King Lear “The weight of this sad time we must obey,/ Speak what we feel not what we ought to say” (Edgar)

Background Information King Lear was written between 1603-1606 Lear’s divided kingdom may have been an allegory for James I’s urgent call to unite England and Scotland at the time Many critics believe that the overall theme of King Lear is political disunity It is not performed on stage as much as Macbeth and Hamlet, as many critics believe it is too distressing a storyline for audiences

The Setting England Lear vs. France Cordelia

Lear’s Society Difficult to pinpoint the specific time of the play It was a somewhat “wild”, uncivilized time No clear line of succession to the throne Disorder, chaos Machiavellian

Machiavellianism The idea that politics are amoral (outside morality) The means justify the end, no matter how horrible, when it comes to gaining political power originally, the end was meant to be noble, but the literature of Shakespeare’s time did not follow this idea Edmund, Regan and Goneral in the play are Machiavellian

Wheel of Fortune (King Arthur) Ancient and medieval philosophy Connected to idea of Fate The goddess Fortuna spins it at random and some will suffer while others will gain Seen in works of Chaucer, tales about King Arthur, and Machiavelli’s The Prince

King Lear’s Story Dates back to before Shakespeare’s time The Faerie Queene King Lear’s Story Dates back to before Shakespeare’s time King Lear appeared in works such as The True Chronicle, Holinshed’s Chronicles, A Mirror for Magistrates and Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene Shakespeare changed the story to reflect his own ideas about tragedy (see handout)

King Lear’s Story Cont… Overall, this is a tragic story about a king who misjudges his family, and loses everything (wealth, love, status) before the end of his life

Main Plot – Lear’s Story Characters King Lear – forces daughters to declare their love in order to get land and power Goneril – Lear’s eldest daughter; married to Duke of Albany Regan – Lear’s daughter; married to Duke of Cornwall Cordelia – Lear’s most loved daughter; newly married to King of France Earl of Kent – royal status, but is banished; returns as Lear’s servant Oswald – Goneril’s servant The Fool – questions Lear; represents conscience

Sub Plot – Gloucester’s Story Earl of Gloucester – loves his sons equally, to his detriment Edgar – Gloucester’s legitimate son; next in line for power and land Edmund – Gloucester’s illegitimate son; wants power and will do anything to get it

Some of the Major Themes Tragedy; tragic flaw Hubris (excessive pride) Status and reputation Deception – appearances (disguises) Justice Natural order vs. unnatural order Insight vs. Blindness Inner conflict/madness Love and family relationships Loss of power Role reversals