The Tragedy of King Lear - Act 5 Quotes

A-Level English Literature B AQA 'The Tragedy of King Lear' Text

"I had rather lose the battle than that sister should loosen him from me."

Goneril, A5S1. This contrasts from their sororal bond and alliance they had from earlier, such as 'We must do something, and i'the heat."

"The enemy is in view: draw up your powers."

Edmund, A5S1. He distances himself from the war. Not 'our', 'your'.

"Which of them shall I take? Both? One? Neither? Neither can be enjoyed if both remain alive."

Edmund, A5S1. Sadistic, he is waiting for one to die so he can use her. Shows views on women. Shows Edmund's character, he is waiting to see which will benefit him most.

"For my state stands on me to defend, not debate,"

Edmund, A5S1. This is ironic as all he has done in this entire play is plotted and debated. He did it earlier in the scene with the 'which of them shall I take?' scene. This may also be a reflective line about his position. He knows that Lear cannot return, as his lies would be exposed and he would not have the 'Gloucester' title anymore.

"Take the shadow of the tree for your good host,"

Edgar, A5S2. This mimics the nature earlier protecting Edgar with the 'and by the happy hollow of the tree I escaped the hunt'.

"No further sir, a man may rot here."

Gloucester, A5S2. Edgar has come to collect him after the battle has been lost, but Gloucester does not want to be cared for, and just wants to die. This shows a return back to his suicidal tendencies earlier in the play. Rot is naturistic language.

"We are not the first who with best meaning have incurred the worst."

Cordelia, A5S3. She is talking after her and Lears capture. She is presented as smart as they have not hyet been sentenced to death, but can predict it is coming.

"We two alone will sing like birds i'the cage. When thou dost ask me blessing I'll kneel down and ask of thee forgiveness."

Lear, A5S3. He is reflecting and accepts life in prison with Cordelia will be happier then anywhere without her. He is now at his peak of understanding, which has ironically come at his height of madness.

"I had rather lose the battle

"To be tender minded does not become a sword."

Edmund, A5S3. He is paying off someone to kill Lear and Cordelia, and this sums up his morality throughout the play. He very briefly experiences anagnorisis, but only at the very end.

"I hold you but a subject of this war, not as a brother."

Albany, A5S3. He is moral, and does not completely reject Edmund, despite all of his wrongdoings.

"But what art thou that hast this fortune on me?"

Edmund, A5S3. He does not see his own downfall. He thinks all of those he has done wrong are dealt with, and alone. He has not yet realised of Edgar's ability.

"The wheel has come full circle, I am here."

Edmund, A5S3. After Edgar reveals who he his, and how his father has been wronged, Edmund has this brief period where he accepts defeat. He understands now his path was incorrect and he has been beat. This is somewhat Edmund's anagnorisis, however, he is now wounded (?) and cannot do anything about it, much like Lear and Gloucester.

"But his flawed heart, alack, too weak the conflict to support, 'twixt two extremes of passion, joy, and grief, burst smilingly."

Edgar, A5S3. Edgar now reveals that when he told his father that he was poor tom, he died of a heart attack due to being both happy that he was there, but sad for how he mistreated him.

"Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him that ever ear recieved."

Edgar, A5S3. Edgar tells us that Kent had revealed himself and his grief due to Gloucester, and Lear's possible fate.

"Your lady, sir, your lady: and her sister by her is poisoned; she confesses it."

Gentleman, A5S3. He tells Albany that both Goneril and Regan dead, Regan to poison and Goneril stabbed herself through the heart.

"Yet Edmund was beloved: the one poisoned for my sake, and after slew herself."

Edmund, A5S3. Edmund is now left alone, which is ironic as in A5S1 he was conflicted on which sister to take, teasing them both with the idea, and now he may have neither, and he is left with no supporters. He 'was' beloved, past tense, either indicating there is no one left to love him, or he will soon be dead. Makes him seem cruel that he proclaims himself as beloved, not the recently deceased.

"Some good I mean to do. Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send [...] to the castle, for my writ, is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia; nay, send in time."

Edmund, A5S3. He briefly tries to change and do one bit of good, perhaps out of genuine change of heart, or perhaps as he knows he is dying to try and help himself, if that means a doctor or an honourable burial.

"I know when one is dead and when one lives; she's dead as earth."

Lear, A5S3. He enters with Cordelia in his arms, dead, hung and announces her death, grieving heavily. While he seemed a little better after Cordelia's return, he now has become worse once again.

"For us, we will resign during the life of this old majesty to him our absolute power"

Albany, A5S3. Does he know that Lear will die, and therefore it doesn't matter that they give him their titles, or is he blindly foolish and loyal, meaning Lear, who was at the beginning of the play already unfit for rule and now even more so, now will have absolute power, even more so then before?

"No, no, no life! Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, and thou no breath at all?"

Lear, A5S3. This is in his final speech, before he dies. He is now complaining about how life has let him down, and the people he cared about are all gone: Cordelia, Fool, Gloucester etc.

"The wonder is he hath endured so long; He but usurped his life."

Kent, A5S3. He is talking about how Lear could not take control back from his life, and that his madness controlled him.

"I have a journey, sir, shortly to go; my master calls me, I must not say no."

Kent, A5S3. He is suggesting that he may kill himself now that Lear is dead, to follow him to the afterlife. This leaves Albany and Edgar as the sole survivors if this is true.

"I had rather lose the battle then that sister should loosen him and me."

Goneril, A5S1. This contrasts from their sororal bond from earlier in the play, such as "We must do something, and i'the heat."

"The weight of this sad time we must obey, speak what we feel, not what we ought to say."

Edgar, A5S3. This may be a reflection to Cordelia and her honesty at the 'love trial' as such, and his respect or appriciation of this. As while a tragedy has occurred, there are no corrupt people in power anymore, such as Regan, Goneril, Cornwall and Edmund.