despondency (if this phrase of Halliwell'due south is right) is similar Edgar; and, although we accept no reason to suppose that Albany was not young, there is null to prove his youth. As to the pregnant of the last two lines (a poor conclusion to such a play) I should suppose that 'the oldest' is not Lear, but 'the oldest of united states,' viz., Kent, the i survivor of the sometime generation: and this is the more than likely if there is a reference to him in the preceding lines. The concluding words seem to hateful, 'We that are young shall never see and then much and still live so long'; i.e. if nosotros endure so much, we shall not comport information technology every bit he has. If the Qq. 'accept' is right, the reference is to Lear, Gloster and Kent. _____ Footnote ane: The 'beacon' which he bids arroyo is not the moon, every bit Pope supposed. The moon was up and shining some time ago (ii. ii. 35), and lines 1 and 141-2 imply that not much of the night is left. Footnote 2: 'Hold' tin mean 'have'; simply the word 'this' in line 160 ('Know'st thou this newspaper?') favours the thought that the newspaper is still in Albany's hand.] How to cite this article:_________ Related Articles |
How to Pronounce the Names in Rex Lear Source: http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/kinglear/learpassages.html
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