A side-by-side translation of Act 1, Scene 3 of King Lear from the original Shakespeare into modern English.
Original Text |
Translated Text |
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Source: Folger Shakespeare Library | |
Enter Goneril and Oswald, her Steward. GONERIL Did my father strike my gentleman for chiding OSWALD Ay, madam. GONERIL | Things are not going well at Goneril's castle. She's taken first shift as her dad's assisted care provider, and it turns out Lear's a lousy houseguest. It seems Lear smacked one of Goneril's servants for being rude to his Fool. Also, his entourage—a group of a hundred knights—is a rowdy bunch, and Lear is continuing to act like he's in charge, even though he more or less retired. Goneril is fed up. She tells Oswald to tell her father she won't speak with him when he gets back from hunting. If they're rude to him for a bit, he'll get the message and she'll deal with the fallout. |
OSWALD He’s coming, madam. I hear him. GONERIL OSWALD Well, madam. GONERIL They exit in different directions. | When Oswald says he hears Lear coming, Goneril further instructs him to completely neglect her dad. If Lear doesn't like the way he's beeing treated him, he can go to her sister, Regan's house, where he'll get more of the same. Regan won't put up with his foolishness either. She says that old men are like babies again, and can therefore be manipulated easily. Before she leaves, she tells Oswald to be sure that he and the rest of the staff neglect Lear's knights, too. She wants to make sure her dad and his buddies get the message, and when he complains, she'll be ready to give him a piece of her mind. |