Lear’s Madness

Lines about Lear’s madness “Be Kent unmannerly / When Lear is mad” (I: i: 144-5) “O Let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven; / Keep me in temper; I would not be mad (I: v: 43) O Fool, I shall go mad. (II: iv: 284) His wits begin t’unsettle (III: iv: 159) All the power of his wits have given way to his impatience. (III: iv)

Alack, ‘tis he: why, he was met even now As mad as the vex’d sea; singing aloud; Crown’d with rank fumiter and furrow weeds, With hardocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo – flowers, Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow in our sustaining corn. (IV: iv: 1-6)

The development of Lear’s Madness 1.Doesn’t get expected response from Cordelia – thinks she doesn’t love him 2.Banishes favorite daughter 3.Moves in with Goneril 4.Is treated poorly by her and her servants (she wants him to get rid of ½ his knights) 5.Curses Goneril 6.Leaves to stay with Regan (his kinder daughter) 7.She has left (to avoid his staying with her)

8. Goes to Gloucester’s to find his daughter 9. Finds his messenger (Kent) in the stocks (insulting) 10. His daughter Regan refuses to see him 11. Goneril arrives and Regan sides with her 12. Lear curses them both 13. Lear leaves out into the storm 14. Rages at the heavens 14. Meets Edgar – empathizes with him 15. Puts his daughters on trial (mock) for their treatment of him

15. Wanders the cliffs of Dover with the Fool 16. Runs from Cordelia’s soldiers 17. Finds Gloucester, who has been blinded by Regan and Cornwall 18. Finally re-united with Cordelia – goes to sleep

The Brain

Frontal Lobe located at the front of the brain and is associated with reasoning, motor skills, higher level cognition, and expressive language. Includes the motor cortex which receives information from various lobes of the brain and utilizes this information to carry out body movements.

Parietal Lobe located in the middle section of the brain and is associated with processing tactile sensory information such as pressure, touch, and pain.

Temporal Lobe Located on the bottom section of the brain. Interprets sounds and the language we hear. Hippocampus is also located here – formation of memories.

Occipital Lobe located at the back portion of the brain and is associated with interpreting visual stimuli and information. The primary visual cortex, which receives and interprets information from the retinas of the eyes, is located in the occipital lobe.