Using the Lear packet and the Supplemental King Lear notes on theme. Select 4 quotes (across the 5 acts) to discuss how they develop the issue in the scene, for the character, and for the play as a whole. Make sure that you integrate the quotes into a fully developed paragraph with thoughtful analysis. Blogs which only do not meet the requirement or do not follow MLA format for play citation will lose points.
12 Comments
Jena
6/2/2013 09:56:40 pm
Theme: Love
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Nicky
6/4/2013 07:38:37 am
Theme: To be “known”
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August
6/6/2013 03:44:00 am
Theme: Love
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Sonja
6/6/2013 06:41:11 am
Theme: Justice
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M. Jones
6/6/2013 07:34:29 am
THEME: To be “known”
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Emily Y.
6/6/2013 08:23:51 am
Through out the entirety of Shakespeare’s play, the use of the literal word ‘nothing’ culminates to being something of great importance. In the very first scene of the play when Lear is dividing the kingdom among his daughters he asks Cordelia to speak upon her own behalf. This is to the end that she receives the amount of land that should rightfully be endowed to her. However, when asked to speak she replies with “Nothing, my lord” (I.i.96). By saying nothing Cordelia is not implying that her love for her father is nothing, or that she does not want the rights to her land, but she is illustrating her honest personality that is portrayed through out the continuance of the play. The nothing-ness; in this case meaning the lack of love for her father, ends up being the most amiable and veracious. In an opposing manner however, when Lear states, “Nothing will come of nothing” (I.i.99), he is being honest personally. Lear has in fact decided that if his daughter will not speak of her love for him, she will not receive anything in turn. The land that he is dividing will go to the daughters who made false arguments. Although Cordelia does love her father, she chooses not to lie as her sisters do in order to benefit herself. Both Regan and Goneril chose to say that they loved their father more than they loved themselves or more than they loved their husband, and that they would lay their life down, so to speak. Although from Lear Cordelia received only harsh treatment, her honesty proved advantageous as the King of France saw the adherence in her heart. The fool also plays a valuable role in demonstrating the King’s nothingness. “I had rather be any kind o’ thing than a Fool. And yet I would not be thee, Nuncle. Thou hast pared thy wit o’ both sides and left nothing i’th’ middle. (I.iv.190-193). Ironically enough, the fool, a character believed to have the least amount of sense in regards to society at the time knows more than many of the other characters. The fool is saying to Lear that he is nothing and has nothing. By foolishly dividing his kingdom prematurely, Lear has been left with no land and no reliable commodities. Through splitting his mind or metaphorically splitting his kingdom Lear is left with nothing, but still believes himself to be a truly good king. This also foreshadows the coming madness in the following acts. “Couldst thou save nothing?” (III.iv.68). In this scene Lear is talking to Edgar and the fool, Edgar at this point in time has also reached a point of madness to where he is walking around essentially nude. Realistically Lear is asking Edgar if he could salvage any of his clothes but metaphorically he is also referring to his dignity and the similarity to himself. Both Edgar and Lear have now been exiled from the kingdoms that were once theirs, they are both left with nothing. They have no shelter, food, or clothes. Although similar in that they are both slowly moving towards madness and have an entire lack of sources, they are different in that Edgar was deceived and Lear’s foolishness helped contribute to his downfall as King. “Y’are much deceived in nothing am I changed But in my garments” (IV.vi.12-14). In this scene Gloucester is reunited with his son who he does not know is his son; rather he believes is a man with excellent elocution of his words. He believes that Edgar seems changed in some way, perhaps referring to the change that Gloucester believed happened in which Edgar betrayed him. However, Edgar proves this inaccurate by deeming that he has changed in no way and is just as much the same person as he was before. This shows just how Edgar is still the better of the two sons, not just because of his bloodline but his true love for his father. Edgar has not become any less of a man since he has been exiled, rather he has come to realizations by becoming ‘nothing.’ This nothing could be described as an individual with no power or status, yet no matter how much of a lack of power he has, he remains to be the same individual.
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Cassidy Harless
6/6/2013 08:56:32 am
The Side Effects of Betrayal
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Maddie
6/6/2013 03:38:06 pm
The theme of “nothing” occurs throughout King Lear in many characters; however, it is most prominent in the relationships between Lear and Cordelia, Gloucester and Cornwall, Goneril and Albany, and Regan and Goneril. Within these relationships, “nothing” binds a father to his daughter, “nothing” binds a host to his guests, “nothing” binds a wife to her husband, and “nothing” binds a sister to her sister.
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Bradley R
6/7/2013 01:53:22 am
Theme: Treachery
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Cullen
6/7/2013 02:23:52 am
THEME: Betrayal
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Evan B
6/7/2013 06:10:10 am
Dominion of Disorder: Order and Chaos in King Lear
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Sarah P.
6/9/2014 03:55:12 am
"Love"
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