Today’s Totally Random
Lines
Then let them anatomize (dissect, reveal, lay open) Regan; see what breeds
about her heart.
Lear
King Lear
Act III Scene vi, Line 75
This is the
scene in the farmhouse where Lear is putting his two daughters, Goneril and
Regan, on trial. He’s quite mad (crazy, not angry; though he’s fairly angry
too) at this point, and neither of his daughters are actually there.
Nonetheless he seems to be addressing them, and the Fool and Edgar (who is
pretending to be mad, but clearly is not) are present and going along with the
whole thing. Kent and Gloster come in and out of the scene as they do
their best to protect the king.
The scene ends
with Kent, Gloster and the Fool bearing the king off as they head for Dover and
safety from the daughters, whilst Edgar is left alone to soliloquize. Here’s his
scene-ending summation of the situation, spoken from a very sane perspective.
When we
our betters see bearing our woes,
We
scarcely think our miseries our foes.
Who alone
suffers suffers most i’the mind,
Leaving
free things and happy shows behind:
But then
the mind much sufferance doth o’erskip,
When
grief hath mates, and bearing fellowship.
How light
and portable my pain seems now,
When that
which makes me bend makes the king bow,
He
childed as I father’d!- Tom, away!
Mark the
high noises; and thy self bewray (betray) ,
When
false opinion, whose wrong thoughts defile thee,
In thy
just proof, repeals and reconciles thee.
What will
hap more to-night, safe scape the king!
Lurk,
lurk. [Exit]
There now; what do you think of that? That's some high quality stuff there, and I do believe there’s a little (maybe a lot) of Buddha-like thought present in Edgar's words. Take another look if you don't believe me.
Leave it to Will to be expressing the wisdom of Buddha in
sixteenth century England. I told you he was a genius. The guy was probably
into meditation and nonduality as well!
Namaste!
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