Today’s Totally Random
Line(s)
-Earl of Kent
King Lear Act II, Scene ii, Line 4
This is Kent’s
answer to Oswald’s question Where may we set our horses?
Obviously, it’s not a very gracious reply. No, not at all. This begins Kent’s
tirade against Oswald. He has reason for it, though Oswald is completely
unaware of what that reason is or even who Kent is. But I’ll tell you who he
is.
Kent, who is the
most loyal follower of Lear, was with the King a few scenes back when Oswald
disrespected Lear. Kent came to Lear’s side and gave Oswald a smack and sent
him on his way. However, in the scene we’re looking at today Oswald does not remember
or recognize Kent, and he has no idea why Kent is verbally abusing him; and
Kent’s just getting warmed up. A few lines further on he goes into an unbroken
eleven line slamfest of Oswald. The latter gives him an opening when he asks What
dost thou know me for? And Kent lets loose
A knave, a rascal, an eater of broken meats;
a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound, filthy worsted-stocking
knave;
And it goes on
and on – lily-livered…son and heir of a mongrel bitch… You get the idea.
It’s a really good rant, but I’m not going to type the whole thing out here. Instead,
I’ll make it easier on me and you, and give you a more current, clearly
Shakespearean inspired version of Kent's rave.
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