W. Shakespeare and King Lear

07.01.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

W. Shakespeare and King Lear

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King Lear


This play is considered one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays.

It was also disliked by many critics for over two centuries for various reasons.

• Inonesensethedramawasverymuchaheadofitstime.

• Modernviewersarequicktopickupontheapocalypticmetaphorhidden

inthetext;likewisetheviolenceexpressedbyclosefamilymembersagainst

oneanotherseemmorelikelyaprobableconceptthanafictionalinvention

basedonreportsshownonthetwenty-fourhournewschannels.

• Shakespeare’sversionisbasedonthreeprimarysources:

>thefirstistheaccountfromGeoffreyofMonmouthinhisHistory

>thesecondisafolktalewithasimilartheme“CapO’Rushes”

>andthethirdisacontemporaryplaytitledLeir,withasimilarstory

Shakespeareofcoursetwiststheendingofallthreeintotragiccircumstances

withsomewhatsurrealrepercussions

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King Lear


Shakespeare loves to show his central players in transformations.

Hischaractersarealwaysshowninastateofflux;neverstatic.

• Macbethisaclassicexample.Aobviousshiftinpersonalitycanbeseenby

theaudiencewhenwatchinginteractionsonstage,eitherthroughtheactors’

dialogueorinternalsoliloquies.

Beginning of play ...........................................................................................................................................................End Controloffacilities/actions moveplotforward;certaintyingoals

•LadyMacbeth •Macbeth

•Macbeth •LadyMacbeth

Lackofcontrol/fatemoves plotforward;characteris uncertainingoals

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King Lear


The character King Lear follows a similar approach.

Beginning of play ...........................................................................................................................................................End Shownincontroloffacilities/sane hintsofirrationalsenility;audienceresentshim,feelsangerathischoices;heisshownastheinstigatorofhisowndisaster

•KingLear

•KingLear Gainssomereason back.

•KingLear Lossesallcontrolover actionintheplay. Audiencepitieshimforthe stateofaffairsandtragic circumstanceshebrought onhimself.

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King Lear


There are many background stories told alongside the main focus.

Tokeeptheactioninproperorder,envisionthematerialasfamilyclans.

King Learwantstoretireanddivideuphiskingdomamonghisdaughtersinthe

hopestheywillmarrygoodsuitors.

Goneril(eldestdaughter)marriedtheDukeofAlbany.

Albanyisagoodcharacter,misleadbythecompanyhekeeps.

Regan (middledaughter)marriedtheDukeofCornwall;Cornwall endsup

tobeaveryviolentman.Hewilldiefromafatalwound,leavingReganawidow.

Cordelia(youngestdaughter)marriestheKingofFrance.

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King Lear


Earl of Gloucesterhastwosons:

Edmundisillegitimateandcausesmanyproblemsforallcharacters.

EdgarislegalheirtoGloucester’sproperty.WillbeindisguiseasPoor Tom.

DukeofKentisloyaltoKingLeardespitethefacthehasbeenexiledforprovid-

inganopinioncontrarytotheking.WillbedisguisedaswellasCaius.

Likewise, the timing of the play is crucial to the development of the

plot in a subtle fashion.

Itisimportanttoremindyourselfthatthesettingfortheplay’sactions

arepre-Romanoccupationoftheisland,andthereforepre-Christianvalues.

• Shakespeareproposesconceptshundredsofyearsbeforehistime,duringthe

FirstCenturyofEnglishhistory

• Culturalandcourttraditionsappearintheplay,anachronistically

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King Lear


Going back to my introductory comments:

• ThisplayisconsideredoneofShakespeare’sgreatestplays;itwas also disliked

by many critics for over two centuries for various reasons until modern times.

• OneofhereasonsforpastnegativecommentaryisthefactLearhimself

isperhapsthemostcomplexofallShakespeare’scharacters.

• Histransformationprocesscarrieshimthroughmanydifferentarchetypal

levels—manycriticsarestilldiscussingthevariouspsychoanalytical

symbolswhichLearcanassume:sacrificialwinterking,madman,child;

Yahweh,Job,Prometheus,Christ(Driscoll159).

• Hischaracterizationalonerangefromgullibleoldman,delusionalmadking,

sympatheticvictim.

• AswitheverygoodShakespeareanking,Learisblindtotherepercussions

ofhisactions;whichisironicconsideringhowGloucester’sownblindness

turnsintoaphysical,violentrealityopposedtoLear’spsychological,

symbolic, blindness.

Driscoll,JamesP.“TheVisionOfKingLear.”Shakespeare Studies 10.(1977):159.Academic Search Complete.Web.1July2013.

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King Lear


From the beginning the audience sees Lear’s weakened mental state.

TherearehintsthathisirrationalreactionstowardsCordeliaarerootedin

pastbehavior.

• Whenshestatesshehas“Nothing,mylord”(Act1,Scene1,l.78)toexpress

herdevotion,thisactsasacatalystofemotionsduetothefactsheishis

favoritedaughterofthethree.Heexpectedsomeopen,public declarations

ofherprivatefeelings—phrasesofprofoundnature.Intheend,duetoher

lackofrhetoric,heerroneouslytakeshersilenceasalackofemotion.

• Hisover-reactionresultsinahastyspeechcallingonthenameofthe

Greco-Romangoddessofwitchcraft,Hecate.Withtheplayplacedintheera

ofpaganculture,Shakespearewantstoshowthedisasterofspeakingrashly

inpublic.Totheancientcultures,mentioningadeity’snamewouldbring

fortharesultfromthegod/goddess—positiveornegative.Inthiscase,due

tothefactLearcallsouttoafigurelatertobedemonizedbyChristians,

tragedyisimminent.

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King Lear


• Hisfullangercanbeseenlikewisebythenatureofhisdelivery—noticehe

switchesfromasacred,positiveelement,thesun,andtransformshisspeech

toacoldsymbolofindifference:

Letitbeso;thytruth,then,bethydower:

For,bythesacredradianceofthesun,

ThemysteriesofHecate,andthenight;

Byalltheoperationoftheorbs

Fromwhomwedoexist,andceasetobe;

HereIdisclaimallmypaternalcare,

Propinquityandpropertyofblood,

Andasastrangertomyheartandme

Holdthee,fromthis,forever.(Act1,Scene1,ll.99-105)

Inthisfashion,hismentalcapabilitiesareshownbeginningtocrumble,

justashisrelationshipwithCordeliacrumbles.

• Hisdecisiontoabdicatethethroneisshownaswise;hismethods—foolish.

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King Lear


Cordelia follows the archetype of a dutiful daughter who has been

misunderstood.

Throughamiscommunicationsheismisidentifiedasinsubordinate,disrespectful,

and insolent.

• Usuallyinthesecases,withinfolkstories,thedaughteristheyoungestand

morelikelytheprettiestinthefamily.

• Ironically,thischaracterisonlyonstageforaverylimitedtime;however,

herabsencecausestheaudiencetoreflectbackonherfrequently.Sheis

astrongcontrasttohersister’sandtheirdisrespectfultreatmentoftheir

father.

• OnemethodShakespeareusestoencourageasenseofcontrast,heletsthe

audienceknowthatCordeliaseesthroughhersister’scompliments.

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King Lear


ShestatesbeforethecloseofScene1:

Thejewelsofourfather,withwash’deyes

Cordelialeavesyou:I know you what you are;

Andlikeasisterammostloathtocall

Yourfaultsastheyarenamed.Usewellourfather:

ToyourprofessedbosomsIcommithim

Butyet,alas,stoodIwithinhisgrace,

Iwouldpreferhimtoabetterplace.

So,farewelltoyouboth(Act1,Scene1,ll.257-264;myemphasis).

Cordeliaisshownasastrongcreaturewithherownresilience,muchlike

theoriginalfolkstoryheroine.

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King Lear


The two sisters close out the scene plotting amongst themselves.

Thisinturnimmediatelyshowscharacterswithidentifiablepersonaltytraits

whichcontrastwithCordelia’sadmirabletraits.

• Bothoftheoldertwosistersattributetheirfather’smoodshiftstooldage.

Gonerilnotes:“Youseehowfullofchangeshisageis[...]Healwaysloved

oursistermost,andwithwhatpoorjudgmenthehathnowcastheroff

appearstoogrossly”(Act1,Scene1).

• Reviewfullclosingconversationbetweenthetwoonpage1369ofthe

Longman Anthology.

• Whatresults:bycloseofscene1,alltheimportantplayersareintroduced

andalltheiraffiliationsshown.

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King Lear


In fact, duality in the playeffectivelyaddscomplexitytotheplotthroughthe

useofcomparisonsandcontrastsofpersonalities—

Lear/Gloucester

Cordelia/hersisters

Regan/Goneril

Edmund/Edgar

Kent(indisguise)/Oswald

Albany/Cornwall

Burgundy/France

EarlofKent/Caius

Edgar/poorTom

Lear/Edgar

W. Shakespeare and King Lear

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