1. King Lear
Revision Day

2. Areas to Revise: Themes Characters Key Events Key Speeches
Shakespeare’s use of Language
Exam Techniques

3. Themes: Nothing Family Suffering The Gods Sight and Blindness Animals
Madness
Nature
Appearance/Reality
Justice

4. Characters: King Lear At the opening of the play: Self-centred
Arrogant
Reckless
Ruthless
At the end of the play:
Remorseful
Understanding
Considerate
Caring

5. Goneril and Regan:
Cruel
Vicious
Determined
Ruthless
Jealous
Cordelia:
Kind
Honest
Understanding
Brave
Loving

6. Edmund:
Charming
Arrogant
Determined
Ruthless
Edgar:
Virtuous
Loyal
Resourceful
Honest

7. Kent:
Loyal
Honest
Brave
Strong
Gloucester:
Foolish
Gullible
Victim

8. Albany:
Virtuous
Respectful
Loyal
Strong
The Fool:
Intelligent
Loyal
Amusing

9. Key Events: The ‘Love-Test’ The Banishment of Cordelia and Kent
Edmund’s plot to destroy Edgar
The reduction of Lear’s ‘train’ by Goneril and Regan
Lear’s descent into madness in the storm
The ‘union’ between Goneril, Regan and Edmund
The ‘blinding’ of Gloucester
The reconciliation of Lear and Cordelia
The death of Cordelia
The eventual death of Lear

10. Key Speeches: Lear (Act I Scene I-Lines 35-54)
Edmund (Act I Scene II-Lines 1-22)
Lear (Act III Scene II-Lines 1-24)
Albany (Act IV Scene II-Lines 30-68)
Lear (Act I Scene IV-Lines )
Edmund (Act II Scene I-Lines 43-77)
Lear (Act II Scene II-Lines )
Edmund (Act V Scene I-Lines 55-70)
Lear (Act V Scene III-Lines 8-26)

11. Language-Verse King Lear is written in blank verse and prose.
Blank verse consists of unrhymed iambic pentameters, with five stresses syllables and five unstressed syllables to each line.
‘Thou, Nature, art my goddess; to thy law’
Shakespeare has characters in ‘High’ positions use verse e.g. Lear (when sane), Edmund, Gloucester, Cordelia etc

12. Prose
In Elizabethan drama ‘Low’ or comic characters generally speak in prose. In King Lear characters such as The Fool, Poor Tom etc.
It is important to note that when Lear goes mad he begins to speak in a mixture of verse and prose to signify the confusion in his mind.

13. The Royal Plural
At the beginning of the play Lear uses the royal ‘we’ but as the play develops he adopts the more humble ‘I’. This change reflects his change in status , from king to ‘a foolish old man’.

14. Language techniques:
Soliloquies and asides- Characters use these to inform the audience about their feelings and intentions, drawing us into their world.

15. The Exam! Exam Technique Specific Points
ELit 1 Shakespeare: King Lear 30% of final grade.
You have an hour to answer one question out of a choice of two. The question is divided into two parts.
Section A is an extract question worth one third of the marks.
Section B is an essay question worth two thirds of the marks.

16. Section A Section A Plan and annotate Section A question5 minutes
Answer extract question15 minutes
Refer to language and dramatic techniques.

17. Section B Section B Plan and annotate Section B question5 minutes
Answer essay question 35 minutes
Refer to historical context and suitable historical facts. Express personal opinion.