Post speedily to my lord your husband, show him this letter: the army
of France is landed. Seek out the traitor Gloucester.
Send this letter quickly to your husband, my lord; show him the letter: the French army has landed. Find the traitor Gloucester.
Get this letter to your husband right away—show it to him: France just invaded. We need to find Gloucester, that traitor.
send to husband france invaded find gloucester
Hang him instantly.
Hang him instantly.
Hang him instantly.
Hang him instantly.
Pluck out his eyes.
Pull out his eyes.
Tear his eyes out.
rip out his eyes
Leave him to my displeasure. Edmund, keep you our sister
company: the revenges we are bound to take upon your traitorous
father are not fit for your beholding. Advise the Duke where you
are going, to a most festinate preparation: we are bound to the
like. Our posts shall be swift and intelligent betwixt us.
Farewell, dear sister, farewell, my lord of Gloucester.
Let him be punished by me. Edmund, keep our sister company: the punishments we are required to take against your disloyal father are not suitable for you to watch. Tell the Duke where you are heading, to a very quick preparation: we are required to do the same. Our messengers will be fast and keep us informed between us. Goodbye, dear sister, goodbye, my lord of Gloucester.
He's mine to deal with. Edmund, stay with your sister: the revenge we need to take on your traitorous father isn't something you should see. Get word to the Duke about where you're going and tell him to prepare fast—we're getting ready too. We'll send quick messengers back and forth between us. Goodbye, dear sister, goodbye, Gloucester.
he's mine to punish edmund stay w/ sister tell duke to prepare we're coming for ur father
How now! Where’s the King?
What's happening! Where is the King?
What's going on? Where's the King?
whats happening wheres the king
My lord of Gloucester hath convey’d him hence:
Some five or six and thirty of his knights,
Hot questrists after him, met him at gate;
Who, with some other of the lord’s dependants,
Are gone with him toward Dover: where they boast
To have well-armed friends.
My lord of Gloucester has moved him away from here: about thirty-five of his knights, eager followers after him, met him at the gate; who, with some other servants of the lord, have gone with him toward Dover: where they boast to have well-armed friends.
Gloucester got the King away from here: some thirty-five knights of his, all desperate to follow him, caught up with him at the gate. They and some other servants went with him toward Dover, and they're bragging about having armed allies there.
gloucester got him away 35 knights followed heading to dover they've got armed friends there
Get horses for your mistress.
Prepare horses for the lady.
Find horses for your mistress.
get horses
Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.
Goodbye, sweet lord, and sister.
Goodbye, my lord, and sister.
bye
Edmund, farewell.
Edmund, farewell.
Edmund, farewell.
Edmund, farewell.
Go seek the traitor Gloucester,
Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us.
Go find the traitor Gloucester, bind him like a criminal, and bring him before us.
Go find that traitor Gloucester, tie him up like a thief, and bring him here.
find gloucester tie him up bring him
Though well we may not pass upon his life
Without the form of justice, yet our power
Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men
May blame, but not control. Who’s there? The traitor?
Although we cannot legally execute him without proper justice, our power will still yield to our anger, which men may blame but cannot control. Is that the traitor?
Look, maybe we can't legally kill him without a proper trial, but our power is going to give in to our rage anyway, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Is that the traitor there?
cant legally kill him but our rage wins blame us if u want thats the traitor
and Servants.
and Servants.
and servants enter.
& servants
Violence committed onstage rather than offstage is almost unknown in classical Greek drama — Oedipus blinds himself offstage; Medea kills her children offstage. Shakespeare deliberately reverses this convention: the blinding of Gloucester happens in front of the audience, slowly, with Cornwall narrating it. This is not gratuitous. The theatrical tradition of concealing violence allows the audience to process it at a remove; showing it forces an immediate physical response. The blinding must be felt in the body, because the play is asking what moral blindness costs — and the answer has to be felt, not just understood. Cornwall's pause between the two eyes (he is interrupted and wounded) makes the second act of violence worse: we know it is coming. We have time to dread it. The theatrical trick is the moral argument: if you can feel this in your body, you understand what the play is saying about sight, power, and cruelty.
Ingrateful fox! ’tis he.
Ungrateful fox! It's him.
You ungrateful animal! That's the one.
that traitor
Bind fast his corky arms.
Bind his shriveled arms.
Tie up those withered arms.
bind him
What mean your graces?
Good my friends, consider you are my guests.
Do me no foul play, friends.
What do you mean, your graces? Good my friends, consider that you are my guests. Don't do me any harm, friends.
What's this about, your graces? Come on, you're my guests. Don't hurt me, please.
ur my guests why r u doing this?
Bind him, I say.
Tie him up, I say.
Bind him, now.
tie him up
Hard, hard. O filthy traitor!
Harder, harder. O filthy traitor!
Tighter! Tighter! You filthy traitor!
tighten it filthy traitor
Unmerciful lady as you are, I’m none.
Cruel lady, I am not one.
You're cruel, but I'm not a traitor.
im not a traitor
To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt find—
Tie him to this chair. Criminal, you will find—
Bind him to that chair. You villain, you're about to discover—
tie him down villain you'll pay
By the kind gods, ’tis most ignobly done
To pluck me by the beard.
By the kind gods, it's most dishonorably done to pull me by the beard.
By the gods, this is so dishonorable—pulling me by my beard.
dishonorable tearing my beard
So white, and such a traitor!
Your hair is so gray, and yet you're such a betrayer!
White hair, and such a traitor!
white beard traitor
Naughty lady,
These hairs which thou dost ravish from my chin
Will quicken, and accuse thee. I am your host:
With robber’s hands my hospitable favours
You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?
Bad woman, these hairs which you are ripping from my chin will grow back, and they will accuse you. I am your host: with robber's hands you treat my hospitable generosity roughly. What will you do?
You wicked woman, these hairs you're ripping out will grow back and testify against you. I'm your host! You're treating my hospitality like a common robbery. What's next?
hairs will grow back and accuse u im ur host u r betraying me
Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?
Come, sir, what letters did you recently get from France?
Come on, sir—what recent letters have you had from France?
what letters from france?
Be simple answer’d, for we know the truth.
Give a simple answer, because we know the truth.
Just tell us straight—we know the truth anyway.
just tell truth we know anyway
And what confederacy have you with the traitors,
Late footed in the kingdom?
And what alliance do you have with the traitors, who recently arrived in the kingdom?
And what connections do you have with these traitors who just landed here?
ur connection to the traitors?
To whose hands have you sent the lunatic King?
Speak.
Who are you putting the unstable King under the care of? Tell us.
Who did you send that crazy King to? Speak up.
where's the mad king? where'd u send him?
I have a letter guessingly set down,
Which came from one that’s of a neutral heart,
And not from one oppos’d.
I have a letter that was written somewhat by guess, which came from someone who is neutral in heart, and not from someone opposed.
I have a letter—it's sort of vague, from someone who's neutral, not from someone taking sides.
got a vague letter from neutral person
Cunning.
Cunning.
Cunning.
Cunning.
And false.
And false.
And false.
And false.
Critics have argued that the play's most important moral statement is not made by Lear, or Cordelia, or Edgar, but by the nameless servant who draws his sword against Cornwall. He has no stake in the outcome; he is not Gloucester's man. He is Cornwall's servant, doing his master's bidding — until he cannot. His intervention establishes, in the most visceral way possible, that there is a line that cannot be crossed. He pays for it with his life. But Cornwall is mortally wounded, and will die before Act 4 is over. The servant's act has consequences: it removes the most immediately dangerous figure in the play. Shakespeare seems to be saying that small, costly acts of resistance have disproportionate effects. The servant does not save Gloucester — but he ends Cornwall.
Where hast thou sent the King?
Where did you send the King?
Where did you send him?
where'd u send him?
To Dover.
To Dover.
To Dover.
To Dover.
Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charg’d at peril,—
Why to Dover? Were you not ordered, at the risk of—
Why Dover? Weren't you warned that if you—
why dover? weren't u warned?
Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that.
Why to Dover? Let him answer that first.
Why Dover? Let him answer that.
why dover first?
I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course.
I am tied to the post, and I must endure the attack.
I'm chained to this post, and I can only take what comes.
im tied up ill take it
Wherefore to Dover, sir?
Why to Dover, sir?
Why Dover, sir?
why dover?
Because I would not see thy cruel nails
Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister
In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.
The sea, with such a storm as his bare head
In hell-black night endur’d, would have buoy’d up,
And quench’d the stelled fires;
Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain.
If wolves had at thy gate howl’d that stern time,
Thou shouldst have said, ‘Good porter, turn the key.’
All cruels else subscrib’d: but I shall see
The winged vengeance overtake such children.
Because I would not see your cruel fingernails pull out his poor old eyes; nor your fierce sister drive her wild tusks into his anointed flesh. The sea, with a storm as bad as what his bare head suffered in a dark, hellish night, would have kept him afloat, and put out those bright stars; yet, poor old heart, he helped the heavens rain down water. If wolves had howled at your gate in that terrible time, you should have said, 'Good porter, turn the key.' All other cruel people in that time would have given in: but I will see divine justice catch up with such children.
Because I don't want to watch your cruel nails tear out his old eyes; and I don't want to see your fierce sister bite her wild tusks into his sacred flesh. A sea storm as bad as what his bare head went through on a dark, hell-like night would have drowned him and put out those bright stars; yet, poor old heart, he cried out to the heavens. If wolves had howled at your gate back then, you should have been kind and opened the door. Every other cruel person in that situation would have shown mercy: but I know vengeance will catch up with you.
don't wanna see u tear out his eyes shame on u both vengeance is coming
See’t shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair.
Upon these eyes of thine I’ll set my foot.
You will never see that. Men, hold the chair. I'll put my foot on these eyes of yours.
You'll never see it happen. Hold him down. I'm going to crush his eyes with my foot.
hold him im crushing his eyes
He that will think to live till he be old,
Give me some help!—O cruel! O you gods!
He who thinks he will live to be old, help me!—cruel! gods!
Anyone who thinks he'll live to get old, help!—this is cruel! gods!
help! this is cruel! gods!
One side will mock another; the other too!
One side will make fun of the other; the other side too!
One eye will mock the other one!
one eye laughs at the other
If you see vengeance—
If punishment strikes you—
If you see divine punishment—
if u see justice...
Hold your hand, my lord:
I have serv’d you ever since I was a child;
But better service have I never done you
Than now to bid you hold.
Stop your hand, my lord: I have served you since I was a child; but I have never done you better service than now, when I tell you to stop.
Stop! My lord, I've served you since childhood, but I've never done you a better favor than asking you to stop now.
stop my lord i served u all my life but stop now
How now, you dog!
What is this, you animal!
What, you mutt!
what dog!
If you did wear a beard upon your chin,
I’d shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean?
If you had a beard on your chin, I would pull it over this quarrel. What do you mean?
If you had a beard, I'd rip it out over this. What are you doing?
if u had beard id tear it out what u doing?
My villain?
My villain?
My villain?
My villain?
Nay, then, come on, and take the chance of anger.
Well then, come on, and face my anger.
Fine then, let's fight.
lets fight
The structure of Gloucester's recognition scene is almost unbearable in its precision. He learns the truth — 'Then Edgar was abused' — at the exact moment he cannot see, cannot act, cannot find Edgar, cannot undo anything. In the standard tragic structure, recognition (anagnorisis) is supposed to produce a reversal that opens a path forward. Here, the reversal has already happened (the blinding), and the recognition arrives after the irreversible event. Gloucester cannot see Edgar; he will not know him even when they meet, because Edgar will remain in disguise. The knowledge that his loyal son was framed can do nothing for Gloucester except inform his prayer. It is the most savage version of 'too late' in the play's long catalogue of too-late realizations.
[_To another servant._] Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up thus?
Give me your sword. A peasant dares to stand up and defy us like this?
Give me that sword. A servant actually dares to stand up to us like this?
give me your sword a peasant defies us?
O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye left
To see some mischief on him. O!
Oh, I am killed! My lord, you have one eye left to see some harm come to him. Oh!
I'm dying! My lord, you still have one eye left to see him get punished for this. Oh!
im dying u still have one eye for justice
Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly!
Where is thy lustre now?
To keep it from seeing more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly! Where is your brightness now?
To stop it from seeing more, get it out. Out, disgusting thing! Where's your light now?
out foul jelly where's ur light?
All dark and comfortless. Where’s my son Edmund?
Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature
To quit this horrid act.
All dark and without comfort. Where is my son Edmund? Edmund, stir up all your natural feelings to oppose this horrible act.
Everything's dark and hopeless. Where's my son Edmund? Edmund, use everything you've got to stop this horror.
all dark where's edmund? stop this!
Out, treacherous villain!
Thou call’st on him that hates thee: it was he
That made the overture of thy treasons to us;
Who is too good to pity thee.
Out, traitorous villain! You call on the one who hates you: it was he who told us about your treason; who is too noble to pity you.
You traitor! The man you're calling for is the one who hates you—he's the one who betrayed you to us, and he's too good to feel sorry for you.
ur calling the wrong guy he's the traitor he hates u
O my follies! Then Edgar was abus’d.
Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him!
Oh, my mistakes! Then Edgar was wrongly treated. Kind gods, forgive me for that, and make him succeed!
Oh no, my mistakes! So Edgar was innocent all along. Gods, forgive me for that, and help him.
i was wrong edgar was innocent forgive me
Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell
His way to Dover. How is’t, my lord? How look you?
Go shove him out the gates, and let him smell his way to Dover. How is it, my lord? How do you look?
Throw him out the gates and let him smell his way to Dover. How are you doing, my lord? How do you feel?
throw him out let him smell his way u ok?
I have receiv’d a hurt: follow me, lady.
Turn out that eyeless villain. Throw this slave
Upon the dunghill. Regan, I bleed apace:
Untimely comes this hurt: give me your arm.
I have received an injury: follow me, lady. Throw out that eyeless villain. Dump this slave on the garbage heap. Regan, I'm bleeding badly: this wound comes at a bad time: give me your arm.
I'm wounded: come on, lady. Get that blind wretch out of here. Throw this slave on the dunghill. Regan, I'm bleeding like crazy: I need your arm, now.
im hurt im bleeding help me throw him out
I’ll never care what wickedness I do,
If this man come to good.
If this man ends up prospering, I'll never care what wickedness I commit.
I'll stop caring about doing right if this man ends up prospering anyway.
if he prospers after this evil i'll give up on morality
If she live long,
And in the end meet the old course of death,
Women will all turn monsters.
If she lives long, and in the end meets the usual death course, women will all become monsters.
If she lives a long life and dies normally, it will prove women turn into monsters.
if she lives long women = monsters
Let’s follow the old Earl, and get the bedlam
To lead him where he would: his roguish madness
Allows itself to anything.
Let's follow the old Earl, and get the mad man to lead him where he wants to go: his wild madness allows him to do anything.
Let's follow the old Earl and get that mad guy to guide him—his crazy state means he'll do whatever we need.
follow the earl use the mad guy to guide gloucester
Go thou: I’ll fetch some flax and whites of eggs
To apply to his bleeding face. Now heaven help him!
You go ahead: I'll get some flax and egg whites to put on his bleeding face. Now gods, help him!
You go—I'll get flax and egg whites to bandage his face. Come on, gods, help him!
ill get bandages gods help him
The Reckoning
The most physically violent scene in all of Shakespeare — more violent than the deaths in Hamlet, more visceral than the murders in Macbeth, because it is done slowly, deliberately, in front of us, in an ordinary room, to an old man tied to a chair. The gouging of Gloucester's eyes is not battle violence; it is torture. And Shakespeare stages it with terrible precision: one eye first, then the pause, then the second. 'Out, vile jelly!' is one of the most horrifying lines in the canon. But the scene contains its own counter-movement: a servant — Cornwall's own man — cannot watch it. He draws his sword against his master. He is killed for it, by Regan, but not before mortally wounding Cornwall. The servant's intervention is the most important moment of moral resistance in the play: an anonymous person, with nothing to gain and everything to lose, saying 'I can't watch this.' Then, in the darkness, Regan tells Gloucester that Edmund betrayed him. 'Then Edgar was abused.' The moral world cracks open. He sees — now that his eyes are gone.
If this happened today…
An interrogation scene. Two people in authority are questioning a third about something he knows. He tells the truth. They hurt him anyway. One of the guards watching cannot stand it anymore and tries to intervene. He is killed for it, but not before wounding one of the interrogators. The other tells the victim: the person you thought was loyal? He's the one who sent us here. The victim understands at last — just as understanding can no longer do him any good.