First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
| |
| Storme still. Enter Kent, and a Gentleman, | Storm still. Enter Kent and a Gentleman by opposite | still (adv.) ever, now [as before] | KL III.i.1.1 | |
| seuerally. | doors | | KL III.i.1.2 | |
| Kent. | KENT | | | |
| Who's there besides foule weather? | Who's there besides foul weather? | | KL III.i.1 | |
| Gen. | GENTLEMAN | | | |
| One minded like the weather, most vnquietly. | One minded like the weather, most unquietly. | unquietly (adv.)restlessly, uneasily, with great disquiet | KL III.i.2 | |
| Kent. | KENT | | | |
| I know you: Where's the King? | I know you. Where's the King? | | KL III.i.3 | |
| Gent. | GENTLEMAN | | | |
| Contending with the fretfull Elements; | Contending with the fretful elements: | element (n.)(plural) forces of nature, atmospheric powers | KL III.i.4 | |
| | fretful (adj.)angry, irritated, ill-tempered | | |
| | contend (v.)fight, engage in combat, struggle | | |
| Bids the winde blow the Earth into the Sea, | Bids the wind blow the earth into the sea, | | KL III.i.5 | |
| Or swell the curled Waters 'boue the Maine, | Or swell the curled waters 'bove the main, | main (n.)mainland | KL III.i.6 | |
| That things might change, or cease. | That things might change or cease; tears his white hair, | | KL III.i.7 | |
| Which the impetuous blasts with eyeless rage | eyeless (adj.)blind, sightless, unseeing | KL III.i.8 | |
| Catch in their fury and make nothing of: | make nothing oftreat as worthless, deal with contemptuously | KL III.i.9 | |
| Strives in his little world of man to out-storm | out-storm (v.)rage more violently than a storm | KL III.i.10 | |
| The to-and-fro conflicting wind and rain. | | KL III.i.11 | |
| This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch, | cub-drawn (adj.)drained of milk by cubs, ravenous | KL III.i.12 | |
| | couch (v.)go to a lair, find shelter | | |
| The lion and the belly-pinched wolf | belly-pinched (adj.)pinched with hunger, starving | KL III.i.13 | |
| Keep their fur dry, unbonneted he runs | unbonneted (adv.)bare-headed; recklessly | KL III.i.14 | |
| And bids what will take all. | | KL III.i.15.1 | |
| Kent. | KENT | | | |
| But who is with him? | But who is with him? | | KL III.i.15.2 | |
| Gent. | GENTLEMAN | | | |
| None but the Foole, who labours to out-iest | None but the Fool, who labours to outjest | out-jest (v.)overcome with the force of jokes | KL III.i.16 | |
| His heart-strooke iniuries. | His heart-struck injuries. | | KL III.i.17.1 | |
| Kent. | KENT | | | |
| Sir, I do know you, | Sir, I do know you, | | KL III.i.17.2 | |
| And dare vpon the warrant of my note | And dare upon the warrant of my note | note (n.)attention, notice, regard | KL III.i.18 | |
| | warrant (n.)assurance, pledge, guarantee | | |
| Commend a deere thing to you. There is diuision | Commend a dear thing to you. There is division – | dear (adj.)important, major, significant | KL III.i.19 | |
| | commend (v.)commit, entrust, hand over | | |
| (Although as yet the face of it is couer'd | Although as yet the face of it is covered | face (n.)appearance, outward show, look | KL III.i.20 | |
| With mutuall cunning) 'twixt Albany, and Cornwall: | With mutual cunning – 'twixt Albany and Cornwall; | | KL III.i.21 | |
| Who haue, as who haue not, that their great Starres | Who have – as who have not that their great stars | star (n.)fate, fortune, destiny [as determined by the stars] | KL III.i.22 | |
| Thron'd and set high; Seruants, who seeme no lesse, | Throned and set high – servants, who seem no less, | | KL III.i.23 | |
| Which are to France the Spies and Speculations | Which are to France the spies and speculations | speculation (n.)observer, watcher, agent | KL III.i.24 | |
| Intelligent of our State. What hath bin seene, | Intelligent of our state. What hath been seen, | intelligent (adj.)bearing intelligence, giving inside information | KL III.i.25 | |
| Either in snuffes, and packings of the Dukes, | Either in snuffs and packings of the Dukes, | packing (n.)plotting, contriving, underhand dealing | KL III.i.26 | |
| | snuff (n.)resentment, huff, pique | | |
| Or the hard Reine which both of them hath borne | Or the hard rein which both of them have borne | rein (n.)control, restraint, curb | KL III.i.27 | |
| Against the old kinde King; or something deeper, | Against the old kind King, or something deeper, | | KL III.i.28 | |
| Whereof (perchance) these are but furnishings. | Whereof, perchance, these are but furnishings – | perchance (adv.)perhaps, maybe | KL III.i.29 | |
| | furnishing (n.)decoration, surface factor, window-dressing | | |
| But true it is, from France there comes a power | power (n.)armed force, troops, host, army | KL III.i.30 | |
| Into this scattered kingdom, who already, | scattered (adj.)disunited, distracted, divided | KL III.i.31 | |
| Wise in our negligence, have secret feet | foot (n.)foothold, position, presence | KL III.i.32 | |
| In some of our best ports and are at point | point, at / at ain readiness, prepared, armed | KL III.i.33 | |
| To show their open banner. Now to you: | open (adj.)displayed, made visible | KL III.i.34 | |
| If on my credit you dare build so far | credit (n.)trust, faith, belief | KL III.i.35 | |
| To make your speed to Dover, you shall find | | KL III.i.36 | |
| Some that will thank you making just report | just (adj.)accurate, exact, precise | KL III.i.37 | |
| Of how unnatural and bemadding sorrow | unnatural (adj.)against natural feeling, not in accord with kinship | KL III.i.38 | |
| | bemadding (adj.)making mad, maddening | | |
| The King hath cause to plain. | plain (v.)complain, lament, bewail | KL III.i.39 | |
| I am a gentleman of blood and breeding, | blood (n.)nobility, breeding, gentility, good parentage | KL III.i.40 | |
| And from some knowledge and assurance offer | assurance (n.)security, certainty, confidence | KL III.i.41 | |
| This office to you. | office (n.)task, service, duty, responsibility | KL III.i.42 | |
| Gent. | GENTLEMAN | | | |
| I will talke further with you. | I will talk further with you. | | KL III.i.443.1 | |
| Kent. | KENT | | | |
| No, do not: | No, do not. | | KL III.i.43.2 | |
| For confirmation that I am much more | For confirmation that I am much more | | KL III.i.44 | |
| Then my out-wall; open this Purse, and take | Than my out-wall, open this purse and take | out-wall (n.)external appearance, outer clothing | KL III.i.45 | |
| What it containes. If you shall see Cordelia, | What it contains. If you shall see Cordelia – | | KL III.i.46 | |
| (As feare not but you shall) shew her this Ring, | As fear not but you shall – show her this ring, | | KL III.i.47 | |
| And she will tell you who that Fellow is | And she will tell you who that fellow is | fellow (n.)companion, associate | KL III.i.48 | |
| That yet you do not know. Fye on this Storme, | That yet you do not know. Fie on this storm! | | KL III.i.49 | |
| I will go seeke the King. | I will go seek the King. | | KL III.i.50 | |
| Gent. | GENTLEMAN | | | |
| Giue me your hand, / Haue you no more to say? | Give me your hand. Have you no more to say? | | KL III.i.51 | |
| Kent. | KENT | | | |
| Few words, but to effect more then all yet; | Few words, but to effect more than all yet: | effect (n.)drift, tenor, import | KL III.i.52 | |
| That when we haue found the King, in which your pain | That when we have found the King – in which your pain | pain (n.)effort, endeavour, exertion, labour | KL III.i.53 | |
| That way, Ile this: He that first lights on him, | That way, I'll this – he that first lights on him | light on (v.)come across, meet with, chance upon | KL III.i.54 | |
| Holla the other. | Holla the other. | holla, holloa (v.)halloo, shout, call out [to] | KL III.i.55 | |
| Exeunt. | Exeunt by opposite doors | | KL III.i.55 | |