King Lear PDF - William Shakespeare

KING LEAR WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616) William Shakespeare, often called the English national poet, is widely considered the greatest dramatist of all time William Shakespeare 26 April 1564 (Baptised) – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright and actor, w...

KING LEAR WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616) William Shakespeare, often called the English national poet, is widely considered the greatest dramatist of all time William Shakespeare 26 April 1564 (Baptised) – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others. Early life William Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman and a successful Glover originally from Snitterfield, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent land owning farmer. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and baptised there on 26 April 1564. His actual date of birth remains unknown, but is traditionally observed on 23 April, Saint George's Day. This date, which can be traced back to an 18th-century scholar's mistake, has proved appealing to biographers, since Shakespeare died 23 April 1616. He was the third child of eight and the eldest surviving son. John Shakespeare's house, believed to be Shakespeare's birthplace, in Stratford-upon- Avon At the age of 18, Shakespeare married the 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. The consistory court of the Diocese of Worcester issued a marriage license on 27 November 1582. The next day, two of Hathaway's neighbours posted bonds guaranteeing that no lawful claims impeded the marriage. The ceremony may have been arranged in some haste, since the Worcester chancellor allowed the marriage banns to be read once instead of the usual three times, and six months after the marriage Anne gave birth to a daughter, Susanna, baptised 26 May 1583. Twins, son Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed almost two years later and were baptised 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried 11 August 1596. After the birth of the twins, Shakespeare left few historical traces until he is mentioned as part of the London theatre scene in 1592. The exception is the appearance of his name in the 'complaints bill' of a law case before the Queen's Bench court at Westminster dated Michaelmas Term 1588 and 9 October 1589. Shakespeare is also supposed to have taken his revenge on Lucy by writing a scurrilous ballad about him. Another 18th-century story has Shakespeare starting his theatrical career minding the horses of theatre patrons in London. John Aubrey reported that Shakespeare had been a country schoolmaster. Some 20th-century scholars have suggested that Shakespeare may have been employed as a schoolmaster by Alexander Houghton of Lancashire, a Catholic landowner who named a certain "William Shakeshafte" in his will. Little evidence substantiates such stories other than hearsay collected after his death, and Shakeshafte was a common name in the Lancashire area. KING LEAR, PLAY Introduction Lear, King of Britain, in an attempt to avoid future strife, divides his kingdom between his three daughters. His eldest two, Regan (wife of Cornwall) and Gonerill (wife of Albany), respond to his request for a show of love, but Cordelia is unable to, not wanting to be hypocritical. In a fit of rage, Lear banishes her and she leaves to marry the King of France. When his advisor Kent attempts to tell Lear he is doing wrong, he too is banished. The Earl of Gloucester’s bastard son Edmund is planning to gain his brother Edgar’s lands by disinheriting him. He convinces Gloucester that Edgar is plotting against him, and then persuades his brother to flee from his father’s anger. To avoid arrest, Edgar disguises himself as a mad beggar, Poor Tom. Edmund is taken into Cornwall’s service. Lear begins a series of visits to Gonerill and Regan, followed by a disguised and loyal Kent. Kent insults Gonerill’s steward Oswald, and Lear takes him into his service. Gonerill then quarrels with Lear, who leaves her castle to go to Regan’s. Kent is sent ahead, but he quarrels again with Oswald, and is put in the stocks by Regan, who supports her sister’s attitude. The sisters meet together with Lear, and tell him to dismiss some and then all of his followers. He leaves the castle in a rage, going out into a violent storm accompanied only by his Fool and Kent. Lear harangues the storm, then meets Poor Tom, whom he treats as a counsellor. Gloucester tells Edmund of his intention to help Lear, and advises Kent to take Lear to Dover, where Cordelia and a French army are to be found. But Edmund has informed on Gloucester to Cornwall, and when Gloucester returns to the castle he is accused of being a traitor, his eyes are put out, and he is thrown out into the wilderness. In the melee, Cornwall is killed by a servant. Edgar encounters his blind father, and, as Poor Tom, journeys with him to Dover, where Gloucester finds Lear. There is growing animosity between Albany and Gonerill, who is showing increasing affection to Edmund, who also has a liaison with Regan. Oswald, taking a letter from Gonerill to Edmund, encounters Gloucester, but before he can harm him he is killed by Edgar. Lear is found by Cordelia’s army, and they are reconciled, but they are then taken prisoner by Edmund’s soldiers, and Edmund orders them both to be killed. After the battle, Gonerill and Regan both encounter Edmund and display their feelings for him. Albany challenges Edmund, and a disguised Edgar appears to fight him. Regan dies, poisoned by Gonerill, and Gonerill takes her own life when her husband hears of her betrayal. Edmund is fatally wounded and Edgar reveals himself. An order is sent to cancel Lear and Cordelia’s execution, but it arrives too late to save Cordelia. Lear carries her in, and soon after dies of a broken heart. Albany abdicates, leaving Kent and Edgar to rule the realm; but Kent announces that he has a journey to go on like his master. Edgar reflects on the future. MAJOR CHARACTERS IN KING LEAR Lear, King of Britain An old king, he originally divides the kingdom among his three daughters but ends up refusing it to Cordelia as she will not flatter him like her sisters. He banishes her, though regretting this action once living with Regan and Goneril who are ungrateful and treat him horribly. He escapes to the woods and encounters poor Tom, a madman, with whom he sympathizes. He wishes to reduce himself to essential man. He then goes mad. Kent and Gloucester help him to Dover where he is reunited with Cordelia. They lead the battle with France against Albany and Edmund, but lose and Cordelia and Lear are taken prisoner. After Cordelia's death, Lear grieves and dies. King of France A suitor for Cordelia, France is not turned away by Cordelia's lost inheritance but finds her more attractive. He marries her and helps her try to avenge the maltreatment of Lear. He is absent for the large battle at the end. Duke of Burgundy The other suitor for Cordelia, he refuses to accept her without the promised inheritance. Duke of Cornwall Regan's husband, Cornwall matches her for cruelty and vileness. He puts Kent in the stocks and places his trust in Edmund once Edmund betrays his father. Most cruelly, he blinds Gloucester. He receives a fatal blow from a servant who defends Gloucester. Duke of Albany Goneril's husband, he appears at first to be similar to Cornwall. We soon learn that there is a conflict, likely for land, between the two of them. Once Albany learns of Goneril and Regan's harsh treatment of Lear, he becomes highly moral and is enraged with Goneril, calling her a monster. He leads the fight versus France but intends to take mercy on Cordelia and Lear. He aids Edgar in killing Edmund and tries to right some of the wrongs at the end by reinstating Lear's absolute power. After Lear dies, he names Kent and Edgar as joint rulers. Earl of Kent Outraged by Lear's disinheritance of Cordelia, he steps in to support her decision. He too is banished. Ever loyal, he returns in disguise as a servant named Caius and aids Lear in this position. He exchanges communication with Cordelia and accompanies Lear to Dover. He reveals himself finally but the King is too mad to realize who Kent is and thus may never know. Kent is dying at the end and thus does not accept Albany's offer to rule jointly with Edgar. Earl of Gloucester The parallel character to Lear in the subplot, Gloucester is tricked by his bastard son Edmund into thinking that Edgar wishes to kill him. He trusts Edmund with his secrets until it is revealed that Edmund has betrayed him. He is blinded for being a traitor and helping Lear escape to Dover. Edgar, as poor Tom, leads him to Dover where he is tricked out of committing suicide. He sees Lear in his madness and wishes it upon himself. The news of Edgar's true identity overwhelms him, cracking his heart. Edgar, son to Gloucester Hunted by Gloucester's men due to Edmund's trickery, Edgar disguises himself as poor Tom of Bedlam, a demonic madman, who believes the foul fiend is torturing him. He provides a character for Lear to sympathize with during his encroaching madness and leads his blinded father to Dover where he saves him from suicide. Using many different disguises, he kills Oswald, alerts Albany to Goneril's adultery, and slays Edmund. Once his identity is revealed, he informs the audience of the events they missed and becomes King at the end. Edmund, bastard son to Gloucester Resentful of his illegitimacy and having a cruel drive for power, he plots against his brother and father and succeeds. Once Cornwall dies, he gains even more power and Goneril and Regan vie for his hand. He plans to kill Cordelia and Lear after beating them in battle so that he can rule over a united Britain. He is forced to confess his crimes by Albany and killed by Edgar. Goneril, daughter to Lear The eldest daughter, she contrives to strip Lear of his power from the beginning, flattering him and leading her sister in how to act. She drives Lear from her house with coldness and then aids Regan in rejecting him and throwing him out into the storm. Disgusted by her husband's weakness, she tries to persuade Edmund to kill him so they can marry. Her letter allows Albany proof against Edmund and herself. She poisons Regan out of jealousy and then stabs herself when she realizes that Albany knows of her intentions. Regan, daughter to Lear The other evil daughter, Regan conspires with Goneril to strip Lear of his power. She assists in sending Lear out in the storm and also helps Cornwall punish Gloucester. She herself grabs the sword and kills the servant who defends Gloucester. She wants Edmund for her husband after Cornwall's death and is very jealous that he is intimate with Goneril. She is poisoned by Goneril and dies. Cordelia, daughter to Lear The good daughter, Cordelia refuses to insincerely flatter her father with false estimations of love and is disinherited. France marries her and she becomes Queen. We hear of her knowledge of Lear's mistreatment and her movement to Dover with the French army through Kent. She takes Lear to a doctor to treat his madness. She and Lear are captured by Edmund when the French lose the war. Lear hopes to spend quality time with her, but she is hanged by Edmund before Albany can send help. Lear carries her body into the final scene and dies with her in his arms. Old Man, tenant to Gloucester A faithful attendant to Gloucester, he leads him through the woods after he is blinded. Gloucester chooses poor Tom to continue leading him but asks the old man to meet them later with clothes for Tom. Doctor Cordelia's physician, he gives Lear a sleeping pill in an attempt to restore him to sanity. Lear's Fool The hired court Fool, he attends Lear regularly and points out the truths which are missed or ignored. Upset by Cordelia's banishment, he ridicules Lear for being foolish enough to banish the good daughter and trust the evil ones. He further mocks his decision to give up his authority so fully. Once Lear goes mad, the Fool seems incredibly sane, making Lear remain dressed and playing along with his ideas of a trial versus Goneril and Regan. Oswald, steward to Goneril Loyal to Goneril, Oswald helps her insult Lear. As a result, Kent's argument with him at Gloucester's castle lands Kent in the stocks. He acts as messenger between Goneril and her sister and Edmund. He alerts Goneril that Albany has changed and he carries her love letter for Edmund. Edgar intercepts it and kills him. A Captain under Edmund's command He is given instructions by Edmund to hang Cordelia and then is killed by Lear when he is in the process of doing so. Gentleman loyal to Lear Kent sends him to Dover with news of Lear's condition and a ring to identify him to Cordelia. Kent later finds him in Dover and he reports to Kent on Cordelia's reaction to the information which he had brought earlier in the play. DOUBLE PLOT IN KING LEAR: 1. Unity of Plot or Action is a quality of drama that has been praised by critics since the time of Aristotle. The neo-classical dramatists made a point to follow this unity of plot very strictly. But we find that Shakespeare does hot give so much importance to this quality. Most of the plots of his plays are defective and loose. In his plays there are stories running parallel to each other. So; critics do not consider plot-construction the major quality of Shakespeare. They praise his characterization and beauty of language. Shakespeare’s famous play” King Lear” is no exception to this defect. There are two plots running side by side. A.C. Bradley ‘goes so far as to say that the sub-plot in “King Lear” weakens the”  structure of the play, and it is only the repetition of the theme of the main plot. But most of the critics praise Shakespeare’s fusion of the two plot and they think it a great achievement of Shakespeare. “King Lear” has been regarded as the most beautiful, the most elaborate, the most intricate the most skilful work of artistic construction. It interfuses two separate and distinct plots into one compact; in such a harmonious way that one plot seems to be the natural echo of the other. They are both synthesis and antithesis of each other. The first plot presents the story of the first guilt and first retribution. It shows parental guilt followed by filial punishment. The sub-plot of “King Lear”’ rein-forces the main plot. Both Gloucester and Lear are victims of filial ingratitude. The blinding of Gloucester is the physical equivalent of the blindness of Lear. Both as a result of their terrible experiences achieve a great wisdom at the end of the play. King Lear represents the higher level of human nature closer to divinity where as Gloucester represents lower and inferior position of human nature. 1t is due to the distinctive difference between the two that Lear suffers mentally, where as physical torture is inflicted upon Gloucester. Lear committed an intellectual error; swept away by anger and was conventionally punished by losing his sanity. Gloucester’s sin was physical and it got the punishment of blindness. Gloucester’s rashness and fury at Edgar reminds us of Lear’s rash treatment. Another similarity between the two is their reactions to extreme joy and sorrow. Lear’s extreme joy at the illusion of the movement of Cordelia’s tips and grief at the realization that she has been mercilessly murdered finishes him. It’s renaissance proverb that sudden joy kills sooner than excessive grief and it is also true in the case of Gloucester. The double plot reflects the duality of man’s nature through its two protagonists. In the beginning dualities are presented. Albany and Cornwall get equal share of kingdom from Lear and similarly Edgar and Edmund are equally dear to Gloucester. In “Hamlet” duality is reflected by his speeches where as in King Lear, it is shown by the structure of the play which has two parts. At one level, the sub-plot seems to be an outline or frame of the main plot, bringing out more clearly a contrast that is usually attained in Shakespeare’s plays. Lear’s suffering of mind begins earlier than Gloucester’s physical torture. In fact, Gloucester’s suffering intensifies Lear’s mental anguish. Though Gloucester echoes hear through most of the play yet in the end his suicide and restoration prepare us for Lear’s moving rebirth and his death. The double plot in “King Lear” probes into the mysteries of human sufferings without finding any answer to why so much misery for minor faults of human nature. Anyhow, most of the critics agree that the tragic flaw in the two protagonists (characters) is “error of understanding”. But Lear and Gloucester’s errors of understanding are different. Lear imposes his will without consideration, where as Gloucester accepts the will of the others without consideration. And the main difference between their roles is that Lear is active and Gloucester is passive. Both: Lear and Gloucester learn wisdom through suffering and achieve spiritual salvation. The wisdom that each learns is essentially the same. Like Lear, Gloucester comes to sympathize with the down trodden who are as much human as the rich and powerful are. Gloucester in misery cries out to the heaven:“Let the superfluous and lust dieted man, That slaves your ordinance that will not see, Because he does not feed, feel, your power quickly.”The same are Lear’s words in the storm 2. “Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel, that thou mayst shake the super flux to them, And show the Heavens more just.”We note the parallel between Gloucester’s superfluous and Lear’s super flux. Again like Lear, Gloucester, too,  in his torment learns the value of patience. In short, the two plots intermingle with each other in a remarkable manner. Lear lacks sound Judgment, so does Gloucester. Lear rejects the loving and chooses the false one. Similarly, Gloucester rejects the loving son and chooses the false one. As a result, bothfathers bring dire sufferings on themselves through their own folly. At the same time, both are the victims of dynamic evil. Both are assisted in their sufferings by those whom they have wronged. And in this way, the double plot of the play is a beautiful mixture of two stories. R.G. Moulton in his book “Shakespeare as a Dramatic Artist” praises Shakespeare in these words: “The Intertwining in the case of the present play is perhaps Shakespeare’s greatest triumph of constructive skill. The two stories are made to rest upon the same fundamental idea that the undutifulness to old age: what Lear’s daughters actually, do is that which is insinuated by Edmond as his false charge against this father.” So obvious is this fundamental connection between the main and the under-plot that our attention is called to it by Edgar in the play itself: “he childed as I fathered” is Edmond’s pithy summary of it when he is brought into contact with Lear. Schlegel, a German critic says in surprise, “with what ingenuity and skill the two main parts of the composition are dovetailed into one and other. King Lear Act 1, Scene 1 Summary  Two lords, Gloucester and Kent, are at King Lear's palace in Britain, talking about Lear's plan to divide the kingdom.  The men speculate as to why King Lear has decided to give the same amount of territory to both of his sons-in-law, even though everyone knows he likes one of them better.  However, he's not going to base his decision on how much he values his sons- in-law, which means it's going to be a tough race (the men are otherwise well- matched).  Gloucester introduces Kent to his illegitimate son, Edmund. Embarrassed, Gloucester cracks some jokes about his affair with Edmund's mother, who was apparently quite fun, but a little too fertile for everyone's good.  Gloucester asks Kent "Do you smell a fault?", which is a reference to his sinful affair with Edmund's mother and also a dirty pun – "fault" is slang for female genitals so, basically, Gloucester is insulting his son and his son's mother. (And yes, Edmund is standing right there the entire time.)  We also learn that Edmund has been hidden away for nine years, and Gloucester notes he will soon be going away again.  Then King Lear enters and makes a formal announcement of his plan to divide the kingdom between his three daughters and their husbands.  (Uh oh. Anyone who's seen the play Henry IV Part 1 and remembers the rebels' plans to divide Britain into three territories knows that this is a big no- no. Plus, King James I (a.k.a. King James VI of Scotland) who attended one of the first performances of Lear, was trying to unite England and Scotland under his rule when he was crowned King of England in 1603, so the very idea of the division of Britain would have been troubling to Shakespeare's contemporaries.)  Lear says he'll still officially be king, meaning he'll retain all of his power and revenues but he just doesn't want to do any of the work anymore. Further,  dividing up the kingdom now will avoid any nasty disputes after his death. (Yeah right. So he thinks.)  There's another matter Lear means to clear up, too: the King of France and the Duke of Burgundy are at his court right now, competing for Cordelia (Lear's youngest and unmarried daughter). He plans to hand her over in marriage to one of these men today, but, first things first…  Lear's all set to carve up the kingdom, leaving his children to manage his affairs and his wealth.  But here's the catch: Lear wants his daughters to say how much they love him. He says he'll give the most to the daughter who says she loves him most.  Lear's eldest, Goneril makes a ridiculous and flattering speech about how she loves her father as much as life itself.  Regan, the second daughter, declares Goneril is a good kid, but actually Regan is the one who loves her father more than life, so there. She declares his love is the only thing that gives her happiness (as in, Lear's the apple of her eye, the cream in her coffee, and he's richer than her husband, the Duke of Cornwall).  Cordelia, Lear's youngest and favorite daughter, listens to her sisters' empty speeches and thinks this love contest is stupid. Words of love are no substitute for actually feeling love, and her love is richer than her ability to flatter.  So when Cordelia's turn comes, she refuses to play Lear's game. He asks her, "What can you say to draw a third [of the kingdom] more opulent than your sisters? Speak." She replies, "Nothing."  Lear can't believe what he's hearing. "Nothing will come of nothing," he tells her. "Speak again." (In other words, you'll get absolutely nothing from me unless you speak up, kiddo.)  Brain Snack: "Nothing can come of nothing" is a variation on the famous phrase "ex nihilo nihil fit" – that's Latin for "from nothing, nothing comes," which is an ancient Greek philosophical and scientific expression. It's the opposite of the biblical notion that God created the world (which is a whole lot of something) out of nothing (Genesis 1.1).  Cordelia has made up her mind. She loves her father, and says she loves him according to her bond to him (which is actually a pretty big deal), but she's not going to make a big insincere public speech about it. She says "I cannot heave my heart into my mouth," meaning her words are never sufficient enough to express her love for Lear.  When Lear warns Cordelia that she'd better say something or she won't get her piece of the kingdom, Cordelia lashes out at the premises of the game. "Why have my sisters husbands, if they say / they love you all?" she asks pointedly.  Cordelia promises that when she marries, half her love will be reserved for her husband; she won't claim that all her love belongs to her father.  Lear is furious. It seems to him that his favorite child has betrayed him, and he says if she loves truth so much, truth can be her dowry, as she'll not be getting any piece of this kingdom pie.  Lear then swears by Heaven and Hell that he is casting Cordelia out. She is no longer part of his family, and he thinks of her as fondly as he thinks of the kind of people who eat their children.  Everyone is shocked. Kent, one of Lear's trusted advisers, tries to intervene on behalf of Cordelia but Lear orders Kent "out of [his] sight." Kent responds by saying "See better, Lear." (Yep, that's a significant part of the play's infamous "blindness" motif, which you can read more about in "Symbols.")  Lear admits Cordelia was his favorite and that he planned to spend his old age with her – he was banking on her "kind nursery," which means that he was hoping Cordelia would play the role of mommy or nursemaid to him as he grew older. (Gosh, Lear's really serious when he says he wants to retire.)  Lear gives his crown to Cornwall and Albany (Regan's and Goneril's husbands, respectively) and announces that he'll spend months alternating between his other two daughters' houses, accompanied by 100 knights.  Lear divides Cordelia's part of the kingdom between her sisters.  Kent can't handle this tomfoolery, and he tells Lear he's acting rashly. Kent reasonably contends that Cordelia's honesty means more than the other girls' flattery.  The two argue for some time, and Kent declares that, although he has spent his whole life devoted to Lear, he can't abide by this madness. Kent declares Lear is up to evil.  Lear, even more enraged, gives Kent six days to leave the country, on pain of death.  Kent valiantly takes his leave, declaring he's headed to freedom instead of banishment.  Kent bids Cordelia good luck, and again praises her for her honest words. He also says he hopes Goneril and Regan's big speeches amount to more than big fat lies. Kent exits.  Lear makes sure his rejection of Cordelia is complete by calling in her two suitors: the King of France and the Duke of Burgundy. Lear informs them that Cordelia is no longer his daughter, and that she therefore has no money or property to her name – much less a piece of the kingdom.  "Still want her?" Lear asks.  Burgundy says no thanks – not unless Lear ponies up the giant dowry he previously promised.  The King of France, on the other hand, marvels at how quickly Lear turned from loving to hate Cordelia, and says she must've done something pretty awful to deserve such censure.  Cordelia proclaims her only wrong is what she lacks, which is a flattering tongue.  France decides to marry her, saying Cordelia's behavior has only increased his respect for her.  Lear says something like "Fine, take her," informing Cordelia that he hopes to never see her face again.  Lear exits.  Cordelia offers a tense goodbye to her sisters. She's basically says, "I know how awful you are, but I won't say it," which, of course, says how awful they are. Cordelia claims her sisters don't really love their father as they stated.  They sweetly reply that they hope Cordelia's new husband will dislike her as much as their father now dislikes her.  Cordelia wishes her sisters well, declares time will reveal them to be schemers.  Left on their own, Regan and Goneril discuss what they should do about their silly old father, besides trash talk him.  They say he was never the most rational and stable guy to begin with, and old age is only making his condition worse – Lear, they say, is going senile.  There's no other explanation for why he would banish his favorite daughter and one of his best friends (Kent) on a whim.  They worry about what he might do next and decide they need to come up with some kind of plan for dealing with him, since it seems that Lear will only continue to act like a tantrum-throwing baby as he gets older and more "infirm." King Lear Act 1, Scene 2 Summary  Edmund, Gloucester's illegitimate son, delivers a soliloquy (a long speech revealing his inner thoughts). He complains to the audience about the way society treats younger brothers and "illegitimate" children. ("Illegitimate" is just a rude way to say that a child is born out of wedlock. Remember, Gloucester told us in act one, scene one that he's not married to Edmund's mom but, he sure had a good time with her.  Edmund argues that he's just as smart, attractive, and talented as his father's eldest and legitimate son, Edgar.  But because of a technicality of birth, Edgar will get property and an important position and he, Edmund, will get nothing.  We interrupt this program for a history snack: Edmund's beef about the way society treats younger brothers is a reference to primogeniture, the system by which eldest sons inherit all their fathers' wealth, titles, lands, power, debt, etc. In other words, younger brothers (and all daughters) get shafted. As you can guess, this system tends to create a whole lot of "Family" drama. The same system would have applied to Lear's family if Lear had a son to inherit the crown by lineal succession. Since the king doesn't have a son, he's decided to divvy up the kingdom between his daughters and sons-in-law, as we know. Now, back to our program:  Edmund also insists that, since his parents had such an awesome and "lusty" time in bed when he was conceived, he's far more superior to any person legitimately conceived in a "stale tired bed."  One way or another, Edmund is going to get his brother's land, and we doubt that he's interested in a time share.  Edmund also points out that Gloucester loves him as much as he loves Edgar (but that's not saying much), which seems like evidence that society shouldn't make such a big deal about the difference between "legitimate" and "illegitimate" offspring. Finally, Edmund calls on the gods to "stand up for bastards!"  (Helpful Hint: If you're getting "Edmund" and "Edgar" confused already, here's a tip: Think "G" for good – Edgar is the good brother, and "M" for "malice" – Edmund is the malicious one.)  When Gloucester (Edmund and Edgar's father) comes in, Edmund puts his plan into action. Acting intentionally nervous, he very conspicuously puts away a letter he's supposedly been reading.  When his father asks him what it is, Edmund acts flustered. He hints that the contents of the letter, which is from his brother, are rather bad and will probably, offend Gloucester. Edmund suggests his brother sent the letter as a test.  Gloucester takes the bait and demands to see what the big deal is.  The letter – supposedly from brother Edgar – suggests that the brothers conspire to kill their father. In the letter, "Edgar" claims that obedience to one's elders is a total drag and highly overrated. Plus, by the time Gloucester dies and Edgar (the eldest brother) gets his inheritance, he'll be too old to enjoy it. But, if Edmund (the younger brother) were to help Edgar get rid of their old man, they could both split the profits.  Gloucester, naturally, is shocked and outraged. He asks Edmund how he came upon the letter, and whether this is really Edgar's handwriting.  Edmund, who's beginning to look a lot like an evil genius, says someone threw it in his bedroom window.  It just breaks his heart to have to tell his beloved father that the handwriting is definitely Edgar's.  Edmund then goes on to say that while Edgar never specifically planned a "let's murder-our-father" meeting, he's always running around saying he can't wait for Gloucester to kick the bucket.  Gloucester immediately declares Edgar to be an "unnatural" villain. Edmund, pretending to be the virtuous younger brother, says Gloucester shouldn't jump to any hasty conclusions. Perhaps Edgar wrote this letter to test Edmund's love for their father???  Edmund then promises he can provide his father with some kind of resolution: that very evening, he'll have a conversation with Edgar on which Gloucester can spy. Edmund will talk to Edgar of the business, and Gloucester can form his own conclusion.  While Gloucester is clearly discombobulated (i.e., confused and upset) by the suggestion that his son Edgar, whom he loves dearly, is a bad guy, he's still up to hearing the proof.  Gloucester then laments that the recent solar and lunar eclipses in Britain are portentous, predicting failed loves, civil wars, treason, mutinies, divided brothers, and even the breaking of bonds between father and son (which is conveniently relevant). As further evidence that something really awful is going to happen, Gloucester points out that Lear has recently had a falling out with his child, Cordelia.  We interrupt this program for another tasty history snack: when Gloucester says the "late eclipses of the sun and moon" are a bad omen, Shakespeare may have had in mind the actual eclipses that were seen in London in October and September of 1605 (about a year before the play's first recorded performance). Just thought you'd like to know, especially since some literary critics point to this as evidence that Shakespeare could not have written King Lear before 1605.  Gloucester worries that they've already seen the best days of their lives, and that only disorder and grief will come with the future.  Gloucester fusses about this mess, reminds Edmund that it's now up to him to sort out Edgar.  He also wonders at the rash banishment of Kent. (All of these issues seem aligned to the prediction of madness and strife.)  After Gloucester exits, Edmund takes time to snicker gleefully about the fact that people are often ready to blame their own failings and circumstances on the stars and their fates, as if they couldn't help being as villainous as they are.  Edmund, who we see is rather self-aware, knows that even if he'd been born during the best zodiacal circumstances, he'd still be a rotten guy.   Then Edgar walks in, a prime opportunity for Part Two of Edmund's plan: Edmund makes a little speech about the horoscope promising death and division that will impact both states and families.  After Edgar teases about how silly horoscopes are, Edmund convinces Edgar that his father is angry at him, and that he should lie low for a while.  Edgar suggests that his father could only think badly of him because some villain has done him wrong, and Edmund agrees that's probably the case, though he stops short of saying, "A-ha! That villain is me!"  Edmund lays it on thick about how Edgar should worry about his enemies, even suggesting Edgar shouldn't go out without a weapon. Edmund also provides a plan, saying if Edgar goes back to his place, he'll drop by and fetch him to speak to their father when the time is right.  Edgar leaves, convinced that Edmund has his best interests in mind. Like his father, Edgar is a gullible guy.  Edmund, alone, crows over how lucky he is to have a brother and father so good that they won't suspect his treachery, simply because they couldn't fathom it. This will make his evil deeds easy. Edmund declares he's sure to get Gloucester's land, if not by rightful inheritance, then by his own wits. King Lear Act 1, Scene 3 Summary  A brief recap: Lear had planned to spend his retirement with Cordelia. Obviously, that's not happening any more. So now he's spending alternate months with his remaining two daughters.  Things are not going well at Goneril's castle. Lear's a lousy houseguest—he continues to act like he's in charge (even though he gave up his kingly title). Also, Oswald tells Goneril that Lear smacked one of her servants upside the head because the servant was rude to Lear's Fool (Lear's personal comedian).  Not to mention Lear's entourage – a group of 100 knights that the King brings everywhere – is a rowdy bunch. (Hmm. If Lear was serious about retirement, why the heck does he need an entourage of knights?) Goneril is fed up with all of their antics.  She tells Oswald, her personal assistant, to be rude to Lear in order to spark a confrontation. This way, they can air everything out. Goneril also announces that Regan and she share the same distaste for their father, so she's safe if Lear goes to Regan for help.  Goneril announces that old men are like babies again, and can therefore be manipulated easily.  Goneril reiterates her plan to be rude to dad so she can have a stern talk with him. King Lear Act 1, Scene 4 Summary  Kent, the loyal advisor Lear exiled back in Scene 1, enters Goneril's castle disguised as a down-and-out peasant, "Caius." He speaks in a strange accent so no one recognizes his voice.  Kent lives to take care of Lear, and he's determined to do it even if Lear has treated him terribly.  Lear enters with his rowdy entourage and orders one of his attendants to hurry up and fix his dinner. (Gee, we have no idea why Goneril's been complaining about her father. He sounds like the perfect houseguest.)  Kent – who now goes by the alias "Caius" – convinces Lear with a bit of banter that he's a good guy and should be allowed to join Lear's entourage.  Lear sends Oswald, Goneril's steward, to go find his daughter.  The King abruptly calls Oswald back, but Oswald ignores him. The insolence!  A knight then enters and reports that Goneril says she isn't well.  Lear is miffed that Goneril and Oswald have blown him off and the knight confirms that everyone in Goneril's castle seems to be being kind of rude and cold lately.  The knight believes Lear isn't being given his due as the King, not by any of the castle servants, and definitely not by Goneril or her husband, the Duke of Albany. Lear reveals he was thinking along these lines already, but had dismissed it as his own imaginings.  Lear asks for his Fool again, whom he says he hasn't seen him in two days. The knight reports the Fool hasn't been the same since Cordelia left for France. Though Lear has noticed this also, he doesn't want to talk about it.  When Oswald comes back, Lear, still smarting from being ignored, demands that Oswald tell him who he thinks he's talking to. "My lady's father," Oswald replies. This is not an acceptable answer, as Lear is still the King, which, to Lear, is a more important label than "parent."  Lear is livid. He may have given up his title, but he still thinks he should be treated like the most important person in the room.  Lear and Kent proceed to rough up Oswald—Lear smacks him and then Kent trips him up and calls Oswald a "football player," which is British lingo for "soccer player," a game that was low-class in Shakespeare's day.  The Fool – Lear's own personal comedian – comes in and starts making jokes. The Fool doesn't hold back – at all. (He's literally got a license to say whatever he wants and, despite being called a "Fool," he's incredibly wise.)  The Fool jumps right into mocking Lear for giving away his kingdom to Goneril and Regan, and for leaving his one good daughter, Cordelia, out of the mix.  According to the Fool, this was a bad idea that Lear can't really be punished for – except in mocking, and the Fool is taking care of that quite well.  He suggests that Lear's pitiful position now is his own fault – after all, he made his daughters into his mother, basically handing them a stick and pulling his pants down for a little spanking.  The Fool has a lot more fun at Lear's expense, calling him a fool and making clear that he values Cordelia above Goneril and Regan, who are bad seeds.  The Fool laments that there's no need for fools when wise men are foolish. Nobody else could get away with saying stuff like this to Lear except the Fool.  Goneril comes in to scold Lear for letting his entourage gets out of control. She claims his 100 knights are always loud and riotous, and that with the way he's been behaving lately, she worries he's actually encouraging this bad behavior.  History Snack: King James I of England (the guy on the throne when Shakespeare wrote King Lear) was notorious for creating hundreds of knights during times of peace, which was quite the scandal. G.P.V. Akrigg notes that "during his first six weeks in England he created at least 237 knights […] By  the end of his first year the new king had created 838 new knights" (Jacobean Pageant, 233). Is it possible that King Lear's 100 rowdy knights is Shakespeare's way of making a reference to James's practice of knighting men indiscriminately?  She threatens her father, suggesting that the state's obligations to the public good might require that Lear be punished for enabling this bad behavior.  Lear is shocked that his daughter has the nerve, the audacity, indeed, the gall to tell him what to do, and to threaten him. She clearly doesn't remember who she is – and what she owes him.  "Are you our daughter?" Lear asks? FYI: Lear uses what's called the "Royal We," which means he refers to himself in the plural (we, our, etc.) instead of the singular (me, my, etc.).  Things escalate further, and Goneril declares her house has lately rivaled a tavern or a brothel, as Lear's knights are so drunk and rowdy.  Goneril insists the situation requires immediate attention, and that Lear's entourage should be reduced significantly, either by Lear's command or hers. The only part of the entourage Goneril will allow to remain by Lear should be like him: quiet old people.  Infuriated, Lear declares Goneril to be a "degenerate bastard" and announces he still has one daughter left (given that he's banished Cordelia.)  As Lear demands that his horses be prepared and his entourage gathered to leave, Goneril continues to act rudely toward her father.  Her husband, Albany, comes in during the middle of the fight, curious about what is going on. Lear calls Goneril a liar – he refuses to believe that any of his entourage misbehaved in any way.  Importantly, Lear also admits that, when compared to Goneril's bad behavior, Cordelia's small fault is put in perspective.  He realizes his decision to banish Cordelia was contrary to his very nature (and implicitly, his love for Cordelia), and blames his head for letting foolishness in at the same time judgment went out.  Finally, Lear calls upon the gods to make Goneril barren as punishment for the way she treated him.  If not, he yells, he hopes she'll have a mean and nasty daughter who will treat her like garbage and cause nothing but misery for Goneril.  Anyway, Lear hopes that Goneril "may feel / how sharper than a serpent's tooth it is / to have a thankless child."  Lear storms out, storms back in, and yells some more, especially because Goneril has dismissed 50 members of his entourage. Lear tells Goneril that everyone at Regan's house will treat him like a king, not just like someone's elderly relative.  Then he finally exits, for real this time, leaving Goneril's husband confused about the fight, which he missed.  Albany, Goneril's husband, thinks that starting a big family feud might have been a bad idea. But Goneril tells him he's an idiot – she doesn't think that having a hundred soldiers in the command of her father is a recipe for political stability.  Goneril sends Oswald off with a message to Regan, her sister, informing her about the fight. It seems she is plotting.   She says her sister is on her side, and she's got to make sure Regan doesn't take care of Lear when Goneril herself has turned him out, because this would make Goneril look bad.  Goneril instructs Oswald to explain her reasoning while delivering the letter, and to feel free to add any juicy bits he thinks will keep Regan on their side.  Goneril then gives a tongue lashing to her husband. She's wary of Albany's gentleness towards Lear.  Albany counters that things will turn out badly if Goneril keeps up her bad behavior. King Lear Act 1, Scene 5 Summary  Lear tells the disguised Kent to deliver a letter to Regan informing her that he's about to show up at her place. (Yep, that makes two letters that are en route to Regan.)  The Fool cracks some bizarre jokes, mostly about the wild ingratitude of Goneril and the fact that Lear's hope of escaping to Regan's loving arms is stupid, because Regan is likely as bad as Goneril.  Lear half-listens to him, but he can't get his mind off his one good daughter, Cordelia, who he seems to remember all of a sudden.  "I did her wrong," Lear admits quietly.  The Fool continues with the jokes. His most pointed wisecrack is that Lear should be beaten for being old before his time. Lear is all, "Huh?", and the Fool points out that men should be wise before they get old. Translation: Lear has been acting like a foolish old man, not a wise old man.  Lear is afraid he's getting senile and says, "O let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! I would not be mad," which is a really subtle hint from Shakespeare that just maybe, Lear might be driven to madness. KING LEAR ANALYSES - (Act vise) Act I: The Earls Kent and Gloucester discuss the division of King Lear's kingdom. Lear has divided the kingdom into three parts, allotting the largest to Cordelia, his most favored of the three daughters. Lear first addresses his two eldest daughters, asking them to express their love for him before they and their husbands will receive the land he has allotted for them. It is a selfish request and Goneril, the eldest, responds readily. Regan answers his request next, attempting to outdo her sister, and thus says that she has given all of her love to Lear. Cordelia finds her sisters extremely boorish in their exaggerated and completely insincere flattery and refuses to participate. Upon her turn, she tells Lear that she loves him as her duty as a daughter requires but no more, as she will save some of her love for her soon to be husband. Lear becomes extremely angry but Cordelia still refuses to stoop to the level of her sisters. As a result, Lear strips Cordelia of her inheritance and her title. Kent steps in to support Cordelia's behavior but Lear will hear none of it. Insulted by Kent's opposition, Lear banishes him from the kingdom. The suitors then learn of Cordelia's position. Burgundy cannot accept her as a mate without the promised entitlements but France finds her more endearing in her sincerity and makes her his wife, Queen of France. Goneril and Regan plot to take all of Lear's power out of his hands quickly. Edmund, Gloucester's bastard son, vows to steal the land and legitimacy of his half brother Edgar by manipulating both father and brother against each other. His father sees him hiding a letter he is carrying and forces him to show it. It is a fabricated letter from Edgar asking for Edmund's help in overturning their father. Gloucester is enraged but Edmund tells him to not jump to conclusions until he can arrange a meeting between himself and Edgar. Edmund then finds Edgar and alerts him to Gloucester's anger, suggesting he flee to Edmund's house and stay armed. Lear resides with Goneril, who plans to drive him out of her residence and to her sister's by pretending that his knights and servants are creating havoc. She orders her servants to treat Lear coldly. Kent returns disguised and becomes Lear's servant, Caius. Lear is outraged at Goneril's charges and the coldness against him and his train. He curses Goneril and her unborn children before leaving for Regan's home. Albany reproaches Goneril for her treatment of Lear. Goneril sends her servant, Oswald, to warn her sister. Act II: Edmund hears from a courier that there are rumors of conflict between Albany and Cornwall. He uses this idea when he encounters Edgar, informing him that he has offended both parties and is in danger. Upon hearing Gloucester, Edmund has Edgar draw his sword and then run off. Edmund wounds himself and pretends it was received in his duel with Edgar because Edgar had wished to kill Gloucester. Gloucester sends men out to capture Edgar and promises Edmund the land to which he has never been privileged. Regan and Cornwall, who have traveled to Gloucester's castle to escape Lear's arrival, hear of Edgar's betrayal and place their trust with Edmund. Oswald and Kent meet at Gloucester's castle, both delivering messages. Kent insults him for his previous treatment of Lear and begins to strike him. The noise brings Cornwall, Regan, Gloucester, and Edmund. Cornwall and Regan place Kent in the stocks as punishment. Lear arrives to find him there but cannot believe his own daughter and son-in-law were responsible. His Fool continuously ridicules his choices: chastising Cordelia, trusting his other daughters, and giving up his authority. Lear sends Gloucester for Regan and Cornwall but they refuse to see Lear until he threatens to wake them himself. They feign happiness in seeing him. Lear entreats Regan to feel sympathy for him because of Goneril's treatment of him but Regan instead says he should return to her for the intended month and apologize. As Goneril arrives, he finally asks who put Kent in the stocks. Cornwall admits to it. Goneril and Regan unite to oppose Lear, claiming that he does not need one hundred knights and servants. When Regan proclaims that he could only have twenty-five with her, he wishes to return to Goneril whose previous promise of fifty must mean she loves him more. The two sisters then lower the size of a train they will allow to ten, then five, and then none. Lear is outraged and wishes to be with neither daughter, escaping out into the woods. Gloucester pleads with them to allow Lear back inside as a storm is approaching, but they refuse. Act III: Kent encounters one of Lear's train and sends him to Dover with his purse and a ring to show Cordelia if he sees her. He is to fill her and the others in as to Lear's condition and treatment. Lear is quickly becoming one with the storm as he approaches madness, though he reasons that the heavens owe him less than his daughters did. He rages on and on about betrayal and filial ingratitude. Lear admits that he has sinned but recognizes too that he was even more sinned against. Kent tries to get Lear inside a hovel for shelter. The Fool prophecies that when men are honest and sincere, England will fall apart. Lear sends the Fool into the hovel first but he comes out screaming when he meets Edgar disguised as the beggar, poor Tom of Bedlam. Tom's babble illustrates his demonic madness and Lear believes that he must have suffered from ungrateful daughters. Tom tells his history as a servingman given over to lust, bringing Lear to question the make up of man. Lear himself approaches unaccommodated, essential man. He attempts to strip off his clothes but the Fool stops him. Gloucester confides in Edmund that he has received a letter with news of a movement to avenge the King. He tells him to remain silent on the issue. Gloucester then goes to find Lear, unable to follow the orders of Regan and Goneril, and hopes to take Lear to shelter. Lear would rather stay to talk with Tom, the "philosopher". Kent suggests that Tom accompany Lear to shelter and they move to it. The Fool, Lear, and Tom muse over the definition of a madman. Lear decides to hold a mock trial for Regan and Goneril and indict them for their offenses, placing the Fool and Tom as the judges. Lear has lost his wits. Gloucester returns with news of Regan and Goneril's plot against Lear's life. He has secured transportation for him and sends him off to Dover. Edgar remains. Edmund eagerly uses Gloucester's confidence to forward his means by divulging it to Cornwall. He pretends to be sad that he is betraying his father. Cornwall makes him the new Earl of Gloucester, accepts him as a son, and calls for a search for Gloucester. He then sends Goneril and Edmund to Albany so that Edmund will not be present for his father's punishment. Regan and Goneril call for Gloucester to be hanged or blinded. Gloucester is brought to Regan and Cornwall, who tie him up. Gloucester is shocked by the rudeness of his guests. Once they tell him they have his letter, he admits that he has sent Lear to Dover because of the horrible cruelty of his daughters. Cornwall blinds one of Gloucester's eyes. A servant interjects angrily, wounding Cornwall, and Regan slays him. Cornwall then blinds the other eye as well and Regan notifies Gloucester that Edmund was the one who informed against him. Gloucester realizes that he has wronged Edgar. He is turned out into the storm, aided by a few loyal servants. Act IV: Gloucester is led by an old man though he wishes to be left alone. He prays to be able to see his son Edgar again. When they come upon poor Tom, Gloucester chooses to allow Tom to lead him because the time had come where madmen were leading the blind. Gloucester asks to be taken to a high cliff in Dover where he can commit suicide. He gives Tom his purse in an effort to better balance the economic inequality of the world. When they reach Dover, Edgar tricks his father into thinking his has climbed the steep hill. Thus when he tries to fall of the cliff, he merely falls flat. Before he falls, he blesses Edgar. Edgar runs back to him, pretending to be another stranger, and tells him that it was a miracle that he fell and did not die. He explains that a spirit left him at the summit, insinuating that poor Tom was a spirit and Gloucester believes him, though depressed that he is not even allowed death. Goneril and Edmund are greeted by Oswald who alerts them to Albany's reverse in attitude. He is pleased by the invasion of France and displeased by Edmund. Goneril sends Edmund back to Cornwall, with a vow to unite as mates and rulers. She finds her husband enraged against her for the treatment he has heard she and Regan bore against Lear. He would tear her apart if she were not a woman. He then learns that Gloucester has been blinded and that Cornwall died from a wound caused by the servant defending him. Goneril feels torn about Cornwall's death. Albany learns that Edmund informed against Gloucester and he promises to avenge Gloucester's blindness. Regan is then greeted by Oswald. She remarks that they should have killed Gloucester as his situation arouses too much sympathy. Edmund is supposed to be looking for him. She is worried that Edmund and her sister are planning to become intimate and she warns Oswald to remind Edmund of the promises he has made to her. Kent meets the gentleman he sent ahead to Dover and learns that the King of France has had to return, though Cordelia and others remain. He asks how Cordelia received his message and is told that she was a mixture of smiles and tears. Lear has not yet been reconciled to Cordelia because he is too ashamed to face her. She worries that he has gone completely mad but the doctor assures her that rest should help. Lear stumbles upon Gloucester and Edgar, rambling about the manipulation of his daughters and the evil nature of women. He recognizes Gloucester's voice and mentions, ignorant of Edmund's betrayal, how his adulterous ways have been more fortunate than Lear's legitimate ones. Lear tells him that blindness should in fact help him to see and that pretense is the largest flaw of most in authority. Cordelia's gentlemen find Lear and try to bring him to her but he thinks he is being captured and runs away. Oswald tracks Gloucester down and hopes to kill him. Edgar intercedes. They fight and Oswald falls. He tells Edgar to give the letter he was carrying to Edmund. Edgar is infuriated to find that the letter is from Goneril and is in reference to her wish to kill Albany and marry Edmund. Lear has been found and given a sleeping drug by Cordelia's doctor. Cordelia thanks Kent for all of his support and goodwill toward the King. She bemoans the the horrific treatment her sisters have shown him. Lear is brought into them, barely awake and does not recognize them. Finally he understands that he is with Cordelia but is still very confused. Act V: Regan questions Edmund as to his relationship with Goneril. He promises that he is not intimately involved with her. Goneril notes that she would rather lose to France than to her sister for Edmund's hand. Goneril and Albany discuss the importance of being united with Regan to face France. Edgar, still disguised, finds Albany and passes on the letter from Goneril. Edgar tells him to call by herald if he is needed again. Edmund soliloquizes on the question of which sister to choose and decides to takes Goneril if she manages to kill Albany. He is most concerned with ruling a reunited Britain. The battle begins. Cordelia and Lear lead one army. Edgar leaves Gloucester safely while he fights on their side. Edgar returns after the quick off stage war with the news that Lear and Cordelia have been taken prisoner. Edmund is in charge of them and has them sent away to prison. Cordelia tries to be strong and Lear hopes the time will be one where they can catch up and talk about life. Edmund hands a death note to a captain of his to carry out. Albany praises Edmund for his acts of battle but reminds him he is a subordinate. Edmund lies, saying that Cordelia and Lear are merely being retained. Regan declares that as her new partner Edmund is an equal, which incites Goneril's jealousy. Albany responds with a claim of treason and challenges Edmund to a duel. Ill, Regan is escorted out. The herald sounds the trumpet three times and a disguised Edgar appears to fight Edmund. Edmund falls but Albany spares him until he can incriminate him. Albany quiets Goneril with the her letter though she maintains she is above any law as she is the ruler of it. She flees his anger. Edmund admits his guilt and Edgar reveals himself. In response to Albany's questioning, Edgar explains how he had been disguised as a beggar and that he has led and cared for Gloucester until his death. He died, overwhelmed by happiness and sadness, shortly after Edgar revealed his identity to him. Edgar was then met by Kent who also told of his disguise, Lear's state, and his own coming death. A gentleman brings in the knife Goneril used to kill herself after admitting that she poisoned Regan. The bodies are called for. Kent comes hoping to bid Lear goodbye which reminds Albany to ask about Lear and Cordelia's condition. Edmund informs them that he and Goneril had ordered Cordelia hanged so that it would look like a suicide. A servant tries to stop it but Lear enters with Cordelia's body. He had killed the man who hanged her but she does not live. Lear is inconsolable. Kent tries to say goodbye to him but Lear barely recognizes him and likely does not understand that he has been undercover as his servant Caius all along. They are told Edmund is dead. Albany gives Lear back absolute rule and Kent and Edgar their rights. Still swooning for Cordelia, Lear dies. Albany then gives Kent and Edgar shared rule but Kent notes he will soon follow Lear, thus leaving Edgar as the next King. Major themes of the play Justice (i) King Lear is a brutal play, filled with human cruelty and awful, seemingly meaningless disasters. The play’s succession of terrible events raises an obvious question for the characters—namely, whether there is any possibility of justice in the world, or whether the world is fundamentally indifferent or even hostile to humankind. Various characters offer their opinions: “As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; / They kill us for their sport,” Gloucester muses, realizing it foolish for humankind to assume that the natural world works in parallel with socially or morally convenient notions of justice (4.1.37–38). Edgar, on the other hand, insists that “the gods are just,” believing that individuals get what they deserve (5.3.169). But, in the end, we are left with only a terrifying uncertainty—although the wicked die, the good die along with them, culminating in the awful image of Lear cradling Cordelia’s body in his arms. There is goodness in the world of the play, but there is also madness and death, and it is difficult to tell which triumphs in the end. (ii) In Act 2 Scene 4, Goneril and Regan make their father give up his servants and cast him out in to stormy weather, bolting the door behind him. This is in response to Lear’s erratic behaviour towards Cordelia and his distribution of power. Lear’s response to this in Act 3 Scene 2 is that he is “more sinned against than sinning” Lear later insists on a mock trial to bring his daughters to account in Act 3 Scene 6. Act 3 Scene 7 Cornwall gouges Gloucester’s eye out for helping Lear. Gloucester like Lear has shown favour to one of his children over the other, he learns from his mistakes the hard way. The illegitimate Edmond is vanquished by his legitimate brother Edgar in Act 5 Scene 3. This is in response to his jealousy of his brother; having orchestrated his brother’s banishment and punishment for killing the innocent Cordelia. Lear dies heartbroken having lost the only daughter who truly loved him. Appearance verses Reality At the start of the play, Lear believes his older daughters’ sycophantic professions of love, rewarding them with his kingdom. While banishing his truthful daughter Cordelia and his close ally Kent. In Act 1 Scene 2 Edmond hatches a plan to discredit his brother Edgar who he is fiercely jealous of because of his higher social status due to his legitimacy. Edmond discredits Edgar’s character to his father Gloucester. Gloucester rejects his son Edgar based on a forged letter written by his deceitful son Edmond in Act 2 Scene 1. Gloucester is later blinded and told he has been betrayed by Edmond not Edgar. For most of the play Edgar has been disguised as a poor man. Kent is also disguised in order to help Lear. Love King Lear opens with a "love test" staged by an aging monarch to determine which of his three daughters loves him best. But the daughters who say they love their father more than life end up. Compassion and Reality An important theme that runs throughout King Lear is the triumph of compassion and reconciliation in the face of tragedy. Despite his banishment, Kent returns to Lear’s service disguised as a peasant in order to protect him in Act 1 Scene 4. Act 3 Scene 3 Lear demonstrates compassion for his fool despite his own deterioration into madness. Lear tears off his own clothes on finding ‘Poor Tom’ and laments the trials and tribulations of the poor. As Lear and Cordelia are reconciled in Act 4 Scene 7, she tells him she has ‘no cause’ to hate him. Compassion and Forgiveness King Lear is an incredibly cruel play, and many of the characters are absolutely pitiless. Yet a few characters show extraordinary sympathy towards others’ suffering. Compassion and Forgiveness King Lear is an incredibly cruel play, and many of the characters are absolutely pitiless. Yet a few characters show extraordinary sympathy towards others' suffering. The human capacity to feel for... Religion Throughout King Lear, characters constantly appeal to the gods for aid. But the events of the play demonstrate that either the gods enjoy torturing humans, or that they may not exist at all. Nature The raging storm reflects the turbulent political background Lear has created by pertaining power to Goneril and Regan. The weather also reflects Lear’s mental state as his confusion and grip on reality falter. “The tempest in my mind” (Act 3 Scene 4) Fooling and Madness From early on in the play, the Fool is probably the character with the greatest insight into what the consequences of Lear's misjudgments of his daughers will be. (The Fool's only competition in this respect comes from Kent in 1.1; in 1.2 Gloucester seems only to have a vague intuition that Lear's decision was a mistake.) Calling Lear himself a Fool and admonishing him that he has reduced himself to "nothing" by dividing and handing off his kingdom, the Fool recognizes that by giving up his authority Lear is essentially ensuring his own destruction and the destruction of his kingdom. Just as the Fool's apparently nonsensical comments contain some of the most sensible advice that Lear receives on his behavior, Lear himself gains increasing insight into his situation as he moves from sanity to madness. His raving—for instance, in the storm or on Dover Beach—often resembles the riddling, but incisive, barbs of the Fool. It is possible to argue that in a world that itself does not seem to make sense—a world of death, of raging storms, of children who turn against their parents—it makes sense that madness might be the sanest reaction. Madness Lear’s sanity is questioned by Goneril and Regan who refer to his age as a reason for his inconsistency but who also acknowledge Lear’s lack of self awareness throughout his life “’Tis the infirmity of his age; yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself” (Act 1 Scene 1). One could argue that throughout the play Lear is forced to become more self aware and unfortunately he begins to accept his mental state is deteriorating “O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven”. At the end of the play Lear dies heartbroken; one could argue he is driven mad by his own poor choices and decisions. Sight and Blindness This links with the appearance and reality theme. Lear is blinded by Goneril and Regan’s false flattery and does not see Cordelia’s genuine affection for him. Gloucester is similarly blinded by Edmond’s account of Edgar and is physically blinded by Cornwall who gouges his eyes out. Gloucester acknowledges his desperate situation in Act 4 Scene 1 “I have no way and therefore wanted no eyes. I stumbled when I saw. Full oft ‘tis seen Our means secure us, and our mere defects prove our commodities.” (Line 18-21) Gloucester explains that he was metaphorically blind to his son’s behaviour, he now knows but has no way to rectify the situation. His physical blinding has metaphorically opened his eyes. Blindness and Insight The tragic errors that King Lear and Gloucester make in misjudging their children constitute a form of figurative blindness—a lack of insight into the true characters of those around them. Reminding the audience of this fact, the language of the play resounds with references to eyes and seeing from the very beginning. Cornwall and Regan make these images and metaphors of (failed) vision brutally literal when they blind Gloucester in 3.7. For the remainder of the play, Gloucester serves as a kind of walking reminder of the tragic errors of blindness that he and Lear have committed. Yet, Gloucester's greater insight into the character of his two sons after he is blinded reflects an irony: literal blindness ironically produces insight. Only when Gloucester is blind can he see things for what they are. Throughout the play, characters allude to, and call upon, the gods and the heavens watching over them. As noted above, the gods and heavens suggest order and eventual justice. However, as watchers of the action of the play, the gods also become a kind of audience, and like the audience they both see the story of what is happening more completely than the individual characters on stage and can't seem to do anything to stop it. Language and Communication In King Lear, honest speech is admirable but language often falls short of being able to accurately express human emotion – a theme Shakespeare also explores in Sonnet 18 and Twelfth Night. K... Fooling and Madness From early on in the play, the Fool is probably the character with the greatest insight into what the consequences of Lear's misjudgments of his daughers will be. (The Fool's only competition in this respect comes from Kent in 1.1; in 1.2 Gloucester seems only to have a vague intuition that Lear's decision was a mistake.) Calling Lear himself a Fool and admonishing him that he has reduced himself to "nothing" by dividing and handing off his kingdom, the Fool recognizes that by giving up his authority Lear is essentially ensuring his own destruction and the destruction of his kingdom. Just as the Fool's apparently nonsensical comments contain some of the most sensible advice that Lear receives on his behavior, Lear himself gains increasing insight into his situation as he moves from sanity to madness. His raving—for instance, in the storm or on Dover Beach—often resembles the riddling, but incisive, barbs of the Fool. It is possible to argue that in a world that itself does not seem to make sense—a world of death, of raging storms, of children who turn against their parents—it makes sense that madness might be the sanest reaction. Disintegration, Chaos, Nothingness Although Lear begins as a figure of authority and order, when he gives up his power and Goneril and Regan turn against him, he falls apart, going mad. Moreover, his personal decline parallels a farther-reaching dissolution of order and justice in the British state. Lear's error, based on blindness and misjudgment, doesn't just ruin him personally. It leads to a political situation in which there is no order to guarantee justice, despite his (and Gloucester's) repeated appeals to the gods. Cordelia's first answer to Lear's command that she pronounce her love for him, the answer that first enrages him against her, is (in 1.1) is "nothing." After that first appearance, the word "nothing" recurs constantly throughout the play in the mouths of multiple characters. The repetition of this word highlights the theme of nothingness, and of the complete lack of meaning that results from nothingness – after all, when everything is destroyed, it is not possible to compare anything to anything else, and in such a void, without any ability to compare, nothing can have any meaning. And, ultimately, it is hard to argue that the ending of the play offers any justice at all: while the "bad guys" of Edmund, Goneril, Regan, and Cornwall are all killed, so are the heroes of Lear, Gloucester, and Cordelia. Nearly the entire social order, good and bad, is annihilated and turned to nothing. As Lear himself cries out in the moments before he dies, while holding the dead Cordelia in his arms, with his kingdom destroyed: "Never, never, never, never, never" (5.3.372). Authority and Order At the beginning of the play, Lear is an authority figure, embodying order in his own person and commanding it from his family and followers. (This is how he is able to compel his elder two daughters to participate in the dramatic ceremony dividing the kingdom by professing their absolute love on cue, precisely when he demands it; this is why Gloucester, Kent, and others respectfully watch the ceremony unfold, despite thinking that Lear's plan to give up power is a bad idea.) Just as the father-child bonds discussed above encompass both a private and a public dimension, authority and order in this play exist at both the level of the family and the level of the nation. Fathers, Children, and Siblings The personal drama of King Lear revolves around the destruction of family relationships. Tragedy emerges from bonds broken between parents and children— and, at a secondary level, from the loss of ties among siblings. Lear, misreading Cordelia's understated, but true, devotion to him renounces his "parental care" (1.1.127) of her. This rejection is twofold. Lear withdraws his "father's heart" (1.1.142); he also strips Cordelia of the financial and political support that formerly made her attractive to her suitors. Driven by greed and ambition, Goneril and Regan fail to show any solidarity with their sister in 1.1. And later, despite their strong professions of love for Lear, they both betray him in order to consolidate their political authority. In addition, although the two "tigers, not daughters" (4.2.49) initially ally with each other, their lustful desire for Edmund ultimately drive Goneril to murder Regan, before committing suicide when Edmund himself is killed, thus ensuring the complete annihilation of the Lear line. Edmund's conspiracy to mislead Gloucester into disinheriting his legitimate son Edgar provides a foil to the Lear family situation throughout the play. Edmund—who is Gloucester's illegitimate or "natural" son from an affair outside marriage, rather than a legitimate or "legal" one—further highlights the question of where parent-child loyalty stems from: biology or socially acknowledged status. And, indeed, the private or familial sphere is inseparable from the public and political realm in King Lear. Fatherhood, in the play, serves as a model and metaphor for kingly leadership, while the narrative regarding the disintegration of families parallels the disintegration of the British state. The storm scenes in King Lear The storm scene constitutes the mechanical centre in “King Lear” as in “JuliusCaesar” it will be recognized as the dramatic back ground to the tempest ofhuman emotion. A C Bradley says “The storm in ‘King Lear” coincides with thestorm in the human affairs and also with the storm which is present in the heart and soul of “King Lear”. And it is not ordinary storm it a night of black winds, a night “Wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch, The lion and the belly-pinched wolf Keep their fur dry.” Stapford Brooke says that “No word can tell the imaginative greatness of the scene on the black and lovely moor and in Lear’s black and lovely heart.” The storm scene reflects king’s sufferings and the lessons he learns through these sufferings. According to Moulton, the purpose of the storm is not confined to marking of emotional climax; it is one of the agencies which assist in carrying it to its height. King Lear is a willful man and he suffers due to his wishes because he does not here to others. The king physically struggles against the storm which symbolizes certain things. There is a storm in external and internal world, disturbance in human nature and in outer world. Lear is struggling also mentally with the stormy winds and invoking the gods for help and mercy. He is tearing his white hair and treats his sufferings in different ways with his uncovered head. The image of child and parents is also very significant here. There are gusts of rains and winds, and animals must struggle for their shelter, but king is deprived of all these things. The storm is significant for him, but he does not care for it, because the storm in his mind is greater than the storm of this night. Mental excitement sometimes converts into actual madness. Lear is exposed without shelter to the pelting of the pitiless storm, and he gets wilder with its wildness. Then he is suddenly brought into contact with the half naked Tom. Previously he had said, “My wits began to run.” Now the sight of Edgar completely unhinges his mind, and he strips off his clothes. Lear is a society in him, and when a king dies, he does not die alone, but a whole of society dies with him. Lear’s destruction can be employed to the whole of the kingdom. In fact, it is a process of purification. The king would regenerate after it; he would be reformed after it. The storm symbolizes the wrath of God and is a warning for the ingratitude and disobedient children and of approaching doom. King realizes in these scenes that what is distinguishable, and what is the contrast between animals and human beings. Man’s life is as cheap as beast and it is nothing. He has experienced that there is no moral values in human life. Lear says, looking at Edgar’s madness.“Is man no more than this? --- un-accommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art.”It is a tremendous speech. The Fool says that the king is suffering due to his daughters’ treatment. He expects nothing from nature because violence done by daughters is greater than that of the storm out side the door. Kent also says that never before in his life, he has seen such groans of roaring winds and rain. Wind, thunder, rain and lightening are the fitting elements for Lear’s passion. Their rage is but the soulless reflection of his rage. He calls on them to blow and crack their cheeks, to drown the churches to the steeples; they can never reach the height of his passion. It seems that nature at this time joins hands with cruelty that has already been shown to Lear by his daughters. The storm is also a summoned for the suffering of sinful people. The idea of poetic justice is there. Sinners or wrong doers must be punished by law of nature. Lear’s sin is not so great as the punishment he is facing and he cries: “I am a man more sinned against than sinning.” Lear concentrates all his attentions on the moral significant of storm. In these scenes, and after it, he thinks for the first time for others and for the fool. He was egoist before it, and it is the first sign of feeling for others.