1. Puissant: having puissance: powerful.
-Merriam-Webster Online
Act V, Scene III, Lines 253-255: "His grief grew puissant and the strings of life
Began to crack: twice then the trumpets sounded,
And there I left him tranced."
2. This act begins with Regan and Edmund. Regan jealously questions Edmund as to whether he has made love to her sister, which Edmund denies. Albany and Goneril enter, warning of the coming French troops joined by Lear, Cordelia, and their armies. Albany, although sympathetic with Lear, declares that he will fight with Regan and Goneril. Neither Cordelia nor Regan will leave Edmund alone with the other, so the three exit. Edgar, still disguised, catches Albany. He gives Albany a letter that he found on Oswald declaring Goneril's intentions with Edmund. Edmund tells the audience that he has sworn love to each of the feuding sisters, but that he intends to wait until after battle to decide what to do. The battle takes place, and unfortunately, Lear and Cordelia's side loses and the two are captured. Edmund sends them away and Albany, Regan, and Goneril enter. Regan declares her love for Albany and her intention of marrying him, but feels mysteriously ill. Albany arrests Edmund for treason. Regan, growing more ill by the moment, exits. Edgar reappears to fight Edmund for his treason. Edgar defeats Edmund and Albany tells Goneril that he knows of her plot. She then rushes out. Edgar finally reveals himself to Albany and tells of how when he told his father who he really was, Gloucester died of joy. A man rushes in, proclaiming that Goneril has poisoned her sister and killed herself. The bodies are brought in. Edmund tells Albany that he has ordered Cordelia to be hanged, and although a guard is sent, it is too late. Lear enters with his daughter's body, overwhelmed by grief. Lear then dies as well, leaving Kent, Albany and Edgar.
3. The length of battle is surprisingly short, especially considering the entire play has built up to it. Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that the battle itself is not nearly as important as the web of betrayal, lust, and avarice that formed around it. By this point in the story most of the action is set. Goneril and Regan are openly competing for Edmund. This competition is not only dividing the but greatly weakening them as well. Whereas before the two had each other for support, they now cannot trust one another. Their swift rise to power came through their double betrayal of their father and their teamwork based manipulation. While sparring over Edmund, the sisters are quickly losing power to the very object of their affection. Edmund, meanwhile, stands with much to gain. Whether he chooses Goneril or Regan, both of whom would willingly take him, he will benefit. Albany has changed sides, going from a wicked ally of the sisters to a compassionate supporter of Gloucester and Lear. It's also fascinating to remember that all of the characters, while fighting against each other, are on the same side. They're all technically British, and should be fighting with each other against the French. This clearly complicates things tremendously. As the play draws to a close, characters begin dying in rapid succession. By the end of the play, Goneril, Regan, Cornwall, Edmund, Cordelia, Lear, and Gloucester are all dead, among other more minor characters. In fact, only Albany, Edgar, and Kent survive, but Kent claims that he is near death. The great amount of death raises the question of whether death was meant to be a prominent theme in the play: I would argue that it is. Unfortunately, it is apparent that good does not always triumph. Although the surviving characters are all good ones, many of the "good guys" end up dead. Cordelia, the character depicted in a saintly manner, was hung by people from her own side of the war. Lear, who finally found redemption, also met an untimely demise. Gloucester, who suffered greatly for no apparent reason, died of joy, which hardly seems fair. At the moment in the play where he finally felt bliss and was not wishing to die, he died. Ironic, but unjust. Gloucester, as I mentioned in a previous post, spent the majority of the play wallowing in sorrow. He endured great injury at the hands of Goneril, Regan, Cornwall, and Edmund. To die of happiness is fitting but somewhat dissatisfying to the reader.
4. Was Shakespeare aiming to speak of justice, or lack thereof, with the deaths at the end of the play? Was he pointing to the survivors to demonstrate that good triumphs, or was he hoping to let the plethora of corpses speak for the idea that both the good and the evil die?
In the end, Edmund tells where Lear and Cordelia are in an effort to let Albany save them. Has he also had a change of heart, or did he think it was too late for them to be saved?
Did Edmund actually love either Goneril or Regan, or was he simply looking for personal gain? I am leaning strongly toward the latter, but it would be interesting to hear discussion either way. They both seemed to really like him, but whether they loved him or wanted advancement is another question.
Showing posts with label king lear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label king lear. Show all posts
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
King Lear, Act IV
1. Hemlock: 1 a : any of several poisonous herbs (as a poison hemlock or a water hemlock) of the carrot family having finely cut leaves and small white flowers b : a drug or lethal drink prepared from the poison hemlock
2 : any of a genus (Tsuga) of evergreen coniferous trees of the pine family; also : the soft light splintery wood of a hemlock
-Merriam-Webster Online
Page 82 (Act IV, Scene IV): "Cordelia: Alack, 'tis he: why, he was met even now
As mad as the vexed sea; singing aloud;
Crowned with rank fumiter and furrow-weeds,
With hardocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,
Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow
In our sustaining corn. A century send forth;
Search every acre in the high-grown field,
And bring him to our eye."
2. Edgar, disguised as Poor Tom, overhears his father tell Kent that if he could only touch his son (Edgar) again, his blindness would be worth it. Despite this, Edgar decides to remain disguised. Gloucester then asks Edgar to lead him to Dover, particularly to the tallest cliff. Meanwhile, Goneril and Edmund arrive at Goneril's castle. Oswald meets them, telling the pair of Albany's disapproval. Furious, Goneril raises troops to fight the French and hints strongly to Edmund that she is interested in him sexually. He then leaves as Albany enters, and the husband and wife fight. In the midst of the argument a messenger arrives with news of Cornwall's death while cutting out Gloucester's eyes. Goneril is angry because her sister is now free to pursue Edmund, and Albany is livid because of the cruel mistreatment of Gloucester, vowing to revenge him. Kent speaks to a man who recently delivered letters to Cordelia detailing her father's condition. She very much wishes to see her father, but he refuses in shame. Cordelia sends a party to find Lear as Cornwall and Albany's armies are preparing to fight. The story then switches to Regan and Oswald, who are discussing a letter from Goneril to Edmund. Regan tells Oswald that she is also interested in Edmund. While this is happening, Edgar brings Gloucester to a hill in Dover, telling him that it is an enormous cliff. Gloucester, intending to commit suicide, prays and then falls over the "cliff," really just falling forward. Edgar wakes his father, assuming yet another persona. He tells Gloucester that the man fell from a great height and is miraculously still alive. Lear then joins the party, mad as ever. Cordelia's people finally find Lear, who tries to run but is captured. Oswald finds Edgar and Gloucester and intends to kill Gloucester, but Edgar slays him first. Lear and Cordelia are finally reunited in the camp and Cordelia forgives her father.
3. Albany becomes a dynamic character in this section, transitioning from a cruel ally of the eldest sisters to a compassionate, remorseful friend of Gloucester. This bout of redemption seems to coincide with Albany's witnessing of Gloucester's attack, not only in the stabbing out of his eyes, but in the abuse he endured at the hands of Goneril and Regan as well. Because Albany stood beside Goneril throughout the beginning of her abuse of her father, I assume he was not simply a meek "good guy" all along. Instead, he was a "bad guy" who had a change of heart. In doing so, he provides one of the only character changes that occur in this play. Lear is the other transformation, going from sane and selfish to lunatic but compassionate. These two characters both wind up becoming better people as a result of their changes. Interestingly, like Lear, Albany uses animal imagery to describe Goneril. In Scene II, Line 44, Albany asks, "Tigers, not daughters, what have you performed?" Is Albany becoming more like his father-in-law?
Cordelia seems to be venerated in this section. She is described as tears that "as pearls from diamonds dropped" with "smiles and tears" like "sunshine and rain" (Scene 3, Lines 17-21). Her tears are also referred to as "holy water from her heavenly eyes" (Scene 3, Line 33). Especially in light of her contrasting character to that of her sisters, Cordelia appears to be angelic. She is the pure daughter, whereas her sisters are morally corrupted. Even though Cordelia is the only one mistreated by King Lear, she is the only one who stands by him and loves him through it all. While her sisters took advantage of his assets, Cordelia was accepting of her banishment and ultimately forgave her father.
Gloucester's wish for death points to his easily defeatable nature. When things don't go as he wishes, instead of trying to reconcile the situation he simply dismisses life. Granted, when tragedy befalls him, it is in greater amounts than most ever experience. However, Gloucester aiming to fall off of a cliff demonstrates his tendency toward despair and hopelessness.
4. Was Shakespeare intending to set Cordelia up to be worshipped? Is she supposed to be compared to the Virgin Mary? Or is this simply taking the context too far?
Was Shakespeare making a statement by having both Albany and Lear make positive transformations? Is this change in goodness significant?
Will Gloucester end up killing himself, will he find joy in life again, or will he simply live in a state of misery for the rest of the play? He is so apathetic toward everything except sorrow; will this be the ruin of him?
2 : any of a genus (Tsuga) of evergreen coniferous trees of the pine family; also : the soft light splintery wood of a hemlock
-Merriam-Webster Online
Page 82 (Act IV, Scene IV): "Cordelia: Alack, 'tis he: why, he was met even now
As mad as the vexed sea; singing aloud;
Crowned with rank fumiter and furrow-weeds,
With hardocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,
Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow
In our sustaining corn. A century send forth;
Search every acre in the high-grown field,
And bring him to our eye."
2. Edgar, disguised as Poor Tom, overhears his father tell Kent that if he could only touch his son (Edgar) again, his blindness would be worth it. Despite this, Edgar decides to remain disguised. Gloucester then asks Edgar to lead him to Dover, particularly to the tallest cliff. Meanwhile, Goneril and Edmund arrive at Goneril's castle. Oswald meets them, telling the pair of Albany's disapproval. Furious, Goneril raises troops to fight the French and hints strongly to Edmund that she is interested in him sexually. He then leaves as Albany enters, and the husband and wife fight. In the midst of the argument a messenger arrives with news of Cornwall's death while cutting out Gloucester's eyes. Goneril is angry because her sister is now free to pursue Edmund, and Albany is livid because of the cruel mistreatment of Gloucester, vowing to revenge him. Kent speaks to a man who recently delivered letters to Cordelia detailing her father's condition. She very much wishes to see her father, but he refuses in shame. Cordelia sends a party to find Lear as Cornwall and Albany's armies are preparing to fight. The story then switches to Regan and Oswald, who are discussing a letter from Goneril to Edmund. Regan tells Oswald that she is also interested in Edmund. While this is happening, Edgar brings Gloucester to a hill in Dover, telling him that it is an enormous cliff. Gloucester, intending to commit suicide, prays and then falls over the "cliff," really just falling forward. Edgar wakes his father, assuming yet another persona. He tells Gloucester that the man fell from a great height and is miraculously still alive. Lear then joins the party, mad as ever. Cordelia's people finally find Lear, who tries to run but is captured. Oswald finds Edgar and Gloucester and intends to kill Gloucester, but Edgar slays him first. Lear and Cordelia are finally reunited in the camp and Cordelia forgives her father.
3. Albany becomes a dynamic character in this section, transitioning from a cruel ally of the eldest sisters to a compassionate, remorseful friend of Gloucester. This bout of redemption seems to coincide with Albany's witnessing of Gloucester's attack, not only in the stabbing out of his eyes, but in the abuse he endured at the hands of Goneril and Regan as well. Because Albany stood beside Goneril throughout the beginning of her abuse of her father, I assume he was not simply a meek "good guy" all along. Instead, he was a "bad guy" who had a change of heart. In doing so, he provides one of the only character changes that occur in this play. Lear is the other transformation, going from sane and selfish to lunatic but compassionate. These two characters both wind up becoming better people as a result of their changes. Interestingly, like Lear, Albany uses animal imagery to describe Goneril. In Scene II, Line 44, Albany asks, "Tigers, not daughters, what have you performed?" Is Albany becoming more like his father-in-law?
Cordelia seems to be venerated in this section. She is described as tears that "as pearls from diamonds dropped" with "smiles and tears" like "sunshine and rain" (Scene 3, Lines 17-21). Her tears are also referred to as "holy water from her heavenly eyes" (Scene 3, Line 33). Especially in light of her contrasting character to that of her sisters, Cordelia appears to be angelic. She is the pure daughter, whereas her sisters are morally corrupted. Even though Cordelia is the only one mistreated by King Lear, she is the only one who stands by him and loves him through it all. While her sisters took advantage of his assets, Cordelia was accepting of her banishment and ultimately forgave her father.
Gloucester's wish for death points to his easily defeatable nature. When things don't go as he wishes, instead of trying to reconcile the situation he simply dismisses life. Granted, when tragedy befalls him, it is in greater amounts than most ever experience. However, Gloucester aiming to fall off of a cliff demonstrates his tendency toward despair and hopelessness.
4. Was Shakespeare intending to set Cordelia up to be worshipped? Is she supposed to be compared to the Virgin Mary? Or is this simply taking the context too far?
Was Shakespeare making a statement by having both Albany and Lear make positive transformations? Is this change in goodness significant?
Will Gloucester end up killing himself, will he find joy in life again, or will he simply live in a state of misery for the rest of the play? He is so apathetic toward everything except sorrow; will this be the ruin of him?
King Lear, Act III
1. Impetuous: 1 : marked by impulsive vehemence or passion
2 : marked by force and violence of movement or action
-Merriam-Webster Online
Page 57 (Act III, Scene I): "...Which the impetuous blasts, with eyeless rage,
Catch in their fury, and make nothing of;
Strives in his little world of man to outscorn
The to-and-fro conflicting wind and rain."
2. Act III begins with Kent searching for Lear in the woods. He comes upon a knight who tells him that Lear is nearby with his fool. Kent gives the knight a ring and tells him to bring it to Cordelia, as she will understand who sent it. Lear and his fool continue to wander as this happens, with Lear clearly growing madder. When Kent finally encounters the two, he urges them to take shelter. Meanwhile, Gloucester is in his castle with Edmund. The former explains his distress at the two sisters shutting their father out. He then speaks of rumors of conflict between Cornwall and Albany before stating that he wishes to go search for Lear. He tells Edmund that if Cornwall learns of his actions he will be treated as a traitor and begs him to say nothing. Edmund secretly rejoices at the opportunity to end his father's life, taking control of his estate and possessions. The narration then switches back to Kent, Lear and the fool, who run into Edgar disguised as Poor Tom. Gloucester then finds them, but does not recognize his son. Gloucester convinces everyone to go back to his castle, despite the risk that Goneril, Regan, and Cornwall pose. The men arrive at a barn, and Lear holds a mock trial with animals taking the place of his daughters. Edgar and the fool play along and behave as madmen, allowing Lear's fantasy to take place. Lear falls asleep as Gloucester runs in, telling the other men that he has overheard a threat to the king's life. They all flee, with Lear, toward Dover. Back at Gloucester's castle, Cornwall orders the capture of Gloucester. He is caught and brought before his daughters, and Cornwall rips out his eyes. Gloucester's servant steps in and kills Cornwall. Regan tells Gloucester that Edmund is the one who betrayed him, and Gloucester realizes that Edgar is his loyal and loving son.
3. As Lear descends deeper into his madness, he seems to gain an understanding and a sympathy for others that he previously lacked. There is one point where he is praying, but not for himself. Instead, his efforts are extended toward "..poor naked wretches, wheresoe’er you are, That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm” (Act III, Scene IV, Lines 29-30). This is an extreme change from the commencement of the play, in which he disowned his favorite daughter for not boosting his pride. Where he used to care only about himself, Lear can finally think of others. Lear also tries to take off his clothing in an attempt to be nearer to the beggars. He has become human where before he was always striving to be above the level of all surrounding him. Similarly, Lear finally feels remorse and sees the error of his ways. He has realized that his eldest daughters are evil, and that his youngest, Cordelia, is the one who truly loved him. By seeing this he has also seen the tremendous mistake he made in casting her out. Before he started to lose his mind, Lear would never have admitted a flaw. He saw himself as perfect, never making mistakes. It's interesting to think about whether Shakespeare intended this change to be a product of his loss of mind or whether it was more of a trade-off. Cordelia seems to be near perfection, but all other characters seem to have a flaw. Can one be flawless, or must one always have an imperfection?
Animal imagery was interesting in this section. First, the cruel daughters are referred to as "wolves" by Kent in Scene IV, Line 16. Later, Lear calls them she foxes (Act IV, Line 20). Then the trial takes place, in which Lear uses animals to represent Regan and Goneril. It is suggested that in his madness he truly believes the animals to be his daughters, giving them a real trial. This animal imagery is fascinating, suggesting the primitive and predatory instincts they display. Lear himself is referred to as an animal as well, a "bare, forked animal" (Act IV, Lines 99-100). Is the king trying to relate to his wicked daughters? Or did he see himself as the animal first, then showing that they got their tendencies from him, although in a much more vicious form?
4. Is Shakespeare suggesting that one must have a character flaw? When Lear is sane he is arrogant and selfish, yet when he loses his mind, he becomes kind-hearted and loving. Is this caused by the change, or is it put into the plot to prove a point?
2 : marked by force and violence of movement or action
-Merriam-Webster Online
Page 57 (Act III, Scene I): "...Which the impetuous blasts, with eyeless rage,
Catch in their fury, and make nothing of;
Strives in his little world of man to outscorn
The to-and-fro conflicting wind and rain."
2. Act III begins with Kent searching for Lear in the woods. He comes upon a knight who tells him that Lear is nearby with his fool. Kent gives the knight a ring and tells him to bring it to Cordelia, as she will understand who sent it. Lear and his fool continue to wander as this happens, with Lear clearly growing madder. When Kent finally encounters the two, he urges them to take shelter. Meanwhile, Gloucester is in his castle with Edmund. The former explains his distress at the two sisters shutting their father out. He then speaks of rumors of conflict between Cornwall and Albany before stating that he wishes to go search for Lear. He tells Edmund that if Cornwall learns of his actions he will be treated as a traitor and begs him to say nothing. Edmund secretly rejoices at the opportunity to end his father's life, taking control of his estate and possessions. The narration then switches back to Kent, Lear and the fool, who run into Edgar disguised as Poor Tom. Gloucester then finds them, but does not recognize his son. Gloucester convinces everyone to go back to his castle, despite the risk that Goneril, Regan, and Cornwall pose. The men arrive at a barn, and Lear holds a mock trial with animals taking the place of his daughters. Edgar and the fool play along and behave as madmen, allowing Lear's fantasy to take place. Lear falls asleep as Gloucester runs in, telling the other men that he has overheard a threat to the king's life. They all flee, with Lear, toward Dover. Back at Gloucester's castle, Cornwall orders the capture of Gloucester. He is caught and brought before his daughters, and Cornwall rips out his eyes. Gloucester's servant steps in and kills Cornwall. Regan tells Gloucester that Edmund is the one who betrayed him, and Gloucester realizes that Edgar is his loyal and loving son.
3. As Lear descends deeper into his madness, he seems to gain an understanding and a sympathy for others that he previously lacked. There is one point where he is praying, but not for himself. Instead, his efforts are extended toward "..poor naked wretches, wheresoe’er you are, That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm” (Act III, Scene IV, Lines 29-30). This is an extreme change from the commencement of the play, in which he disowned his favorite daughter for not boosting his pride. Where he used to care only about himself, Lear can finally think of others. Lear also tries to take off his clothing in an attempt to be nearer to the beggars. He has become human where before he was always striving to be above the level of all surrounding him. Similarly, Lear finally feels remorse and sees the error of his ways. He has realized that his eldest daughters are evil, and that his youngest, Cordelia, is the one who truly loved him. By seeing this he has also seen the tremendous mistake he made in casting her out. Before he started to lose his mind, Lear would never have admitted a flaw. He saw himself as perfect, never making mistakes. It's interesting to think about whether Shakespeare intended this change to be a product of his loss of mind or whether it was more of a trade-off. Cordelia seems to be near perfection, but all other characters seem to have a flaw. Can one be flawless, or must one always have an imperfection?
Animal imagery was interesting in this section. First, the cruel daughters are referred to as "wolves" by Kent in Scene IV, Line 16. Later, Lear calls them she foxes (Act IV, Line 20). Then the trial takes place, in which Lear uses animals to represent Regan and Goneril. It is suggested that in his madness he truly believes the animals to be his daughters, giving them a real trial. This animal imagery is fascinating, suggesting the primitive and predatory instincts they display. Lear himself is referred to as an animal as well, a "bare, forked animal" (Act IV, Lines 99-100). Is the king trying to relate to his wicked daughters? Or did he see himself as the animal first, then showing that they got their tendencies from him, although in a much more vicious form?
4. Is Shakespeare suggesting that one must have a character flaw? When Lear is sane he is arrogant and selfish, yet when he loses his mind, he becomes kind-hearted and loving. Is this caused by the change, or is it put into the plot to prove a point?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
King Lear, Act II
1. Passio: womanish pain. -Text definition.
Act II, Scene IV, Page 49: "KING LEAR: O, how this mother swells up toward my heart!
Hysterica passio, down, thou climbing sorrow,
Thy element's below! Where is this daughter?"
2. Edgar, on the run because of the lies planted by his brother, decides to disguise himself. He covers himself in dirt and dresses in rags, creating the "Poor Tom" persona. He plans to act like a madman escaped from an insane asylum as he wanders the land. Lear arrives at Gloucester's castle and asked to speak to Regan and Cornwall, who refuse. Eventually they comply and Lear complains to Regan about her sister's unfairness, but Regan sides with Goneril, telling Lear that he is going mad with age and should apologize to his daughter. Goneril shows up, much to Lear's dismay, and the sisters strengthen their alliance. They tell Lear that they will not allow him to bring any knights to either of their homes, and in a fit of rage, he leaves the castle in the midst of a storm. Gloucester begs the girls to let him back in but they refuse, arguing that he should do what he wants.
3. This Act is where King Lear clearly begins to lose his mind. It does not come suddenly, however; his madness is a gradual process, beginning in Act I but escalating in Act II. The incident that arguably pushes him over the "edge" is the betrayal by his two daughters. When Goneril and Regan join together to undermine his remaining power, he cannot take it. By refusing to allow him his knights and declaring him senile, the girls show Lear how little they truly care for him. He quickly transitions from astonishment to anger to madness. Lear runs from the shelter of Gloucester's castle into a storm, claiming wildly that he would rather live in nature's fury than with his traitorous daughters. I'm not sure if he actually wanted to be alone in the storm or if he hoped that someone would come after him, but either way, when nobody did it must have only added to his madness. His daughters once against demonstrated their lack of feeling toward their father by telling Gloucester to leave him alone.
While at first I did not understand what Edgar was doing in disguising himself as "Poor Tom," now that I understand, my respect for him has heightened greatly. Although I believe he first disguised himself simply as a form of protection, when he came upon his father he did not flee. Most people would have found an excuse to run away because of the risk of exposure, but Edgar did not. I think this proves how much he loved his father. He would rather stay in constant danger but help his dad than be safe but have no contact. At this point in the play I started to really like Edgar, and I think he may be my favorite character in the entire work.
4. My first question is whether Lear would have gone mad had his daughters not done so much to convince him that he was. There are multiple occasions where they tell him he is becoming senile with age, and I wonder if it influenced his mental decay or if it was just a coincidence.
My second question is whether Edgar would have looked for his father or not if he had not come across him. I know it's probably not very relevant in the context of the play, but I'm curious nonetheless. Would he have ever made contact?
My third question is why Gloucester did not go after Lear. I know that the daughters told him not to, but he is a grown man. If he wanted to help Lear he could have followed him or invited him back into his castle. After all, it wasn't Goneril or Regan's house, it was Gloucester's.
Act II, Scene IV, Page 49: "KING LEAR: O, how this mother swells up toward my heart!
Hysterica passio, down, thou climbing sorrow,
Thy element's below! Where is this daughter?"
2. Edgar, on the run because of the lies planted by his brother, decides to disguise himself. He covers himself in dirt and dresses in rags, creating the "Poor Tom" persona. He plans to act like a madman escaped from an insane asylum as he wanders the land. Lear arrives at Gloucester's castle and asked to speak to Regan and Cornwall, who refuse. Eventually they comply and Lear complains to Regan about her sister's unfairness, but Regan sides with Goneril, telling Lear that he is going mad with age and should apologize to his daughter. Goneril shows up, much to Lear's dismay, and the sisters strengthen their alliance. They tell Lear that they will not allow him to bring any knights to either of their homes, and in a fit of rage, he leaves the castle in the midst of a storm. Gloucester begs the girls to let him back in but they refuse, arguing that he should do what he wants.
3. This Act is where King Lear clearly begins to lose his mind. It does not come suddenly, however; his madness is a gradual process, beginning in Act I but escalating in Act II. The incident that arguably pushes him over the "edge" is the betrayal by his two daughters. When Goneril and Regan join together to undermine his remaining power, he cannot take it. By refusing to allow him his knights and declaring him senile, the girls show Lear how little they truly care for him. He quickly transitions from astonishment to anger to madness. Lear runs from the shelter of Gloucester's castle into a storm, claiming wildly that he would rather live in nature's fury than with his traitorous daughters. I'm not sure if he actually wanted to be alone in the storm or if he hoped that someone would come after him, but either way, when nobody did it must have only added to his madness. His daughters once against demonstrated their lack of feeling toward their father by telling Gloucester to leave him alone.
While at first I did not understand what Edgar was doing in disguising himself as "Poor Tom," now that I understand, my respect for him has heightened greatly. Although I believe he first disguised himself simply as a form of protection, when he came upon his father he did not flee. Most people would have found an excuse to run away because of the risk of exposure, but Edgar did not. I think this proves how much he loved his father. He would rather stay in constant danger but help his dad than be safe but have no contact. At this point in the play I started to really like Edgar, and I think he may be my favorite character in the entire work.
4. My first question is whether Lear would have gone mad had his daughters not done so much to convince him that he was. There are multiple occasions where they tell him he is becoming senile with age, and I wonder if it influenced his mental decay or if it was just a coincidence.
My second question is whether Edgar would have looked for his father or not if he had not come across him. I know it's probably not very relevant in the context of the play, but I'm curious nonetheless. Would he have ever made contact?
My third question is why Gloucester did not go after Lear. I know that the daughters told him not to, but he is a grown man. If he wanted to help Lear he could have followed him or invited him back into his castle. After all, it wasn't Goneril or Regan's house, it was Gloucester's.
King Lear, Act I
1. Sectary: a member of a sect. -Merriam-Webster Online
Act I, Scene II, Page 25: "EDGAR: How long have you been a sectary astronomical?"
2. The play begins with Gloucester telling Kent about his sons, Edgar and Edmund. Edmund is a bastard, but Gloucester claims to love them both. The attention then turns to King Lear, who is planning to divide his kingdom between his three daughters. He asks them to prove how much they love him, and his eldest two daughters, Goneril and Regan, who both eloquently flatter their father into appeasement. Cordelia, however, refuses to answer a question that she sees as so foolish, infuriating Lear. He disowns Cordelia and she leaves to marry the king of France without a dowry. Lear's loyal follower, Kent, stands up for Cordelia, causing Lear to banish him as well. Edmund then talks about how his brother, being a legitimate child, will inherit all of their father's wealth. Edmund schemes to plant a false letter hinting of a murder plot "written" by his brother, trying to pit his father and brother against each other. The scene then switches to Lear staying with Goneril along with the terms of his abdication. Goneril complains that her father's knights are rambunctious. Kent shows up in disguise to serve Lear, proving his faithfulness. Goneril finally snaps and tells Lear that his knights must leave the castle, and Lear is livid. Both Lear and Goneril write letters to Regan, the former asking for pity, the latter warning of trouble coming her way in the form of Lear's caravan.
3. At this point in the play, I was still very unsure of whether to side with Lear or his eldest daughters. Many of the situations in the play could be interpreted multiple ways, leading to different sympathy points. Lear appeared to be very childish and selfish. He wanted to give up the difficult parts of his job but retain the power, which is clearly very unfair. When his daughter, Cordelia, was honest and said that she loved him "according to my bond; nor more nor less," (Act I, Scene I, Page 15) Lear responded in an incredibly immature way by essentially disowning her. Ironically, Cordelia is probably the only daughter who actually loves her father. Lear, however, blinded by his foolish pride, threw a temper tantrum. On the other side of the issue, however, are the greedy daughters, Goneril and Regan. Their father gave them each half of his kingdom, and in return they plotted ways to control him completely. They refused to allow his knights to stay in their homes and in doing so demonstrated their lack of respect and his loss of power. It was especially difficult to determine which party was in the right because of Shakespeare's vagueness. One cannot be certain whether the knights are in fact rowdy and inappropriate, or whether the knights are well-behaved and the sisters simply looking for excuses.
I also thought the parallel between Gloucester and Lear was very cool. Both have multiple children, one of whom is loyal, one (or two) who is certainly not. Edgar and Cordelia both love their fathers very much, but do not show it as extravagantly as their fathers would like. Because of this, the other siblings are able to inspire doubt in the fathers, ultimately leading to the complete disownment of the honest siblings. As of this Act it was too soon to see whether Gloucester and Lear were meant to be completely parallel or if one was supposed to contrast the other.
4. My first question from this Act was whether Edmund would actually murder Gloucester, framing Edgar, or whether he was just planning to threaten Gloucester away from favoring Edgar. He is obviously very manipulative, but it was too soon to see how far he would go for the wealth that he views as rightfully his.
My second question was whether Lear or Goneril and Regan would be shown to be deserving of pity, or whether it would be up to interpretation throughout the entire play. As I mentioned in my analysis, many of the situations could be taken multiple ways, leading either to sympathy toward King Lear or toward his oldest daughters.
My third and final question from Act I was whether Cordelia would ever reunite with Lear, and if so, whether he would apologize or maintain his belief that she had mistreated him. I had heard that Lear lost his mind by the end of the play, but I was really curious as to whether he lost it believing that Cordelia wronged him or whether he came to terms with the truth.
Act I, Scene II, Page 25: "EDGAR: How long have you been a sectary astronomical?"
2. The play begins with Gloucester telling Kent about his sons, Edgar and Edmund. Edmund is a bastard, but Gloucester claims to love them both. The attention then turns to King Lear, who is planning to divide his kingdom between his three daughters. He asks them to prove how much they love him, and his eldest two daughters, Goneril and Regan, who both eloquently flatter their father into appeasement. Cordelia, however, refuses to answer a question that she sees as so foolish, infuriating Lear. He disowns Cordelia and she leaves to marry the king of France without a dowry. Lear's loyal follower, Kent, stands up for Cordelia, causing Lear to banish him as well. Edmund then talks about how his brother, being a legitimate child, will inherit all of their father's wealth. Edmund schemes to plant a false letter hinting of a murder plot "written" by his brother, trying to pit his father and brother against each other. The scene then switches to Lear staying with Goneril along with the terms of his abdication. Goneril complains that her father's knights are rambunctious. Kent shows up in disguise to serve Lear, proving his faithfulness. Goneril finally snaps and tells Lear that his knights must leave the castle, and Lear is livid. Both Lear and Goneril write letters to Regan, the former asking for pity, the latter warning of trouble coming her way in the form of Lear's caravan.
3. At this point in the play, I was still very unsure of whether to side with Lear or his eldest daughters. Many of the situations in the play could be interpreted multiple ways, leading to different sympathy points. Lear appeared to be very childish and selfish. He wanted to give up the difficult parts of his job but retain the power, which is clearly very unfair. When his daughter, Cordelia, was honest and said that she loved him "according to my bond; nor more nor less," (Act I, Scene I, Page 15) Lear responded in an incredibly immature way by essentially disowning her. Ironically, Cordelia is probably the only daughter who actually loves her father. Lear, however, blinded by his foolish pride, threw a temper tantrum. On the other side of the issue, however, are the greedy daughters, Goneril and Regan. Their father gave them each half of his kingdom, and in return they plotted ways to control him completely. They refused to allow his knights to stay in their homes and in doing so demonstrated their lack of respect and his loss of power. It was especially difficult to determine which party was in the right because of Shakespeare's vagueness. One cannot be certain whether the knights are in fact rowdy and inappropriate, or whether the knights are well-behaved and the sisters simply looking for excuses.
I also thought the parallel between Gloucester and Lear was very cool. Both have multiple children, one of whom is loyal, one (or two) who is certainly not. Edgar and Cordelia both love their fathers very much, but do not show it as extravagantly as their fathers would like. Because of this, the other siblings are able to inspire doubt in the fathers, ultimately leading to the complete disownment of the honest siblings. As of this Act it was too soon to see whether Gloucester and Lear were meant to be completely parallel or if one was supposed to contrast the other.
4. My first question from this Act was whether Edmund would actually murder Gloucester, framing Edgar, or whether he was just planning to threaten Gloucester away from favoring Edgar. He is obviously very manipulative, but it was too soon to see how far he would go for the wealth that he views as rightfully his.
My second question was whether Lear or Goneril and Regan would be shown to be deserving of pity, or whether it would be up to interpretation throughout the entire play. As I mentioned in my analysis, many of the situations could be taken multiple ways, leading either to sympathy toward King Lear or toward his oldest daughters.
My third and final question from Act I was whether Cordelia would ever reunite with Lear, and if so, whether he would apologize or maintain his belief that she had mistreated him. I had heard that Lear lost his mind by the end of the play, but I was really curious as to whether he lost it believing that Cordelia wronged him or whether he came to terms with the truth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)