A Tragedy in Steel Part II: Shakespeare's King Lear

Ref.: To give away a kingdom A Fool what can I say I´ll endow you my coxcomb You have nothing left to pay Oh Nuncle once your daughters They are mothers to you now You gave them the rod As you put your breeches down A Fool´s Tale Fool´s Tale 1) A tale of King Lear who was old enough a fool To cast away his kingdom for he felt too old to rule Goneril, Regan and Cordelia held most dear Each to gain a third as the heritage of Lear As the heritage of Lear Ref.: To give away a kingdom A Fool what can I say I´ll endow you my coxcomb You have nothing left to pay Oh Nuncle once your daughters They are mothers to you now You gave them the rod As you put your breeches down A Fool´s Tale 2) Each daughter is to step forth to beguile the aging King To tell him how they love him and so sweet their tongues did sing Just Cordelia fell silent, she did not want to betray Her true love by sweet lies as her sisters them did say As her sisters them did say KING LEAR So young, and so untender? CORDELIA So young, my lord, and true. KING LEAR Let it be so; thy truth, then, be thy dower: For, by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hecate, and the night; Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee, from this, for ever. The barbarous Scythian, Or he that makes his generation messes To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom Be as well neighbour'd, pitied, and relieved, As thou my sometime daughter. Ref.: To give away a kingdom A Fool what can I say I´ll endow you my coxcomb You have nothing left to pay Oh Nuncle once your daughters They are mothers to you now You gave them the rod As you put your breeches down A Fool´s Tale

Submitted by NecroGod — Apr 26, 2025

1) Kent he stood up Voiced the neglect Lear he roared At his loyal subject 2) The noble Kent disowned and banned Upon his life to leave the land When all his crime was to see And the courage to speak free Ref.: Dowerless Daughter When Majesty falls Dowerless Daughter now When Majesty falls to folly A Dowerless Daughter now you are Once most loved a shining star Fall from Grace what was holy When Majesty falls to folly 3) Cordelia disowned Dowerless, forsaken All her paramours gone No fortune to be taken 4) But the king of France still kneels To beg her hand for all he feels Love and joy to see her smile To hear her sweet voice in a while KING OF FRANCE Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor; Most choice, forsaken; and most loved, despised! Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon: Be it lawful I take up what's cast away. Gods, gods! 'tis strange that from their cold'st neglect My love should kindle to inflamed respect. Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance, Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France: Not all the dukes of waterish Burgundy Can buy this unprized precious maid of me. Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though unkind: Thou losest here, a better where to find. Ref.: Dowerless Daughter When Majesty falls Dowerless Daughter now When Majesty falls to folly A Dowerless Daughter now you are Once most loved a shining star Fall from Grace what was holy When Majesty falls to folly

Submitted by Iron_Wraith — Apr 26, 2025

KING LEAR Drew from heart all love, And added to the gall. O Lear, Lear, Lear! Beat at this gate, that let thy folly in, Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend To make this creature fruitful! Into her womb convey sterility! Create her child of spleen; that it may live, And be a thwart disnatured torment to her! Turn all her mother's pains and benefits To laughter and contempt; that she may feel How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is To have a thankless child! Away, away! 1) Eclipses of the moon and the sun Foreboding chaos what is to come Treason in palaces when bonds will break Friendship falls for voracity´s sake NARRATOR Yet the loyal Kent returns in disguise to re-enter into the service of his beloved master who dishonourably abandoned him 2) Goneril seeks to ditch the old king Hence a different tune her snake tongue sing The King is enraged and howls at his daughter Who smiles coldly from eyes clear as water From eyes clear as water You gave them the rod as you put your breeches down Brdg.: Vengeance, plague, death and confusion Lear´s dreams were just an illusion Ref.: Darkness and Devils, no love to find Betrayed and rebuked by a thankless child A storm is rising as thunder roars wild An old man rejected by a thankless child 3) Kent sent to Regan to ask for support But finds her allied against his lord He speaks out his mind, she takes it ill He ends in the stocks with a night to kill With a night to kill 4) Lear finds Regan hostile and cold Stripped off his power the daughters turn bold Both have allied to boot the king out Alone in the darkness in the storm to shout In the storm to shout Brdg.: Vengeance, plague, death and confusion Lear´s dreams were just an illusion Ref.: Darkness and Devils, no love to find Betrayed and rebuked by a thankless child A storm is rising as thunder roars wild An old man rejected by a thankless child

Submitted by Immortal — Apr 26, 2025

1) A Bastard Son, no rank no title bestowed on me, the Bastard Son But I was born with wits and ambition, we will see how far I come My brother Edgar, legitimate heir, simple minded, Legitimate Son His fall will be my rise to glory to where I belong, no more Bastard Son Ref.: I´ll carve my fortune by the means it takes Plots and schemes, no honour just fakes I´ll make the gods to stand up for me Gods, stand up for bastards 2) A letter forged in my brother´s hand leaked to the Earl of Gloucester Father believed in the rising announced by the son he did foster Edgar frightened by our father´s temper I persuade him to take flight Which proves his guilt and makes me a hero Edmund Gloucester´s pride Ref.: I´ll carve my fortune by the means it takes Plots and schemes, no honour just fakes I´ll make the gods to stand up for me Gods, stand up for bastards

Submitted by Infernal Flame — Apr 26, 2025

1) Foul weather, night comes on, And thou all-shaking thunder Bleak winds I'll not weep This heart shall break into 2) Rage blow, drown the cocks Spit fire, spout and rain Blow winds and crack your cheeks You heavens give me rest Brdg. You can't tame You can't control The storm in my heart The tempest in my soul Ref. This night will turn us to Fools and to madmen Fools and madmen Towards our fateful end Is man not more than A beast poor and bare So poor and bare Better beware 3) Oak-cleaving thunderbolts Crack open nature's figures Cataracts and hurricanes O fool I shall go mad 4) My wits begin to turn This storm won't leave me ponder Poor fool and knave I have I'm sorry yet for thee. Brdg. You can't tame You can't control The storm in my heart The tempest in my soul Ref. This night will turn us to Fools and to madmen Fools and madmen Towards our fateful end Is man not more than A beast poor and bare So poor and bare Better beware

Submitted by The Void — Apr 26, 2025

1) Poor Edgar on the run through the heath open and wide Caught in the wildest storm, no shelter nowhere to hide Demons ride the thunder they seek to twist your mind And in the hovel where you run a mad King you will find Demons of Madness 2) Lear´s mind floats in lakes of darkness a fool his company Edgar is most welcome a justicer to be In the trial of madness staged in the raging storm Goneril and Regan Demons will perform Demons of Madness Ref.: In the heath I´ll find comfort There´s no other place to be The Demons of Madness Oh the set my spirit free 3) Loyal Gloucester finds the King to warn him, He should better run His daughters plot against his life And murderers will come Demons of Madness Ref.: In the heath I´ll find comfort There´s no other place to be The Demons of Madness Oh the set my spirit free

Submitted by SerpentEve — Apr 26, 2025

1) When ambition gets out of hand A son will seek his father´s title and land He will use the means it takes to succeed And smile at the ends to what it all will lead 2) Cordelia still holds her father dear Her army landed in Dover supporting Lear Gloucester told thus Edmund the baitor Who betrays his father to Cornwall marking him a traitor Ref.: Plug out his eyes, hang him high The traitor has deserved to die Plug out his eyes no doubt Let him sniff his way, throw him out Oho the Mad shall lead the Blind Oho the Mad shall lead the Blind 3) Bring Gloucester put him in iron For his treason he well deserves dying He warned the King of our plot the fool Torture him, plug out his eyes and let darkness rule Ref.: Plug out his eyes, hang him high The traitor has deserved to die Plug out his eyes no doubt Let him sniff his way, throw him out Oho the Mad shall lead the Blind Oho the Mad shall lead the Blind REGAN Wherefore to Dover, sir? GLOUCESTER Because I would not see thy cruel nails Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister CORNWALL See't shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair. Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot. GLOUCESTER Give me some help! O cruel! O you gods! REGAN One side will mock another; the other too. CORNWALL If you see vengeance,-- Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly! Where is thy lustre now? REGAN Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell His way to Dover. Ref.: Plug out his eyes, hang him high The traitor has deserved to die Plug out his eyes no doubt Let him sniff his way, throw him out

Submitted by Corpse Grinder — Apr 26, 2025

1) Stumbling through a world where pain and darkness rule Gloucester led by Edgar in the robes of a crazy fool Towards Dover now he drags his father on Who only longs for death as his flame of life is gone Brdg. Goneril´s servants lay your way Save your molested father all of them you slay Ref.: Black is the world Black is the world Through the eyes of madness, so black Blind eyes of madness 2) Amidst the slain Goneril´s letter comes to light Proposing Edmund to kill her husband in the fight She would marry him and make the Bastard King To Albany secretly that letter you must bring Brdg.: Seek the Duke of Albany Ref.: Black is the world Black is the world Through the eyes of madness, so black Blind eyes of madness

1) Albany is shocked about Gloucester´s fate And Goneril´s doing in this deed of hate He is passed a letter to Edmund from his wife She proposes marriage should her husband die. 2) French troops in Dover support the king Cordelia´s back, threatening Loyal men rally round her flag Eager, prepared to attack Ref.: Bring forth the heroes the enemies march on Stand strong, draw steel shining in the sun A Battle Song Into battle ride 3) Goneril and Regan eye each other with spite Yet the cause of events forces them to unite Their combined forces Edgar leads on Into the battle for the crown and the throne 4) Lear in Dover, reconciled Father and daughter, love and pride Kent and Edmund, fight back Eager, prepared to attack Ref.: Bring forth the heroes the enemies march on Stand strong, draw steel shining in the sun A Battle Song

Submitted by johnmansley — Apr 26, 2025

1) Cornwall dead Regan widowed At Edmund she smiles And her sister marks it well 2) Goneril vowed To her own husband At Edmund she smiles To his lying promises she fell Ref.: Blood arises against blood and who can tell The fiend is shielded by a female face so well As the sisters seek to take each other down To gain the lacking jewel, the prince to hail their crown 3) Albany´s distaste Goneril´s doings The fiend recognised As the doings step by step unfold Ref.: Blood arises against blood and who can tell The fiend is shielded by a female face so well As the sisters seek to take each other down To gain the lacking jewel, the prince to hail their crown NARRATOR: And on the day of the battle Edmund lead the combined forces against the French. Fighting like mad he inspired his soldiers and smashed his enemies into the dust to bleed and die. The bastard son of Gloucester, he won the day and was hailed a hero.

Submitted by johnmansley — Apr 26, 2025

I) CORDELIA We are not the first Who, with best meaning, have incurr'd the worst. For thee, oppressed king, am I cast down; KING LEAR No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to prison: We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage: When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down, And ask of thee forgiveness: II) The battle lost and Cordelia and Lear Taken prisoner by Edmund who fears That they may down him in their honour and grace So he plots their murder with inculpable face III) REGAN: He led our powers; Bore the commission of my place and person; GONERIL: In his own grace he doth exalt himself, More than in your addition. REGAN: In my rights, By me invested, he compeers the best. GONERIL: That were the most, if he should husband you. REGAN: Jesters do oft prove prophets. IV) Edmund philandered with both and hence hopes fly high Hostility is nurtured between allies Two serpents with their lust on fire Would use all means just to still their desire 1) Standing straight, the Duke of Albany Through lies and lust he now can clearly see Accuse his cheating wife, he holds the evidence her plans will fail Goneril unmasked in the end the truth shall prevail. Ref.: Atrocity and schemes feeding bloodshed and anger But over fraud oft the truth shall prevail Lecherous prurience the loins rule the mindset But in the end oft the truth shall prevail 2) Edgar appears strikes Edmund down The traitor beaten crouches on the ground The sufferings of Gloucester all the lies and all the bale Edmund unmasked in the end the truth shall prevail Ref.: Atrocity and schemes feeding bloodshed and anger But over fraud oft the truth shall prevail Lecherous prurience the loins rule the mindset But in the end oft the truth shall prevail

Submitted by NecroLord — Apr 26, 2025

1) Dead bodies there, all traitors gone Trumpets moan, a funeral song Evil natures say farewell The end of all lies and death will unite 2) Father and daughters fade one by one Died in despair, all life is gone Murderers and traitors come step forward A journey into death but we don’t mourn We say farewell now Brdg.: Liars fools Beggars and Kings All dead and gone We say farewell now Say farewell now Ref.: Dead and gone forever gone in the end No more pain and no more tears of grief to shed 3) All bodies here alive or dead A tortured life, it turns into death Oh remember him, sad king named Lear Don’t we forget the truth is lying here 4) This is the end of borrowed time Let worlds collapse around a confused mind Beloved daughter, dead in his arms There's nothing left to say, there's nothing left We say farewell now Brdg.: Liars fools Beggars and Kings All dead and gone We say farewell now Say farewell now Ref.: Dead and gone forever gone in the end No more pain and no more tears of grief to shed We say farewell now Say farewell

Submitted by Warbringer — Apr 26, 2025