Brief Plot Summary The motifs of the play cover greed, betrayal, lust for power, arrogance. pride and cruelty. King Lear, an aging monarch, is a headstrong old man who is blind to his weaknesses (pride). He decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters, according to which one recites the best declaration of love.

Plot Summary Continued Goneril and Regan are the selfish daughters of Lear who pretend to love him but later treat him cruelly. Cordelia is the loyal and unselfish daughter who refuses to tell her father how much she loves him as she feels it is insincere.

King Lear disowns Cordelia after confusing her honesty with insolence King Lear disowns Cordelia after confusing her honesty with insolence. This action acts as a catalyst for all events which follow

Plot Summary Cont’d. Lear then embarks on a journey of self -discovery. The play ends with numerous characters facing death by various methods including poison and suicide.

CHARACTERS Lear, King of Britain His daughters: Goneril - married to Duke of Albany her steward is Oswald. Regan - married to the Duke of Cornwall Cordelia - marries the king of France

Earl of Kent - loyal retainer to Lear Fool Earl of Gloucester His sons: Edgar Edmund Curan, gentleman of the household

The Tragic Hero Experience extreme suffering and calamity Have a fatal flaw in character which contributes to their own destruction. Shakespeare’s tragic hero is torn by an inward struggle or conflict No tragic Shakespearean play ends with the hero alive Shakespeare’s tragic heroes are men of rank, fall unexpectedly from a high place Heroes have a feeling of woe and of pity. Hero’s fate affects the welfare of the entire nation.

SETTING Ancient Britain. The castles of King Lear and the Earl of Gloucester, the palace of the Duke of Albany, a forest, a heath, a farmhouse near Gloucester‘s castle, a French camp near Dover, a British camp near Dover, and fields near Dover.

The Tragic Pattern A Man of High Estate A flaw in Character Intrusion of Time and a Sense of urgency Mis-readings and Rationalizations Murder, Exile, Alienation of Enemies and Allies Gradual isolation of the Tragic Hero Mobilization of the Opposition Tragic Recognition of the flaw by the tragic Hero too late Last, courageous attempt to restore lost honor/greatness Audience recognizes potential for greatness Death of the tragic hero Restoration of order

Shakespearian Tragedy Normally we will hear about the King, Prince or man of high estate from other people in the play before he makes an entrance in the play. Within the first two Acts we are given an indication of his obsessive behavior. The audience witnesses the inner torment he goes through in order to follow his obsession. The hero operates on what he believes to be the case rather than what he actually knows to be the case. As mis-readings continue, new complications and conflicts arise which bring about the death or gradual alienation of support for the hero. By the end of the play the hero must face the opposing forces and responsibility of his actions alone. Throughout the process of alienation and isolation, the character experiences rage, sleeplessness, confusion, hallucination and violence. Often the hero is confronted with an enemy in the final act who usually has good reason to kill him. The hero by now has realized his error. This is known as Tragic Recognition

Lear makes a mistake as he gives up his basis for power but still expects to be treated as powerful. He rages against his own pain until his sanity cracks. He dies without being able to profit from his learning, but he comes to an epiphany through suffering.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT In the period in which King Lear was written—from 1604 to 1607—King James VI, King of Scotland and England, was trying to persuade English Parliament to approve the union of the two countries into one nation. (It was James who first used the term "Great Britain" to describe the unity of the Celtic and Saxon lands: England, Scotland, and Wales.) Such a combination of nations is called "accession." In his speeches to Parliament, he regularly referred to the misfortunes that had been brought about by the disunion of England under King Leir, the historical source of Shakespeare's play.

About the Play First printed in 1608 Based on a historical event – A court case where two daughters attempted to have their father declared insane so that they might seize his estate. The younger daughter, Cordell, objected. However, accounts of King Lear surface in several texts; so, Shakespeare may have turned to other sources as well in exploring this ancient story.