King Lear Lecture 3
King Lear Lecture 3
King Lear Lecture 3
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