Shakespeare, William · published 1608 · first performed or written 1605 [1605-1606] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · before the Court T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.78 · 495 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
If there be more, more woeful, hold it in, For I am almost ready to dissolve, hearing of this, This would have seemed a period to such As love not sorrow, but another to amplify too much, Would make much more, and top extremity Whilst I was big in clamour, came there in a man, Who having seen me in my worst estate, Shunned my abhorred society, but then finding Who 'twas that so endured with his strong arms He fastened on my neck and bellowed out, As he'd burst heaven, threw me on my father, Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him, That ever ear received, which in recounting His grief grew puissant and the strings of life, Began to crack twice▪ then the trumpet's sounded. And there I left him traunst. But who was this. Kent sir, the banished Kent, who in disguise, Followed his enemy king and did him service Improper for a slave. Help, help, What kind of help, what means that bloody knife? It's hot it smokes, it came even from the heart of▪ Who man, speak? Your Lady sir, your Lady, and her sister By her is poisoned, she hath confessed it. I was contracted to them both, all three Now marie in an instant. Produce their bodies, be they alive or dead, This justice of the heavens that makes us tremble, Touches us not with pity. Here comes Kent sir. O 'tis he, the time will not allow The complement that very manners urges. I am come to bid my King and master ay good night, Is he not here? Great thing of us forgot, Speak Edmund, where's the king, and where's Cordelia Seest thou this object Kent. Alack why thus. Yet Edmund was beloved, The one the other poisoned for my sake, And after slew herself. Even so, cover their faces. I pant for life, some good I mean to do, Despite of my own nature, quickly send, Be brief, in't toth' castle for my writ, Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia, Nay send in time. Run, run, O run. To who my Lord, who hath the office, send Thy token of reprieve. Well thought on, take my sword the Captain, Give it the Captain? Hast thee for thy life. He hath Commission from thy wife and me, To hang Cordelia in the prison, and to lay The blame upon her own despair, That she fordid herself. The Gods defend her, bear him hence a while. howl, howl, howl, howl, O you are men of stones, Had I your tongues and eyes, I would use them so, That heavens vault should crack, she's gone for ever, I know when one is dead, and when one lives, she's dead as earth, lend me a looking glass, If that her breath will missed or stain the stone, Why then she lives. Is this the promised end. Or image of that horror. Fall and cease.
before the Court;Globe;Whitehall;Outdoor Professional
Genre (British Drama)
tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional;Professional
Edition / TCP / DEEP
edition 623 · TCP A11978 · DEEP 517
Edition role
Representative edition — used in the analysis
Position
nodes 2218–2287 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 48 of 49 in this edition
Length
495 words · 646 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.778 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
If there be more, more wofull, hold it in, For I am almost ready to dissolue, hearing of this, This would haue seemd a periode to such As loue not sorow, but another to amplifie too much, Would make much more, and top extreamitie Whil'st I was big in clamor, came there in a man, Who hauing seene me in my worst estate, Shund my abhord society, but then finding Who twas that so indur'd with his strong armes He fastened on my necke and bellowed out, As hee'd burst heauen, threw me on my father, Told the most pitious tale of Lear and him, That euer eare receiued, which in recounting His griefe grew puissant and the strings of life, Began to cracke twice▪ then the trumpets sounded. And there I left him traunst. But who was this. Kent sir, the banisht Kent, who in diguise, Followed his enemie king and did him seruice Improper for a slaue. Helpe, helpe, What kind of helpe, what meanes that bloudy knife? Its hot it smokes, it came euen from the heart of▪ Who man, speake? Your Lady sir, your Lady, and her sister By her is poysoned, she hath confest it. I was contracted to them both, all three Now marie in an instant. Produce their bodies, be they aliue or dead, This Iustice of the heauens that makes vs tremble, Touches vs not with pity. Here comes Kent sir. O tis he, the time will not allow The complement that very manners vrges. I am come to bid my King and maister ay good night, Is he not here? Great thing of vs forgot, Speake Edmund, whers the king, and whers Cordelia Seest thou this obiect Kent. Alack why thus. Yet Edmund was beloued, The one the other poysoned for my sake, And after slue her selfe. Euen so, couer their faces. I pant for life, some good I meane to do, Despight of my owne nature, quickly send, Be briefe, int toth' castle for my writ, Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia, Nay send in time. Runne, runne, O runne. To who my Lord, who hath the office, send Thy token of repreeue. Well thought on, take my sword the Captaine, Giue it the Captaine? Hast thee for thy life. He hath Commission from thy wife and me, To hang Cordelia in the prison, and to lay The blame vpon her owne despaire, That she fordid her selfe. The Gods defend her, beare him hence a while. Howle, howle, howle, howle, O you are men of stones, Had I your tongues and eyes, I would vse them so, That heauens vault should cracke, shees gone for euer, I know when one is dead, and when one liues, Shees dead as earth, lend me a looking glasse, If that her breath will mist or staine the stone, Why then she liues. Is this the promist end. Or image of that horror. Fall and cease.