| KENT Is not this your son, my lord?GLOUCESTERHis breeding, sir, hath been at my charge. I have so often blushed to acknowledge him that now I am brazed to it.KENTI cannot conceive you.GLOUCESTERSir, this young fellow’s mother could, whereupon she grew round-wombed, and had indeed, sir, a son for her cradle ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault?KENTI cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper.GLOUCESTERBut I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year older than this, who yet is no dearer in my account. Though this knave came something saucily to the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair, there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged.—Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund?(page 1, act 1, scene 1) | is this your son?-well his breeding sir hath been at my charge-breeding=animal;emotional detachmentwhy embarrassed= Edmund is illegitimatebrazed= used to it, long time at low heat, metallurgy; makes it (metal)stronger, more durableblush and brazened=both imply warming- matches metaphoricallyKent-cannot conceive(understand)gloucester-his mother could(birth)theme 1: ill conception-pun actually contains complexity of theme both parts of dyad-out of wedlock; illegitimate;bastardidea of illegitimacy, social and psychological consequencessocially demonizes parents of illegitimate child-dont know who mother is, don’t know relationship or whether or not G and woman got married”smell a fault”-do you hold me to be morally irresponsible”cannot wish undone”- K does smell fault, but your son is a nice, cool guy”but I have a son”=Edgar’s mom, Gloucester married to someone else, wife pregnant when Gloucester cheated-loves both sons equally”saucily”- sassy, somebody who breaks rule in your face”whoreson”=could be son of prostitiue or just loosely, metaphorically-he is acknowledging Edmund and says he loves him like he loves Edgar-incorporated Edmund into his life at court, introduced him to Kent-G is extremely complex-how to feel about him?-emotionally rich and emotionally complex |
| LEARMeantime we shall express our darker purpose.—Give me the map there.—Know that we have dividedIn three our kingdom, and ’tis our fast intentTo shake all cares and business from our age,Conferring them on younger strengths while weUnburdened crawl toward death(page 2, Act 1, Scene 1, line 36) | darker purpose=true meaningunburdening=ironicretire and pass down the responsibilityLear is not dying/crawling-speaking humorouslyoverstating his own vocabularywe shall witness his unburdening in a way that he never expected |
| CORDELIALove and be silent(page 3, Act 1, Scene 1) | Cordelia aside-let love speak for itself, love is matter of agency not language-lear already knows/should know answers to questions and if he’s paying attention*narcissism, arrogance, hubris, self schism-Cordelia sees act as denigratinglear is soliciting love in his narcissism |
| CORDELIA(aside) Then poor Cordelia!And yet not so, since I am sure my love’sMore ponderous than my tongue.(act 1, scene 1, page 6) | love so thoroughly and so completely that words would not suffice |
| LEARBut now, our joy,Although our last and least, to whose young loveThe vines of France and milk of BurgundyStrive to be interessed. What can you say to drawA third more opulent than your sisters? Speak.CORDELIANothing, my lord.LEARNothing?CORDELIANothing.LEARHow? Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again.CORDELIAUnhappy that I am, I cannot heaveMy heart into my mouth. I love your majestyAccording to my bond, no more nor less.LEARHow, how, Cordelia? Mend your speech a little,Lest you may mar your fortunes.CORDELIA Good my lord,You have begot me, bred me, loved me. IReturn those duties back as are right fit—Obey you, love you, and most honor you.Why have my sisters husbands if they sayThey love you all? Haply when I shall wedThat lord whose hand must take my plight shall carryHalf my love with him, half my care and duty.Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters,To love my father all.LEARBut goes thy heart with this?CORDELIAAy, good my lord.LEARSo young and so untender?CORDELIASo young, my lord, and true.LEARLet it be so. Thy truth then be thy dower(act 1, scene 1, page 6-7)”here I disclaim all my paternal care”-lear | why vines and milk?-lear sees marriage as a transaction, business deal-sees daughters future as own economic purpose-quid pro quo-something for something else; transaction-lear sees human love as economic transaction, material and quantitativelanguage and love=form of currency”speak”-5 nothings in a row-people perpetuating little nothings, error, on both sides and both sides refuse in reciprocal stubbornness-grow and grow into big nothingsnothing DOES come from nothingnotice how ambivalent-humanity comes to surfacecharacters are flawedCordelia is wronged but there are ambiguities Cordelia feels irritated and frustratedCordelia sees herself as -medium through which untarnished truth comes to father-lear says=let truth be dower… all you have now is truthCordelia’s fault=-she subtracts emotional generosity from way she communicates with her father-little nothing that has accelerated and gained mass to the point of rupturing what ought to be a stable and permanent bond between parent and childCordelia bears a fraction of responsibilitygenetic stubbornnessking has never had to be bigger man-always flattered |
| Kent- “Good my liege”(act 1, scene 1, page 7)kent interrupts | kent=voice of reasonlear knows Kent will oppose him, this is the relationship Kent has with himShakespeare gives us this knowledge of the relationship by lears reaction to “good my liege” |
| LEAROurself, by monthly course,With reservation of an hundred knightsBy you to be sustained, shall our abodeMake with you by due turns. Only shall we retainThe name, and all th’ additions to a king.The sway, revenue, execution of the rest,Belovèd sons, be yours; which to confirm,This coronet part between you.(act 1, scene 1, page 8) | daughters will house lear and 100 knights for one month each”we”=himself, royal we; kings and queens used to talk like this, felt that they embody a state, a collective justifiably talk about themselves as embodying a stateonly I retain the name=you control and work-you still call me ‘king’ and the perks including 100 mendealwise=not gonna go over well-metaphor by which we are meant to understand relationships between us and those that love us mostShakespeare seeds info early |
| LEARthe bow is bent and drawn; make from the shaft(page 8, act 1, scene 1) | bow=decision, willarrow=execution…kent get out of the way, don’t get in way of my decision |
| KENTLet if fall rather, though the fork invade…went power to flattery bows…hideous rashness(page 8, act 1, scene 1) | fork=im not movingkern is stubborn in a different waymotivation-justice for Cordelia, compassion, concern for lear, rationality-do you think I (duty) should be afraid to speak-makes me mor reliable to confront you-bc you’re giving your power away, trying to him to see something-personal, political, social consequenceshideous rashness= disowning cordelia, giving away all power to manipulative daughters(2 nothings that lear doesn’t admit to perpetuating) |
| KENTkill thy physician, and thy fee bestow Upon the foul disease.(page 9, act 1, scene 1) | if you kill doctor, you’re helping the disease-kent sees self as person who can get lear to see consequencesbanishes Kent |
| EDMUNDThou, nature, art my goddess. To thy lawMy services are bound. Wherefore should IStand in the plague of custom and permitThe curiosity of nations to deprive meFor that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshinesLag of a brother? Why “bastard”? Wherefore “base”?When my dimensions are as well compact,My mind as generous, and my shape as trueAs honest madam’s issue? Why brand they usWith “base,” with “baseness,” “bastardy,” “base,” “base”—Who in the lusty stealth of nature takeMore composition and fierce qualityThan doth within a dull, stale, tirèd bedGo to th’ creating a whole tribe of fopsGot ‘tween a sleep and wake? Well then,Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land.Our father’s love is to the bastard EdmundAs to the legitimate.—Fine word, “legitimate”!—Well, my legitimate, if this letter speedAnd my invention thrive, Edmund the baseShall top th’ legitimate. I grow, I prosper.Now, gods, stand up for bastards!(page 15, act 1, scene 2) | Edmund alone with a letterletter=forgery by “Edgar” asking Edmund to help overthrow father and take all his stufffor elizabethans, nature=opposite of clean, purenature is void of civilization, animal, predatory, violence, untrammeled by religious beliefs-the wildEdmund swears allegiance to chaosEdmund devote himself to moral chaoslogic to this is-he came out of relationship with nature, raw human desire beyond ethics and morality Edmund is a creature of natureEdmund is rejected by culture so rather than devoting self to culture that marginalized him in the first placewhy should I honor the laws that call me a bastard for no reason custom has delegitimated him as a human beingwhy should I permit the oddity of the nation I am a part of to deprive meonly 12 months younger-hes right-think how close I am to being Edgaredmund is not a hypocrite-he understands cultures hypocrisiesbastard=base=low, bastard=dweller of low places in French”my dimensions compact”-im just as physically ablelaws have never acted on my behalf-marginalized can see themselves in edmund-he is a bad guy, but he embodies social truths that those who are not marginalized don’t want to seeedmund is everywhere-bastards are fierce and physically better; creatures of passion and power”got tween asleep and wake”-act void of passion, empty domestic rituallife has been unfair to me, I will be unfair to you”my invention”=a little nothing, unconstant start, a new idea being brought into world… will become a big nothing”top”-come out on top or sexual meaning “now gods stand up for bastards”-been helping out legitimates for long enough, now help us who’ve been marginalized by the legitimates |
| GLOUCESTERWhy so earnestly seek you to put up that letter?EDMUNDI know no news, my lord.GLOUCESTERWhat paper were you reading?EDMUNDNothing, my lord.GLOUCESTERNo? What needed, then, that terrible dispatch of it into your pocket? The quality of nothing hath not such need to hide itself. Let’s see.—Come, if it be nothing, I shall not need spectacles.(page 16, act 1, scene 2) | gloucester eneters, Edmund puts letter away so that G notices-evasive language meant to peak Gloucesters interest-another nothingGloucester is curious, enables edmund to manipulate-another nothing set into motion-impacts everyoneGloucester shocked at letter-go find Edgar arrest him and bring him to me |
| GLOUCESTERThese late eclipses in the sun and moon portent no good to us.(Page 19, Act 1, scene 2)EDMUNDThis is the excellent foppery of the world that when we are sick in fortune—often the surfeit of our own behavior—we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars, as if we were villains by necessity, fools by heavenly compulsion, knaves, thieves, and treachers by spherical predominance, drunkards, liars, and adulterers by an enforced obedience of planetary influence, and all that we are evil in by a divine thrusting-on. An admirable evasion of whoremaster man, to lay his goatish disposition to the charge of a star! My father compounded with my mother under the dragon’s tail and my nativity was under Ursa Major, so that it follows I am rough and lecherous. Fut, I should have been that I am, had the maidenliest star in the firmament twinkled on my bastardizing. Edgar— | bad sign recently-ordering our worldG probably a druid or Celtbad signs order our worldedmund hears G blaming forces beyond control…fop=stupidity, fool, dumb, idiotsfop=full of themselves, arrogant”sick in future”-when bad things happen”suferits of own behavior”-person who is fooled”villains of necessity”- forces beyond control made me do it”heavenly compulsion”-son and moon but also relates to christian-christian audience chuckling at this-dumb that people blame lust on stars-pagan blaming his self indulgence n the area of sexuality on astrology-powers beyond us do not make us who we are-we make us who we arebastardizing-conception; maidenliest star-innocent, virginalwould still be bastard no matter which virgin star |
| LEARNow, my friendly knave, I thank thee.Enter FOOLFOOLThe fool is a professional court jester. Unlike other people, he doesn’t have to be polite and may say whatever he wants, as long as he’s funny.FOOL enters.(gives KENT money) There’s earnest of thy service.my gratitude.FOOLLet me hire him too.—Here’s my coxcomb.(offers KENT his cap)85 LEARHow now, my pretty knave? How dost thou?FOOL(to KENT) Sirrah, you were best take my coxcomb.LEARWhy, Fool?FOOLWhy? For taking one’s part that’s out of favor. Nay, an thou canst not smile as the wind sits, thou’lt catch cold shortly. There, take my coxcomb. Why, this fellow has banished two on ‘s daughters, and did the third a blessing against his will. If thou follow him, thou must needs wear my coxcomb. | fool gives cap-welcome to the fool’s club of king lears servants-fool is calling Kent a fool-obliquely-if he said these truths, he’d be punished so he disguises his languagedoes the fool recognize Kent?-prefer to think yes-ironizes these exchanges”for taking fools part”Kent taking fool’s part; taking lear out of favor-;cordelia “banished 2 and did a favor for cordelia”-bansihed to responsibility-fool disguised must cloak his truths w/ jokes and riddlesnarcissism makes him think he’s been complimented-over his head so he lets it go |
| FOOLTruth’s a dog that must to kennel. He must be whipped out, when Lady Brach may stand by th’ fire and stink. (page 27, act 1, scene 4) | referring to lears threat to whip himbitch dog=goneril and Reaganbitch dog-inside by fire with masterstink=flattery;dog is in heatline anticipates adulteryShakespeare planting seeds |
| FOOl’s speechHave more than thou showest,Speak less than thou knowest,Lend less than thou owest,Ride more than thou goest,Learn more than thou trowest,Set less than thou throwest,Leave thy drink and thy wh*reAnd keep in-a-door,And thou shalt have moreThan two tens to a score. (page 27, act 1, scene 4) | -poker analogy-don’t give away your secrets-play dumb -don’t reveal any weakness-better position owing money-if things go to hell in a hand basket in better shape-ride more=take advantage of others labor-learn more=find out for yourself, don’t trust human beingsset less=gambling dice-leave thy drink=indulgeces, pleasures, tempations-keep in door= stay home, be motivated, disciplined and produce-everything you have will go further-you will exceed expectation |
| Kents reply to fools speech^(page 27, act 1, scene 4)”this is nothing, fool” | this makes no sense-another “nothing”-another something being set in motion-is vitally important, a profound something-to people who don’t understand it seems like nothing |
| Fools reply to Kent(page 27, act 1, scene 4)”then tis like the breathe of an enfee’d lawyer. You gave me nothing for ‘t.—Can you make no use of nothing, nuncle? | you get what you paid for, you gotta pay something in order to criticizecan you make sense lear? |
| LEARWhy no, boy. Nothing can be made out of nothing.FOOL(to KENT) Prithee, tell him so much the rent of his land comes to. He will not believe a fool. | almost exactly what he said to cordelia, set in cycle the little nothing that will be nurtured by his narcissismfool-speaking of nothing, made a bad deal not getting anything from land, lear is fool in this scenario, fool is wise |
| start of act 2 | kent in stocks for making Oswald look stupid, bullies him-now getting to witness the unburdening-tray lear himself never anticipated but brought to bear when he made that decision -not going to be pleasurable unburdening |
| (act 2, scene 4, page 62)Reagan-I entreat youTo bring but five and twenty. To no moreWill I give place or notice.LEARI gave you all—LEARI gave you everything—REGANAnd in good time you gave it.LEARMade you my guardians, my depositaries,But kept a reservation to be followedWith such a number. What, must I come to youWith five and twenty, Regan? Said you so?REGANAnd speak ‘t again, my lord. No more with me.LEARThose wicked creatures yet do look well favoredWhen others are more wicked. Not being the worstStands in some rank of praise.(to GONERIL) I’ll go with thee.Thy fifty yet doth double five and twenty,And thou art twice her love.GONERIL Hear me, my lord.What need you five and twenty, ten, or fiveTo follow in a house where twice so manyHave a command to tend you?REGAN What need one? | 100->50->25″and in good time you gave it”-it took you long enoughLear gave all- I gave you everything that you are-life and kingdom… and now you’re going to weasel compared Reagan and goneril-lesser of two evils-still trying to quantify love-not yet jolted out of his quantituity-you can’t weigh one against the other-can also see his victimization |
| LEARO, reason not the need! Our basest beggarsAre in the poorest thing superfluous.Allow not nature more than nature needs,Man’s life’s as cheap as beast’s. Thou art a lady.If only to go warm were gorgeous,Why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear’st,Which scarcely keeps thee warm. But, for true need—You heavens, give me that patience, patience I need.You see me here, you gods, a poor old man,As full of grief as age, wretched in both.If it be you that stir these daughters’ heartsAgainst their father, fool me not so muchTo bear it tamely. Touch me with noble anger.And let not women’s weapons, water drops,Stain my man’s cheeks! No, you unnatural hags,I will have such revenges on you bothThat all the world shall—I will do such things—What they are yet I know not, but they shall beThe terrors of the earth. You think I’ll weep?No, I’ll not weep.Storm and tempestI have full cause of weeping, but this heartShall break into a hundred thousand flaws,Or ere I’ll weep.—O Fool, I shall go mad! | what is lear saying about nature of human need?-need doesn’t proceed rationality-need is emotional not rational-cant quantify in rational terms to human needs-play about relationships and what happens when they go bad-dont apply human emotion to human needwhat is motivating his learning?-moving him from what he was to he is becoming”superfluous”-everyone has something that is superfluous, all human beings have something beyond neednothing in wolfs den is not efficiently necessary for survival”thou art lady- female aristocratscantily cladreagan and goneril= full figured, sexually charged women attractive but doesn’t fulfill basic human need of warmth, but does fulfill her “need” to feel attractiveevery mom and dad= learall of us=edgar and edmundwe lapse as well particularly when we feel marginalizedwe all see these characters in ourselveshe gave them all of his power, can’t do anything to them, nothing is what he has filled his life with, done it to himselfstorm and tempest=symbolic landscape |
| act 3, scene 4, page 73exterior storm which represents interior storm- a material storm(made of matter) which represents emotional/spiritual storm | symbolic landscape |
| LEARPrithee, go in thyself. Seek thine own ease.This tempest will not give me leave to ponderOn things would hurt me more. But I’ll go in.(to FOOL) In, boy. Go first. You houseless poverty—Nay, get thee in. I’ll pray, and then I’ll sleep.(page 73, act 3, scene 4) | stop in a little hut, shanty; sufficient to keep out of storm-understanding needs of other, generosity, empathy-thinking with heart not brain-storm keeps from pain-empathy for fool |
| LEARPoor naked wretches, whereso’er you are,That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend youFrom seasons such as these? Oh, I have ta’enToo little care of this! Take physic, pomp.Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel,That thou mayst shake the superflux to themAnd show the heavens more just.(page 73, act 3, scene 4) | go into little hut and lear begins speechessentially a soliloquy”hopeless poverty stricken”-storm not merely a climatological storm, also symbolic of lear’s internal storm, that the exterior storm literalness and embodies-metaphorical landscape-all of humanity-at one point we all experience an internal or exterior storm or both-human condition-exterior factors influence interior storm-internal storms can create externals storms in lives of those we care about and our own lives-homesless and hungry-clothes=loops and windows in clothes-times when nothing is working, feels the wheels coming of’-lear realizes lack of empathy and sympathy-pomp=self celebration pompous; physic medicinetake your medicine vanityexpose thyself to feel what wretches feel-learn what it feels like to be homeless, what it feels like to be impoverished, expose thyself to storm -feel what the suffering feel-human generosity demonstrates the generosity of the divine-only time the gods generosity is evident; same with cruelty and apapthy-faith by itself if it has no works is dead-words, quantification-weighing human love as quantity-lear has evolved through great blessing of suffering-ways to understand its moral implication, outcome |
| EDAGRBut who comes here?My father, poorly led? World, world, O world!But that thy strange mutations make us hate thee,Life would not yield to age….GLOUCESTERAway, get thee away. Good friend, be gone.Thy comforts can do me no good at all.Thee they may hurt….GLOUCESTERI have no way, and therefore want no eyes.I stumbled when I saw….EDGAR(aside) O gods! Who is ‘t can say “I am at the worst”?I am worse than e’er I was….EDGAR(aside) And worse I may be yet. The worst is notSo long as we can say “This is the worst.”…GLOUCESTERHe has some reason, else he could not beg.I’ th’ last night’s storm I such a fellow saw,Which made me think a man a worm. My sonCame then into my mind, and yet my mindWas then scarce friends with him. I have heard more since.As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods.They kill us for their sport. | kind of experience that makes us want to die-we die bc we learn to hate what life does to us and those we care about-hate life because of its :strange mutations” -change i.e. blindnessold man in medias rest arguing with gloucesterold man=tenant farmer/serfcomforts-nothing old man can do, his soul has been damaged, he is implicated in what has happened-interior storm-blinded by what has allowed him to seenow way-nowhere to go, big nothing has taken over everything in his life, cannot correct the courseI have taken my life away from myself, I have wronged only person-edgarits when I had eyes that I made my mistakesliteral blindess and what blindness embodies that this is the worstcan’t be the worst because you have ability to articulate that this is the worst”some reason”-cant be too crazy”worm”= weak insignificant beneath, contempt utter vulnerability out on sidewalk after rain heard more since- he knows edmund is real traitor he has made son vulnerable, sympathy he is implicated in sons suffering”as flies”- no matter where you are, what you believe there is something cruel at play |
| GLOUCESTERWhen shall we come to th’ top of that same hill?EDGARYou do climb up it now. Look how we labor.GLOUCESTERMethinks the ground is even.EDGAR Horrible steep.Hark, do you hear the sea?GLOUCESTER No, truly.EDGARWhy then, your other senses grow imperfectBy your eyes’ anguish.GLOUCESTER So may it be indeed.Methinks thy voice is altered, and thou speak’stIn better phrase and matter than thou didst.EDGARYou’re much deceived. In nothing am I changedBut in my garments.GLOUCESTER Methinks you’re better spoken.EDGARCome on, sir. Here’s the place. Stand still. How fearfulAnd dizzy ’tis to cast one’s eyes so low!The crows and choughs that wing the midway airShow scarce so gross as beetles. Halfway downHangs one that gathers samphire—dreadful trade!Methinks he seems no bigger than his head.The fishermen that walk upon the beachAppear like mice. And yon tall anchoring bark,Diminished to her cock, her cock a buoyAlmost too small for sight. The murmuring surgeThat on th’ unnumbered idle pebbles chafesCannot be heard so high. I’ll look no moreLest my brain turn and the deficient sightTopple down headlong.than its lifeboat, and its lifeboat looks as small as a tiny buoy. Up here you can’t even hear the waves crashing against the rocks. I have to stop looking, or my head will start spinning and I’ll fall.GLOUCESTERSet me where you stand.EDGARGive me your hand. You are now within a footOf th’ extreme verge. For all beneath the moonWould I not leap upright.GLOUCESTER Let go my hand.(gives EDGAR another purse)Here, friend, ‘s another purse, in it a jewelWell worth a poor man’s taking. Fairies and godsProsper it with thee! Go thou farther off.Bid me farewell, and let me hear thee going.EDGARNow fare you well, good sir.GLOUCESTER With all my heart.EDGAR moves asideEDGAR(aside) Why I do trifle thus with his despairIs done to cure it.GLOUCESTER O you mighty gods, (kneels)This world I do renounce, and in your sightsShake patiently my great affliction off.If I could bear it longer and not fallTo quarrel with your great opposeless wills,My snuff and loathèd part of nature shouldBurn itself out. If Edgar live, O, bless him!—Now, fellow, fare thee well. (falls)EDGAR Gone, sir. Farewell.(aside) And yet I know not how conceit may robThe treasury of life when life itselfYields to the theft. Had he been where he thought,By this had thought been past. Alive or dead?—Ho you, sir, friend! Hear you, sir? Speak.—Thus might he pass indeed. Yet he revives.—What are you, sir?GLOUCESTER Away, and let me die.EDGARHadst thou been aught but gossamer, feathers, air,So many fathom down precipitating,Thou’dst shivered like an egg. But thou dost breathe,Hast heavy substance, bleed’st not, speak’st, art sound.Ten masts at each make not the altitudeWhich thou hast perpendicularly fell.Thy life’s a miracle. Speak yet again.(act 4, scene 6, page 105-108) | gloucester wants to kill himself”tom” says have to climb up balk side of cliff where erodedGloucester see tom/edgar is speaking educatedly, very perceptive Edgar-nothing changed- narrative referring to better dressedmetaphoric- I am still your sondramatic irony-everyone knows but GloucesterEdgar describes what he “sees” in cliff that doesn’t existwhat ought to be really big looks small from here, shore, chafes rubbing against pebblesso high at top of cliff you can’t hear it because its not actually there-great poetry but serves narrative as well-comic ironic, even though individual on edge of despair and other character manipulating-almost cruel in deceptionas if to imply that all us in our own lives will stand at the edge of a cliff but in the end the cliff was never really therecliffs we believe we are facing are not cliffs at allstresses only exist in our mindscliffs beckon us, run faster, climb faster, climb higherabsurdity-ceratin absurdity in our despair in the end its all trivialGloucester can’t see anything else”why trifle” messing with him-manipulating him and this looks like cruelty when in fact reason I am doing it is to cure of despair that is gripping him”shake great affliction off”-unburdeninghave to kill self, because of need opposing great opposeless wills of godsabsurdity of circumstance-we ourselves have experienced this-we ourselves have believed something is true when it is so concretely not truerecognize our own self deceptionswe weep and laughsee human condition reflected in these scenesgone sir, farewell- who’s voice? toms or edgers or both?”conceit”-act if ill conception being executed and we don’t know what our outcome will be-another little nothing-doesn’t know what outcome will be-gloucester could die- if was on cliff would be dead”life a miracle”-see purpose of manipulation, to reveal through elaborate lie deeper human truths that can only be approached through fiction-reveals wonder of own lifepurpose of elaborate drama, fiction, extended fiction= lie is to teach audience-gloucester the miraculous quality of human lifewhat does this remind you of in order to allow its audience the miraculous quality of human life-dantes inferno-shakespearefirst layer of narrative edemaalso works as a metaphor for human experience3rd level- writer explore consequences of human life artists explore implications, prophecies, consequences of art he has createdartifact that conducts truths to us most richly |
| LEARYou do me wrong to take me out o’ th’ grave.Thou art a soul in bliss, but I am boundUpon a wheel of fire, that mine own tearsDo scald like molten lead.(page 120, act 4, scene 7) | lear with doctor and cordelia realizes him waking up-tending to him with doctorthink he’s been resurrectedthink cordelia is an angel”wheel of fire”=his own life”own tear scaled”- why is life hell-done it to himself |
| “Pray do not mock me”(page 121, act 4, scene 7) | utter humility of lear to cordelia and doctor |
| Nor I know notWhere I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me,For as I am a man, I think this ladyTo be my child Cordelia.but I’m not sure. I don’t know where I am. I don’t remember these clothes. I can’t recall where I slept last night. Don’t laugh at me, but I swear I think this lady is my child Cordelia.CORDELIA And so I am, I am.LEARBe your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray, weep not.If you have poison for me, I will drink it.I know you do not love me, for your sistersHave, as I do remember, done me wrong.You have some cause; they have not.CORDELIA No cause, no cause.(page 121, act 4 , scene 7) | cordelia is justified in wanting to kill himlear is recognizing his mistakeevery act of unburdening-his conscience and his compassion are liberated increasinglycordelia-no cause-she has forgiven him but also no cause because she realizes she didn’t react well initially, she also reciprocally is implicated in what happened to them both |
| LEAR”pray you now, forgive and forget, I am old and foolish.”(page 122, act 4, scene 7) | really sees his humility |
| EDGAR Let’s exchange charity.I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund.If more, the more thou’st wronged me.My name is Edgar, and thy father’s son.The gods are just, and of our pleasant vicesMake instruments to plague us.(act 5, scene 3, page 135) | Edgar-no less their fathers sonhe is implicated in blood letting”if more”- if he is rightful heir-we are equals and if I’m more than you wronged me worse than I’ve wronged you-you the one wronging me (Edmund)”my name is Edgar””gods are just”-asserting other interpretation to human tragedy-there is justice in the world-humanity seeing past flawsour littles nothings make instruments to plague us-we make our own punishments-dante-crime is equal to punishment-capaneus-degrees of own angeralbany changes sides, unfaithful wifegoneril poisoned reagan and kills selfbecause both loved Edmund and he was playing them off each other |
| ALBANYSeest thou this object, Kent?Do you see this, Kent?KentAlack, why thus? EDMUNDYet Edmund was beloved.The one the other poisoned for my sake,And after slew herself.ALBANY Even so.—Cover their faces.EDMUNDI pant for life. Some good I mean to doDespite of mine own nature. Quickly send—Be brief in it—to th’ castle, for my writIs on the life of Lear and on Cordelia(page 138, act 5, scene 3) | yet edmund was beloved-edmund realizing he is lovable(he is horrible human)yet sees consequences of his actions “despite of own nature”-inspired good, provided compassion and empathy-owning his nature which was evilwhat is Shakespeare nature-you do have nature and way you behave is expression of that we are capable of overcoming what appears to be our flawed nature-we can find goodness in ourselves-by when we feel that love, sympathyinferno-no one loved excused form loving fejfhao |
| LEARHowl, howl, howl, howl! Oh, you are men of stones.Had I your tongues and eyes, I’d use them soThat heaven’s vault should crack.(page 139, act 5, scene 3) | come upon king lear holding dead cordelia-hunglear kills people who killed daughterpoor fool=term of endearment,sexist-innocent and vulnerable term, who amuses him”no no no”- invoke whole logic of negation annihilationall of those little nothings, not seen to, allowed to fester and accrue in size add up to “never”nothing and neverhope comes with timenever is worse than nothinglast gesture of unburdening(button)- pretense of what he filled his life withinescapable of what he createdhumanity is enlistedcan’t evade consequences |
king lear items
July 9, 2019