CORNWALL 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.
Enter OSWALD
How now! where's the king?
OSWALD 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 lords dependants, Are gone with him towards Dover; where they boast To have well-armed friends.
GLOUCESTER Naughty lady, These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my chin, Will quicken, and accuse thee: I am your host: With robbers' hands my hospitable favours You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?
CORNWALL Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?
REGAN Be simple answerer, for we know the truth.
CORNWALL And what confederacy have you with the traitors Late footed in the kingdom?
REGAN To whose hands have you sent the lunatic king? Speak.
GLOUCESTER I have a letter guessingly set down, Which came from one that's of a neutral heart, And not from one opposed.
CORNWALL Cunning.
REGAN And false.
CORNWALL Where hast thou sent the king?
GLOUCESTER To Dover.
REGAN Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charged at peril--
CORNWALL Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that.
GLOUCESTER I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course.
REGAN Wherefore to Dover, sir?
GLOUCESTER 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 endured, 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 subscribed: but I shall see The winged vengeance overtake such children.
CORNWALL See't shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair. Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot.
GLOUCESTER He that will think to live till he be old, Give me some help! O cruel! O you gods!
REGAN One side will mock another; the other too.
CORNWALL If you see vengeance,--
FIRST SERVANT Hold your hand, my lord: I have served you ever since I was a child; But better service have I never done you Than now to bid you hold.
REGAN How now, you dog!
FIRST SERVANT If you did wear a beard upon your chin, I'd shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean?
CORNWALL My villain!
They draw and fight
FIRST SERVANT Nay, then, come on, and take the chance of anger.
FIRST SERVANT O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye left To see some mischief on him. O!
Dies
CORNWALL Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly! Where is thy lustre now?
GLOUCESTER All dark and comfortless. Where's my son Edmund? Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature, To quit this horrid act.
REGAN 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.
GLOUCESTER O my follies! then Edgar was abused. Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him!
REGAN Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell His way to Dover.
Exit one with GLOUCESTER
How is't, my lord? how look you?
CORNWALL I have received 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.
The most violent scene in the play, and one of the most violent in all of Shakespeare’s work. Cornwall, Regan, and Goneril bind Gloucester and pluck his eyes out. When a servant tries to stop them, Cornwall fights him and Regan kills him from behind. Regan takes away the wounded Cornwall.
Two other servants, horrified by what they’ve witnessed, care for Gloucester. They decide to take him to the “Bedlam” beggar (really, Edgar in disguise) in hopes that he can lead Gloucester away from danger.
The brutality of this scene shows the extent of the daughters' evil and just how power-crazed they are.
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