King Lear Contents
- Social / political background
- Religious / philosophical background
- The Theatre
- Act I
- Act II
- Act III
- Act IV
- Act V
Act 4 Scene 6
Synopsis of Act 4 Scene 6
Still disguised as ‘Poor Tom’, Edgar leads his father onto a heath and persuades him that they are standing before the dizzying view from the top of a Dover cliff. Edgar then pretends to leave his father. Believing himself to be on the edge of the cliff, Gloucester hurls himself forward so as to commit suicide. Edgar then pretends to be a passer-by at the bottom of the cliff and declares that he had seen Gloucester at the top with a creature that resembled a devil. Gloucester accepts the idea that he has been saved by the gods from an evil desire, and he vows to accept his affliction patiently until the day he dies.
Lear now appears, covered with wild flowers and raving madly. When the King sees Gloucester he forgives him for committing the sin of adultery and tells him that eyes are not needed to recognize injustices. A Gentleman with a search party arrives to take Lear to Cordelia, but Lear runs off, challenging them to catch him.
When Oswald arrives, he attacks Gloucester and accuses Edgar of helping the ‘traitor’. However, Edgar fatally wounds him. As he dies, Oswald asks Edgar to deliver his letters to Edmund. Amongst Oswald’s belongings, Edgar finds a letter from Goneril proposing that Edmund should murder Albany and marry her instead.
Commentary on Act 4 Scene 6
- This is the first really developed scene of Act 4 and its focus is Edgar:
- Through him it begins to seem as if goodness and justice may be able to prevail against evil and malice. Edgar brings about a ‘miracle’ in Gloucester’s mind, making him re-evaluate the gods as ‘ever gentle’ rather than ‘cruel’
- Edgar continues to be a very sharp contrast to Edmund: virtuous deceit for a good goal rather than evil deceit for personal advantage. Both sons lie to their father but for very different reasons
- The similarities between Gloucester and Lear are further emphasised as the two betrayed and fallen fathers try to make sense of their lives
- The death of Oswald gives the audience some hope that morality may prevail.
Come on, Sir; here's the place: Edgar pretends to Gloucester that they are standing on the edge of the high cliffs of Dover facing France. He gives precise and evocative details making the deception sound very convincing.
The crows and choughs … gross as beetles: The birds are imagined as flying in the air below the observer, halfway up the cliff face.
samphire: This is an aromatic succulent, especially associated with Dover in Shakespeare's day. It grows on the face of cliffs making it particularly hazardous to gather.
for all beneath the moon / Would I not leap upright: Edgar pretends to be so near the edge of the cliff that he would fall over the edge even if he jumped vertically upwards.
To quarrel with your great opposeless wills: Gloucester considers the matter of Fate, the will of the gods which must prevail. However, there is a contradiction here as Gloucester believes that, by committing suicide, he has denied the gods a chance of extending his suffering any further. Once again, Shakespeare seems to be implying that it is human beings who are responsible for their destiny.
And yet I know not … Yields to the theft: Edgar is worried about the power of the mind. At this crucial moment he considers the possibility that the shock of Gloucester's imagined fall may kill him, since he is so prepared to die.
He had a thousand noses … enridg’d sea: Edgar wants his father to believe that the companion he had at the top of the cliff was not himself but rather a demon. If he can get his father to believe that he has been the subject of supernatural intervention, he hopes his father will give up any idea of suicide, as clearly contravening the will of the gods.
Shakespeare’s audience would be very familiar with the picture of a man being tempted by a devil to throw himself from a high place – it was one of the temptations Jesus faced from Satan in the wilderness (see Luke 4:9-13), which he resisted.
father: This term was often used in Shakespeare's day to mean merely ‘old man’, and this is the sense in which Gloucester takes it. For the audience the phrase would also have had the more normal meaning.
No, they cannot touch me for coining: Lear says that as he is a king, he cannot be punished for making coins since he has the right to make coins as currency for his kingdom. The word ‘coining’ has another meaning: the procreation of children. Lear comes onto the stage with money in his hand, thinking he can use it to impress Edgar or Gloucester into serving in the army.
a clothier’s yard: This was a measurement used when measuring cloth. Lear wants the recruit to draw his bow to its full extent, i.e. a full yard.
gauntlet: Throwing down one's gauntlet (a cuffed glove) was a signal that one wished to challenge an enemy to single combat.
Goneril, with a white beard: The fact that Lear mistakes Gloucester for Goneril suggests that he cannot eradicate the thought of his daughter’s inhumanity.
‘Ay’ and ‘no’ too was no good divinity: Despite the play’s pagan setting, Lear quotes an idea familiar to Shakespeare’s audience as being mentioned by Jesus and in one of the letters of the New Testament: ‘but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.’ James 5:12
Ay, every inch a king: Lear resumes the role of King for a moment but his thoughts then run on to more personal matters and he meditates on the frailty of the human condition. In particular he dwells on human sexual behaviour in considerable detail.
Behold yond simpering dame: Lear is thinking of women who pretend to be respectable in order to conceal their real sexual desires.
Down from the waist they are centaurs: Centaurs were creatures from Greek mythology, half man, half horse. That is, they were animals from the waist down. He goes on to suggest that the lower part of the body belongs to the devil because it is associated with the desires of the flesh.
A ruined piece of nature … wear out to nought: Gloucester feels that since Lear’s former greatness has been reduced to nothing, then the universe itself must pass away. The fate of one individual human being is thus seen to have universal implications.
I remember thine eyes well enough: These words emphasise both Gloucester’s suffering and Lear’s madness. Cupid was usually depicted as the blindfolded god of love who aimed his arrows of desire at the hearts of both men and gods, causing them to fall in love.
A man may see how this world goes with no eyes. Look with thine ears: Because appearances can be deceptive, Gloucester’s blindness, in Lear’s opinion, is actually an advantage.
scurvy politician: The term ‘politician’ was used to mean a cunning trickster who sought his own advantage by any means, regardless of morality.
this great stage of fools: Shakespeare here uses the image of the stage to represent the whole world. He did this famously in As You Like It (‘All the world's a stage, / And all the men and women merely players.’).
Thou hast one daughter / Who redeems nature from the general curse: The ‘general curse’ is a reference to original sin which every human being has inherited as a result of the transgression of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and their expulsion from Paradise. See Adam and Eve.
Her army is moved on: Cordelia is looking for her father and has left the French army.
A proclaimed prize: There has been a public proclamation that Gloucester should be hunted down as an outlaw and killed as a traitor. Oswald thinks it will be to his advantage if he can kill him.
Now let thy friendly hand: Gloucester thinks of Oswald’s hand as being friendly since it will bring him the death he desires – despite his recent decision not to attempt to take his own life again.
Chill not let go, sir: Edgar uses a West Country dialect here in order to make his disguise completely effective.
Leave, gentle wax; and, manners, blame us not: Edgar breaks open the wax seal of a letter which has not been addressed to him. He justifies this by saying that any means are justifiable for obtaining information about one's enemies.
Here, in the sands: Because Gloucester thinks they are on the beach, Edgar makes this reference in an attempt to reassure his father.
Investigating Act 4 Scene 6...
-
Why does Edgar seek to delude his father into believing that he is standing at the top of a high cliff?
-
How does the language that Edgar uses make the deception seem real?
-
-
How does Gloucester restate his belief in a universe ruled over by gods who are on the side of justice and order?
-
How does Edgar relate Lear’s madness to the current moral degeneration of Britain?
-
How does Edgar show that he forgives his father, despite Gloucester’s cruel and unjust treatment of him?
-
In what ways does Edgar's behaviour parallel that of Cordelia?
-
-
What role does Oswald play in this scene?
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
1And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3The devil said to him, If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. 4And Jesus answered him, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone. 5And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6and said to him, To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours. 8And Jesus answered him, It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. 9And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10for it is written, He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, 11and On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 12And Jesus answered him, It is said, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. 13And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. 14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. 16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. 20And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21And he began to say to them, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. 22And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 23And he said to them, Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, Physician, heal yourself. What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well. 24And he said, Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. 28When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30But passing through their midst, he went away. 31And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. 33And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God. 35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be silent and come out of him! And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36And they were all amazed and said to one another, What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out! 37And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region. 38And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41And demons also came out of many, crying, You are the Son of God! But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. 42And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43but he said to them, I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose. 44And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
1And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 9And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. 14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 23And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30But he passing through the midst of them went his way, 31And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. 32And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. 33And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. 35And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. 36And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. 37And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. 38And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. 39And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. 40Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. 41And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. 42And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. 43And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. 44And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
1Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. 7Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 12But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. 13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. 19My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
1Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. 7Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. 13Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Also known as Satan or Lucifer, the Bible depicts him as the chief of the fallen angels and demons, the arch enemy of God who mounts a significant, but ultimately futile, challenge to God's authority.
What is destined to happen to someone. In Greek mythology, the powers of Fate were often depicted as three women who decided on each individual's destiny and life-span.
An evil spiritual force, also known as a devil, which opposes God and seeks to separate human beings from him. In the Gospels and Acts they are portrayed as inhabiting or oppressing individuals.
Also known as Satan or Lucifer, the Bible depicts him as the chief of the fallen angels and demons, the arch enemy of God who mounts a significant, but ultimately futile, challenge to God's authority.
The act of tempting or something that entices an individual to do wrong. In the Bible, can come from a person's internal desires or from an external evil force such as the Devil.
The name given to the man believed by Christians to be the Son of God. Also given the title Christ, meaning 'anointed one' or Messiah. His life is recorded most fully in the Four Gospels.
The devil; the term 'Satan' actually means 'Enemy' and is often used to refer to the force of evil in the world.
Term applied to those who are not Christian, particularly followers of the classical religion of Greece and Rome and of the pre-Christian religions of Europe.
The name given to the man believed by Christians to be the Son of God. Also given the title Christ, meaning 'anointed one' or Messiah. His life is recorded most fully in the Four Gospels.
A 'testament' is a covenant (binding agreement), a term used in the Bible of God's relationship with his people. The New Testament is the second part of the Christian Bible. Its name comes from the new covenant or relationship with God.
Creatures who were half-man and half-horse. Most of them were vicious and savage, but Cheiron was a wise teacher and adviser.
State of disobedience to - and alienation from - God believed to have characterised human beings since the Fall of Adam and Eve.
According to Genesis (the first book of the Old Testament), Adam is the first human being, made in the image / likeness of God, placed in the Garden of Eden and given dominion over the earth.
According to the book of Genesis in the Bible the first woman, said to have been created by God out of Adam's rib, to be his companion.
The place described in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament, in which God placed his first human creatures, Adam and Eve.
A place of beauty and perfection, associated in the Bible and literature with both the Garden of Eden before the Fall, and heaven. Often used as a synonym for heaven.
Recently Viewed
-
King Lear » Act 4 Scene 6
just now
Related material
Scan and go
Scan on your mobile for direct link.