لخّصلي

In Dover, Goneril plots with Edmund against Regan, Albany confronts them, arresting Edmund for treason and accusing Goneril of conspiring to seize Regan's land. Regan falls ill (possibly poisoned by Goneril). Albany challenges Edmund to a duel, which Edgar (disguised) accepts, revealing Edmund's treachery and defeating him. Albany exposes Goneril's letter to Edmund, confirming her ambition. Edmund confesses his guilt, revealing Edgar as his brother. Edgar reveals his disguise and his father's death. Goneril kills herself and poisons Regan. A message is discovered ordering Cordelia's death, which Edmund countermands before dying. King Lear enters, mourning his dead daughter, Cordelia. Albany plans to restore the kingdom to Lear, but Lear dies of grief. With Lear dead, Albany designates Edgar and Kent as the new rulers.

[In the British camp, near Dover.]
GONERIL: My sister Regan, do you really want
Edmund to help you to take my lands?
ALBANY: You can’t do this, Edmund.
EDMUND: You can’t tell me what to do, Albany.
ALBANY: Yes I can!
REGAN: [To Edmund.] Prove that you want to help
me, Edmund, by fighting Albany!
ALBANY: Listen to me. Edmund, I arrest you for
treason.
[He points to Goneril.] And you, my wife. Were
you planning to take Regan’s land from her? With
Edmund’s help? It’s not your land to take. It was
given equally to you and Regan by your father!
GONERIL: But we could have more power, husband!
REGAN: I feel ill. My stomach hurts!
GONERIL: [To herself.] Good. If you aren’t ill, I will
never trust poison again.
ALBANY: You have a sword, Edmund. I’m ready to
fight you, unless anyone else wants to fight you
first!
EDMUND: I’m happy to fight anyone who calls me
a traitor or a liar. Come then, who wants to fight
me?
REGAN: Help me. I feel worse.
ALBANY: Regan isn’t well. Take her to my tent.
[Regan is helped offstage.]
Now, if any man here will fight Edmund the
traitor, come now, or I’ll fight him myself.
[Edgar enters.]
Who are you?
EDGAR: I have lost my name and title to a traitor;
but I’m a brave soldier. Where’s Edmund, who
calls himself the Duke of Gloucester?
EDMUND: I’m here.
EDGAR: Then take out your sword. You’re a traitor to
your brother and your father. I’m ready to fight
you to prove you are a liar to everyone you work
for.
[They fight. Edmund falls.]
ALBANY: Edmund is hurt, can you save him? I want
to find out what he knows!
They tricked you into fighting, Edmund.
ALBANY: Be quiet, madam, or I will make you be
quiet by reading this letter that you wrote to
Edmund.
[He gives Goneril the letter she wrote to
Edmund.]
[To Goneril.] No, don’t try to tear up the letter!
You know what you wrote.
GONERIL: Husband, it’s true that I wanted Edmund
to help me take Regan’s land. The laws of the
kingdom are mine, not yours. Who can punish
me for it?
ALBANY: You’re an evil woman!
[Goneril exits.]
EDMUND: Albany, I’m guilty of wanting to help both
Goneril and Regan, and more, much more. This
is the end for me now. [To Edgar.] But who are
you? If you’re a good man, I forgive you.
EDGAR: Let us forgive each other. My name’s Edgar
and I’m your brother. Our father has lost his eyes
because of you!
EDMUND: I was wrong. I thought that I could be the
best man in the kingdom, but now I’m the worst.
The wheel has come full circle.
ALBANY: [To Edgar.] I thought that you were an
important man. I promise you, I never hated you,
or your father!
EDGAR: I know that, Albany.
ALBANY: Where have you been hiding? How did
you know what happened to your father?
EDGAR: I’ve been helping him, my lord. I disguised
myself as a beggar, then I met my father, who’s
now blind. I became his guide, and stopped him
from killing himself. I never told him who I was.
That was a big mistake. Just an hour ago, I told
him everything, but his heart was too weak. He
died smiling.
[An officer enters with a knife covered in blood.]
OFFICER: Help! Oh, help me!
EDGAR: What is it? Why is there blood on that knife?
OFFICER: It came from the heart of … Oh, she’s
dead!
ALBANY: Who’s dead? Tell us.
OFFICER: Goneril, your wife, sir! And her sister
Regan. Goneril has killed herself, and she
poisoned Regan before she died.
[Kent enters.]
EDGAR: Here is Kent.
KENT: I have come to see the King. Is he here?
ALBANY: Tell us, Edmund, where is the King? And
where is Cordelia?
[The bodies of Goneril and Regan are carried in
on stretchers by soldiers.]
KENT: Oh, no! What’s happened?
ALBANY: Cover their faces.
EDMUND: I must do one good thing before I die.
Quickly, go to the castle; I wrote a message
asking for the deaths of King Lear and Cordelia.
EDGAR: Who did you write this message to? We
must stop it!
EDMUND: [To the Officer.] Take my sword. Give it
the Captain and he’ll know that I have changed
the order.
ALBANY: Run! Quickly!
[The Officer exits.]
EDMUND: The message tells the Captain to kill
Cordelia in the prison. We wanted people to
think that she killed herself.
ALBANY: Please let her be safe! Take him away.
[Edmund is carried off. King Lear enters with
Cordelia dead in his arms. Edgar and the
Captain follow.]
KING LEAR: Oh, this is terrible. She is gone forever!
KENT: Oh, your majesty!
KING LEAR: You’re all murderers and traitors! We
should have saved her; now she’s gone forever!
Her voice was always soft and gentle.
[He sees Kent.] Aren’t you Kent?
KENT: Yes, I am. And I’ve followed you since your
madness began.
KING LEAR: You’re welcome here.
KENT: My heart is heavy. Your eldest daughters
have died too.
[The Captain enters.]
CAPTAIN: Edmund is dead, my lord.
ALBANY: He isn’t important now. My friends, these
are my plans. We’ll do everything to help King
Lear feel better. I will resign and give my power
back to the old King. Edgar and Kent, return to
your homes and I’ll make sure that my friends
are rewarded and my enemies punished.
KING LEAR: [To Cordelia.] Why should a rat have
life, and you have no life at all? I’ll never see you
again.
[King Lear dies.]
KENT: Oh, my heart will break!
EDGAR: He’s gone.
KENT: He was very ill. I’m surprised that he lived for
so long.
ALBANY: Carry him out carefully.
[To Kent and Edgar.] My friends, without the
King, you two will rule this kingdom.
EDGAR: We must remember this sad day.
[He puts on the crown.]
The oldest man has suffered the most; we
young people will never see as much as Lear,
nor live as long as this good King.
[They exit.]
THE END