King Lear Test English IV

King Lear slowly going insane throughout the play; banishes Cordelia and Kent; dies of a broken heart over Cordelia’s death.
Goneril ruthless; oldest sister; poisons Regan becuase of Edgar; takes away Lear’s army.
Regan the 2nd sister; wants Lear’s kingdom like Goneril.
Cordelia Loyal to Lear; banished; marries France; “Mary” like figure; hanged in jail.
Oswald steward to Goneril; obeys her commands; fights with Edgar.
Cornwall head of marriage with Regan; likes to have all the power but abuses it; stabbed by his own servant.
France marries Cordelia for love.
Kent a loyal nobleman to Lear; he spends most of the play disguised as a servant so he can still serve Lear after his banishment; kills himself.
Fool acts dumb to amuse Lear; Lear is the basis of all his jokes; he is hanged.
Gloucester nobleman under Lear; father to Edmund and Edgar; dies of shock when Edgar reveals himself.
Edgar “good son”; kills Edmund; poor tom.
Edmund “bad son”; manipulative; illegitimate son to Gloucester.
Primogeniture first son inherits everything; ex- Lear wants to split the kingdom between his 3 daughters instead of giving it to his oldest daughter’s husband.
Cultural Performance showing off; ex- Lear splitting the kingdom.
K2B King’s two bodies; whatever the king feels-everyone feels; ex- when Lear is upset, there is a storm.
Paradox A contradictory statementthat makes sense; ex- “Freedom is out there and banishment is here”.
Renaissance Home Economics Father is at the top, mother represents father, sons from oldest to youngest, daughters.
Familial Faults anything that goes against the renaissance home economics; ex- Edmund (youngest) got all the power instead of Edgar (oldest).
Nature can’t change; ex- Edgar is gullible like Gloucester; he was born that way.
Nurture environment; ex- Edmund does not want to settle as just being the illegitimate son.
Shakespeare’s life born and died on April 23rd in Stratford; only completed grammar school; was an actor
1604 Queen Elizabeth died so King James the First was in charge; he was a terrible leader; bad time for the kingdom; King Lear was written on this year and was based on those events.
Setting B.C. England
Aside addressing the audience while other actors are in stage.
Soliloquy addressing the audience while alone on stage.
Foil opposite statement.
Unaccomodated Man someone who has nothing.
Moral speak what you think, not what you ought to say.