king lear essay quotes

King Lear Quotes

In King Lear Shakespeare delivers a play with many enduring quotes. As with so many of his plays Shakespeare brings the characters to life with memorable dialogue and some fantastic quotes, many in the form of thought provoking sayings, such as “How sharper than a serpents tooth to have a thankless child”. Read our selection of the very best and most well known King Lear quotes below, along with speaker, act and scene.

“Nothing will come of nothing: speak again.”

Lear (act 1, scene 1)

“Love’s not love When it is mingled with regards that stand Aloof from th’ entire point.”

France (act 1, scene 1)

“ This is the excellent foppery of the world , that, when we are sick in fortune,–often the surfeit of our own behavior,–we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars: as if we were villains by necessity; fools by heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and treachers, by spherical predominance; drunkards, liars, and adulterers, by an enforced obedience of planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on: an admirable evasion of whoremaster man, to lay his goatish disposition to the charge of a star.”

Edmund (act 1, scene 2)

“Who is it that can tell me who I am?”

Lear (act 1, scene 4)

“Mark it, nuncle. Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest, Lend less than thou owest, Ride more than thou goest, Learn more than thou trowest, Set less than thou throwest, Leave thy drink and thy whore And keep in-a-door, And thou shalt have more Than two tens to a score.”

Fool (act 1, scene 4)

“How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is To have a thankless child!”

“thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.”.

Fool (act 1, scene 5)

“A knave; a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound, filthy, worsted-stocking knave; a lily-livered, action-taking knave, a whoreson, glass-gazing, super-serviceable finical rogue; one-trunk-inheriting slave”

Kent (act 2, scene 2)

“The prince of darkness is a gentleman!”

Edgar (act 3, scene 1)

“ Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drenched our teeples, drowned the cocks! You sulphurour and thought-executing fires, Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts, Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking thunder, Strike flat the thick rotundity o’ the world! Crack nature’s molds, all germens spill at once That make ingrateful man!”

Lear (act 3, scene 2)

“I am a man more sinned against than sinning”

“the art of our necessities is strange that can make vile things precious.”, “when the mind’s free, the body’s delicate.”.

Lear (act 3, scene 4)

“This cold night will turn us all to fools and madmen.”

Fool (act 3, scene 4)

“When we our betters see bearing our woes, We scarcely think our miseries our foes.”

Edgar (act 3, scene 6)

“As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods. They kill us for their sport.”

Gloucester (act 4, scene 1)

“And worse I may be yet: the worst is not So long as we can say ‘This is the worst.”

Edgar (act 4, scene 1)

“You are not worth the dust which the rude wind blows in your face”

Albany (act 4, scene 2)

“When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools.”

Lear (act 4, scene 6)

“O, let me kiss that hand!”

Gloucester (act 4, scene 6)

“ Let me wipe it first; it smells of mortality.”

“men must endure their going hence, even as their coming hither. ripeness is all.”.

Edgar (act 5, scene 2)

“Jesters do oft prove prophets.”

Regan (act 5, scene 3)

“The weight of this sad time we must obey, Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. The oldest hath borne most: we that are young Shall never see so much, nor live so long.”

Edgar (act 5, scene 3)

“No, no, no, no! Come, let’s away to prison: We two alone will sing like birds i’ the cage: When thou dost ask me blessing, I’ll kneel down, And ask of thee forgiveness: so we’ll live, And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues Talk of court news; and we’ll talk with them too, Who loses and who wins; who’s in, who’s out; And take upon’s the mystery of things, As if we were God’s spies: and we’ll wear out, In a wall’d prison, packs and sects of great ones, That ebb and flow by the moon.”

Lear (act 5, scene 3)

Are any of your favourite King Lear quotes missing from the above list? Let us know in the comments below.

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by William Shakespeare

King lear quotes and analysis.

"How, nothing will come of nothing." Lear, 1.1

When Lear asks his daughters to tell him how much they love him, Cordelia tells him she has nothing to say. This quotation is Lear's response, in which he implies to Cordelia that she will receive no part of her inheritance if she remains quiet. However, this quotation also addresses one of the major motifs in the play – nothingness. Eventually, Lear himself is stripped of his kingdom and left with "nothing," and in the end, the play nihilistically questions whether "nothingness" is the natural state of the world.

"As much as child e’er loved, or father found, / A love that makes breath poor and speech unable, / Beyond all manner of so much I love you." Goneril, 1.1

When Lear asks his daughters to compete for his affections, this is Goneril's response to his request. She explains that her love for her father renders her incapable of speech. Goneril is, however, delivering a speech to her father at the same time, therefore indicating that she is disingenuous in her praise.

"He hath ever but slenderly known himself." Regan, 1.1

In a moment of wisdom, Regan describes what will turn out to be Lear's fatal flaw: he has yet to realize who he truly is. Thinking himself still a powerful king rather than an aged man, Lear's decision to disinherit Cordelia spurs his downfall. Ironically, it is this very fall that helps Lear gain the self-knowledge he desperately needs, though not before the tragic end of the play.

"What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be silent." Cordelia, 1.1

In this aside, Cordelia expresses her confusion over being asked to describe her love for Lear. Instead, Cordelia suggests that love is something that can necessarily be put into words (indeed, her sisters prove through their own speeches that love is often obscured by language of flattery). Instead, Cordelia chooses to remain silent precisely as a dramatization of her loyalty to Lear, who wrongly interprets her silence as indignation.

"I love your majesty / According to my bond, no more nor less." Cordelia, 1.1

This quotation is Cordelia's response to Lear's solicitation of affection from his three daughters. Lear is offended by the statement because Cordelia does not over-exaggerate her love for her father as her two sisters do. Her use of the word "bond" signifies her relationship to Lear both as his daughter and as his subject, highlighting her own self-knowledge and reverence for her father's position despite Lear's perception that she is being withholding.

"Why brand they us / With base? With baseness? Bastardy? Base, base?" Edmund, 1.3

Here, Edmund questions why he has been so "branded" with his status as Gloucester's bastard. While Edmund is a clear antagonist in King Lear , this moment offers insight into his behavior, as he is clearly preoccupied with his lower status thrust upon him by a society that devalues and debases illegitimate children.

"O dear father, / It is thy business that I go about." Cordelia, 4.4

Cordelia returns to England after being exiled by her father, but in this quotation she explains that she has not returned for vengeance. Instead, Cordelia expresses her continued loyalty to Lear, which at this point in the play he is finally starting to recognize. Furthermore, this quotation mirrors Christ's words in the Bible when he says, "I must go about my father's business" (Luke 2:49). By associating Cordelia with Christ, the play emphasizes her own innocence while also foreshadowing her death.

"I am a very foolish, fond old man, / Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less; / And to deal plainly, / I fear I am not in my perfect mind." Lear, 4.7

Toward the end of the play, as Lear descends into madness, he ironically develops clarity about his position. In the beginning of the play, Lear is blinded by his power as a king, which ultimately catalyzes his own downfall. However, in this quotation, Lear is able to speak clearly and accurately about who he is – an aging, powerless man who has partially lost his grip on reality.

"As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods / They kill us for their sport." Gloucester, 5.1

In this quotation, Gloucester argues that cruelty is simply a fact of life. After being brutally blinded, Gloucester has come to see the world as nothing but bleak, and life as nothing but doom. Gloucester here raises one of the central questions of King Lear – whether life on earth has any inherent meaning or value at all.

"No, no, no life! / Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, / and thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more, / never, never, never, never, never!" Lear, 5.3

Lear is devastated by the death of his youngest daughter Cordelia at the end of the play. In this quotation, he asks why other animals still possess life when Cordelia is dead. The repetition of the word "never" also dramatizes the extent of Lear's loss: so destroyed by the news of his daughter's death, Lear loses his sense of language and foreshadows the finality of his own death to follow.

King Lear Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for King Lear is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

"Themes of King Lear are skilfully presented through imagery and symbolism"

King Lear is rife with animal imagery, as the play is known for interrogating whether mankind is anything "more" than animal after all. Most often, animal imagery appears in the form of savage or carnivorous beasts, usually associated with Goneril...

A tragic hero moves the reader to pity,since his misfortune is greater than he deserves,and also creates fear,since his tragedy might easily befall one of us.To what extent does Lear fit the definition of a tragic hero?

Check this out:

http://bailieborocslibrary.weebly.com/blog/lear-develops-more-as-a-tragic-hero-than-gloucester-discuss

Edmund's "Up With Bastards" soliloquy in King Lear

The repetition makes Edmund sound harsh and angry.

Study Guide for King Lear

King Lear study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About King Lear
• King Lear Summary
• King Lear Video
• Character List

Essays for King Lear

King Lear literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of King Lear.

• The Heroines of Crime and Punishment, King Lear, and To the Lighthouse
• Folly of the Fool
• Sight and Consciousness: An Interpretive Study in King Lear
• An Examination of the Inverse Tropes of Sight and Blindness in King Lear
• Gender, Power, and Economics in King Lear

Lesson Plan for King Lear

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to King Lear
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• King Lear Bibliography

E-Text of King Lear

King Lear E-Text contains the full text of King Lear

• Persons Represented

Wikipedia Entries for King Lear

• Introduction

50 Important Quotes You Should Pay Attention to in King Lear

Writing an essay for ‘ King Lear ‘ , but not sure which quotes are important? 

Look no further! We’ve gathered 50 of the most important quotes and categorised them across 3 themes from King Lear that will help you spark some great ideas. 

Keep in mind that King Lear is a Shakespearean play  — so, that means that you will be using techniques from plays such as soliloquies and dramatic irony to showcase your full understanding of the text . 

To learn about top quotes from King Lear that you’ll want to remember, just scroll down! 

Quotes about Family and Love from King Lear Quotes about Madness and Power from King Lear Fate Quotes from King Lear

Download our list of King Lear quotes now!

Family and Love

#1: Sir, I love you more than word can yield the matter; Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor; As much as child e’er loved, or father found A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable. Beyond all manner of so much I love you Scene: Act 1, scene 1, line 55–61 Characters: Goneril Techniques : Accumulation, dichotomy of love and loss, figurative language

#2: Only she comes too short I profess myself an enemy to all other joys. Scene: Act 1, scene 1, lines 72-72 Characters: Regan Techniques: Metaphor, Foreshadowing, Irony

#3: Let it be so. Thy truth then be thy dower. For by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hecate and the night, By all the operation of the orbs From whom we do exist and cease to be— Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity, and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee from this for ever. Scene: Act 1, scene 1, lines 109-117 Characters: King Lear Techniques: Allusion, Irony, Hyperbole, Foreshadowing

#4: Good my lord, You have begot me, bred me, loved me. I Return those duties back as are right fit— Obey you, love you and most honour you.  Scene: Act 1, scene 1, lines 96-99 Character: Cordelia Techniques: Tripling, emotive language

#5: Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, And thou no breath at all? Scene : Act 5, scene 3, lines 370-371 Character: King Lear Techniques: Rhetorical question, animal motif Analysis: The quote reflects Lear’s despair and anguish as he mourns the death of his beloved daughter, Cordelia. The quote, “Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, And thou no breath at all?” suggests that Lear is questioning the fundamental unfairness of life. He wonders why animals, which are often considered inferior to humans, are allowed to live while his daughter, who he loved dearly, has died. Lear’s despair is compounded by the fact that Cordelia died as a result of his own misguided decisions. The quote highlights the tragic consequences of Lear’s actions, which have led to the death of his loved ones and the destruction of his kingdom. It also speaks to the universal human experience of grappling with the unfairness of life and the inevitability of death. Overall, the quote is a poignant expression of Lear’s grief and serves to underscore the play’s themes of mortality, justice, and the fleeting nature of life.

#6: Cordelia: Unhappy that I am. I cannot have My heart into my mouth. I have your majesty. According to my bond; no more nor less. Lear : Nothing can come from nothing. Scene: Act 1, scene 1, lines 90-92 Characters: Cordelia, King Lear Techniques: Paradox, hyperbole, foreshadowing 

#7: Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law My services are bound. Wherefore should I Stand in the plague of custom, and permit The curiosity of nations to deprive me, For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines Lag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base? … Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land. Our father’s love is to the bastard Edmund As to the legitimate. Fine word—“legitimate”! Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed, And my invention thrive, Edmund the base Shall top the legitimate. I grow; I prosper. Now, gods, stand up for bastards! Scene: Act 1, scene 2, lines 1-22 Character : Edmund Techniques: Soliloquy, repetition, celestial imagery

#8: Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones: Had I your tongues and eyes, I’d use them so That heaven’s vault should crack. She’s gone forever! I know when one is dead, and when one lives; She’s dead as earth. Scene: Act 5, scene 3, lines 256-260 Character: King Lear Techniques: Animal motif, figurative language Analysis: In this scene, Lear is mourning the death of his daughter Cordelia, who has been hanged in prison. The quote is a passionate outburst of grief and despair, as Lear laments the loss of his daughter. The quote, “Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones: Had I your tongues and eyes, I’d use them so That heaven’s vault should crack. She’s gone forever! I know when one is dead, and when one lives; She’s dead as earth,” expresses Lear’s intense emotions of pain and sorrow. He commands those around him to join in his mourning, and he expresses his frustration that they cannot feel the same depth of emotion that he does. Lear’s desire to use his own eyes and voice to express his grief is a powerful image, and his statement that “heaven’s vault should crack” suggests that his grief is so great that it could shake the very foundations of the universe. Lear’s words also convey a sense of resignation and acceptance, as he acknowledges that Cordelia is gone forever and that her death is as final as the earth itself. Overall, this quote is a poignant expression of Lear’s grief and serves to underscore the play’s themes of mortality, family, and the fragility of human life. The intensity of Lear’s emotions also highlights the universal human experience of loss and the enduring power of love and family bonds.

#9: I have heard him oft maintain it To be fit that, sons at perfect age and fathers Declined, the father should be as ward to the son, And the son manage the revenue.  Scene: Act 1, scene 4, lines 67-70 Character: Edmund Techniques: Dramatic irony, representation of identity, old age motif

#10: As much as child e’er loved, or father found, A love that makes breath poor and speech unable, Beyond all manner of so much I love you.  Scene: Act 1, scene 1, lines 59-61 Character : Goneril Techniques: Flattery, dichotomy of love and loss, irony

#11: Nor are those empty-hearted, whose low sounds Reverb no hollowness. Scene: Act 1, scene 1, lines 172-173 Character : Kent Techniques: D ramatic irony, speech

#12: Ingratitude, thou marble-hearted fiend, More hideous when thou show’st thee in a child Than the sea-monster! Scene: Act 1, scene 4, lines 270-272  Character: King Lear  Techniques: Animal motif, accusation, foreshadowing 

#13: I am a man More sinned against than sinning. Scene : Act 3, scene 2, lines 59-60 Character: King Lear Techniques : Irony, metaphor, representation of identity Analysis: Lear has been cast out by his own daughters and left to wander the countryside in a state of madness. He is reflecting on his life and the events that have led him to his current situation. The quote, “I am a man more sinned against than sinning,” suggests that Lear sees himself as a victim of circumstance rather than the cause of his own downfall. He acknowledges that he has made mistakes in his life, but he feels that he has been treated unfairly by those around him, particularly his daughters. He is saying that he has been sinned against more than he has sinned himself. The quote reflects the theme of justice and the idea of moral balance in the play. Lear’s statement highlights the idea that actions have consequences and that injustice can lead to a cycle of wrongdoing and retribution. It also emphasises the importance of personal responsibility and the idea that we must take responsibility for our own actions, even if we feel that we have been treated unfairly by others.

#14: When thou dost ask me blessing, I’ll kneel down And ask of thee forgiveness.  Scene: Act 5, scene 3, lines 10-11 Character : King Lear Techniques : Dichotomy of love and loss, symbolism, representation of identity

#15: How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is To have a thankless child!  Scene: Act 1, scene 4, lines 82-83 Character: King Lear Techniques: Animal motif, symbolism, foreshadowing

King Lear Quotes about Madness and Power

#16: Where the greater malady is fixed, The lesser is scarce felt The tempest in my mind Doth from my sense take all feeling else, Save what beast here: filial ingratitude  Scene: Act 3, scene 4, line.8-14 Characters: King Lear Techniques: speech, animal motif

#17: Rumble thy bellyful! Spit fire! Spout rain! Now rain, wind, thunder, fire are my daughters. Scene: Act 3, scene 2, lines 14-15 Characters: Lear Techniques: Nihilistic language, metaphor, vivid imagery Analysis: Lear has been cast out by his own daughters and left to wander the countryside in a state of madness. He is addressing a violent storm, which he sees as a reflection of the turmoil in his own life. The quote, “Rumble thy bellyful! Spit fire! Spout rain! Now rain, wind, thunder, fire are my daughters,” suggests that Lear is equating the storm with his own daughters, whom he feels have betrayed him. By personifying the storm as his daughters, Lear is expressing his anger and frustration at their actions. He is also acknowledging the destructive power of the storm, which reflects the chaos and turmoil in his own life. The quote highlights the theme of the natural world reflecting human emotions and actions in the play. Lear’s statement suggests that the storm is a manifestation of his own anger and despair, and that nature is reacting to the injustice that has been done to him. It also emphasises the idea that nature can be both nurturing and destructive, reflecting the complex and often contradictory nature of human emotions and actions.

#18: No, I’ll not weep. I have full cause of weeping, but this heart Shall break into a hundred thousand flaws, Or ere I’ll weep. O fool, I shall go mad! Scene: Act 2, scene 4, lines 273-281 Character: King Lear Techniques: Monologue, representation of identity, figurative language

#19: As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; They kill us for their sport. Scene: Act 4, scene 1, lines 37-38 Character: Gloucester Techniques: Animal motif, metaphor, paradox

#20: Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drench’d our steeples, drown’d the cocks! You sulphurous and thought-executing fires, Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts, Singe my white head! Scene: Act 3, scene 2, lines 1-6 Character: King Lear Techniques: Nature motif, onomatopoeia, accumulation

#21: Thou hast seen a farmer’s dog bark at a beggar? And the creature run from the cur? There thou mightst behold the great image of authority: a dog’s obeyed in office.  Scene: Act 4, scene 6, lines 155-159 Character: King Lear Techniques: Animal motif, symbolism, representation of identity

#22: Dear daughter, I confess that I am old; Age is unnecessary. Scene: Act 2, scene 4, lines 173-174 Character: King Lear Techniques: Old age motif, condescension 

#23: These kind of knaves I know, which in this plainness Harbour more craft and more corrupter ends Than twenty silly-ducking observants. Scene: Act 2, scene 2, lines 95-97 Character: Cornwall Techniques: accusation, irony, symbolism

#24: Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst Been wise. Scene: Act 1, scene 1, lines 43-44 Character: Fool Techniques: Didactic, irony, paradox

#25: Gloucester: O, let me kiss that hand! King Lear: Let me wipe it first; it smells of mortality. Scene: Act 4, scene 6, lines 147-148 Characters: Gloucester, King Lear Techniques: Sight motif, old age motif, allegory 

#26: Kent: My life I never held but as a pawn To wage against thy enemies, nor fear to lose it, Thy safety being motive.  King Lear: Out of my sight!  Kent: See better, Lear, and let me still remain The true blank of thine eye.  Scene: Act 1, scene 1, lines 158-163  Characters: Kent, King Lear  Techniques: Sight motif, allegory, foreshadowing 

#27: Truth’s a dog must to kennel; he must be whipped out, when Lady the brach may stand by the fire and stink.  Scene: Act 1, scene 4, line 66.   Character : Fool  Techniques: M etaphor, animal motif, symbolism  Analysis: The Fool is speaking to Lear, who has just given away his kingdom to his daughters and is beginning to realize the extent of his mistake. The quote, “Truth’s a dog must to kennel; he must be whipped out, when Lady the brach may stand by the fire and stink,” suggests that the Fool is commenting on the unfairness of the world, where those who speak the truth are often punished while those who are deceitful are rewarded. The Fool is comparing the truth to a dog that is sent to the kennel and whipped, while Lady, a female hunting dog or “brach,” is allowed to stand by the fire and do nothing, even though she stinks. The line also implies that the Fool believes that the truth is often unpopular and difficult to accept, while lies and flattery are often preferred, even if they are ultimately harmful. The Fool is suggesting that Lear has been deceived by his daughters’ flattery, and that he needs to listen to those who speak the truth, even if it is difficult to hear.

#28: Proper deformity shows not in the fiend So horrid as in woman.  Scene: Act 4, scene 2, lines 68-69  Character : Albany  Techniques: Representation of identity, allegory 

#29: So distribution should undo excess, And each man have enough. Scene: Act 4, scene 1, lines 80-81  Character: Gloucester  Techniques: Dramatic irony, symbolism, irony 

#30: Get thee glass eyes, And like a scurvy politician seem To see the things thou dost not.  Scene: Act 4, scene 6, lines 159-161  Character: King Lear  Techniques : S ight motif, allusion, symbolism  Analysis: In the scene, Lear has been driven to madness and has just realized the full extent of Goneril’s betrayal. The quote, “Get thee glass eyes, And like a scurvy politician seem To see the things thou dost not,” is an insult directed at Goneril. Lear is telling her to get fake or “glass” eyes so that she can pretend to see things that she doesn’t actually see, just like a dishonest politician. In other words, Lear is accusing Goneril of being a liar and a manipulator who cannot be trusted to see the truth. The insult also suggests that Goneril is trying to hide her true intentions and deceive Lear, much like a politician who tries to deceive the public to achieve their own goals. The use of the word “scurvy” further emphasises the negative connotation of Goneril’s actions, as “scurvy” is often associated with disease, dishonesty, and general untrustworthiness. Overall, this quote highlights the theme of deception and betrayal in the play, and the danger of trusting those who are not truly loyal.

#31: Love’s not love When it is mingled with regards that stand Aloof from th’ entire point.  Scene: Act 1, scene 1, lines 245-247  Character: France  Techniques: Flattery, didactic, allusion 

#32: O! let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven; Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!  Scene: Act 1, scene 5, 39-41  Character: King Lear  Techniques: Repetition, sight motif, foreshadowing

Fate Quotes from King Lear

#33: Old Man: You cannot see your way.  Gloucester: I have no way, And therefore want no eyes. I stumbled when I saw.  Scene: Act 4, scene 1, lines 17-19 Characters: Old Man, Gloucester Techniques : Paradox, visual imagery, sight motif

#34: That’s something yet: Edgar, nothing I am. Scene: Act 1, scene 3, line 21 Characters: Edgar Techniques: Soliloquy, motif of nothing

#35: Pluck out his poor old eyes, nor thy fierce sister In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs. Scene: Act 3, scene 7, lines 63-64 Character: Gloucester Techniques: Sight motif, hyperbole, animal motif, old age motif

#36: All friends shall taste The wages of their virtue, and all foes The cup of their deserving. Scene: Act 5, scene 3, lines 301-303 Character: Albany Techniques : Didactic, foreshadowing Analysis: In this scene, Albany has taken charge and is working to restore order after the chaos that has ensued throughout the play. The quote, “All friends shall taste the wages of their virtue, and all foes the cup of their deserving,” can be interpreted as a statement of justice. Albany is saying that everyone, whether they are friends or foes, will receive the consequences of their actions. Those who have been virtuous will receive their reward, while those who have been deserving of punishment will receive their due. Overall, this quote reflects a belief in the idea of divine justice, where each person’s actions will ultimately lead to their just rewards or punishments. It also highlights the importance of taking responsibility for one’s actions and accepting the consequences that come with them.

#37: His flawed heart— … Twixt two extremes of passion, joy and grief, Burst smilingly Scene: Act 5, scene 3, lines 195-198 Character: Edgar Techniques: Paradox, dichotomy, symbolism 

#38: King Lear: Who is it that can tell me who I am? The Fool: Lear’s shadow Scene: Act 1, scene 4, lines 230-231 Characters : King Lear, The Fool Techniques: Representation of identity, bleak tone

#39: You owe me no subscription. Why then let fall Your horrible pleasure. Here I stand your slave, A poor, infirm, weak and despised old man. Scene: Act 3, scene 2, lines 18-20 Character: King Lear Techniques: Representation of identity, metaphor, allusion, old age motif 

#40: I am a very foolish, fond old man, Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less; And to deal plainly, I fear I am not in my perfect mind.  Scene: Act 4, scene 7, lines 59-62 Character: King Lear Techniques: Meiosis, irony, humour, representation of identity, old age motif

#41: I will die bravely, like a smug bridegroom. What! I will be jovial: come, come; I am a king, My masters, know you that. Scene: Act 4, scene 6, 198-200 Character: King Lear Techniques: Irony, representation of identity, humour

#42: You should be ruled and led By some discretion that discerns your state Better than you yourself.  Scene: Act 2, scene 2, lines 337-339 Character: Regan Techniques: Sight motif, pedagogy of mortification, old age motif

#43: When we are born, we cry that we are come To this great stage of fools. Scene: Act 4, scene 6, 171-172 Character: King Lear Techniques : Representation of identity, symbolism, allegory Analysis: The quote “When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools” can be interpreted as a commentary on the human condition, where people are born into a world that can be seen as foolish, chaotic and full of folly. The line suggests that life is like a stage play, where humans are the actors playing out their roles. The idea of crying at birth suggests that people are aware of the foolishness of the world and the futility of human endeavours from a very early age. The metaphor of the “great stage of fools” suggests that life is a performance, where everyone is a player and the world is the stage. In context of the play, the line can also be interpreted as a reflection of King Lear’s own disillusionment and sense of despair. Throughout the play, Lear realises that the world is not as he thought it was and that his own choices have led him to tragedy. The line suggests that he feels that everyone is foolish and that he himself is no exception.

#44: The prince of darkness is a gentleman! Scene: Act 3, scene 4 Character: Edgar Techniques: Symbolism, allusion, metaphor

#45: The weight of this sad time we must obey, Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. The oldest hath borne most: we that are young Shall never see so much, nor live so long. Scene: Act 5, scene 3, lines 324-327  Character: Edgar Techniques: Allegory, didactic, old age motif 

#46: Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides. Who cover faults, at last shame them derides.  Scene: Act 1, scene 1, lines 289-290  Character: Cordelia  Techniques: Foreshadowing, symbolism, allegory  Analysis: The quote “Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides. Who cover faults, at last shame them derides” can be interpreted as a warning against deceitful behaviour and the eventual exposure of one’s true character. Cordelia’s words suggest that people may try to hide their flaws or deceive others through cunning, but eventually, time will reveal the truth. The phrase “plighted cunning” refers to cunning or deceit that is hidden or disguised, but is ultimately revealed over time. The second half of the quote suggests that those who try to conceal their faults and deceive others will eventually be shamed and ridiculed. The word “deride” means to mock or ridicule, so the quote implies that those who cover up their flaws will eventually be publicly exposed and criticised. Overall, Cordelia’s quote can be seen as a warning against deceitful behaviour and the importance of being truthful and honest in one’s dealings with others. It suggests that ultimately, one’s true character will be revealed and that it is better to be open and honest from the start, rather than trying to hide one’s flaws through cunning or deceit.

#47: O, reason not the need! our basest beggars Are in the poorest thing superfluous. Allow not nature more than nature needs, Man’s life’s as cheap as beast’s.  Scene: Act 2, scene 4, lines 259-262  Character: King Lear  Techniques: Foreshadowing, paradox, animal motif 

#48: Men must endure Their going hence, even as their coming hither. Ripeness is all.  Scene : Act 5, scene ii, lines 9-11  Character: Edgar  Techniques: Old age motif, didactic, allusion 

#49: The art of our necessities is strange That can make vile things precious.  Scene: Act 3, scene 3, lines 70-71  Character: King Lear  Techniques: Irony, paradox, symbolism 

#50: When we our betters see bearing our woes, We scarcely think our miseries our foes.  Scene: Act 3, scene 6, lines 111-112  Character: Edgar  Techniques: Sight motif, rhyme, allusion

On the hunt for quotes from other texts?

If you’ve found our quotes from King Lear useful, you should check out our list of quotes for the following texts:

• All the Light We Cannot See
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• Lord of the Flies
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We’ve also got articles specifically on plays by Shakespeare which you can check out below:

• Romeo and Juliet 
• The Tempest
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• Much Ado About Nothing
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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'King Lear' Quotes

Quotes About Madness, Nature, and Truth

• Master of Studies, University of Oxford
• Bachelor of Arts, Brown University

One of William Shakespeare 's most famous plays, King Lear is the story of a legendary king who bequeaths his kingdom to two of his three daughters, based on how well they flatter him. The following key quotes highlight the play’s focus on the ability to trust one’s own senses, the divide between nature and culture, and the often fraught relationship between truth and language.

Quotes About Madness

"Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise." (Act 1, Scene 5)

Lear’s fool, speaking here in a scene largely concerned with Lear’s failing powers of perception, chastises the old man for his stupidity despite his old age in giving away his land to his obviously disingenuous daughters and sending the only one who loves him away. He parrots Goneril’s earlier line in Scene 3, in which she attempts to explain why she does not want to house his one hundred knights anymore and tells him: “As you are old and reverend, you should be wise” (Act 1, Scene 5). Both point out the tension between Lear’s supposedly wise old age and his foolish actions on account of his failing mental health.

"O! let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven; Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!" (Act 1, Scene 5)

Lear, speaking here, admits for the first time he has made a mistake in sending Cordelia away and bequeathing his kingdom on his remaining two daughters, and fears for his own sanity. In this scene he has been kicked out of Goneril’s house and must hope that Regan will house him and his unruly knights. Slowly, the Fool’s warnings about the shortsightedness of his actions begin to sink in, and Lear must grapple with why he did it. In this scene he also suggests, “I did her wrong,” presumably realizing the cruelty of his disowning of Cordelia. Lear’s language here suggests his sense of powerlessness as he gives himself over to the kindness of “heaven.” His powerlessness is reflected, too, in his two elder daughters’ relation to him, as he realizes he has no power over their actions and will soon be turned out of any place to stay.

Quotes About Nature vs. Culture

"Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law My services are bound. Wherefore should I Stand in the plague of custom, and permit The curiosity of nations to deprive me, For that I am some twelve or fourteen moon-shines Lag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base? When my dimensions are as well compact, My mind as generous, and my shape as true, As honest madam's issue? Why brand they us With base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base? Who, in the lusty stealth of nature, take More composition and fierce quality Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed, Go to the creating a whole tribe of fops, Got 'tween asleep and wake? Well, then, Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land: Our father's love is to the bastard Edmund As to the legitimate: fine word,--legitimate! Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed, And my invention thrive, Edmund the base Shall to the legitimate. I grow; I prosper: Now, gods, stand up for bastards!" (Act 1, scene 2)

Edmund, speaking here, affiliates himself with nature in opposition to “the plague of custom,” or in other words, the social constructs which he finds so repellent. He does so in order to reject the social structures that label him “illegitimate.” He suggests that his conception, though out of wedlock, was the product of natural human desire rather than of the social norms of marriage, and is in fact the more natural and therefore legitimate.

However, Edmund’s language is complex. He questions the meaning of "baseness" and "legitimacy," suggesting that once he takes the land of “Legitimate Edgar,” he can become the legitimate son: “Edmund the base / Shall to the legitimate!” Instead of doing away with the concept of legitimacy, he simply aims to fit himself into its parameters, into the more favorable position within the hierarchy.

Moreover, Edmund’s ensuing actions are decidedly unnatural, despite his affiliation with nature as declared here; instead, he betrays his father and his brother in a distinctly non-familial manner in the hopes of achieving a title that has inherently social, not natural, value. Significantly, Edmund proves himself not to be as “generous” or “true” as his brother, the legitimate heir, Edgar. Instead, Edmund acts basely, betraying his father and brother, as if accepting and acting on the stunted relationship that the titles “illegitimate son” or “half-brother” may suggest and failing to move beyond the constructs built by language. He fails to go beyond the persona that the word “bastard” connotes, acting as malevolently and unfairly as the stereotype would suggest.

"Rumble thy bellyful! Spit, fire! Spout, rain! Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters: I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness; I never gave you kingdom, called you children, You owe me no subscription: then, let fall Your horrible pleasure; here I stand, your slave, A poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man." (Act 3, Scene 2)​

Lear, speaking here, rages on the heath against his daughters, who have turned him out of their homes despite the agreement they made that suggested Lear would give them his kingdom so long as they left him some authority and respect. Again we see his growing awareness of his own powerlessness. In this case, he orders around nature: “Spout, rain!” Although the rain “obeys,” perhaps, it is clear Lear is only ordering it to do that which it already was doing. Indeed, Lear calls himself the “slave” of the storm, acknowledging the ingratitude of his daughters that has cost him his comfort and his authority. Although for much of the play before this Lear insists on his title as “king,” here he notably calls himself an “old man.” In this way, Lear comes into an awareness of his own natural manhood, moving away from societal constructs like kingship; in the same way, he begins to understand the truth of Cordelia’s love for him despite Regan and Goneril’s clever flattery.

Quotes About Speaking Truly

"If for I want that glib and oily art, To speak and purpose not, since what I well inten I’ll do’t before I speak." (Act 1, scene 1)

Cordelia here asserts that she loves Lear the most and yet cannot use language for any other purpose but stating the truth. She points out that before she speaks she will do that which she intends; in other words, before she proclaims her love, she will have already proven her love through her actions.

This quotation also depicts a subtle critique of her sisters, as Cordelia calls their empty flattery a “glib and oily art,” the word “art” emphasizing in particular their art ificiality. Although Cordelia’s intentions seem pure, she also underscores the importance of advocating for oneself. After all, she could speak truly about her love for him and have that love retain its authentic character despite her use of it as some form of flattery. Cordelia’s pureness of intention and yet failure to assure her father of her love demonstrates the terrible culture of Lear’s court, in which language is used to lie so often that even speaking about something true seems to make it false.

"The weight of this sad time we must obey; Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say." (Act 5, scene 3)

Edgar, speaking here in the last lines of the play, underscores the theme of language and action. Throughout the play, as he suggests, much of the tragedy has revolved on a culture that misuses language; the primary example is, of course, Regan and Goneril’s deceitful flattery of their father in an effort to gain his land. This culture keeps Lear from believing Cordelia’s love for him is true, as he only hears rejection in her words and does not pay attention to her actions. In the same way, Edgar’s quotation recalls the tragedy of Edmund, who is the victim as well as the antagonist of language used as we think we ought to use it. In his case, he is dubbed “illegitimate” and “bastard,” a demarcation that clearly has wounded him deeply and made him a cruel son. At the same time, he embraces his “baseness” and status as “illegitimate” family member, attempting to kill his father and brother. Instead, Edgar demands here that we not only act but speak truly; in this way, much of the tragedy of the play could have been avoided.

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William Shakespeare

From early on in the play, the Fool is probably the character with the greatest insight into what the consequences of Lear's misjudgments of his daughters will be. (The Fool's only competition in this respect comes from Kent in 1.1; in 1.2 Gloucester seems only to have a vague intuition that Lear's decision was a mistake.) Calling Lear himself a Fool and admonishing him that he has reduced himself to "nothing" by dividing and handing off his kingdom, the Fool recognizes that by giving up his authority Lear is essentially ensuring his own destruction and the destruction of his kingdom.

Just as the Fool's apparently nonsensical comments contain some of the most sensible advice that Lear receives on his behavior, Lear himself gains increasing insight into his situation as he moves from sanity to madness. His raving—for instance, in the storm or on Dover Beach—often resembles the riddling, but incisive, barbs of the Fool. It is possible to argue that in a world that itself does not seem to make sense—a world of death, of raging storms, of children who turn against their parents—it makes sense that madness might be the most sane reaction.

Deliberately adopting the mad manner of a bedlam beggar, Edgar provides a counterpoint to Lear's uncontrollable madness, particularly in the storm scene (3.2).

Fooling and Madness ThemeTracker

Fooling and Madness Quotes in King Lear

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King Lear Goneril Quotes

Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter, Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty, Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare, No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour; As much as child e’er loved, or father found; A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable. Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

– William Shakespeare

I am made of that self mettle as my sister And prize me at her worth. In my true heart I find she names my very deed of love; Only she comes too short, that I profess Myself an enemy to all other joys Which the most precious square of sense possesses, And find I am alone felicitate In your dear Highness’ love.

Good my lord, You have begot me, bred me, loved me. I return those duties back as are right fit: Obey you, love you, and most honour you. Why have my sisters husbands if they say They love you all? Haply, when I shall wed, That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry Half my love with him, half my care and duty. Sure I shall never marry like my sisters, To love my father all.

With my two daughters’ dowers digest the third. Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her. I do invest you jointly with my power, Preeminence, and all the large effects That troop with majesty. Ourself, by monthly course, With reservation of an hundred knights By you to be sustained, shall our abode Make with you by due turns. Only we still retain The name, and all the additions to a king. The sway, revenue, execution of the rest, Belovèd sons, be yours, which to confirm, This coronet part betwixt you.

The jewels of our father, with wash’d eyes Cordelia leaves you. I know you what you are, And like a sister am most loath to call Your faults as they are named.

Use well our father.

You see how full of changes his age is; the observation we have made of it hath not been little. He always loved our sister most, and with what poor judgment he hath now cast her off appears too grossly.

The best and soundest of his time hath been but rash. Then must we look from his age to receive not alone the imperfections of long-engrafted condition, but therewithal the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric years bring with them.

Let us sit together.

We must do something, and i’ th’ heat.

By day and night he wrongs me. Every hour He flashes into one gross crime or other That sets us all at odds.

Put on what weary negligence you please, You and your fellows. I’d have it come to question. If he distaste it, let him to my sister, Whose mind and mine I know in that are one, Not to be overruled. Idle old man That still would manage those authorities That he hath given away. Now, by my life, Old fools are babes again and must be used With checks as flatteries, when they are seen abused. Remember what I have said.

Old fools are babes again.

My lady’s father.

Then they for sudden joy did weep, And I for sorrow sung, That such a king should play bo-peep And go the fools among.

Thou hast pared thy wit o’ both sides and left nothing i’ th’ middle.

FOOL: [To Lear] Thou wast a pretty fellow when thou hadst no need to care for her frowning; now thou art an O without a figure: I am better than thou art now; I am a fool, thou art nothing. [To GONERIL] Yes, forsooth, I will hold my tongue; so your face bids me, though you say nothing. Mum, mum, He that keeps nor crust nor crum, Weary of all, shall want some. [Pointing to KING LEAR] That’s a shealed peascod.

Not only, sir, this your all-licensed fool, But other of your insolent retinue Do hourly carp and quarrel; breaking forth In rank and not-to-be endured riots.

The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long, That it’s had it head bit off by it young.

May not an ass know when the cart draws the horse?

They will make an obedient father.

Here do you keep a hundred knights and squires, Men so disordered, so debauched and bold, That this our court, infected with their manners, Shows like a riotous inn. Epicurism and lust Makes it more like a tavern or a brothel Than a graced palace.

Ingratitude, thou marble-hearted fiend, More hideous when thou show’st thee in a child Than the sea-monster!

Detested kite, thou liest.

Hear, Nature, hear, dear goddess, hear! Suspend thy purpose if thou didst intend To make this creature fruitful. Into her womb convey sterility. Dry up in her the organs of increase, And from her derogate body never spring A babe to honour her! If she must teem, Create her child of spleen, that it may live And be a thwart disnatured torment to her. Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth, With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks, Turn all her mother’s pains and benefits To laughter and contempt, that she may feel How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is To have a thankless child! – Away, away!

How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is To have a thankless child! – Away, away!

I’ll tell thee. [To Goneril.] Life and death! I am ashamed That thou hast power to shake my manhood thus, That these hot tears, which break from me perforce, Should make thee worth them. Blasts and fogs upon thee! Th’ untented woundings of a father’s curse Pierce every sense about thee! Old fond eyes, Beweep this cause again, I’ll pluck ye out And cast you with the waters that you loose To temper clay.

I cannot be so partial, Goneril, To the great love I bear you -.

This man hath had good counsel. A hundred knights! ‘Tis politic and safe to let him keep At point a hundred knights! Yes, that on every dream, Each buzz, each fancy, each complaint, dislike, He may enguard his dotage with their powers And hold our lives in mercy.

No, no, my lord, This milky gentleness and course of yours, Though I condemn not, yet, under pardon, You are much more at task for want of wisdom Than praised for harmful mildness.