King lear context Extras

King Leir (No, I didn’t spell it wrong). Leir is a legendary ancient king of the Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. His story is told in a modified form by William Shakespeare in the play King Lear. In the drama, some names are identical to those of the legend (e.g. Goneril, Regan, Cordelia) and the events are very similar. Leir's reign would be c. 8th century BC by his position in the family tree of the (unhistorical) House of Brutus.

Enclosures Act. The way ‘King Lear’ opens with the division of the kingdom can be seen as a social criticism of society at the time as England (Albion) was undergoing the Enclosures Act. Public land was being divided up by the Gentry, and it is argued that Shakespeare used his play to criticise this.

Sir Brian Annesley. To institutionalise or to not institutionalise Sir Brian Annesley. To institutionalise or to not institutionalise? That is the question. As ‘King Lear’ is often seen as a social criticism, reflecting anxieties of the time, it can be seen that the actions of Sir Brian Annesley and his children are key influences to the play. A lawsuit that occurred not long before King Lear was written, in which the eldest of three sisters tried to have her elderly father, Sir Brian Annesley, declared insane so that she could take control of his property. Annesley’s youngest daughter, Cordell, successfully defended her father against her sister. Coincidence?

William Allen.  Another event that Shakespeare and his audience would have been familiar with is the case of William Allen, a mayor of London who was treated very poorly by his three daughters after dividing his wealth among them. Sound familiar?

Divine right of kings. The divine right of kings, or divine-right theory of kingship, is a political and religious doctrine of royal and political legitimacy. It asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving the right to rule directly from the will of God. The king is thus not subject to the will of his people, the aristocracy, or any other estate of the realm, including (in the view of some, especially in Protestant countries) the Church. According to this doctrine, only God can judge an unjust king. The doctrine implies that any attempt to depose the king or to restrict his powers runs contrary to the will of God and may constitute a sacrilegious act.

King & The Land. It was also believed that the health of the land was directly mirroring the health of the king. (This is specifically relevant to Oedipus Rex, makes a very good comparative point).