A side-by-side translation of Act 4, Scene 1 of King Lear from the original Shakespeare into modern English.
Original Text |
Translated Text |
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Source: Folger Shakespeare Library | |
Enter Edgar in disguise. EDGAR Enter Gloucester and an old man. My father, poorly led? World, world, O world, 10 | Edgar, disguised as Poor Tom, lurks outside in the cold. He comforts himself with the knowledge that, since he's hit rock bottom, at least things can't get any worse. Then, of course, Edgar sees his father stumble out of the castle bleeding from his eye sockets. Oops. Things just got worse. |
OLD MAN GLOUCESTER OLD MAN You cannot see your way. GLOUCESTER | Gloucester speaks bitterly. An old man who has been a tenant on Gloucester's property has been trying to help him, though Gloucester declares he doesn't need help for his blindness—he was actually more blind (couldn't see the truth about his children) when his eyeballs were intact. Edgar listens in agony as Gloucester laments the loss of his good son, Edgar. Gloucester declares if he could only touch his boy again, it would be as good as having eyes. |
OLD MAN How now? Who’s there? EDGAR, aside OLD MAN ’Tis poor mad Tom. EDGAR, aside OLD MAN GLOUCESTER Is it a beggar-man? OLD MAN Madman and beggar too. | The old man, who has been helping Gloucester, introduces father and son, although Edgar is still disguised as "Poor Tom," the beggar from Bedlam. Brain Snack: Shakespeare borrowed the Gloucester/Edgar/Edmund plot from Phillip Sidney's The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia. In Book 2, Chapter 10 of the 1590 edition, the story's heroes encounter a blind king who is accompanied by his loyal son. It turns out that the loyal son has recently forgiven the king despite the fact that his father plotted to have him killed after the king's other kid (a treacherous and illegitimate son) stole his father's kingdom and poked out the old man's eyeballs. |
GLOUCESTER EDGAR, aside How should this be? | Now, back to Lear. Gloucester recalls seeing this fellow ("Poor Tom") in last night's storm and briefly thinking of his son, whom he still hated at the time. Gloucester admits he's since learned he was wrong about Edgar, but he blames the gods for what's happened to him, not himself. According to Gloucester, the gods are a lot like bad kids who pull the wings off of flies just for fun. |
GLOUCESTER OLD MAN Ay, my lord. GLOUCESTER | Gloucester bids the old man to leave him into Poor Tom's care, and also to bring Poor Tom some clothes, because even madmen shouldn't be naked. |
OLD MAN Alack, sir, he is mad. GLOUCESTER OLD MAN | The old man thinks this is a bad idea, but Gloucester jokes that things are so messed up right now that it's fitting for the mad to lead the blind. |
GLOUCESTER Sirrah, naked fellow— EDGAR GLOUCESTER Come hither, fellow. EDGAR, aside GLOUCESTER Know’st thou the way to Dover? EDGAR Both stile and gate, horseway and footpath. | fLeft alone with his father, Edgar still does not reveal his identity. For some reason, he keeps up his Poor Tom charade, talking nonsense to his father. |
GLOUCESTER, giving him moneyHere, take this purse, thou whom the heavens’ EDGAR Ay, master. GLOUCESTER EDGAR Give me thy arm. They exit. | Gloucester gives "Poor Tom" some money and asks him to lead him to the edge of a cliff in Dover. He tells "Tom" that once they get there, he'll give him something valuable—oh, and he won't need anyone to guide him back. This is a one-way trip, meaning that Gloucester intends to jump. |