King Lear Lecture 3

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Term II : Lecture 3

Text - King Lear


King Lear: Act 1 Scene 2
Introduction of the Sub-plot

 Gloucester’s two sons – Edmund & Edgar


 Gloucester’s relationship with them
 Sub-plot amplifies & reverberates themes and
issues explored in the main plot
King Lear: Act 1 Scene 2
Edmund’s Speech in the beginning

 The Issue of Nature


 The Elements
 Natural Order of Things
 Nature , Natural & Unnatural
 1st Explicit Invocation of the Theme of Identity
King Lear: Act 1 Scene 2
Structurally

 The main plot & the sub-plot weave together


 But do remain identifiably separate issues
King Lear: Act 1 Scene 2
Ideas Explored

 Illegitimacy of a Natural Child


 Spontaneous Feeling Vs Rule of Law (Edmund’s
Opening Lines)
 Conventions Vs Self-Perception
King Lear: Act 1 Scene 2
 1 explicit invocation of identity in the play
 This will be explored further in rest of the play
King Lear: Act 1 Scene 2
Characters

 Gloucester - Gullible
 Edmund – A bastard in both senses, dramatically
intriguing, ingenious manipulator, clever plotter
 Edgar – allows himself to be manipulated
King Lear: Act 1 Scene 3
 What did we expect?
 Is Goneril unreasonable if she is irritated by her
father’s antics?
 Are our suspicions confirmed by Goneril’s
actions?
King Lear: Act 1 Scene 4
Kent Disguised
• Disguise as an important feature of Shakespearean
plays
• Disguise Vs Identity
King Lear: Act 1 Scene 4
Purpose of Disguise
 Dramatic irony, where the audience is aware of
something (in this case the true identity of characters)
that characters in the play are not. This creates tension
in a play and excites the audience; actions take place on
the stage, of which the audience knows the import, but
characters on the stage do not.
 It also creates a setting for a great deal of irony where
characters make comments that take on a double
meaning.
King Lear: Act 1 Scene 4
Development of Features of Act 1 Scene 3

• Lear starting to lose grip

• Goneril shows her true colours

• Lear begins to regret


King Lear: Act 1 Scene 4
Entrance of the Fool

• Traditional role of the fool

• ‘Magic’ status of the fool

• Ability to see & say what others can’t


King Lear: Act 1 Scene 4
Entrance of the Fool

• The ‘Wise’ fool

• Effect of the fool on Lear

• The Fool’s Advice

• Song 1 Line 120

• Song 2 Line 145

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