The aging king of Britain and tragic hero of the play. Lear, who is used to complete obedience from everyone around him, makes two related major errors: giving up of political responsibility by transferring power to his daughters; and trusting the flattering Goneril and Regan over the plainspoken, but true, Cordelia. Despite his flaws he is able to maintain the loyalty of certain subjects, particularly Kent and Gloucester. However, these will not be enough to save him from madness and death.
King Lear Quotes in King Lear
The King Lear quotes below are all either spoken by King Lear or refer to King Lear. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1, scene 1
Quotes
"Nothing will come of nothing."
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"Yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself."
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Act 1, scene 3
Quotes
"Old fools are babes again."
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Act 1, scene 4
Quotes
"Thou hast pared thy wit o' both sides and left nothing in the middle."
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Act 2, scene 4
Quotes
"O sir, you are old.
Nature I you stands on the very verge
Of his confine."
Nature I you stands on the very verge
Of his confine."
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"O, reason not the need! Our basest beggars
Are in the poorest thing superfluous.
Allow not nature more than nature needs,
Man's life is cheap as beast's."
Are in the poorest thing superfluous.
Allow not nature more than nature needs,
Man's life is cheap as beast's."
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Act 3, scene 2
Quotes
"The art of our necessities is strange
And can make vile things precious."
And can make vile things precious."
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Act 3, scene 4
Quotes
"Poor naked wretches, wheresoe'er you are,
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,
How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,
Your looped and windowed raggedness defend you
From seasons such as these? O I have taken
Too little care of this."
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,
How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,
Your looped and windowed raggedness defend you
From seasons such as these? O I have taken
Too little care of this."
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Act 3, scene 6
Quotes
"All the power of his wits have given way to his impatience."
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Act 4, scene 6
Quotes
"Gloucester: Oh let me kiss that hand!
Lear: Let me wipe it first; it smells of mortality."
Lear: Let me wipe it first; it smells of mortality."
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Act 5, scene 3
Quotes
"No, no, no, no. Come, let's away to prison.
We two alone will sing like birds in the cage."
We two alone will sing like birds in the cage."
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"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."
Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so
That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone forever."
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"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."
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."
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Get the entire King Lear LitChart as a printable PDF.
King Lear Quotes in King Lear
The King Lear quotes below are all either spoken by King Lear or refer to King Lear. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1, scene 1
Quotes
"Nothing will come of nothing."
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Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
"Yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself."
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 1, scene 3
Quotes
"Old fools are babes again."
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Explanation and Analysis:
Act 1, scene 4
Quotes
"Thou hast pared thy wit o' both sides and left nothing in the middle."
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, scene 4
Quotes
"O sir, you are old.
Nature I you stands on the very verge
Of his confine."
Nature I you stands on the very verge
Of his confine."
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
"O, reason not the need! Our basest beggars
Are in the poorest thing superfluous.
Allow not nature more than nature needs,
Man's life is cheap as beast's."
Are in the poorest thing superfluous.
Allow not nature more than nature needs,
Man's life is cheap as beast's."
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Related Symbols:
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, scene 2
Quotes
"The art of our necessities is strange
And can make vile things precious."
And can make vile things precious."
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, scene 4
Quotes
"Poor naked wretches, wheresoe'er you are,
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,
How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,
Your looped and windowed raggedness defend you
From seasons such as these? O I have taken
Too little care of this."
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,
How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,
Your looped and windowed raggedness defend you
From seasons such as these? O I have taken
Too little care of this."
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Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, scene 6
Quotes
"All the power of his wits have given way to his impatience."
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Act 4, scene 6
Quotes
"Gloucester: Oh let me kiss that hand!
Lear: Let me wipe it first; it smells of mortality."
Lear: Let me wipe it first; it smells of mortality."
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Explanation and Analysis:
Act 5, scene 3
Quotes
"No, no, no, no. Come, let's away to prison.
We two alone will sing like birds in the cage."
We two alone will sing like birds in the cage."
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
"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."
Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so
That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone forever."
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
"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."
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."
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