King Lear QUOTES - Leaving Cert

Opening scene, drama, The court gossiping about the decision of Lear to divide the kingdom

- "I thought the King had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall" [Kent]

- "but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most" [ Gloucester]

Gloucester is boastful and unashamed of his affair

- "I have so often blushed to acknowledge him that now I am brazed to't"

- " came something saucily into the world"

- " there was good sport at his making" [Gloucester]

Gloucester loves both his sons equally

"who yet is no dearer in my account" [Gloucester]

Lear announces the division of the kingdom

" Know that we have divided in three our kingdom" [Lear]

Lear gives his reasoning for divesting his power and responsibility

" Tis our fast intent to shake all cares and business from our age, conferring them on younger strengths, while we unburdened crawl toward death" [Lear]

Lear is naive and believes that this decision will prevent problems in the future

" that future strife may be prevented now" [Lear]

Again Lear is naive and foolish, he tells his court he wants to still appear as King and retain his knights

"Only we shall retain the name and all th'addition to a king" [Lear]

The love test. Showing Lear's vanity he askes his three daughters, who loves him the most. to be worthy of a portion of his kingdom

" Tell me, my daughters.. Which of you shall we say doth love us most?" [Lear]

Goneril proclaims her love to Lear, she is cunning in her fake public flattery. She knows what he wants to hear and plays along to attain wealth and power

"Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter, dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty, beyond what can be valued rich or rare, No less than life" [Goneril]

Reagan proclaims her love to Lear, similar to Goneril she is cunning, her exaggeration even more hollow and flattering. See she is competitive even rivalling her sister

- "In my true heart I find she names my very deed of love; only she comes too short: that I profess myself an enemy to all other joys" [Reagan]

Goneril and Reagans speech are so exaggerated, Cordelia laments a moral judgement on the duplicity of her sisters

- " Love, and be silent"

- " Then poor Cordelia!.. I am sure my love's more ponderous than my tongue" [Cordelia]

Cordelia is the youngest and dearest, Lear wishes to reward her more handsomely

" Now our joy.. what can you say to draw a third more opulent than your sisters?" [ Lear]

Drama heightens as honest and moral Cordelia refuses to take part in the fake flattery and indulge in Lear's vanity

- " Nothing, my lord"

- " I cannot heave my heart into my mouth. I love your majesty according to my bond; no more nor less"

- " You have begot me, bred me, loved me; I return those duties back as are right fit, Obey you, love you, and most honour you" [Cordelia]

Cordelia points out the hypocrisy of her two sisters

- "Why have my sisters husbands, if they say they love you all?"

- " Sure I shall never marry like my sisters. To love my father all" [Cordelia]

In Lear's blind vanity and rage he cannot see past her rejection and disowns her completely. Dramatic and childlike

- "Thy truth then be thy dower"

- " I disclaim all my parental care" [Lear]

Cordelia speaks to and reminds her sisters of their duty to their father. Shows she still loves him

" I know what you are... Love well our father... I would prefer him to a better place" [Cordelia]

Lears rage and disappointment in Cordelia

" Come not between the dragon and his wrath. I loved her most, and thought to set my rest on her kind nursey" [Lear]

Being a loyal and trustworthy servant, Kent interjects to stop the rashness and madness

-" be Kent unmannerly when Lear is mad. What wouldst thou do, old man?"

- "To plainness honours bound, when majesty falls to folly" [Kent]

Kent explains his role as existing to serve and protect the King

" My life I never held but as a pawn to wage against thine enemies, ne'er fear to lose it, thy safety being motive" [Kent]

Lear explains Cordelia's current situation to France and Burgundy

"When she was dear to us we did hold her so, but now her price is fallen" [Lear]

Cordelia points out her sisters Machiavellian way of speaking

-" that glib and oily art"

-"and such a tongue that I am glad I have not" [Cordelia]

King of France displays moral wisdoms and compassion and askes Cordelia to marry him even without a dowry

-" She herself is a dowry"

-" Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich being poor, most choice forsaken, and most loved despised; thee and thy virtues I seize upon, be it lawful I take up what's cast away" [France]

Goneril and Reagan admitting to the fault of their father

"He always loved our sister most, and with what poor judgement he hath now cast her off appears too grossly" [Goneril]

Edmund is scheming against his brother Edgar who is the real son of Gloucester

"Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land" [Edmund]

Reading fake letter about Edgars plan to kill Gloucester and attain his wealth

"If our father would sleep till I waked him, you should enjoy half of his revenue for ever" [Edmund]

Edgar unaware and innocent of Edmunds plan

"Some villain hath done me wrong" [Edgar]

Gloucester trusts Edmund now and dims him right fit

"Find out this villain, Edmund; it shall lose thee nothing" [Gloucester]

Edmund satisfied his plan worked

"A credulous father and a brother noble, whose nature is so far from doing harms"[Edmund]

Goneril encouraging neglectful attitude to Lear

"Put on what weary negligence you please"

"Idle old man, that still would manage those authorities that he hath given away"

Lear's Fool is insightful and offers honest and moral judgement to Lear's situation while adding comic affect

"All thy other titles thou hast given away; that thou wast born with"

"e'er since thou madest thy daughters thy mothers"

"I had rather be any kind o'thing than a fool. And I would not be thee nuncle"

"Lear's shadow"

Lear furious at Gonerils bitter attack, horrified by his thankless child

"Are you our daughter?"

"Degenerate bastard! I'll not trouble thee. Yet I have left a daughter"

"that she may feel how sharper than a serpents tooth it is to have a thankless child! Away Away!"

Lear begins to go mad

" I am ashamed that thou hast power to shake my manhood thus"

"O let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!"

Lear laments on his poor judgement of Cordelia

" I did her wrong-"

Gloucester know wants to reward Edmund with land

"and of my land, loyal and natural boy, I'll work the means to make thee capable"

Gloucester is broken hearted about Edgars motive

" Oh, madam, my old heart is cracked, it's cracked!"

Upon meeting Goneril's servant Kent confront him about his disloyalty to the king

"That such a slave as this should wear a sword, who wears no honesty"

"Draw you rascal you come with letters against the King"

Regan and Cornwall stock Kent for aggression against Gonerils servant, this is insulting to Kent and by implication insulting Lear

"too bold malice against the grace and person of my master stocking his messenger"

"if I were your fathers dog you should not use me so"

Edgar becomes Poor Tom in a dramatic display of madness

"Edgar I nothing am "

Lear is offended and outraged by the actions of Regan and Cornwall and demands to speak with them

"No no they would not, by Jupiter I swear, no"

"Tis worse than murder"

"The King would speak with Cornwall; the dear father would with his daughter speak"

Lears Madness in fury

"Bid them come forth and hear me, or at their chamber door I'll beat the drum"

Calm and collected Regan meets hot tempered Lear, she is cold and unwelcoming

"O sir you are old"

"You should be ruled and led by some discretion that discerns your state better than you yourself"

Lears darling daughters cruelly insist on the reduction of his men

"You will return and sojourn with my sister, dismissing half of your train, come then to me"

Outraged by the patronising offer, he threatens

"O fool, I shall go mad"

"As full of grief as age"

Dramatic display of heightened emotions, we see his loss of dignity

He is left out is the storm while the others shelter in the castle. Wild storm mirrors his inner turmoil

Consumed by grief he acts mad

"Blow winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage Blow!"

Accepts the pains and brutality of the element as he feels the pain of his ungrateful children

"I never gave you kingdom, called you children; you owe me no subscription"

Lear shows his self pity

"A poor, infirm, weak and despised old man"

"I am a man more sinned against than sinning"

madness in the storm, pathetic fallacy, would rather bear the severity of the physical storm than the turmoil in his mind

"pour on I will endure!"

"The tempest in my mind doth from my senses take all feeling else save what beats there- filial ingratitude

Lear begins to show compassion for the fool, moving away from his tone of self regard and pity

"How dost my boy? Art cold?"

"I have one part in my heart that's sorry yet for thee"

Kent showing his unwavering loyalty to Lear

Lear- "Wilt break my heart?"

Kent- "I had rather break mine own. Good my lord, enter"

Lear gains important insights. He expresses concern and sympathy for those suffering poverty. He confesses during his reign he did not do enough to help

-"O I have ta'en too little care of this! Take physic, pomp; expose thyself to feel what wretches feel"

-"Shake the superflux to them"

Animal imagery of the daughters feeding off of Lears power

"Those pelican daughters"

Lear reflects on human condition. How a man without possessions is just a naked animal, alike Poor Tom.

Lear try's to take of his clothes, reducing him further from a position of power and status. Showing his loss of dignity

" Unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art"

"Off, off you lendings! Come unbutton here"

Lear sees Poor Tom as a philosopher. Ironic that a madman has the most wisdom

"First let me talk with this philosopher"

"Noble philosopher"

Gloucester confides in Edmund regarding the brutal behaviour of Goneril and Regan. He shows him a letter holding information about an attack from France. Gloucester moves away from his usual passive mature and instead acts morally and bravely in favour of the King

"I like not this unnatural dealing"

"We must incline to the King"

"If I die for it the King my old master musty be relieved"

Edmund betrays his father in hope of attaining wealth and power from Cornwall. He shows how disloyal, merciless and expedient he is; only concerned about self advancement

"Shall the duke instantly know, and of that letter too"

"The younger rises when the old doth fall"

Cornwall- "It hath made thee Earl of Gloucester"

Lear arranges a mock trial in hope of avenging his absent daughters. It is ironic that 3 madman (Lear, Poor Tom, Fool) are part of this justice system, the chaos of the mock trial reflects the current corruption of power

"Now, you she-foxes!"

"Corruption in the place!"

Kent admits that Lear has gone mad

"His wits are gone"

Goneril, Reagan and Cornwall showing their violent and dominant characters

"Hang him instantly"

"Pluck out his eyes"

"Bind fast his corky arms"

"Wherefore to Dover?"

"Wherefore to Dover?"

In a act of loyalty and bravery, Gloucester refuses to share the whereabouts of the Lear. His words are foreboding

"I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course"

"I would not see thy cruel nails pluck out his poor old eyes"

Cornwall violently tortures Gloucester by plucking out his eyes. Very engaging to the audience

"Out vile jelly!"

Reagan emphasizes her heartless nature. She insists on both eyes being plucked out. She derives a cruel pleasure by revealing to Gloucester that it was Edmund who betrayed him. She is degrading towards Gloucester.

"One side will mock another. Th'other too!"

"It was he that made the overture of thy treasons to us"

"Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell his way to Dover"

We have pity for Gloucester as he calls for the help of Edmund, he realises his mistake when Regan cruelly informs him it was Edmund who betrayed him

"All dark and comfortless. Where's my son Edmund?"

"O my follies! Then Edgar was abused"

The good of the common people is evident when the servants step in to stop Cornwall and Reagans torture of Gloucester. They are moral and try to help and comfort Gloucester after

"Hold your hand my lord!"

"I'll fetch some flax and whites of eggs to apply to his bleeding face. Now, heaven help him!"

Gloucester suffers physically through the plucking out of his eyes. He reflects on his past mistakes, he was morally blind. Now he is physically blinded but has acted morally. He has reached a depth of misery and sees no future. He is despairing and wishes a speedy death

"I have no way, and therefore want no eye; I stumbled when I saw"

"As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods, they kill us for their sport"

"Shake patiently my great affliction off"

"If Edgar lives, O bless him!"

"Tis the times plague when madmen lead the blind"

Gloucester, similar to Lear, gains wise insights into those who have luxuries (like he used to) and how they abuse their status

"Let the superfluous and lust-dieted man, that slaves your ordinance, that will not see Because he doth not feel, feel your power quickly; So distribution should undo excess and each man have enough"

Edgar aids in the restoration of Gloucester. He doesn't reveal himself as Edgar and instead remains Poor Tom. He deceives Gloucester making him think he has jumped from the cliffs of Dover and survived when he obviously hasn't. Edgar tricks him to help him but Edmund manipulates people for his own benefit.

" Why I do trifle thus with his despair is done to cure it"

"Thy life's a miracle"

"Think that the clearest gods, have preserved thee"

Gloucester's faith has been restored

"Henceforth I'll bear affliction till it do cry out enough, enough' and die"

"Let not my worser spirit tempt me again to die before you please"

Lear reflects and shows great understanding of his duplicitous daughters flattery towards him

"They flattered me like a dog"

"They told me I was everything. Tis a lie: I am not ague-proof"

Lear and Gloucester reunite. Lear fluctuates between his kingly role and his humble understanding that he is just another man.

"I am the King himself"

"Ay, every inch a King"

"Let me wipe it first, it smells of mortality"

Gloucester shows his devotion to Lear and Lear shows comfort towards Gloucester. It is a tender and sweet scene, full of pathos. They understand they both have been foolish, but isn't everyone

Gloucester- "O ruined piece of nature!"

"O let me kiss that hand"

Lear-"I remember thine eyes well enough"

Edgar- "And my heart breaks at it"

Lear- "When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools"

Important message from the play:

Edgar-"Reason in madness"

Albany takes a stand against the immoral Goneril.

-"You are not worth the dust which the rude wind blows in your face"

-"Tigers not daughters, what have you preformed? A father and a gracious aged man"

Goneril-"Milk-livered man"

"See thyself, devil! Proper deformity seems not in the fiend so horrid as in woman"

Angle like imagery of Cordelia

"The holy water from her heavenly eyes"

The difference between Cordelia's kindness and her sisters evilness; Kent concludes..

"It is the stars the stars above us govern our conditions"

Kent explains why Lear is unable to reunite with Cordelia

"His own unkindness that stripped her from his benediction turned her to foreign casualties, gave her dear rights to his dog-hearted daughters. These things sting his mind so venomously that burning shame detains him from Cordelia.

Cordelia's loving and forgiving nature is shown when she is reunited with Lear

"Cure this great breach in his abused nature"

"O my dear father! Restoration hang thy medicine on my lips, and let this kiss repair those violent harms that my two sisters have in thy reverence made!"

"Mine enemy's dog, though he had bit me, should have stood that night against my fire"