The Ambiguous “How”: Alternate Line Readings for King Lear
At the beginning of the play, Lear reprimands Cordelia for not exhibiting sufficient affection. The first words of his rebuke (82 in the quarto and 93 in the folio) are quite different in the two versions of King Lear which we possess. The two lines are nearly equivalent in tone and overall meaning; the reason to choose the folio version over that in the quarto is that the former is more nuanced and relevant with regard to the entire play.
The 1608 quarto has the line as “go to, go to.” This is a fairly simple and standard expression of frustration used in the imperative to “express disapprobation, remonstrance, protest, or derisive incredulity” (OED, 2nd ed., s.v. “go,” 93b). Lear’s usage suggests annoyance and a patronizing scolding; there is a tone of derision and an assumption that she is not taking the question seriously, for he does prompt her to answer again.
The equivalent statement in the 1623 folio is, “How, how, Cordelia?” (93), which is somewhat more complicated. Here, the twice-repeated “how” is grammatically ambiguous because it lacks both a modifier and punctuation. The exact meaning of the world is also vague; the OED suggests that it qualifies a verb in a pregnant use, implying “how is that?” (OED, 2nd ed., s.v. “how, adv. (n.3),” 1c). An older use of the word equates it with “what,” allowing questions such as “to what effect” or “with what meaning” to be expressed using “how” (3). In a related usage, “how” becomes an elliptical equivalent for “what” as an interjection (one might cry “how!” in disbelief, as Lear may well be doing here). It is interesting to note also that, according to the OED, the Old English hú was prefixed to a negative question, which is to say a question which the speaker expects to hear contradicted by the person with whom they are conversing (4a), suggesting that Lear expects Cordelia to contradict him. There are also several obscure meanings of “how” which are surprisingly appropriate to Lear. It can be used to ask at what price a something is being sold – “how do you sell the plums?” (6) – or as “a cry of pain or grief” (OED, 2nd ed., s.v. “how, howe, int.1 (n.4),” 3).
Again, Lear’s line is a remonstrance of mild frustration. Presumably he asks Cordelia how she can say these things, or what she is doing. All the meanings are interjections, however, and suggest that Lear’s response is one of surprise or disbelief. The more archaic meanings, while not necessarily intentional, are interesting because of their relevance to the numerical interests in the play and the excess of grief throughout.
The other significant change is the use of Cordelia’s name. There is very little use of direct names in this play: most characters refer to others by their familial relationship to the speaker (father, daughter, husband), or title (King, Cornwall, Gloucester, Fool) except at certain points of heightened emotion or ceremony (at this point, for instance). The etymology of “Cordelia” is unclear; it is most likely derived from Latin and means “warm-hearted” or “heart” (Chambers 20th Century Dictionary, New ed. (1980), s.v. “Cordelia”). With the addition of her name to this line, Cordelia’s characteristics – affection, moderation, warm-heartedness – are emphasized at the moment she exhibits them.
Both lines convey Lear’s confused surprise and scolding tone, but I find the folio reading more interesting than the quarto version. The use of Cordelia’s name is especially significant in a play which is concerned with identity; equally, the word “how” has more meanings than “go to” and seems to hold more suggestions for what Lear may be feeling. Looking at the text as a whole, the unpunctuated “how” resonates through this most illogical play. How do the characters act as they do? Why is she doing that? We want to echo Lear’s ambiguous cry at much of the apparently incomprehensible behavior we witness during the performance.