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

2. Background Information
King Lear was written between
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

3. The Setting
England
Lear
vs.
France
Cordelia

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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