King Lear Betrayal Quotes

Draw thy sword,
That if my speech offend a noble heart,
Thy arm may do thee justice. Here is mine.
Behold, it is my privilege, the privilege of mine honours,
My oath, and my profession. I protest,
Maugre thy strength, place, youth, and eminence,
Despite thy victor sword and fire-new fortune,
Thy valor, and thy heart, thou art a traitor,
False to thy gods, thy brother, and thy father,
Conspirant ‘gainst this high illustrious prince,
And from th’ extremest upward of thy head
To the descent and dust below thy foot,
A most toad-spotted traitor. Say thou "no,"
This sword, this arm, and my best spirits are bent
To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak,
Thou liest.

– William Shakespeare

King Lear, Act 5, Scene 3. A disguised Edgar draws his sword and accuses his half-brother Edmund of committing treason and being a liar before they duel. Edmund has been exposed as a traitor for plotting against the Duke of Albany with Albany’s wife Goneril, with both intending to murder him and marry each other. Edgar says that Edmund has betrayed the gods, his brother, his father and plotted against the noble Duke. The duel between the brothers in the last act is symbolic of the ongoing war between good and evil.

In wisdom I should ask thy name,
But since thy outside looks so fair and warlike,
And that thy tongue some say of breeding breathes,
What safe and nicely I might well delay
By rule of knighthood, I disdain and spurn.
Back do I toss these treasons to thy head,
With the hell-hated lie o’erwhelm thy heart.

– William Shakespeare

King Lear, Act 5, Scene 3. Edmund says this to the mysterious knight who has come to prove Edmund’s treason in trial by combat. The challenger is his half-brother Edgar in disguise. Edmund says that since he does not know the challenger’s name, by the rules of knighthood he should refuse to fight him. But he agrees to the duel because his opponent "looks so fair and warlike." Putting on an act of injured innocence, Edmund throws the accusations of treason back in Edgar’s face and hopes that the "hell-hated lie" poisons his heart.

ALBANY: Shut your mouth, dame,
Or with this paper shall I stop it – Hold, sir:
[Gives the letter to Edmund] Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil.
[To Goneril] No tearing, lady: I perceive you know it.

– William Shakespeare

King Lear, Act 5, Scene 3. This passage by Albany comes after Edmund is wounded by Edgar and Goneril becomes hysterical. Albany shows his moral mettle and takes charge and is not the meek and mild-mannered man we met earlier in the play. Having arrested Edmund and his wife Goneril for treason, he tells Goneril to shut up and brandishes the letter that she wrote to Edmund plotting against Albany’s life. At this stage Albany is the last remaining figure of authority in Britain. He is also a highly moral person.
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