Lecture Two: King Lear Act 1 & 2 The Divine Rights of Fathers? The Divine Rights of Fathers? “What wouldst thou do old man?” ( ) Division of the kingdom  the overturning or division of order Patriarchy and kingship The notion of obedience, loyalty and bonds Legitimacy: “Natural” vs “Monstrous” The performance of love: Plain speaking and flattery/eloquence The problem of women/daughters

“Nothing” – a pattern of imagery HAMLET: Lady, shall I lie in your lap? [Lying down at OPHELIA's feet] OPHELIA: No, my lord. HAMLET:I mean, my head upon your lap? OPHELIA:Ay, my lord. HAMLET:Do you think I meant country matters? OPHELIA:I think nothing, my lord. HAMLET:That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs. OPHELIA:What is, my lord? HAMLET:Nothing.

Useful Criticism King Lear.org – fantastic website Janet Adelman Chapter on King Lear in Suffocating Mothers Lynda E. Boose “The Father and the Bride in Shakespeare” – SQ on JSTOR --- ed. Fathers and Daughters Coppelia Kahn “The Absent Mother in King Lear” in Rewriting the Renaissance Kathleen McLuskie “The Patriarchal Bard: Feminist criticism and Shakespeare” in Political Shakespeare

Breeding and Bonds: The family in Shakespeare’s time Patrilinear, primogenitural & patriarchal King James and Princess Elizabeth (Foakes intro, p. 38) Works 1618: “Kings are justly called gods” “Kings are compared to fathers in families, for a king is truly parens patriae, the political father of his people”

Breeding and Bonds: Intertwining of the plot and subplot Lear narrative and the Gloucester narrative (subplot) Play begins with the subplot Legitimacy and Illegitimacy Father’s children/mother’s children The “fault” in women – linked to “nothing” The “whoreson” Gloucester: “But I have a son” (1.1.18) Lear to Goneril: “Thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter” ( )

Inversion of Order: Kent: “Lear is mad” ( ) “Thou dost evil” ( ) “Banishment is here” ( ) France: This is most strange, That she that even but now was your Q best Q object, The argument of your praise, balm of your age, The best, most dearest, should in this trice of time Commit a thing so monstrous to dismantle So many folds of favour. Sure her offence Must be of such unnatural degree That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection Fall into taint; which to believe of her Must be a faith that reason without miracle Should never plant in me. ( )

Glos: “We have seen the best of our time” ( ) Lear and Gloucester: Rash anger and self-pity “Monster”/”Monstrous” Children The measurement of love: Price/prize Dear/dear Favouritism Illegitimacy as fantasy of separation Abuse/Refusal of sibling bond: “will you take her by the hand?( ) “Monster Ingratitude”” (1.5.37) The Divine Rights of Fathers The rights of children?

“The name and all the addition to a king” ( ) Absolute control and absolute dependence Lear: “I loved her most, and thought to set my rest on her kind nursery” ( ) Fool: “since though mad’st thy daughters thy mothers; for when thou gav’st them the rod and putt’st down thine own breeches” ( ) Fool: “obedient father” ( ) “His Majesty, the baby” Sigmund Freud “On Narcissism”