King Lear Revision Notes

King Lear Revision Notes
Act 1, Scene 1
Gloucesters Treatment of Edmund
But I have a son, sir, by order of law 1 claims Ed!ar as his son whilst Edmund
is a son for her cradle 1" # Adelman
$nave% whoreson &'%&& insults Edmund without really realisin!
Gloucesters (dultery
)is breedin!, sir, hath been at my char!e*
this youn! fellows mother could +conceive you,% whereu-on she !rew round#
wombed 1&#.
/o you smell a fault0 11 Gloucester s-ea$s casually and 2o$in!ly of his
adultery, em-hasised by the allusion to !enitals
came somethin! saucily to the world &'
3orebodin!
/ivision of the $in!dom
o /ar$er -ur-ose 1*1*.1
The two characters who are banished are those most loyal to 4ear
5ou!ht to set my rest on her $ind nursery 61*1*1&"#17 irony that it is she who
loo$s after him at the end thou!h in alto!ether different circumstances
be my !rave my -eace 61*1*1&87 comes true at the end
the lar!e effects that troo- with ma2esty 61*1*1.&#.7 !ives them the crown and all
the thin!s associated with it* Thou!h meant -ositively, this is somewhat forebodin!
of the tra!edy it brin!s
3reedom lives hence and banishment is here 1*1*11 9ent forebodin!ly alludes
to the -erversion of 4ears -ower* 5tron! lin$ to fools -ro-hesisin!
$ill thy -hysician 61*1*1:"7 4ear is shunnin! those who care most for his best
interests
balm of your a!e 61*1*&1:7 ;ordelia was his ha--iness in old a!e and his descent
into madness closely follows her bein! banished
<ords vs deeds
Immediate division between the -lain#s-ea$in! 9ent and ;ordelia and the
syco-hantic =e!an and Goneril Olivier: Goneril and Regan kneel
o G> I love you more than word can wield the matter 1*1*1"#1
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my loves more -onderous than my ton!ue 1*1*88# ;ordelia refuses to involve
herself in flattery
Thy truth then be thy dower 61*1*1'?7 honesty sent to have little value* ;onstant
@uestionin! of value
when -ower to flattery bows 61*1*1"?7 9ent notes that flattery is valued over
honesty
those em-ty#hearted, whose low sounds reverb no hollowness 61*1*11"#17 9ent
contrasts ;ordelias love with the others words
(nd your lar!e s-eeches may your deeds a--rove 61*1*117 9ent wishes that their
deeds match their words
infirmities she owes 61*1*&'.7 honesty -resented as a defect
your fore#vouched affection fall into taint 61*1*&&1#&7 3rance notes that 4ears
reaction su!!ests that his former words of affection lac$ed substance
Ill dot before I s-ea$ 61*1*&&7 eA-ressly -uts deeds before words
But even for want of that for which I am richer, a still solicitin! eye and such a
ton!ue that I am !lad I have not 61*1*&.&#"7 a!ain su!!ests that her su--osed
unchaste action or dishonoured ste- that hath de-rived me of your !race and favour
61*1*&.'#17 is merely a refusal to en!a!e in syco-hancy
3airest ;ordelia, that art most rich bein! -oor 61*1*&1&7 3rance su!!ests that her
value actually lies in her honesty and -lain#s-ea$in! character
Bou have obedience scanted, and well are worth the want that you have wanted
61*1*&'#17
o Goneril tellin!ly describes her familial duty as obedience rather than care
o ;ondemns ;ordelia before eA-ressin! o--osite sentiments
time will unfold what -li!hted cunnin! hides 61*1*&&#.7
Clain#s-ea$in!
To -lainness honours bound 1*1*1"? shar-ly contrasts the flattery of Goneril
and =e!an and draws -arallels between him and ;ordelia
I cannot heave my heart into my mouth 1*1*?1#& ;ordelias honesty contrasts
sisters
I want 6traditional sense7 that !lib and oily art to s-ea$ and -ur-ose not 61*1*&&:#87
su!!ests that the issue arises from her failure to flatter
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;eremony
The divisions seem -redetermined and 4ear merely wants a ceremonial division
9now that we have divided in three our $in!dom 61*1*.:#87( third more o-ulent
than your sisters 61*1*:7% Dend your s-eech a little 61*1*?"7
4ear wishes to $ee- some ceremonial as-ects of his -ower in the form of the
reservation of an hundred $ni!hts 61*1*1."7 later causes -roblems for bein!
unnecessary
Bur!undy craves no more than hath your hi!hness offered 61*1*1?17 a--ears that
decisions have already been made
4ears -ower
/isbelievin! at ;ordelias dissent Eothin!0 61*1*7% )ow, nothin! will come of
nothin!* 5-ea$ a!ain 61*1*?'7
Invo$es the forces of God and nature very $in!ly early on by the sacred radiance
of the sun, the mysteries of )ecate and the ni!ht 61*1*11'#17% by (-ollo 61*1*1:17%
By Fu-iter 61*1*18?7
;ome not between a dra!on and his wrath 61*1*1&.7
the lar!e effects that troo- with ma2esty 61*1*1.&#.7 interestin! use of military
word to describe the -ower that $in!shi- brin!s
with strained -ride come betwiAt our sentences and our -ower 61*1*1817 4ears
real an!er is at the challen!e of his -ower and authority
5-ea$% Ceace, 9ent% Gut of my si!htH% )ear me recreant
Nunn: Raises hand at by Apollo and punches Kent as Vassal! iscreant!
Olivier: !ear s"iles and see"s altogether satis#ied
;ordelias honesty and refusal to flatter and conse@uences
4ove, and be silent 61*1*:&7 chooses not to flatter but to honestly love*
/ramatically the aside illustrates her isolation and creates dramatic irony
Gbedience Gbey you, love you and most honour you 61*1*1'7
EA-oses sisters syco-hancy I shall never marry li$e my sisters to love my father
all 61*1*1'"7
Infriended, new ado-ted to our hate, dowered with our curse and stran!ered with
our oath 61*1*&'"#17 utter abandonment* (ccentuates ;ordelias later loyalty
I $now what you are, and li$e a sister am most loath to call your faults as they are
names 61*1*&81#.7 ;ordelia sees throu!h her sisters flattery but retains her familial
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loyalty
Eothin!
Eothin! will come of nothin! 61*1*?'7 nothin!ness -resented as lac$ of flattery
rather than lac$ of love
that little#seemin! substance 61*1*1??7% nothin! more 61*1*&'17 describes
;ordelia as bein! of little substance havin! failed to offer words of little substance
by the -ower that made me, I tell you all her wealth 61*1*&'#?7 her value to 4ear
has !one and her dowry follows
E@uatin! relationshi-s to businessJvalue
;ordelia claims to love 4ear accordin! to my bond 61*1*?.7 which results from
havin! be!ot me, bred me, loved me 61*1*?:7 her rather clinical honesty
em-hasises the contrast with sisters
disclaim all my -aternal care, -ro-in@uity and -ro-erty of blood 61*1*1117
her -rice is fallen 61*1*1?7 # mirrors fall from !race* Da$es their relationshi-
based on the sort of business#li$e value which ;ordelia tries to avoid
best ob2ect 61*1*&117
loves not love when it is min!led with re!ards that stands 61*1*&"'#17% 5ince that
res-ect and fortunes are his love, I shall not be his wife 61*1*&1'#17 3rance
and ;ordelia o--ose the business#li$e a--roach to relationshi-s
Gods, !odsH KTis stran!e that from their coldst ne!lect my love should $indle to
inflamed res-ect 61*1*&1:#87 3rances loyalty and love stron!ly contrasts this
business#li$e view of marria!e
un-riLed, -recious maid 61*1*&:17 2uAta-osition of that which is worthless and
that which is valuable
2ewels of our father, with washed eyes ;ordelia leaves you 61*1*&8'#17 Goneril
and =e!an are 2ewels so are ob2ects of value but ultimately hard and unfeelin!
whilst ;ordelia eA-resses !enuine emotion in her tears> bro$en syntaA If for I want
61*1*&&:7 # Halio
;ontrastin! characters
9ent and ;ordelia very much similar as they both are 6as they both state7 -lain#
s-ea$in! and honest whilst Goneril and =e!an are syco-hantic
4ear encoura!es this divide callin! ;ordelia his sometime dau!hter 61*1*1&17
whilst (lbany and ;ornwall are his beloved sons 61*1*1.?7 -articularly
si!nificant as they are not actually his sons whereas ;ordelia is his dau!hter
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those em-ty#hearted, whose low sounds reverb no hollowness 61*1*11"#17 9ent
contrasts ;ordelias love with the others words
The !ods to their dear shelter ta$e thee, maid, That 2ustly thin$st and hast most
ri!htly said% (nd your lar!e s-eeches may your deeds a--rove 61*1*1.#17
To you -rofessed bosoms I commit him 61*1*&8"7 ;ordelia describes her sisters
love as merely -rofessed, the -ersonal -ronoun establishin! the contrast between
the them
Nunn: $ordelia in %hite& Goneril and Regan in black& !ear in red ' !ear and
$ordelia "ost visibly distinct
iller: $ordelia in %hite& all others in black
9ents loyalty
=oyal 4ear 1*1*1"'
honoured as my $in!% loved as my father% as my master followed% as my !reat
-atron thou!ht on in my -rayer 1*1*1"1#.
4et it fall, thou!h the for$ invade the re!ion of my heart 61*1*1"1#:7 values his
loyalty over his life
Thin$st thou that duty will have dread to s-ea$, when -ower to flattery bows0%
<hen ma2esty falls to folly 1*1*1"#11' doesnt fear s-ea$in! out a!ainst his
$in! 6in an effort to hel- him7 even thou!h the for$ invade the re!ion of my heart
61*1*1"1#:7
Dy life I never held but as a -awn to wa!e a!ainst thine enemies, neer fear to lose
it, Thy safety bein! the motive 1*1*11:# defined sim-ly by his loyalty 6relates to
his final words7
4ears madness
<hen 4ear is mad 61*1*1"87 here his an!er is madness rather than the senility it
later becomes
how full of chan!es his a!e is 61*1*&?'7% the infirmity of his a!e 61*&*1?"7% the
unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric years brin! with them 61*1*&??#.''7%
unconstant starts 61*1*.'17
Eature
<here nature doth with merit challen!e 61*1*1.7 su!!ests that their affection
6eA-ressed by flattery7 is what is natural
a wretch whom nature is ashamed almost tac$nowled!e 61*1*&1.#"7 ;ordelia is
unnatural for havin! failed to flatter her father
Act 1, Scene 2
Eature
Edmunds relationshi- with nature is different to 4ears for whom it re-resents
natural affection Thou, Eature, art my !oddess 61*&*17 Foakes: aligns himself
with beasts as against custom and morality
(r!ues that bastards are conceived in the lusty stealth of nature 61*1*117 rather than
the dull stale tired bed 61*1*1.7 this eA-lains why his natural affection is not
traditional and he is not one of the tribe of fo-s 61*1*1"7 that marria!e -roduces
Gloucester blames his misfortune on late ecli-ses in the sun and moon 61*&*1'.7
blamin! Eature 61*&*1'"7 above all
The 9in! falls from bias of nature 61*&*11"7 su!!ests that in abandonin! ;ordelia
he has betrayed what is natural i*e* to love ;ordelia
Edmund moc$s those who thin$ that they are $naves +M, by s-herical
-redominance 61*&*1&&#.7 and in so doin! rues that nature made him his fathers
$nave 61*1*&'7
Edmund re2ects the very idea of nature sayin! that he would have been rou!h and
lecherous 61*&*1.'#17 even if he was conceived beneath the maidenliest star
61*1*1.&7
Edmund as a bastard
(r!ues that he should be a brother but is merely twelve or fourteen moonshines la!
of a brother 61*&*1#:7 and this causes the curiosity of nations to de-rive me 61*1*"7
my dimensions are as well com-ace, my mind as !enerous and my sha-e as true
61*1*#?7
<hy brand they us with base0 <ith baseness, bastardy0 Base, base0 61*1*?#1'7
identified by his bastardy* Enhanced by re-etition
Edmunds deceit has made Gloucester switch the roles of his two children with Ed!ar
bein! labelled unnatural 61*1*8:7 and a monster 61*1*?"7
Edmund criticises his father for ma$in! him a bastard 2ust as Gloucester mistreats
Edmund for bein! one whoremaster man% !oatish dis-osition 61*&*1&87
Dachiavellian
=hetorical @uestions in solilo@uy* EA-oses unfairness of his harsh treatment*
;om-ellin!
the bastard Edmund 61*1*187 third -erson* ;onfident
5e-arates the le!itimate from the bastards su!!estin! hostile intentions
my invention thrive 61*1*&'7 su!!ests mani-ulation and disconcertin!
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connotations of fertility and vitality
I !row, I -ros-er 61*1*&17 fi!htin! for himself des-ite claims that he is
re-resentin! all bastards
Cretends to hide letter nothin! my lord 61*1*.&7
(rtificially defends Ed!ar sus-end your indi!nation 61*1*'7
/ramatic irony as Gloucester insults Ed!ar in front of Edmund with words in fact
meant for Edmund (bhorred villainH Innatural, detested, brutish villain 61*&*8:#
87
an admirable evasion 61*&*1&:7 he lau!hs at how easily he mani-ulates his father
the catastro-he of the old comedy 61*&*1."7 illustrates the rather disturbin!
control Edmund has over his family
villainous melancholy, with a si!h li$e Tom oBedlam 61*&*1.#"7 he instructs
himself of what mood to -ortray* )e is ca-tivatin! to the audience who watch him
comfortably mani-ulate those around him
at my entreaty 61*&*11?7 # there is dramatic irony in Edmund offerin! advice when
he has manufactured the situation he is advisin! his brother about
(lmost comic dramatic irony as Edmund says I am no honest man if there me any
!ood meanin! toward you 61*&*18'#.7
( credulous father and a brother noble, whose nature is so far from doin! harms that
he sus-ects none 61*&*188#7 the Dachiavellian wea$ who Edmund easily
mani-ulates
foolish honesty 61*&*18?7 subversion of seemin!ly -raiseworthy characteristics to
become symbols of wea$ness
Hunter: in singing Fa, sol la, mi (1.1.1!" #dmund sings the $diabolus in
musica (de%il in music"
Nunn: kneeling on #loor( dressed in black and laughing to hi"sel#
Gods
Eow !ods, stand u- for bastards 61*1*&&7 invo$es !ods su!!estin! that ri!ht is on
his side
5emantic field -ertainin! to astrolo!y the sun, the moon and the stars 61*&*1&'#17%
s-herical -redominance 61*&*1&.7% -lanetary influence 61*1*1&17% char!e of a
star 61*&*1&7 he com-lains of how readily -eo-le blame misfortune on that which
is detached and uncontrollable by them
3orebodin!
(ll this done u-on the !ad0 61*1*&1#:7 4ears hasty decisions in the -revious
scene seem set to come bac$ and haunt him
if it be nothin!, I shall not need s-ectacles 61*1*.:7 subtly forebodin! of loss of
eyes indirectly due to Edmund% if Edmund is not deceivin! him then he will not need
!lasses and his later deceit results in the !ou!in! of Gloucesters eyes
Gloucester it as full of chan!es 61*1*&?'7 towards his children as 4ear was towards
his in the -revious scene and in the future
Foakes: notes that all of the maledictions (1.&.1'(" #dmund su))osedly foresees
come true by the end of the )lay
(!ein!
reverence of a!e ma$es the world bitter 61*1*"87 su!!ests that -ower should not
be in the hands of the elderly* ;ontradiction of convention the circumstances of his
birth do the same
sways not as it hath -ower, but as it is suffered 61*1*1'#17 mirrors 4ear whose
an!er is attributed to a!e by his dau!hters as well
3ate
Gloucester blames his misfortune on late ecli-ses in the sun and moon 61*&*1'.7
blamin! Eature 61*&*1'"7 above all
Edmund denounces the role of fate com-lainin! that when we are sic$ in fortune
des-ite it resultin! from the surfeits of our own behaviour men blame fate and
ma$e !uilty of our disasters the sun, the moon and the stars 61*&*11?#1&17 he
moc$s those who 6li$e Gloucester 2ust beforehand7 attribute their troubles to
somethin! eAtra#terrestrial* )e seems to use this to enhance his mani-ulation
)e ridicules those who thin$ they are villains and fools because of a divine
thrustin! 61*1*1&&#:7
In sayin! that treachers 61*&*1&.7 are not evil by fate he -laces all res-onsibility for
his actions on himself
Hunter: in singing Fa, sol la, mi (1.1.1!" #dmund sings the $diabolus in
musica (de%il in music
3amilial res-onsibility
brothers divide 61*&*1'87% the bond crac$ed KtwiAt son and father 61*&*1'#?7
sense of betrayal em-hasised by dramatic irony reminded of the si!nificance of the
bro$en bond referenced in the -revious scene
This villain of mine comes under the -rediction theres son a!ainst father
61*&*11'7 Edmunds betrayal is em-hasised by it bein! a!ainst the natural ties of
blood
(ll with mes meet that I can fashion fit 61*&*1&7
o *uir suggests this mean that the ends +ustify the means
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o Edmund is not yet a fully evil character as he seems deluded by the
acce-table end of raisin! himself from the limitin! -osition of a bastard
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Act 1, Scene 3
Irony that Goneril com-lains that By day and ni!ht he +4ear, wron!s me 61*.*"7
when it is she who more seriously wron!s him
I will not s-ea$ with him 61*&*?7% -ut on what weary ne!li!ence you -lease
61*&*1.7% Idle old man 61*.*187 havin! !ained -ower the flattery of the -revious
scene -roves su-erficial
Goneril is shown to have been tryin! to oust her father from -ower that would still
mana!e those authorities he hath !iven away 61*.*1#?7
4et him to my sister, whose mind and mine I $now in that are one 61*&*11#:7
shows her newfound control over 4ear and that =e!an and her are cons-irin! to!ether
Gld fools are babes a!ain 61*.*&'7 refers to the childishness and senility that 4ear
eAhibits and also his lesser -ower in com-arison to his dau!hters
must be used with chec$s as flatteries, when they are seen abused 61*.*&'#17
Goneril states that she has to disci-line as well as flatter them illustratin! both her
control and lac$ of !enuine com-assion for him
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Act 1, Scenes 4 and 5
9ents loyalty
serve where thou dost stand condemned 61*"*17 9ent doesnt show an!er at
havin! been banished but rather determination to serve
thy master whom thou lovst shall find thee full of labours 61*"*:#87 a!ain 9ent
is shown to be the stoc$ character of the loyal servant
<hat 9ent retains des-ite his dis!uise is his utter loyalty to 4ear to serve him
truly 61*"*11.#"7% love him 61*"*11"7% fi!ht when I cannot choose 61*"*1:7 note
his subse@uent fi!ht with Gswald% a very honest#hearted fellow 61*"*&'7
9ents abru-t res-onse to 4ear as$in! him <hat wouldst thou do0 61*"*&&7 in
sayin! 5ervice 61*"*&.7 a!ain shows him to be a stoc$ character
the best of me is dili!ence 61*"*.17 9ent describes himself -urely by his service
and loyalty to 4ear
4ears attem-t to maintain royaltyJ-ower
5ta!e direction horns %ithin 4ear maintains the ceremonious as-ects of his
rule su!!estin!, as -ointed out by Goneril, that he is unwillin! to truly !ive u- his
-ower
Crose in contrast to the formal verse of 1*1 as a subtle illustration as his loss of -ower
if I li$e thee no worse after dinner 61*"*"'#17 4ear en2oys his -ower and bein!
able to command those around him unaware that he is in many res-ects now
commanded by his dau!hters
;all the clot-oll bac$ 61*"*":7% )e would not0 61*"*1"7 4ear is unused to and
unacce-tin! of Gswalds disres-ect as he leaves mid#sentence
your hi!hness is not entertained with that ceremonious affection as you were wont
61*"*1:#87% )a0 61*"*:17 4ear is outra!ed of their failure to achieve the ceremony
he feels he deserves
/o you bandy loo$s with me0 61*"*17 4ear com-lains of the disres-ect Gswald
shows in loo$in! strai!ht at him thou!h 4ear notable omits the royal we su!!estin!
that what once was his -ower !ranted by royalty is now merely his ra!e
En2oys his -ower as he labels 9ent a friendly $nave 61*"*?17 and the 3ool a -retty
$nave 61*"*?17 and my boy 61*"*1'17
The 3ool deems 4ear outdated as he meta-horically counsels that thou canst not
smile as the wind sits, thoult catch cold shortly 61*"*??#1''7
Ta$e heed, sirrah, the whi- 61*"*1'7 even with the 3ool, 4ear will not acce-t too
much insult as he in many res-ects fails to relin@uish his royal status
The 3ool -redicts of 4ear that )e that $ee-s nor crust nor crumb, weary of all, shall
want some 61*"*1#?7 su!!estin! that havin! wholly relin@uished his -ower, 4ear
is left in need
5addle my horses% call my train to!ether 61*"*&""7 4ear wishes to maintain his
-ower over Khis own troo-
I have another dau!hter 61*"*&?87% 5hell flay thy wolvish visa!e 61*"*.''7
4ear still believes he has -ower over her and loo$s to what seems his last remainin!
dau!hter to defend him, not realisin! his reliance on her
)e still believes that he has -ower enou!h to ta$et a!ain -erforce 61*1*.87
4ears childishness
4ear commands his servants as a child mi!ht refusin! to stay a 2ot for dinner 61*"*7
and demandin! that they !o, !et it ready 61*"*7 im-erative showin! that his will
for -ower
4ears eAcitement that 9ent notes somethin! in your countenance which I would
fain call master 61*"*&8#7 illustrates his susce-tibility
Dy lords $nave, you whoreson do!, you slave, you curH 61*"*8?7 contrasts the
flowery lan!ua!e 6cham-ai!ns rich with -lenteous rivers 61*1*:"#177 and the len!th
of the line notably stands out illustratin! his ra!e and his now less noble style of
s-eech
4ear claims to love thee for ever 61*"*:7 after 9ent tri-s Gswald indicatin! his
childish desire not to a--ear wea$
The 3ool refers to 4ears dau!hters control over him in sayin! that he madst thy
dau!hters thy mothers 61*"*1:.#"7 and sayin! that he !avst them the rod and
-uttst down thine own breeches 61*"*1:"#17 the meta-hor of the rod here su!!ests
that they will treat him with disci-line rather than care in his old a!e
4ear swears to resume the sha-e which thou dost thin$ I have cast off for ever
61*"*.'1#&7 and in so doin! reverse the inversion of -ower
4ears fall from -ower and isolation
Theres a !reat abatement of $indness a--ears +M, in the /u$e himself +M, and
your dau!hter 61*"*18#:'7 they seem to cons-ire a!ainst 4ear leavin! him isolated
Hunter: the function of the knight is to em)hasise the isolation of ,ear
I have -erceived a most faint ne!lect of late 61*"*::#87 contrasts his failure to
-erceive the flattery of his dau!hters in 1*1
Gswald identifies him as Dy ladys father 61*"*887 illustratin! that he no lon!er
commands the -ower he did as $in!* )e !oes on to defy 4ear sayin! that he is none
of these +insults, 61*"*'7 alludin! to the diminishin! -ower of his word
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The 4ear -uns about what the rent of his land comes to 61*"*1.1#&7 meanin! both to
the value of his land and to the division 6tearin!7 of his $in!dom noted by Foakes
The 3ool -oints out that 4ear has lost his title and therefore his -ower, leavin! him no
better than the 3ool is himself (ll other titles thou hast !iven away% that thou wast
born with 61*"*1"&#.7 this brin!s bac$ the ideas of nature and also contributes to
the inversion of order
The 3ool invo$es the tale of the old man and his ass to -oint out that in tryin! to
-lease everyone, he has -leased none and isolated himself thou clovest thy crown
Ithe middle and !avst both -arts, thou borst thine ass on thy bac$ oer the dirt
61*"*11&#"7
The 3ool refers to 4ears dau!hters control over him in sayin! that he madst thy
dau!hters thy mothers 61*"*1:.#"7 and sayin! that he !avst them the rod and
-uttst down thine own breeches 61*"*1:"#17 the meta-hor of the rod here su!!ests
that they will treat him with disci-line rather than care in his old a!e
The 3ool eA-lains to 4ear the em-tiness of Goneril and =e!ans flattery as they for
sudden 2oy did wee- and I for sorrow sun! 61*"*1::#87 forebodin!
Thats a shelled -eascod 61*"*1?'7 The 3ool describes 4ear as em-ty and almost
Kused#u-* In referrin! to him as that he also alludes to his isolation and his
wea$ness without the thrown
4ear seems isolated, even from himself as he as$s /oes any here $now me0
61*"*&187
In as$in! <here are his eyes0 of himself, he su!!ests, li$e Gloucester later that he
has lost his si!ht and therefore his way
The 3ool labels him 4ears shadow 61*"*&&&7 su!!estin! that he has lost his actual
-ower and royalty and thou!h he still tries to maintain it
4ear invo$es Eature +M, dear !oddess 61*&:87 to hel- him as he finds himself
isolated from all else
Gld fond eyes, bewee- this cause a!ain, Ill -luc$ ye out 61*"*&?.#"7 a--ears to
not be in control of himself as he threatens himself* 5ymbolic of a failure of vision
6with re!ards to ;ordelia7 and forebodin! of Gloucesters !ou!in!
The 3ool -redicts =e!ans similar abandonment of her father sayin! 5he will taste as
li$e this as a crab does to a crab 61*1*117 the crab#a--le is $nown for its sourness
The 3ool -oints out 4ears error in !ivin! away his -ower contrastin! him with why
a snail has a house 61*1*&87 whose role is to -uts head in, not to !ive it away to his
dau!hters and leave his horns without a case 61*1*&?#.'7
4ear innocuously mentions that he will for!et my nature> so $ind a fatherH 61*1*.17
thou!h there is a sense in which this nature has been lost since his dau!hters
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page 1.
abandonment of him
4ear com-lains of the monstrous in!ratitude 61*1*.87 shown him thou!h is is a
sudden outburst from his 2o$in! that the reason why the seven stars are no more than
seven 61*1*..#"7 is Because they are not ei!ht 61*1*.17
9ent bein! -lain#s-ea$in!
deliver a -lain messa!e bluntly 61*"*..7 described as one of his @ualities as it
e-itomises 9ent and it is noticeably needed by 4ear who is very susce-tible to
flattery
4ears oversi!ht
4ear reduces 9ents loyalty to financial motivations in sayin! theres earnest of thy
service 61*"*1#&7 showin! the same business#li$e and emotionless view that was
associated with ;ordelias earlier banishment
The 3ool states that ones nose stands ithe middle ons face 61*1*1?#&'7 so that
what a man cannot smell out he may s-y into 61*1*&.7 creatin! a certain dramatic
irony in 4ears failure to see which of his dau!hters truly cares lin$ to role of si!ht
with Gloucesters !ou!in!
The 3ools criticism of 4ear
The 3ool is somewhat sur-risin!ly for a $nave 61*"*?17 the most vocal in his
criticism of 4ear
)e criticises 9ent sayin! if thou follow him, thou must needs wear my coAcomb
61*"*1'&#.7
)e subtly condemns 4ear from $ee-in! those who flatter rather than those who are
honest Truths a do! that must to $ennel% he must be whi--ed out when the 4ady
Brach may stand by the fire and stin$ 61*"*1'?#117
The 3ool com-lains that wise men are !rown fo--ish 61*"*11?7 and their manners
so a-ish 61*"*1:17 and as a result 3ools had neer less !race 61*"*117 su!!estin!
that 4ear is unwillin! to hear the truth and -erha-s criticisin! his -reoccu-ation with
ran$ which encoura!es his ne!lect of the 3ools advice
I had rather be any $ind othin! than a fool, and yet I would not be thee 61*"*18:#87
alludes to -eo-les desire to command their inferiors and also reduces 4ear to a
level below that of a fool havin! lost his crown
The 3ools -ro-hesisin!
)is warnin! that 4ear has banished two ons dau!hters and did the third a blessin!
a!ainst his will 61*"*1'1#&7 -redicts Goneril and =e!ans abandonment of him and
;ordelias reunification later
Eothin!
(udience is reminded of ;ordelia in 1*1 as 4ear states that nothin! can be made out
of nothin! 61*"*1.'7* )ere it illustrates 4ears re-eated disre!ardin! of seemin!ly
!ood advice
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page 1"
Thou hast -ared thy wit oboth sides and left nothin! Ithe middle 61*"*188#?7 he
claims that in havin! both relin@uished his -ower and trusted Goneril and =e!an, he
has left nothin! of himself* Cerha-s the em-ty middle re-resents ;ordelias absence
I am better than thou are now* I am a fool, thou art nothin! 61*"*1"#17 raises the
@uestion of identity as 4ear has always identified himself by his royalty which once
lost leaves him as nothin!* The 3ool may be limited to his role bit he is at least
Ksomethin!
<ords vs* deeds
The 3ool eA-lains to 4ear the em-tiness of Goneril and =e!ans flattery as they for
sudden 2oy did wee- and I for sorrow sun! 61*"*1::#87 forebodin!
The 3ool encoura!es 4ear to $ee- a schoolmaster that can teach thy fool to lie% I
would fain learn to lie 61*"*18'7 se-aratin! himself 6alon! with 9ent and ;ordelia7
from the em-ty flattery of his other two dau!hters
Theyll have me whi--ed for s-ea$in! true, thoult have me whi--ed for lyin!
61*"*18"7 a!ain stri$es u- a contrast between the deceitful and the honest
your face bids me 6hold my ton!ue7, thou!h you say nothin! 61*"*1:7 subtly
su!!ests that her words bear little relation to her actions
Gonerils com-laints to 4ear
your all#licensed fool 61*"*1?17% your insolent retinue 61*"*1?&7 Goneril
com-lains about the freedom that the 3ool and his $ni!hts have
Goneril informs 4ear that the solution to her -roblem Di!ht in their wor$in! do you
that offence which else were shame, than then necessity will call discreet -roceedin!
61*"*&'&#"7 su!!estin! that she is willin! to do what is necessary to maintain her
-ower
o Hunter: she shows a calculated %enom
o -he audience.s res)onse to her de)ends on the riotousness of the knights:
/unn: noisy and interfering with ser%ants
001: more restrained2orderly3 seated round tables
5he com-lains to 4ear that his soldiers E-icurism and lust ma$es it 6her house7
more li$e a tavern or a brothel than a !raced -lace 61*"*&.1#87 Goneril has @uic$ly
become invested in the res-ect for her soverei!nty
Gonerils abandonment of 4ear
The 3ool invo$es the !reed associated with cuc$oos to meta-horically de-ict their
abandonment of 4ear The hed!e#s-arrow fed the cuc$oo so lon! that its had it
head bit off by it youn! 61*"*1':#87 des-ite the sim-licity of his vocabulary 6it
re-eated7 the 3ool a--ears to s-ea$ !reat truth
(re you our dau!hter0 61*"*&'?7 similar @uestionin! of the ties of natural
affection as in 1*1
4ear wishes that Gonerils abandonment of him will be matched in her dau!hters
Turn all her mothers -ains and benefits to lau!hter and contem-t 61*"*&8#?7
4ear summarises his abandonment by com-lainin! of )ow shar-er that a ser-ents
tooth it is to have a than$less child 61*"*&'#17
Goneril clearly mani-ulates 4ear as she says she $nows his heart 61*"*.&"7 and
4ear seems li$e a wea$ and -owerless victim of her schemin!
4ears madness
Goneril directly confronts him about how full of chan!es his a!e is 61*1*&?'7
These dis-ositions, which of late trans-ort you from what you ri!htly are 61*"*&1.#
"7
G 4ear, 4ear, 4earH +striking his head, 61*"*&:&#.7 is becomin! more mad and
isolated as his dau!hters seem to abandon him one by one
(lbany as$s the Gods where 4ears sudden outburst of ra!e could have come from
alludin! to his !rowin! madness Eow !ods that we adore, whereof comes this0
61*"*&&7
Goneril -atronises him and his madness sayin! that one cannot understand it and it is
best to leave him to his futile an!er Eever afflict yourself to $now more of it, but
let his dis-osition have that sco-e as dota!e !ives is 61*"*&.#17
4ear com-lains of the monstrous in!ratitude 61*1*.87 shown him thou!h is a sudden
outburst from his 2o$in! that the reason why the seven stars are no more than seven
61*1*..#"7 is Because they are not ei!ht 61*1*.17
The 3ool -oints out 4ears !rowin! senility statin! that Id have thee beaten for
bein! old before thy time 61*1*.#?7
4ear for the first time confronts his own madness -leadin! G let me not be mad, not
mad, sweet heavenH I would not be mad* 9ee- me in my tem-er, I would not be
mad* 61*1*".#17
Identity
I am better than thou are now* I am a fool, thou art nothin! 61*"*1"#17 raises the
@uestion of identity as 4ear has always identified himself by his royalty which once
lost leaves him as nothin!* The 3ool may be limited to his role bit he is at least
Ksomethin!
4ear seems isolated, even from himself as he as$s /oes any here $now me0
61*"*&187
)e re-eatedly refers to himself in the third -erson 61*"*&18#&&17 su!!estin! that even
he is unsure of who he is anymore <hy, this is not 4ear* /oes 4ear wal$ thus,
s-ea$ thus0 61*"*&18#7 seems to literally be as$in! himself the @uestion of who he
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page 1:
is* <ritten in blan$ verse
<ho is it that can tell me who I am0 61*"*&&17 havin! relin@uished his -ower, he
has lost his identity and is left with only flatterers who are unable to aid him in his
eAistential reflections
4ear innocuously mentions that he will for!et my nature> so $ind a fatherH 61*1*.17
thou!h there is a sense in which this nature has been lost since his dau!hters
abandonment of him
Inversion of -ower
the fault would not sca-e censure, nor the redresses slee- 61*"*1??#&''7 she
s-ea$s forcefully to 4ear and clearly asserts her dominance in their relationshi-
Day not an ass $now than the cart draws the horse0 61*"*&11#:7 the 3ool notes the
inversion of -ower in 4ear and Gonerils relationshi-
By her that else will ta$e the thin! she be!s 61*"*&.?7 Goneril shows that 4ears
-ower is merely ceremonious as she now is in command
I am ashamed that thou hast -ower to sha$e my manhood thus that these hot tears
+M, brea$ from me 61*"*&?#?'7 he is left in uncontrollable tears and is -owerless
in com-arison to Goneril
4ear childishly moc$ Goneril in as$in! Bour name, fair !entlewoman0 61*"*&&87
illustratin! once a!ain his en2oyment of ceremony
I am ashamed that thou hast -ower to sha$e my manhood thus that these hot tears
+M, brea$ from me 61*"*&?#?'7 he is left in uncontrollable tears and is -owerless
in com-arison to Goneril
Bro$en bond between 4ear and his dau!hters
/e!enerate bastard 61*"*&"17 insults Goneril and su!!ests that she is unworthy of
her title 2ust as he did to ;ordelia in 1*1
thou marble#hearted fiend, more hideous when thou showst thee in a child than the
sea#monster 61*"*&11#.7 su!!ests she is heartless towards her father and uses the
meta-hor of her heart to tie in the natural affection mentioned in 1*1
;om-lains of how ;ordelias small fault +M, li$e an en!ine wrenched my frame of
nature from the fiAed -lace 61*"*&1#:17 alludin! to the severin! of the Kties of
nature with his dau!hters
4ear wishes that Eature may dry u- in her the or!ans of increase 61*"*&817 so that
she will have no babe to honour her 61*"*&8.7 wishin! that any child would eAist
only to be a thwart disnatured torment to her 61*"*&817
4ear wishes that Gonerils abandonment of him will be matched in her dau!hters
Turn all her mothers -ains and benefits to lau!hter and contem-t 61*"*&8#?7
Thuntended woundin! of a fathers curse 61*"*&?&7 he invo$es what should be a
close bond between father and dau!hter to condemn Goneril
The -oints out Gonerils betrayal, li$enin! her to a foA when one has cau!ht her
61*"*.1'7 sayin! that when such a cunnin! animal is cau!ht, it should be $illed such
a dau!hter should sure to the slau!hter 61*"*.11#&7
Gods
4ear invo$es Eature +M, dear !oddess 61*&:87 to hel- him as he finds himself
isolated from all else
(lbany as$s the Gods where 4ears sudden outburst of ra!e could have come from
alludin! to his !rowin! madness Eow !ods that we adore, whereof comes this0
61*"*&&7
Gonerils -ower
5he is clearly the one with the -ower in this scene as she cuts of (lbany midsentence
Cray you content 61*"*.'17
Goneril reveals that she fears the -ower 1'' $ni!hts would !ive 4ear and this is why
she forces him to lose half of them on that every dream, each buLL, each fancy
61*"*.18#7% hold our lives in mercy 61*"*.&'7
5he insults (lbany as havin! a mil$y !entleness 6.*"*..87 and harmful mildness
61*"*."'7 invertin! the stereoty-es of men and women* Ironically she criticises him
for havin! the sort of concern for 4ear that one mi!ht eA-ect of his dau!hter
3orebodin!
(lbany -redicts of Gonerils interference that 5trivin! to better, oft we mar whats
well 61*"*."&7
The closin! line of thevent 61*"*.""7 ma$es a ne!ative outcome seem almost
inevitable
Act 2, Scene 1
Words vs. deeds
;uran refers to the -otential war between (lbany and ;ornwall as ear#bussin!
ar!uments 6&*1*?7 therein discreditin! them Foakes notes that bu44 is also used
to re)resent rumours in 1.'.15
Division
;uran introduces the -otential civil war 6wars toward twiAt the two du$es of
;ornwall and (lbany 6&*1*11#&7 su!!estin! that 4ears attem-t to reward his two
Kobedient dau!hters has s-lit his $in!dom
Edmund uses the su--osed division of the $in!dom to his advanta!e @uestionin!
whether Ed!ar has s-o$en !ainst the /u$e of ;ornwall 6&*1*&"7 or K!ainst the
/u$e of (lbany 6&*1*&87
Edmund as Dachiavellian
The better best 6&*1*117 Edmund seems to be controllin! -roceedin!s and luc$
is in his favour* (t this -oint in the -lay, Edmund, whilst seemin!ly evil, is a
com-ellin! character
weaves itself -erforce into my business 6&*1*1:7 the word weaves su!!ests a
sense of intricacy thou!h it also has rather ominous connotations
5ha$es-eare allows Edmund to inform the audience of develo-ments illustration his
control and his fears of a @ueasy @uestion 6&*1*17 uses alliteration !ives him a
sense of control over even the uncertain as-ects of his -lots
Edmund cites briefness and fortune 6&*1*1?7 as all that he needs therein a--ealin! to
fortune in an entirely different way to those he criticised in 1*&
G sir, fly this -laceH 6&*1*&17% no, ithe ni!ht, ithe haste 6&*1*&17 Edmund is
able to in an instant chan!e his tone from calculation and schemin! to a--arent
hastiness and des-eration
Dore dramatic irony is -resent as he be!s his brother to -ardon me 6&*1*&?7 for
drawin! his sword which in reality is the least of his evils
(s Edmund says In cunnin! I must draw 6&*1*.'7 the audience becomes aware of
the levels of dece-tion which he has created ma$in! him a--ear all the more
im-ressive
Bield, come before my fatherH 6&*1*.&7 there is a certain meta#theatre here as he
dramatically -uts on an act for both his brother and father, neither them aware
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page 1?
Edmund eA-lanation of his actions 65ome blood drawn on me would be!et o-inion
6&*1*."7 ma$es him a--ear all the more schemin!
Edmunds descri-tion of his brother as in the dar$ 6&*1*.7 subtly cast him in a
dar$er li!ht thou!h also shows him to be unaware of Edmunds schemin!
Dumblin! of wic$ed charms, con2urin! the moon 6&*1*.?7 Edmund eA-loits his
fathers !ullibility by citin! the very forces he earlier renounces in 1*&
Edmund unashamedly introduces dramatic irony as he tells Gloucester how loathly
o--osite I stood 6&*1*"?7 to his own -lan
my best alarumed s-irits, bold in the @uarrels ri!ht 6&*1*1.#"7 more dramatic
irony in his su!!estion that his ri!hteousness !ave him the confidence to fi!ht his
brother as in fact he is in the wron! and needs no further confidence
Edmund delivers an im-ressive meta#theatrical -erformance sayin! that Ed!ar
labelled him an un-osessin! bastard 6&*1*:87, moc$in!ly as$ed, would the re-osal
of any trust, virtue or worth in thee ma$e thy words faithed0 6&*1*:#8'7 and stated
that he would turn it all to thy su!!estion, -lot and damned -ractice 6&*1*8.7
Edmund both illustrates Gloucesters oversi!ht and shows his own cunnin! as he
cleverly -rotects himself a!ainst alle!ations that he is lyin!
Edmund, as Ed!ar, says that he must ma$e a dullard of the world 6&*1*8"7 subtly
introducin! the rest of the world as the Dachiavellian wea$ who Edmund eA-loits
Edmund seems to revel in his ability to mani-ulate as he !oes so far as to cite the
-rofits of my +Ed!ars, death 6&*1*817
Eatures of such dee- trust we shall much need% you we first seiLe onJJ )d"und: I
shall serve you, sir, truly, however else 6&*1*11:#7
There is much irony in Edmund bein! described as a man of trust as this closely
follows his lies about Ed!ar
Foakes suggests that this reminds the audience of France.s decision to sei4e
u)on 1ordelia in 1.1.&6' and also argues that this alludes to #dmund and
7egan.s adulterous relationshi) later in the )lay
The familial bond
Edmund condemns the -arricides 6&*1*":7 which he himself commits and his
invocation of the reven!in! !ods 6&*1*"17 who did all their thunders bend
6&*1*":7 illustrates his eA-loitation of others faith in the su-ernaturalJdivine forces
how manifold and stron! a bond the child was bound to the father 6&*1*"8#7
Edmund cites the stren!th of a -arental bond eA-loitin! the irony of his bein! a
bastard* )e calls into @uestion Gloucesters differentiation between the trueborn and
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page &'
the bastard
Edmund labels Ed!ars su--osed actions his unnatural -ur-ose 6&*1*1'7 su!!estin!
a deviation from the natural -arental bond but in reality illustratin! the corru-tion of
his own behaviour
Gloucester, li$e 4ear, renounces his -aternal bond with Ed!ar sayin! that I never !ot
him 6&*1*87 there is a certain irony that Edmund is a bastard here a hi bond seems
to stren!then but also a sense of forebodin! !iven what has ha--ened to 4ear
Edmund and Ed!ars roles have been reversed in Gloucesters eyes with Edmund
now bein! a su--osedly loyal and natural boy 6&*1*"7 whilst before he was a
$nave 61*1*&'7 and Ed!ar is now stran!e 6&*1*887
Gloucester chooses to ma$e the ca-able 6&*1*17 but merely adds to the oversi!ht of
his harsh treatment of Edmund as it is his schemin! which !rants him inheritance
my old heart is crac$ed, its crac$ed 6&*1*?'7 almost -re#em-tive of his death
u-on bein! reunited
;ornwall describes Edmund as havin! shown a child#li$e office 6&*1*1':7 and
virtue and obedience 6&*1*11"7 a!ain @uestionin! what the Knatural bonds between
father and son are* There is -articular irony in the last of these ad2ectives*
Gloucesters blindness
Heilman notes that there is irony in #dmund calling for light (&.1.&" and
torches (&.1." as it seems to throw light on a dark )lot by #dgar and 8loucester
still fails to see what is ha))ening
(nd found dis-atch 6&*1*17 Gloucester sentences his own child to death
without any form of trial* Even 2ustice is seemin!ly controlled by Edmund due to
Gloucesters failure to see
brin!in! the murderous coward to the sta$e 6&*1*:&7 Gloucesters blindness is
made abundantly clear as he calls for the death of Ed!ar when in fact his an!er should
be towards Edmund
Gloucester un@uestionin!ly believes Edmunds accusations and rues Ed!ar> G
stran!e and fastened villain 6&*1*887
Fustice
(nd found dis-atch 6&*1*17 Gloucester sentences his own child to death
without any form of trial* Even 2ustice is seemin!ly controlled by Edmund due to
Gloucesters failure to see
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page &1
=e!an states that all ven!eance comes too short 6&*1*7 interestin!ly choosin! a
rather vitriolic word to re-resent reven!e* (!ain, 2ustice is shown not to fit the ideal
of it bein! an immutable force of nature* Cerha-s there is a lin$ with her accusation
that Goneril comes too short 61*1*8&7 both showin! her schemin!
=e!an
=e!an states that all ven!eance comes too short 6&*1*7 interestin!ly choosin! a
rather vitriolic word to re-resent reven!e* (!ain, 2ustice is shown not to fit the ideal
of it bein! an immutable force of nature
5he is also shown to be in collusion with Goneril as she asserts that Ed!ar is
com-anion with the riotous $ni!hts that tended u-on my father 6&*1*?"#17 Foakes
notes that riotous is also used by 8oneril to describe the knights in 1.'.&6
5he uses Edmunds schemin! to her advanta!e as she says that Ed!ar is ill affected
6&*1*?7 by 4ears $ni!hts who -ut him on the old mans death, to have theA-ense
and waste of his revenues 6&*1*??#1''7
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page &&
Act 2, Scene 2
9ents a!!ression
9ent is immediately brash and rude towards Gswald (y 6&*&*.7% Ithe mire
6&*&*17% I love thee not 6&*&*87
9ent uses dialect his a!!ression as he attem-ts to ado-t his new -ersona If I had
thee in 4i-sbury -infold, I would ma$e thee care for me 6&*&*?#1'7
9ents verbal attac$ of Gswald 6&*&*1"#.7 in which he lists insults includin!
rascal% lily#livered% !lass#!laLin! 6both alliterative descri-tions of cowardice7
and whoreson as well as $nave bein! re-eated twice effectively illustrates 9ents
intense an!er, albeit rather un-rovo$ed
Gswald does little to offend 9ent and it seems therefore that his attac$ is a !eneral
assault on the $ind of self#interested servant that he re-resents 6three#suited#
hundred#-ound 6&*&*117 Foakes: allusion to 9ames :.s selling of knighthoods for
;1<<7 star$ly contrastin! 9ent who remains loyal des-ite havin! lowered his -osition
in order to maintain his loyalty
9ents seems -olitically outdated 6ancient ruffian 6&*&*:'7as he immediately resorts
to violence 6/raw you whoreson 6&*&*.&7 and therefore
9ent seems to be lar!ely actin! as himself and merely ta$in! out his an!er out on
those who he can that such a slave should ever wear a sword 6&*&*8'7
1oleridge:
o =ent is, )erha)s, the nearest to )erfect goodness in all >hakes)eare.s
characters, and yet the most indi%idualised
o -he >teward (?swald" should be )laced in e@act antithesis to =ent, as the
only character of utter irredeemable baseness in >hakes)eare
8uy >tory 0rown A directly disagrees with 1oleridge saying that =ent cannot be
re)resentati%e of any $)erfect. goodness as his goodness de)ends )rimarily on
the goodness of his master
Foakes: =ent may be com)ared to ?swald as whilst not es)ecially liked by the
audience, he, unlike #dmund, maintains a blind loyalty to 8oneril for e@am)le
by refusing to show 7egan her letter at '.6.1BC&<
Gswald
<hen as$ed <hat is your difference0 6&*&*1'7, Gswalds res-onse of I am scarce
in breath, my lord 6&*&*117 subtly symbolises the lac$ of substance to his words
9ent states that nature disclaims thee 6&*&*1.7 once a!ain invo$in! nature, here
su!!estin! that Gswalds character is a -erversion of a mans nature
9ent labels Gswald a wa!tail 6&*&*:17 alludin! to his syco-hancy
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page &.
9ents an!er arises from the fact that such a slave as this should wear a sword, who
wears no honesty 6&*&*8'7 and therein shows honour to be his focus and he
condemns the self#servin! class that Gswald re-resents
smilin! ro!ues as these li$e rats 6&*&*81#&7 labels Gswalds loyalty as su-erficial
and criticises him as cunnin! and almost -arasitic
9ent verbally attac$s the flattery that Gswald embodies>
o in the natures of their lords rebel 6&*&*8"7% $nowin! nau!ht, li$e do!s, but
followin! 6&*&*87 those such as Gswald have lost their nature, a central
theme in the -lay, and ado-ted that of their masters
o Brin! oil to fire 6&*&*817 act on and inflame their masters wrath
o turn their halcyon bea$s with every !ale and vary of their masters 6&*&*8:#
87 bow to the will of their masters* 5tron!ly contrasts 9ent in 1*1
Gswald is tellin!ly commended by ;ornwall for bein! a silly#suc$in! observants
that stretch their duties nicely 6&*&*1'1#&7
There is irony in Gswalds hy-ocrisy as he accuses 9ent of flatterin! his +4ears,
dis-leasure 6&*&*11:7
Eone of these ro!ues and cowards but (2aA is their fool 6&*&*1&&#.7 9ent eA-oses
his servants as flatterers and li$ens ;ornwall to (2aA, the brutish but foolish warrior
4ear accuses him of bein! a slave whose easy borrowed -ride dwells in the fic$le
!race of he follows 6&*&*.8"#17 thou!h there is some hy-ocrisy in 4ear accusin!
Gswald of the flattery he -raised in 1*1, it reinforces Gswalds characterisation as the
self#servin! servant 6stoc$ character7
(!ain Gswald re-resents the lowest ty-e of eAistence to 4ear as he says he would
rather to be a slave and sum-ter to this detested !room 6&*&*"'1#:7 re!ardless of
the fact that Gswald has done little wron!, what he re-resents is what is criticised by
9ent and later 4ear
Hunter: argues that the e)ile)tic %isage (&.&.!B" which =ent describes could be
?swald trembling in fear whilst trying to smile DEF at my s)eeches (&.&.5<"
Foakes: ?swald.s laughter, the cackling of a goose, the emblem of stu)idity,
)ro%okes =ent
Eature
;ornwall says that 9ent constrains the !arb @uite from his nature 6&*&*?1#:7
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page &"
su!!estin! that his bluntness is somehow deceivin!* In accusin! bluntness of havin!
-erverted nature, society to shown to be founded on flattery and deceit
<e are not ourselves when nature, bein! o--ressed, commands the mind to suffer
with the body 6&*&*&?:#7 4ear eA-lains ;ornwall and =e!ans shunnin! of him on
the fact that illness somehow -erverts nature su!!estin! that their nature should be
care for their father*
Eature in you stands on the very ver!e of her confine 6&*&*..:#87 =e!an su!!ests
that 4ears nature, here meanin! life, is stretched and 4ears nature is thus
constrained
9ent as -lain#s-ea$in!
9ents an!er also seems to arise from those around him bein! flatterers whom I
will beat into clamourous whinin! if thou deniest the least syllable of thy addition
6&*&*&&#.7
<ith 9ents honesty comes an ability to Ksee which so lac$in! in others 64ear and
Gloucester es-ecially7 as is shown by his immediate hostility towards Edmund
!oodman boy, if you -lease* ;ome Ill flesh ye 6&*&*""#17 !oodman is used as an
insult by ;a-ulet to Tybalt in Ro"eo and *uliet
9ents s-eech is written in sim-le -rose su!!estin! that whilst inele!ant, he s-ea$s
-lainly and truthfully
)is countenance li$es me not 6&*&*7 could be inter-reted as evidence of 9ents
unsolicited an!er or could be seen as 9ents ability to see throu!h the obse@uiousness
9ent insults ;ornwall and =e!an sayin! I have seen better faces in my time
6&*&*?17 therein showin! himself to be almost the o--osite of Gswald who flatters
un@uestionin!ly
;ornwall accuses 9ent of tryin! to affect a saucy rou!hness 6&*&*?"#17 su!!estin!
counter#intuitively that -lain s-eech is an affectation
There is a certain irony in ;ornwall moc$in! 9ent for the fact that )e cannot flatter,
he% an honest mind and -lain, he must s-ea$ truth 6&*&*?:#87 as these are otherwise
desirable characteristics
9ents moc$in! of ;ornwalls eAtrava!ant s-eech em-hasises the differences
between them>
o in !ood faith, or in sincere verity 6&*&*1'.7 9ent re-eats the sentiment for
first time
o Inder thallowance of your !reat as-ect 6&*&*1'"#17 he sarcastically
li$ens ;ornwall to a star which affects human destiny therein ridiculin! the
flattery which ;ornwall endorses
o li$e the wreath of radiant fire on flic$erin! Choebus 3ront 6&*&*1'1#:7
simile and alliteration used to buy into the convention of hy-erbole
o )e eA-lains himself as havin! tried To !o out of my dialect, which you
discommend to much 6&*&*1'87 -rovin! such s-eech to be an affectation
o /unn: =ent makes e@aggerated hand gestures and looks towards the sky.
He lingers on the $f.s of flickering Ghoebus. front
9ent moc$s that )e that be!uiled you in a -lain accent was a -lain $nave 6&*&*1'#
?7 the re-etition of -lain em-hasises his critical tone here as he eA-oses the
oAymoronic 2uAta-osition of truthfulness and dece-tion
9ent describes himself as havin! more man than wit about me 6&*&*&.&7 when
desribin! his @uarrel with Gswald* In contrast with his accusation that nature
disclaims thee +Gswald, 6&*&*1.7, 9ent is shown to be almost too tru to his nature
;ornwalls -ower
;ornwalls o-enin! lines in the scene eAude -ower 9ee- -eace u-on your lives> he
dies that stri$es a!ain 6&*&*"8#7
(s I have life and honour, there shall he sit till noon 6&*&*1.17 the audience is
reminded of 4ears an!er in 1*1 which seems to arise from a similar affront on his
honour
In s-ite of Gloucesters warnin! that, with re!ards to 9ents stoc$in! The 9in!, his
master, needs must ta$e it ill 6&*&*1".7, ;ornwall re-lies Ill answer that 6&*&*1"17
illustratin! the shift in the -ower balance
Ktis the /u$es -leasure, whose dis-osition +M, will not be rubbed nor sto--ed
6&*&*11'#.7 5ha$es-eare characterises ;ornwall as increasin!ly formidable and his
increasin! -ower is 2uAta-osed with 4ears fall from -ower
Gloucesters descri-tion of ;ornwall as fiery 6&*&*117 and unremovable and
fiAed 6&*&*&&7
;ornwall shows now fear of 4ear as he sarcastically says that 9ents disorders
deserved much less advancement 6&*&*.#?7 contrasts with my noble lord
61*1*1?7
4ears se-aration from his dau!htersJinversion of -ower
=e!ans remar$ that 9ent and Gswald are The messen!ers from our sister and the
9in! 6&*&*"?7 sets the two in o--osition, only Goneril bein! identified as family
It is both he and she, your son and dau!hter 6&*&*&'.#"7 9ent identifies those who
have betrayed 4ear by their relation to him rather than by name to em-hasise their
betrayal
9ent describes =e!ans -rioritisation of Goneril over 4ear as he mentions Gswald
whose welcome I -erceived has -oisoned mine 6&*&*&&?7
The 3ool states that for all this thou shalt have as many dolours for thy dau!hters as
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page &:
thou canst tell in a year 6&*&*&""#17 -unnin! on the two meanin!s> money and
sufferin!* )e may have money in s-ite of fortune but he will also have sufferin! due
to his -overty
)ow this mother swells u- toward my heartH +ysterica ,assio 6&*&*&":#87
o =efers to a female disease which literally translates as the suffocation of the
mother
o Foakes: ,ear.s disease thus offers another image of order turned u)sideC
down
o Adelman (feminist reading": this shows us the )lace of the re)ressed
mother as ,ear disco%ers his origin in the suffocating maternal womb
3ollowin! Gonerils betrayal of him, 4ear treats =e!an $indly callin! her Beloved
=e!an 6&*&*.&.7 as she is the only dau!hter that remains havin! disowned the other
two
she hath tied shar-#toothed un$indness, li$e a vulture here 6&*&*.&.#"7 de-icts
Goneril as ruthlessly feedin! of his life#source 6-.: /!ays his hand on his heart017 as
4ear li$ens himself to Crometheus* )ere he is enchained by the cruelty of his
dau!hters
=e!an un-recedentedly s-ea$s in the im-erative commandin! =eturn you to my
sister 6&*&*."87 showin! the diminishin! res-ect he commands
4ears com-lainin! of Goneril as havin! struc$ me +M, most ser-ent#li$e, u-on the
very heart 6&*&*."?#1'7 remindin! the audience of 4ear describin! his -ain at
Gonerils betrayal as shar-er than a ser-ents tooth 61*"*&'7
!rud!e% cut off% scant% o--ose 6&*&*.:.#17 semantic field of restriction as
Goneril and =e!an !radually de-rive 4ear of control
G =e!an, will you ta$e her by the hand0 6&*&*..7 a symbolically crushin! blow
for 4ear as his dau!hters show themselves to be in collusion a!ainst their father and
the sta!ecraft here se-arates them -hysically
o 8ran%illeC0arker: ,ear is brought to a stand and to face the realities
arrayed against him
I -ray you, father, bein! wea$, seem so 6&*&*.?'7 =e!an encoura!es 4ear to
acce-t his loss of -ower showin! clearly the inversion of -ower as she i!nores 4ears
a!!ressive @uestionin! of ;ornwall> Bou0 /id you0 6&*&*.?7
=e!an says that 4ears $ni!hts would be under two commands 6&*&*".'7 alludin! to
their seiLin! of his -ower
Goneril encoura!es 4ear to receive attendance from those that she call servants or
from mine 6&*&*".&#.7 as 4ears -ower is !radually ta$en by his dau!hters
<e could control them 6&*&*".17 =e!an -romotes the use of her own servants so
as to be able to have control over them leavin! 4ear with no -ower
brin! but five and twenty> to no more will I !ive -lace or notice 6&*&*".8#7
havin! already decreased from 1'' to 1', =e!an -ermits him 2ust &1 $ni!hts as they
!radually ta$e away his -ower
4ear seems des-erate and wea$ as he says I !ave you all# 6&*&*".?7 only to be
interru-ted by =e!an who re-lies that in !ood time you !ave it 6&*&*".?7 showin!
the in!ratitude and abandonment that the division of 4ears $in!dom has brou!ht him
Those creatures yet do loo$ well favoured when others are more wic$ed 6&*&*""1#
:7 4ear is left to -ic$ between two undesirable offers as he is abandoned by his
dau!hters
4ear is left reliant on two uncarin! dau!hters illustrated by him sayin! not bein! the
worst stands in some ran$ of -raise 6&*&*"":#87
)e calls to horse, but will I $now not whither 6&*&*"87 Gloucester subtly
indicates that 4ear has no way havin! been abandoned by his dau!hters and he now
a--ears aimless and isolated
(n!er
9ent eAcuses his manners 6reverence 6&*&*:87 as his an!er hath a -rivile!e
6&*&*:7 su!!estin! that his emotions are undis!uised and he therein contrasts the
obse@uiousness of other characters
Bonds
bite the holy cords atwain which are too intrince tunloose 6&*&*8&#.7 9ent
accuses Gswald, and what he re-resents, of havin! bro$en the sacred and noble bonds
of family
If thou shouldst not be !lad +to see me,, I would divorce me from thy mothers
tomb, se-ulchrin! and adultress 6&*&*.1?#&17 much li$e his namin! Goneril a
de!enerate bastard 61*"*&"17 therein detachin! himself from res-onsibility for their
deviousness
4ear cites the offices of nature, bond of childhood, effects of courtesy, dues of
!ratitude 6&*&*.:8#7 listin! the reasons that =e!an should have to care for him*
There is some irony that ;ordelia was banished for actin! accordin! to my bond
61*1*?.7
4ear describes Goneril as my flesh, my blood, my dau!hter, or rather a disease thats
in my flesh which I must needs call mine 6&*&*"1'7 4ear himself is bound by the
familial bonds that his dau!hters re2ect but this seems to arise from mere necessity*
)e also inverts lo!ic sayin! that his corru-tion is the source of his when it would be
eA-ected to be the other way round
o Adelman (feminist reading" : if they are his, then he is intolerably
im)licates in their femaleness
corru-ted blood 6&*&*"1"7 e-itomises Goneril and =e!ans renouncement of their
familial ties
Duch li$e 1*1, 4ear e@uates love with value sayin! that Thy fifty yet doth double
five and twenty and thou art twice her love 6&*&*""?#1'7 he a--lies mathematical
terms to an evaluation of love removin! any emotion from it
(!ein!Jsenility
Foakes: 1ornwall calling =ent old fellow (&.&.5" has great bearing on the
audience.s )erce)tion of ,ear.s great age
;ornwall labels 9ent a stubborn, ancient $nave 6&*&*1&"7 and 9ent says I am too
old to learn 6&*&*1&17 both brin!in! in the ideas of a!ein! and su!!estin! that 9ent is
outdated in his loyalty to 4ear
4ears loss of -ower is mirrored by a loss of control over his own body as he
commands his heart down, thou climbin! sorrow, thy elements below 6&*&*&":#7
The 3ool tells 9ent that he is labourin! iNthe winter 6&*&*&17 associatin! 4ear, in
his old a!e, with that which is barren and desolate
tell the hot /u$e that 4ear no, but not yet, maybe he is not all well 6&*&*&?.#"7
4ear has a sudden chan!e of heart much -rovin! how full of chan!es his a!e is
61*1*&?'7
In s-ite of vowin! to forbear +M, my more headier will 6&*&*1?#?7 4ear eA-lodes
on re#realisin! that 9ent has been stoc$ed> /eath on my stateH <herefore should he
sit here 6&*&*.'1#&7* This not only indicates his ra-idly chan!in! moods but his
seemin! shoc$ at seein! 9ent -oints to senilityJdementia*
G me, my heartH Dy risin! heartH But downH 6&*&*.1'7 dramatic anti#climaA
followin! 4ears intense an!er* )e ra-idly seems to be losin! control of himself and
his calls to his heart indicate the cause of his sorrows
4ear fre@uently di!resses whilst in the middle of tal$in! evidenced by his sayin! G,
are you free0 5ome other time for that* 6&*&*.&1#&7* There is a !enuine sense of
sur-rise as he says o and he seems to lose focus on what he was sayin!
<hilst sarcastic, 4ears statement of I confess that I am old% a!e is unnecessary
6&*&*.".#"7 carries the truth of his situation* There is irony in the fact that 4ear is
most accurate when bein! sarcastic
4ear eA-resses his an!er at Goneril by biddin! the !ods to stri$e her youn! bones
6&*&*.1&7 eA-ressin! their se-aration in terms of their difference in a!e
Goneril eA-loits 4ears a!e sayin! (lls not offence that indiscretion finds and
dota!e terms so 6&*&*.1#:7 4ears word has lost the -ower it had in 1*1 and even
1*"
4ears an!er turns to des-eration sayin! I -rithee, dau!hter, do not ma$e me mad
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page &?
6&*&*"'87 as he des-erately fi!hts to $ee- his sanity
3laws in societyJself#interest
;ornwall says that 9ent constrains the !arb @uite from his nature 6&*&*?1#:7
su!!estin! that his bluntness is somehow deceivin!* In accusin! bluntness of havin!
-erverted nature, society to shown to be founded on flattery and deceit
There is somethin! rather disturbin! in ;ornwalls su!!estion that -lainness harbour
more craft and more corru-ter ends than twenty silly#duc$in! observants 6&*&*??#
1''7
;ornwall accuses 9ent of tryin! to affect a saucy rou!hness 6&*&*?"#17 su!!estin!
counter#intuitively that -lain s-eech is an affectation
;ordelia -romises to !ive losses their remedies 6&*&*1:8#7 and she therein
becomes the standard for 2ustice which seems to be absent from society
Ed!ar describes the cruelty of society as he is left as a man who -enury in contem-t
of man brou!ht near to beast 6&*&*18?#'7 -ortrayin! society as a sort of -rimal state
of nature in which men ruthlessly fi!ht for su-eriority
The 3ools son! 6&*&*&.#".7 describes the self#interest of society
o K3athers that wear ra!s do ma$e their children blind, but fathers that bear
ba!s shall see their children $ind 6&*&*&.#&"17 the 3ool describes the
!reed of his dau!hters and the fact that 4ear has now !iven over all his
ba!s seems to eA-lain their abandonment of him
The 3ool invo$es biblical counsel sayin! <ell set thee to school to an ant, to teach
thee theres no labourin! ithe winter 6&*&*&18#7 su!!estin! that 9ents loyalty is
mis!uided as no -rofit can come from it* (s such, the society is not one which
rewards loyalty
The 3ool -romotes a self#interested a--roach sayin! 4et !o thy hold when a !reat
wheel runs down a hill lest it brea$ they nec$ 6&*&*&:1#&7 and su!!ests that the
!reat one that !oes u-ward, let him draw thee after 6&*&*&:&#.7* =ather that this
bein! seen as the 3ools own self#interest, it is more re-resentative of a ruthless
society and the audience is reminded of Edmunds schemin! to to- the le!itimate
61*&*&17
4ear decides not to bid the thunder#bearer shoot 6&*&*"1:7 or tell tales of thee to
hi!h#2ud!in! Fove 6&*&*"187 and rests assured that Goneril will Dend when thou
canst 6&*&*"17 therein relyin! on society o brin! about 2ustice which it notably fails
to do
4ears fall from -owerJ!race
Gswald, 9ent and later Gloucester all refer to 4ear as the 9in! thou!h this is now
only ceremonial and the !race and -erson of my master 6&*&*1&?7 which 9ent
a--eals to now commands no res-ect
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page .'
;ornwall and =e!an !ive 9ent a -unishment befit of the basest and contemnedest
wretches 6&*&*1"'7 and 9ents de!radin! -unishment mirrors the diminution of
4ears -ower
In s-ite of Gloucesters warnin! that, with re!ards to 9ents stoc$in! The 9in!, his
master, needs must ta$e it ill 6&*&*1".7, ;ornwall re-lies Ill answer that 6&*&*1"17
illustratin! the shift in the -ower balance
Dy sister may receive it much more worse 6&*&*1":7 =e!an -rioritises Gonerils
an!er over 4ears
9ent invo$es the -roverb of out of heavens benediction comst to the warm sun
6&*&*11?#1:'7 to re-resent 4ears worsenin! situation
3rom this enormous state 6&*&*1:87 written by ;ordelia to illustrate the severe
conse@uences of 4ears foolishness and Edmunds schemin!* )er detached
-ers-ective em-hasises the flaws within 4ears society as she -rovides a more
ob2ective comment from 3rance
4ear is outra!ed that ;ornwall and =e!an would do u-on res-ect such violent
outra!e 6&*&*&1"7 not realisin! that he, bein! no lon!er a $in!, now commands no
res-ect
4ears diminishin! train of $ni!hts seems to embody his fall from -ower, noted by
9ent who as$s )ow chance the 9in! comes with so small a number0 6&*&*&1&#.7
(s Gloucester says I have informed them so 6&*&*&87 which is re-eated by 4ear as
&*&*& is a--ears that 4ear has only the -ower of rhetoric as his words now
command little res-ect
commands tends service 6&*&*&?17 shows a hesitancy that is lac$in! in 1*1*
tends has connotations of be!!in! and 4ear is clearly now not in -ower
The 3ools 2o$e indicates 4ears -owerlessness and the folly of his des-erate attem-ts
to maintain his -ower>
o as the coc$ney did to the eels when she -ut Kem iNthe -aste alive 6&*&*.11#&7
it is too late to do anythin! yet 4ear still -leads with his heart
o in -ure $indness to his horse buttered his hay 6&*&*.1"#17 in try to chan!e
thin!s 6do a $indness7 4ear only ma$es thin!s worse 6horses dont eat !reasy
hay7
In =e!an statin! that you should be ruled and led by some discretion that discerns
you state better that you yourself 6&*&*..8#?7 the shift in the -ower balance is clear
as 4ear is -ortrayed as unable to ta$e care of himself
5ay you have wron!ed her 6&*&*."17 shar- contrast with 1*1 in which 4ear states
This shall not be revo$ed 61*1*1'7 and I have sworn, I am firm 61*1*&"87
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page .1
4ears $neelin! before =e!an at &*&*.". is a symbolic illustration of his de-endence
on =e!an
o 0e%ington: inter)rets this as a symbol of the erosion of )ro)er custom in
the )lay
4ear has to as$ three times to !et an answer to )ow came my man iNthe stoc$s0
6&*&*.87 as he no lon!er commands the res-ect he formerly had as $in!
4ear is forced, by his dau!hters abandonment, to feel Eecessitys shar- -inch
6&*&*"''7 a symbol of -overty e-itomisin! his fall from !race
/es-ite Gloucesters warnin! that The 9in! is in hi!h ra!e 6&*&*"17 neither
;ornwall nor =e!an seem affected shar-ly contrastin! the fear he commanded in 1*1
=e!an and Gonerils ruthlessness and lac$ of com-assion
=e!ans intervention of Till ni!ht, my lord, and all ni!ht too 6&*&*1.&7 eAtends
;ornwalls -unishment of 9ent illustratin! both her se-aration from 4ear and her
cruelty
=e!an res-onds to 9ents accusation that she treats him worse than your fathers
do! 6&*&*1..7 by sayin!, 5ir, bein! his $nave, I will 6&*&1."7 su!!estin! that in
truly followin! and carin! for 4ear, 9ent is more deservin! of -unishment that one
who merely follows
min!le reason with your -assion 6&*&*"&.7 =e!an attem-ts to be rational in
res-onse to 4ears emotional outbursts thou!h her a--eal to reason a--ears cold
Bea, or so many 6&*&*"&7 not only does =e!an refuse more than 1' $ni!hts, she
tries to further limit his train* It a--ears that she is seiLin! his -ower bit by bit
<hat need you five and twenty0 Ten0 Gr five 6&*&*"1'7% <hat need one0
6&*&*"1&7 Goneril and =e!an collude here to whittle down 4ears train to 2ust one
KTis his own blame% hath -ut himself from the rest and must need taste his folly
6&*&*"8?#'7 the inversion of -ower is clear as she attem-ts to teach 4ear a cruel
lesson
=e!an eA-ressly abandons 4ear, forcefully statin! that to wilful men the in2uries that
they themselves -rocure must be their schoolmasters 6&*&*"?&#"7 heartlessly
abandonin! her father to suffer alone
There is a clear sense of hy-ocrisy in =e!ans statement that 4ear is a-t to have his
ear abused 6&*&*"?:#87 as this is eAactly what she eA-loited in 1*1* Therefore, in
sayin! wisdom bids fear 6&*&*"?87 she a--ears all the more calculatin! and self#
servin! in her abandonment of him
5hut u- your doors 6&*&*"?"J"?7 both =e!an and ;ornwall symbolically shut
4ear out addin! a -hysical shunnin! to the meta-horical one
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page .&
3lattery
=e!an refers to 9ent as 5ir 6&*&*1."7 whilst stoc$in! him illustratin! the
hollowness of such titles
3rom this enormous state 6&*&*1:87 written by ;ordelia to illustrate the severe
conse@uences of 4ears foolishness and Edmunds schemin!* )er detached
-ers-ective em-hasises the flaws within 4ears society as she -rovides a more
ob2ective comment from 3rance
That sir which serves and see$s for !ains, and follows but form, will -ac$ when it
be!ins to rain and leave thee in a storm 6&*&*&:8#8'7 the 3ools rhymin! cou-lets
describe the self#interest and su-erficiality of most and this seems to re-resent
Gswald and his contrast with 9ent
9ents honour and loyalty
9ent acce-ts his -unishment from ;ornwall usin! it as an o--ortunity to rest havin!
watched and travelled hard 6&*&*11.7 and 2o$es that ( !ood mans fortunes may
!row out at heels 6&*&*1117 illustratin! his !roundin! in honour rather than self#
interest
my obscured course 6&*&*1::7 literally refers to his dis!uise but also illustrates the
sacrifices he has made to remain loyal to 4ear
Ta$e vanta!e, heavy eyes, not to behold this shameful lod!in! 6&*&*1:?#8'7
9ents loyalty is made abundantly clear as he sacrifices his di!nity in service of 4ear
rewards loyalty
rewards loyalty* The winter also re-resents 4ears old a!e*
The 3ool, havin! seemin!ly encoura!ed the abandonment of 4ear, ar!ues that no
wise man !ives thee better counsel 6&*&*&:"7 but says of his own advice that I
would have none but $naves follow it, since a fool !ives it 6&*&*&:1#:7 su!!estin!
that he will be !uided by his emotions rather than by his sense, re!ardless of the
idiocy of that decision
GodsJfortune
9ent calls u-on the Gods to (--roach, thou beacon to this under#!lobe 6&*&*1:17*
Bein! alone on the sta!e and in he stoc$s, he seems des-erate and the Globe theatre
-otentially -rovides a double meanin!
Eothin! almost sees miracles but misery 6&*&*1.#"7 9ent hi!hli!hts the
des-eration of hisJtheir -osition declarin! himself so wretched as to be in need of a
miracle* ;ordelia here is -ortrayed as near !odly as her letter is ho-ed to be such a
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page ..
miracle
3ortune, !ood ni!ht> smile once more% turn thy wheel 6&*&*181#&7 contrasts
Edmunds criticism of a belief in fortune as 9ent here a--eals to a seemin!ly all#
-owerful force as events seem clearly out of his control* <hereas Edmunds shunnin!
of fateJfortune has left him in !ood stead with the success of his -lottin!, 9ent,
throu!h no fault of his own is left sufferin!
The winds and -ersecutions of the s$y 6&*&*1.7 The !ods, or here natures
forces, are described with both a sense of a-athy and of cruelty
5eemin!ly in res-onse to 9ents a--eal to fortune, the 3ool rhymes 3ortune, that
arrant whore, neer turns the $ey to the -oor 6&*&*&".7 a!ain the conce-t of fairness
seems to be lac$in! from a society which -rioritises -ower over honour
<hen the 3ool s-ea$s of the !reat wheel that runs downward 6&*&*&:17 there are
accom-anyin! meta-horical connotations as the audience is reminded of 9ent
biddin! 3ortune to turn they wheel 6&*&*1817* 3urthermore, a wheel rollin! down
hill brin! associations of a lac$ of control which is fittin! in 4ears situation
4ear bids that (ll the stored ven!eances of heaven fall on her in!rateful to-H
6&*&*.11#&7 callin! for a violent sense of 2ustice to be eAacted by the !ods
4ear describes divine retribution in weather#related terms wishin! that nimble
li!htnin!s, dart your blindin! flames into her scornful eyes* 6&*&*.1"#17 and invo$in!
Bou fen#suc$ed fo!s, drawn by the -owerful sun 6&*&*.1:7 this is somewhat
forebodin! of his stru!!les in the storms in .*& but his -ersonification of the weather
also invo$es a -ower which is out of his control to be used to restore what he views to
be 2ustice
4ear des-erately calls u-on the !ods to aid him eAclaimin! G heavensH If you do
love old men +M, ma$e it your cause 6&*&*.8#&17 havin! been abandoned by his
dau!hters, 4ear is left to -lead to the !ods as he no lon!er has any -ower of his own*
5end down, and ta$e my -art 6&*&*.17 callin! for hel- from the !ods but he also
a--ears to be !ivin! u-
Gloucester describes natures forces with a sense of cruelty describin! how the hi!h
winds do sorely ruffle 6&*&*"?'#17
Ed!ars sufferin!
)e is forced to ta$e the basest and most -oorest sha-e 6&*&*187 the intensifyin!
double su-erlative illustratin! his fall from !race
Identity
<hilst a symbol of his sufferin!, Ed!ars -resented na$edness 6&*&*1&7 is also a
notable contrast with the dece-tion -resented elsewhere in society as he is reduced to
a na$ed man* It is stri$in! that in dis!uisin! himself, Ed!ar somehow becomes more
o-en
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page ."
Coor Turly!od, -oor Tom, thats somethin! yet> Ed!ar I nothin! am 6&*&*1?1#&7
the audience is reminded of 4ear 6who is it that can tell me who I am 61*"*&&17 as
his dis!uise -rovides him with the identity which he lac$s as Ed!ar
Eothin!
Thats somethin! yet> Ed!ar I nothin! am 6&*&*1?&7 associates him with 4ear> I
am a fool, thou art nothin! 61*"*1"#17
4ears royalty
4ear stru!!les to believe that 9ent, his re-resentative is so -oorly treated so much
thy -lace mistoo$ 6&*&*&'&7* 4ear is as of yet oblivious to his -owerlessness
&*&*&'1#1& 4ear almost comically refuses to believe that any should disobey him as
he re-eatedly says Kno as 9ent says Kyes> By Fu-iter, I swear no 6&*&*&117
They durst not dot> they could not would not dot 6&*&*&1&#.7 still views himself
as a $in! and therefore doesnt believe that anybody would disres-ect him in such a
way
/eny to s-ea$ with me0 6&*&*&887 4ear seems both an!ry and confused at his
bein! shunned by his dau!hter* )e still fails to realise his abandonment
Ima!es of revolt and flyin! off 6&*&*&8?7 4ear still sees their betrayal as some sort
of rebellion, failin! to realise that they are now the ones in -ower
The 9in! would s-ea$ with ;ornwall 6&*&*&?'7 still refers to himself in the third
-erson and doesnt !ive ;ornwall his honourable title
4ear refuses to $ee- base life afoot 6&*&*"'"7 therein statin! that he will either live
as a $in! or not at all and he therefore fails to reco!nise his loss of -ower
<hat should you need of more0 6&*&*"&87 4ear doesnt retain his $ni!hts for any
-ractical -ur-ose but rather as a way to maintain the ceremonial as-ect of his royalty
4ear made his dau!hters my !uardians, my de-ositaries, but $e-t a reservation to be
followed 6&*&*""1#&7 illustratin! his desire to $ee- the ceremonial as-ects of his
crown thou!h now his dau!hters are ta$in! that away too
3orebodin!
<inters not !one yet, if the wild !eese fly that way 6&*&.:#87 the 3ool
cry-tically asserts that this is a mere symbol of what is to come
The 3ool tells 9ent that he should have been set ithe stoc$s for that @uestion
6&*&*&1"#17 after he as$s why 4ear has so few $ni!hts* It seems as thou!h the 3ools
-ro-hesisin! in 1*" has come true and this seems to -ave the way for further troubles
The 3ool sin!s that a wise man will leave thee in a storm 6&*&*&8'7 which is
forebodin! of the storm they endure in .*&
4ear hy-erbolises that hed sooner ab2ure all roofs and choose to wa!e a!ainst the
enmity oth air 6&*&*.?8#7 when he is soon to find himself in the storm
Ktis a wild ni!ht 6&*&*"?7% come out othe storm 6&*&*"??7 ominously describes
the dan!er 4ear has been sent out into
5i!htJblindness
The 3ool accuses 9ent of bein! blinded in his loyalty sayin! that theres not a nose
amon! twenty but can smell him thats stin$in! 6&*&*&1?#:17 su!!estin! that even
blind men 6&*&*&1?7 are aware of his downfall and hence have abandoned 4ear
=e!an, thou shalt never have my curse* Thy tender#hafted nature shall not !ive thee
oer to harshness 6&*&*.1?7 4ear is blind to =e!ans similar betrayal of 4ear -artly
in his des-eration but also in his re-eated failure to see who is truly loyal to him
The 3ools loyalty
The 3ools loyalty to 4ear is somewhat sur-risin! as he initially -romotes a self#
servin! abandonment of him thou!h in sayin! 4et the wise man fly> the $nave turns
fool that runs away, the fool no $nave -erdy 6&*&*&8&#"7 he su!!ests that a wiser
fool may abandon 4ear but he would then confine himself to bein! a fool whilst this
3ool, in Gods name, is no $nave as he remains loyal* This also brin!s in the idea
of identity as he re2ects his identity bein! confined to that of a !eneral fool
4ears -etulance
3iery0 <hat @uality0 6&*&*&17 4ear a--ears outra!ed that ;ornwall would be
feared in the way the 4ear was in 1*1
/unn: As ,ear says Hhy 8loucester, 8loucester, :.d s)eak with the Iuke of
1ornwall and his wife (&.&.&56C(" he grabs 8loucester by the beard and shakes it
K3iery0 The fiery /u$e, tell the hot /u$e that 4ear 6&*&*&?.7 re-etition of fiery
em-hasises his an!er and the len!th of the line does the same* )e does not have the
same ele!ant control of lan!ua!e that he had in 1*1> cham-ai!ns riched 61*1*:"7
o /unn: becomes increasingly incom)rehensible. 8esticulating wildly
4ear refuses to be defied sayin! hear me, or at their chamber door Ill beat the drum
till it cry slee- to death 6&*&*.':#7 showin! a childish indi!nation
/es-ite his rather des-erate -osition, 4ear remains hostile sayin! I could as well be
brou!ht to $nee his +3rances, throne and s@uire#li$e -ension be! 6&*&*"'&#.7* )e
refuses to re-air any relationshi-s and in doin! so further isolates himself*
4ear refuses to $ee- base life afoot 6&*&*"'"7 therein statin! that he will either live
as a $in! or not at all and he therefore fails to reco!nise his loss of -ower
KTis best to !ive him way% he leads himself 6&*&*"7 4ear is now treated as a
stubborn child as he is left to his own devices to stru!!le with his -roblems alone
4ears s-eech 6&*&*"1.#"817
4ear bids Goneril and =e!an to reason not the needH 6&*&*"1.7 illustratin! that his
desire for a train arises nor from needin! them but from a somewhat irrational
maintenance of the ceremonial as-ects of his -ower
basest be!!ars are in the -oorest thin! su-erfluous 6&*&*"1.#"7 a!ain
ac$nowled!es that he is not in need but is des-erate to remain a ceremonial monarch
(llow not nature more than nature needs, mans life is chea- as beasts 6&*&*"11#:7
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4ear rues his loss of -ower as it de!rades him to a beast who cannot en2oy eAcesses*
4ears nature is now bein! confined to a sim-le old man as there is no ceremonial
eAtrava!ance to mar$ him out as a monarch
nature need not what thou !or!eous wearst, which scarcely $ee-s thee warm
6&*&*"1#?7 4ear craves the eAtrava!ance that his dau!hters eAhibit in their clothin!
as they have both literal and ceremonial -ower
Bou see me here, you !ods, a -oor old man, as full of !rief as a!e, wretched in both
6&*&*":1#&7 4ear a--eals to the !ods in his isolation as he reduces himself to what
he sim-ly is, identifyin! himself as a man rather than a monarch for the first time
If it be you that stirs these dau!hters hearts a!ainst their father, fool me not so much
to bear it tamely% touch me with noble an!er 6&*&*":.#17 loo$s for a divine
eA-lanation for his abandonment and attem-ts to con2ure re!al -ower in his
des-eration
(nd let not womens wea-ons, water#dro-s, stain my mans chee$s 6&*&*"::#87
much li$e sha$e my manhood thus 61*"*&?7 4ear refuses to be emasculated by his
sadness, -erha-s as he a--lies his dau!hters tric$ery to the female !ender as a whole
o =ahn: ,ear continues his )rogress towards acce)tance of the woman in
himself
4ear a--ear des-erate as he va!uely -romises to have such reven!es on you both
6&*&*":7 thou!h admits that what they are you I $now not 6&*&*"8'7 and thus his
threat that they will be The terrors of the earthH 6&*&*"817 a--ears hollow
Bou thin$ Ill wee-, Eo, Ill not wee-* I have full cause of wee-in!, but this heart
shall brea$ into a hundred thousand flaws or eer Ill wee- 6&*&*"81#"817 4ear
des-erately re2ects tears 6thou!h often acted whilst cryin!7 as he dramatically leaves
his dau!hters* (!ain he a--eals to his heart as he is cruelly abandoned by his
dau!hters
G fool, I shall !o mad 6&*&*"817 4ear ends his iconic monolo!ue echoin! his
messa!e at 1*1*"1 of I would not be mad thou!h here he be!s rather than
commands
Act 3, Scene 1
4ears madness
The $ni!ht says of 4ear that he Bids the wind blow the earth into the sea, or swell
the curled waters Kbove the main, that thin!s mi!ht chan!e or cease 6.*1*1#87 not
only does he a--ear mad in that he is shoutin! at forces out of his control, his call for
disorder mirrors his internal chaos
unbonneted he runs, and bids what ta$e all 6.*1*1"7 4ear, contestin! nature and
callin! for the end of the world* The audience con2ure u- a -owerful visual ima!e of
4ear which is to be seen in the followin! scenes
9ent describes 4ears unnatural and bemaddin! sorrow 6.*1*."7 reducin! 4ear to a
sim-le, sufferin! man, driven mad by his abandonment
Isolation
<hos there, beside the foul weather0 6.*1*17 weather -ersonified* 9ent sounds
almost surrounded by the weather as it is all that is with them
<hen as$ed who is with 4ear the 9ni!ht re-lies Eone but the fool 6.*1*1:7
indicatin! his isolation without his ceremonial train to follow him
heart#struc$ in2uries 6.*1*187 4ears sorrow is brou!ht about by his dau!hters
abandonment of him
5torm re-resentative of mental state

The im-etuous blasts with eyeless ra!e 6.*1*7 mirror 4ears hot#tem-eredness
from 1*1 9ent describes it as his hideous rashness 61*1*11&7
The 9ni!ht describes himself as Gne minded li$e the weather, most un@uietly
6.*1*&7 describes the violence and cruelty of the storm but also subtly introduces the
li$enin! of the -hysical storm to mental emotional turmoil noted by Hunter
Oiolence of the storm
The $ni!ht describes 4ear as contendin! with the fretful elements 6.*1*"7
introducin! associations with turbulence but also -erha-s an indication of 4ears
mental state* I- until now, others have had to contend with 4ears -owerful
un-redictability but now he is left to face the -hysical -ower of nature
The white hair 6.*1*87 that 4ear -ulls out the wind catch in their fury and ma$e
nothin! of 6.*1*?7 4ears an!er is cruelly moc$ed as the wind reduces it to nothin!
Cower of the storm
5trives in his little world of man to outscorn the to and fro conflictin! wind and
rain 6.*1*1'#17 4ear is attem-tin! to o--ose far !reater than himseld* /es-ite his
su--osed -ower in the little world of man, he is unable to o--ose the !reater forces
of nature
o =ahn:
-he little world of man DEF is always )art of a larger world of
nature
-he microcosm is inesca)ably a domain in which man contests
nature by asserting his freedom
4ears a!ein!
The $ni!ht describes how 4ear tears his white hair 6.*1*87 indicatin! the chaos of
his mind and su!!estin! that his a!e contributes to this
4ear reduced to normal man
unbonneted he runs 6.*1*1"7 literally means bareheaded but also re-resents the
loss of his crown and the Kna$edness that brin!s
The 9in! hath cause to -lain 6.*1*.17 whereas in 1*1 and to an eAtent in 1*"
4ears an!er seemed un2ustified, in losin! his -ower he reduces himself to the level of
normal men and his com-laints are now more le!itimate
3orebodin!Jominous
There is division, althou!h as yet the face of it is covered with mutual cunnin!,
KtwiAt (lbany and ;ornwall 6.*1*1?#&17 su!!ests that there are more !rave
conse@uences to come and alludes to the tric$ery and deceit which brou!ht it about
-erchance, these are but furnishin! 6.*1*&?7 there is a sense in which these are
mere si!ns of a more si!nificant issue* It seems as thou!h Ka storm is brewin! a!ain
mirrorin! the storm they are eA-eriencin!
5chemin!Jmistrust
mutual cunnin! 6.*1*&17 indicates the schemin! of both sides in (lbany and
;ornwalls division
s-ies and s-eculations intelli!ent of our state 6.*1*&"#17 an illustration of a
society based on mistrust
Either in snuffs and -ac$in!s of the du$es, or the hard rein which both of them hath
borne a!ainst the old $ind 9in! 6.*1*&1#7 va!ueness with which the situation is
described contributes to the atmos-here of mistrust and schemin!
9ents honesty and honour
9ent as$s the $ni!ht if on my credit you dare build 6.*1*.17 indicatin! the stren!th
of his word
<hilst deceivin! 4ear in his dis!uise, 9ent is a!ain -lain#s-ea$in! as he offers the
$ni!ht confirmation that I am much more than my out#wall 6.*1*"'#17 he is
dis!uised by necessity and remains true to who he actually is
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Act 3, Scene 2
Cower of the storm
Blow winds and crac$ you chee$sH =a!e, blowH 6.*&*17 4ear tal$s directly to the
elements and bids them do their worst* )e is defiant in the face of natures !reat
-ower -ersonifyin! it but not be!!in! it to sto-
Bou cararacts and hurricanoes, s-out till you have drenched our stee-les, drowned
the coc$s 6.*&*&#.7 4ear a!ain -ersonifies the weather usin! active, a!!ressive
verbs to describe its -ower* (lso, for the first time he uses our without meanin! the
royal -lural as he identifies himself as merely a man and describes the !ods as bein!
in o--osition
)e describes li!htnin! as thou!ht#eAecutin! fires 6.*&*"7% oa$#cleavin!
thunderbolts 6.*&*17 and all#sha$in! thunder 6.*&*:7 illustratin! its -ower and its
indifference
=umble thy bellyfulH 5-it fire, s-out rainH 6.*&*1"7 4ear welcomes the force of the
storm com-ared to the deceit and tric$ery of his dau!hters* )e is rec$lessly defiant
here as he descends into madness
Thin!s that love ni!ht love not such ni!hts as these 6.*&*"&#.7 su!!ests that there
is somethin! almost unnatural about the violence of the storm as even wild animals
are scared which a--ears almost a res-onse to 4ears calls for disorder
5uch sheets of fire, such bursts of horrid thunder, such !roans of roarin! wind and
rain 6.*&*":#7 em-hasises the sheer force of the storm bein! said by the -lain#
s-ea$in! 9ent who is unli$ely to hy-erbolise
Dans nature cannot carry thaffliction, nor the fear 6.*&*"#?7 se-arates the little
world of man 6.*1*1'7 from the -ower of the !ods* Dans nature can refer to both
the -hysical force of the storm and 4ears emotional turmoil which he cannot sustain
4ears a!ein!
4ear bids the li!htnin! 5in!e my white headH 6.*&*:7 remindin! the audience of the
$ni!ht in .*1
o /unn: *c=ellen sla)s his own head a))earing defiant but also
increasingly mad
3ertility
4ear calls on the li!htnin! to 5tri$e flat the thic$ rotundity othe world 6.*&*87
alludin! to -re!nancy* )avin! been so cruelly abandoned by his children, he shows
his resentment of the very idea of fertility
(ccom-anyin! the sense of disorder in the lines all !ermens s-ill at once that ma$e
in!rateful manH 6.*&*#?7 is a resentment of fertility as it is these !ermens which
created his unfaithful dau!hters
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/isorder
Gnce a!ain 4ear calls for chaos encoura!in! the weather to ;rac$ natures moulds
6.*&*7 another meta-hor alludin! the destruction of the world* (!ain it matches his
own mental state of chaos
wraithful s$ies 6.*&*".7 su!!estion of the an!er of the s$ies alludes to state of fluA
and chaos
3lattery
<hilst the fool encoura!es 4ear to court holy#water 6.*&*1'7, 4ears refusal to do
so and as$ thy dau!hters blessin! 6.*&*1&7 he re2ects the flattery which he earlier
endorsed
4ears humanisationJreduction to a mere man
4ears stru!!les in the storm reduce him to what he is without the crown as he faces
the storm -urely as a man e-itomised by the 3ool sayin! )eres a ni!ht -ities neither
wise men nor fools 6.*.*1&#.7
4ear, in his isolation, declares himself as subservient to the !ods, relin@uishin! all of
his former royalty as he says )ere I stand your slave 6.*&*1?7* In contrast to the
des-erate maintenance of his royalty earlier, he reduces himself here to a sim-le man
heres !race and a cod-iece thats a wise man and a fool 6.*&*"'#17 the audience
are left to decide which of the two is which
here is a hovel> some friendshi- will it lend you K!ainst the tem-est 6.*&*:1#&7
whilst the ceremonial eAtrava!ance of 1*1 brou!ht 4ear only flattery, there is
somethin! tellin! about 4ear findin! -rotection, from both the -hysical and emotional
tem-est, in somethin! so sim-le and bare
;ome on, my boy* )ow dost my boy0 (rt cold 6.*&*:7 4ear shows almost
-aternal concern for his fool, -erha-s in res-onse to havin! lost his real children* In
followin! this by sayin! I am cold myself 6.*&*:?7 4ear clearly considers another
ahead of himself showin! an un-recedented em-athy
o Hilson and Iuthie: :n the storm, ,ear for the first time becomes aware of
the suffering of others
The art of our necessities is stran!e, and can ma$e vile thin!s -recious 6.*&*8'#17
4ears discussion of needs here reminds the audience of the ar!ument over the siLe of
his train in &*&* <ith his situation havin! considerably worsened, his needs are in
o--osition with the ceremonial eAtrava!ance he endorses earlier on
o Foakes: ,ear may be seen as redefining $true need.
The 3ool summarises the above sentiment sin!in! that man Dust ma$e content with
his fortunes fit, thou!h the rain it raineth every day 6.*&*8:#87 the reference to the
rain illustrates the fra!ility of ones fortunes as has been -roved to 4ear
Coor fool and $nave, I have one -art in my heart thats sorry yet for thee 6.*&*8&#.7
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there is irony in the fact that 4ear sym-athises with 3ools when his own situation
becomes notably worse
o /unn: kisses the Fool as he deli%ers these lines
4ears abandonment
Eor rain, wind, thunder, fire are my dau!hters 6.*&*117 4ear bids the storm
continue as it owe me no subscri-tion 6.*&*17 and hence its cruelty is at least
indifferent
I taA not you, elements, with un$indness* I never !ave you $in!dom, called you
children 6.*&*1:#87 4ear eA-resses his resentment of his children as he acce-ts the
indifference of the storm com-arin! it with the love he showed his dau!hters and how
cruelly he was re-aid
4ear tellin!ly describes himself as a -oor, infirm, wea$ and des-ised old man
6.*&*&'7 no lon!er usin! the royal -lural as he reduces himself to what he sim-ly is
illustratin! how little he is left with without he former royalty* There is a -oi!nant
honesty and sim-licity to 4ear here, a mar$ed contrast with his rash and -etulant
an!er from earlier
In his abandonment, 4ear resents the !ods which he labels servile ministers 6.*&*&17
as they with two -ernicious dau!hters 2oin 6.*&*&&7 to fi!ht hi!h#en!endered
battles K!ainst a head so old and white as this 6.*&*&.#"7 he rues the cruelty of the
!ods as well as his children describin! his own frailty to eAa!!erate his abandonment
The 3ool references ;ordelia as he criticises 4ear as The man that ma$es his toe,
what he his heart should ma$e 6.*&*.1#&7 su!!estin! that this will turn his slee- to
wa$e 6.*&*."7
<ith 4ear now bein! described as frail and wea$, 9ents descri-tion of Goneril and
=e!ans house as more harder than the stones whereof Ktis raised 6.*&*&:"7
em-hasises their cruelty
9ent describes Goneril and =e!ans scanted courtesy 6.*&*:877 alludin! to their
abandonment of 4ear
Indifference of the storm
<hy then, let fall your horrible -leasure 6.*&*1#?7 4ear s-ea$s directly to the
elements 6.*&*1:7 encoura!in! the cruel -ower of the storm* )e a--reciates
natures indifference
Fustice
4et the !reat !ods that $ee- this dreadful -udder oer our heads 6.*&*"?#1'7 4ear
embraces the -ower of the storm, callin! on if for the 2ustice which he is unable to
-rovide
)e a--ears to be indirectly s-ea$in! to his dau!hters when he calls Tremble, thou
wretch, that hast undivul!ed crimes, unwhi--ed of 2ustice 6.*&*11#&7 once a!ain
the little world of man 6.*1*1'7 fails to brin! them to 2ustice so he calls on the
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indifference of the !ods to eAact a--ro-riate -unishment
4ear calls on the storm to eA-ose -eo-le li$e he has himself been eA-osed and
stri--ed bare under covert and convenient seemin! has -ractised on mans life
6.*&*1:#87
4ear summarises his desolation declarin! that I am a man more sinned a!ainst than
sinnin! 6.*&*1?#:'7 illustratin! the in2ustice of society and eA-lainin! his calls for
disorder* 4ear here fits the traditional tra!ic hero with his tra!ic flaw bein! cruelly
-unished
4ears madness
Dy wits be!in to turn 6.*&*:87 4ear is increasin!ly aware of his own madness
o *iller: /otably sudden change of tone from shouting : am a man more
sinned against than sinning to s)eaking his ne@t line with a sense of
%acant confusion
The 3ools -ro-hecy
/irectly addresses the audience and -oints out some of societys flaws
Foakes: -he Fool acts as a general satirical commentator
<hen -riests are more in word than matter 6.*&*17 reintroducin! the idea of
flattery
<hen every case in law is ri!ht 6.*&*17% <hen slanders so not live in ton!ues
6.*&*87 seemin!ly -ositive attributes associated with the ruin of En!land
<hen bawds and whores do churches build 6.*&*?'7 inversion of convention*
Carticulrly si!nificant with reference to reli!ion
Then shall the realm of (lbion come to !reat confusion 6.*&*?1#&7 the allusion to
anarchy and chaos in En!land forces associations with the -ro-hecy and the current
state of affairs with 4ears division of the $in!dom havin! brou!ht about some of
these -redictions
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Act 3, Scene 3
Gloucester as the Dachiavellian victim
I li$e not this unnatural dealin! 6.*.*&7% we must incline to the 9in! 6.*.*1.#"7
Gloucester is an idealist ma$in! him infleAible and easy for the Dachiavellian villain
to eA-loit
o Machiavelli: A man who wants to act virtuously in every way
necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous whilst
Gloucesters adultery su!!ests that he is not entirely virtuous, his almost
blind adherence to convention ma$es him easy to mani-ulate
The audience had little faith in Gloucesters -romise that These in2uries the 9in!
now bears will be reven!ed home 6.*.*11#&7 as it a--ears an idealised vision of
2ustice which is so evidently lac$in! in 4ears world
There is cruel dramatic irony in Gloucester leavin! with the line Edmund% -ray you,
be careful 6.*.*1?7 as he is entirely oblivious to his sons schemin!
Goneril and =e!ans cruelty
Gloucester re-orts that when he desired their leave that I mi!ht -ity him 6.*.*&#.7
they char!ed me on -ain of -er-etual dis-leasure neither to s-ea$ of him, entreat for
him, or any way sustain him 6.*.*"#:7 indicatin! their ruthlessness
Edmund as the Dachiavellian villain
Edmund is a!ain im-ressive in his deceit as he fei!ns outra!e labellin! their actions
Dost sava!e and unnatural 6.*.*87 the audience aware of the cruel dramatic irony of
the li$enesses to his own treatment of his father
This courtesy, forbid thee, shall the /u$e instantly $now 6.*.*&'#17 Edmund tells
the audience of his -lans of betrayal immediately after Gloucester 6his victim7 leaves
the sta!e, dramatically em-hasisin! his control of -roceedin!s
Edmund describes what he see$s to !ain as fair deservin! and must draw me that
which my father loses 6.*.*&&7 Edmund ta$es command of 2ustice which 4ear
condemned both society and the !ods as lac$in!
That which my father loses, no less than all* The youn!er rises when the old doth
fall* 6.*.*&.#"7
o In identifyin! Gloucester as his father the eAtent of his betrayal is
am-lified* ;ou-led with the -revious line it is clear that Edmund is eA-ressly
loo$in! for !ain at the eA-ense of his father*
o In see$in! no less than all Edmund seems content to reduce his father to
Knothin! and therein !ain Keverythin! for himself
o The detachment evident in the final line, referrin! to himself as the
youn!er, cou-led with his s-ea$in! in the -resent tense illustrated once
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page ""
a!ain his Dachiavellian coordination of events
o The rhymin! cou-let of the last two lines indicates his seemin!ly com-lete
control over events
/is-ensation of information
Gloucester confirms 9ents information statin! that There is a division between the
du$es 6.*.*#?7* The audience not witnessin! this division first hand introduces an
ambi!uity which is fittin! for the various levels of schemin!
Act 3, Scene 4
4ear as a bro$en man
<ilt brea$ my heart0 6.*"*"7 there is a sim-le des-eration in 4ears abru-t
@uestion* (lso, in as$in! this of the characteristically loyal 9ent, it seems that
4ear is unable to tell who su--orts him
9ent as loyal
In sayin! I had rather brea$ my own 6.*"*17 when 4ear as$s whether he will
brea$ his heart, 9ents devotion is shown to !o beyond his duty as a loyal
servant as he shows !enuine com-assion* )is sim-le and honest res-onse also
contrasts the flattery of others 6Gswald, =e!an, Goneril7
4ears emotional sufferin!
where the !reater malady is fiAed, the lesser is scarce felt 6.*"*#?7 4ear
says that the storm brin!s little sufferin! in com-arison to the -ain brou!ht by
his dau!hters abandonment* This is further su--ort by the fact that 4ear says
the storm invades us to the s$in 6.*"*87 subtly alludin! to a certain
su-erficiality in his -hysical -ain whilst his emotional -ain cuts far dee-er
4ear reinforces the above sentiment meta-horically referencin! how one
would shun a bear 6.*"*?7 unless fli!ht lay toward the roarin! sea 6.*"*1'7
in which case youd meet the bear iNthe mouth 6.*"*117* The bear re-resents
the storm which he does indeed face iNthe mouth in .*&
<hen the minds free, the bodys delicate 6.*"*11#1&7 it is not 4ears
a!ein! that brin!s him -ain but rather his emotional -ain* This eA-lains his
fierce confrontation with the storm in .*&
4ear is numb to all, includin! the sheer -ower of the storm, 5ave what beats
there, filial in!ratitude 6.*"*1"7 the filial in!ratitude, s-o$en as a violent
interru-tion, ta$es the -lace of love and affection in his heart
4ear ado-ts a defiant tone statin! Eo, I will wee- no more 6.*"*187 and
forcefully -romisin! I will endure 6.*"*17 thou!h the audience has little
faith in his ability to do so
There is -oi!nant irony in the fact that This tem-est will not !ive me leave to
-onder on thin!s would hurt me more 6.*"*&"#17 as 4ear describes the
relentless storm as somehow -rotectin! him from -ain
Gloucesters re-ly of ;anst thou blame him 6.*"*117 to 9ents allusion to
4ears madness, cou-led with the sta!e direction of -tor" still fittin!ly
re-resents 4ears turmoil
The storm re-resentative of 4ears mental state
)e tellin!ly references the tem-est in my mind 6.*"*1&7 sayin! that they
from my senses ta$e all feelin! 6.*"*1.7* The audience is reminded of he
references to his dau!hter whilst shoutin! at the elements in .*&
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page ":
4ears abandonment
Is it not as this mouth should tear this hand for liftin! food tot0 6.*"*11#:7
4ear invo$es an e@uivalent of the mouth that bites the hand that feeds it
thou!h it is ambi!uous as to eAactly who he is s-ea$in! to
4ear attem-ts to retain his -aternal role -romisin! to -unish home 6.*"*1:7
thou!ht he audience is aware of his -owerlessness
4ear describes himself as Bour old, $ind father, whose fran$ heart !ave you
all 6.*"*&'7 once a!ain invo$in! the heart -layin! on its two classical roles of
housin! love as well as -ain 6heart#ache7, him su--osedly !ivin! the former
and bein! re-aid with the latter
I-on seein! Ed!ars fei!ned madness, 4ear as$s /idst thou !ive all to thy
two dau!hters0 (nd art thou come to this0 6.*"*"#?7 and as$s )ave his
dau!hters brou!ht him to this -ass0 6.*"*:&7 alludin! to the betrayal of his
dau!hters and su!!estin! a similarity between 4ear and Ed!ar> both are men
in hi!h -ositions who are brou!ht to -overty by the schemin! of their family
Eothin! could have subdued nature to such a lowness of but his un$ind
dau!hters 6.*"*:?#8'7 4ear cant com-rehend how Ed!ars faculties could
have been de!raded li$e this if not by his dau!hters* Gnce a!ain he rues his
dau!hters for havin! reduced his nature to madness
Is it the fashion that discarded fathers should have thus little mercy on their
flesh0 6.*"*81#&7 4ear a!ain uses Ed!ar to illustrate the in2ustice of his
abandonment* )e labels himself a discarded father a!ain alludin! to the
bro$en bonds between father and dau!hters
o 0ooth: in his )roduction, ,ear takes a thorn out of #dgar.s arm and
sticks it in his on arm
4ear sarcastically labels his treatment Fudicious -unishment 6.*"*8.7 a!ain
describin! the lac$ of 2ustice in his society
)e describes Goneril and =e!an as -elican dau!hters 6.*"*8"7 invo$in! the
fable that the -elican fed its youn! with its own blood su!!estin! that his
dau!hters have drained him of his life blood
Gloucesters abandonment by his sons mirrors 4ear summarised by his
statement Gur flesh and blood, my lord, is !rown so vile that it doth hat what
is !ets 6.*"*1"1#&7 there is somethin! unnatural and near -erverse about his
descri-tion of the bro$en familial bonds
The tyrannous ni!ht 6.*"*1"87 which Goneril and =e!an sub2ect 4ear to is
reflective of their own betrayal of him> his dau!hters see$ his death
6.*"*11?7
4ears re!rets
4ear assumes that Ed!ars sufferin! is at the hands of his dau!hters and as$s
;ouldst thou save nothin!0 <ouldst thou !ive Kem all0 6.*"*:.7 therein
-ro2ectin! his own thou!hts and re!rets onto Ed!ar
Eow all the -la!ues that in the air han! fated oer mens faults li!ht on thy
dau!hters 6.*"*::#8' 4ear invo$es the -ower of nature that he has 2ust
eA-erienced su--osedly to brin! -unishment to Ed!ars 6non#eAistent7
dau!hters, yet once a!ain -ro2ectin! his own situation onto Ed!ar
Eature
Eothin! could have subdued nature to such a lowness of but his un$ind
dau!hters 6.*"*:?#8'7 4ear cant com-rehend how Ed!ars faculties could
have been de!raded li$e this if not by his dau!hters* Gnce a!ain he rues his
dau!hters for havin! reduced his nature to madness
4ears madness
G, that way madness lies, let me shun that 6.*"*&17 4ear attributes his own
madness to his abandonment by his dau!hters, his -ain and madness
em-hasiLed by his interru-tion of himself with the hy-hen endin! the lon!
-revious line
)is wits be!in tunsettle 6.*"*117 reminiscent of 4ears earlier awareness
that Dy wits be!in to turn 6.*&*:87
the 9in! !rows mad 6.*"*1:17 Gloucester li$ens this to his own situation
sayin! that !rief hath craLed my wits6.*"*1::7 havin! had Edmund
outlawed from my blood 6.*"*1:.7
In decidin! to $ee- with my -hiloso-her 6.*"*18&7, referrin! to the
seemin!ly mad Ed!ar, 4ears madness is em-hasised as he re2ects the counsel
of those who see$ to -rotect him for the ramblin!s of the insane
4ears humanisation
The dramatic -ower of the hovel em-hasises the -arallels between his
worsenin! situation and his increasin!ly considerate nature In boy !o first*
Bou houseless -overty 6.*"*&87
-.: Kneels 6.*"*&7 his increasin! humility is mar$ed by the contrast
between this $neelin! in -rayer for the sufferin! of others and his moc$in!
$neelin! in front of =e!an in &*&
The va!ueness of 4ears -rayers for the Coor na$ed wretches, wheresoeer
you are 6.*"*&7 shows a com-assionate side to 4ear doesnt -ray for himself,
des-ite his dire situation
The 2uAta-osition of the alliterative lines -eltin! of this -itless storm
6.*"*&?7 and houseless heads 6.*"*.'7 indicates the ruthless of the storm and
the vulnerability of the wretches* In as$in! how their -overty will defend
you from seasons such as these0 6.*"*.1#&7 4ear a--ears !enuinely
com-assionate wonderin!, seemin!ly for the first time, how those less
fortunate than himself survive
G, I have taen too little care of this 6.*"*.&#.7 shar- contrast with his
earlier attem-ts to maintain his royal -ower as he admits to error* This is
em-hasised by the dramatic -ower of him $neelin! before the audience*
(r!uably, here he become the tra!ic hero, ac$nowled!in! his fatal flaw before
the audience
EA-ose thyself to feel what wretches feel 6.*"*."7 a!ain contrasts his
earlier en2oyment of !ratuitous ceremony as in losin! his -ower he has !ained
humility as he now re2ects the -om- 6.*"*..7 that e-itomised
sha$e the su-erfluA to them and show the heavens more 2ust 6.*"*.1#:7 he
calls for the 2ustice so -lainly lac$in! for the im-overished thou!h his
reference to KfluA is somewhat disconcertin!
Gloucester as$s of 4ear <hat are you there0 Bour names0 6.*"*1&"7
symbolic of 4ears reduction to nothin! more than a man
<hilst brou!ht about by his insanity, 4ear becomes more -aternal as he is the
one to res-ond to Ed!ars re-eated cries of Toms a#cold
Ed!ar as Coor Tom
In announcin! himself to be Coor Tom 6.*"*.8#7 and be!!in! that 4ear /o
Coor Tom some charity 6.*"*1?7 he seems to arrive in res-onse to 4ears
-rayers for the -oor na$ed wretches 6.*"*&7
Foakes: :n reciting $Fie, foh, and fum, : smell the blood of a 0ritish man.
(.'.1!BC5<" #dmund becomes the young gentleman who will later slay the
giant (#dmund"
5imilarities between 4ear and Ed!ar
I-on seein! Ed!ars fei!ned madness, 4ear as$s /idst thou !ive all to thy
two dau!hters0 (nd art thou come to this0 6.*"*"#?7 alludin! to the betrayal
of his dau!hters and su!!estin! a similarity between 4ear and Ed!ar> both are
men in hi!h -ositions who are brou!ht to -overty by the schemin! of their
family
Ed!ar creates his own version of the Ten ;ommandments noticeably
be!innin! with Gbey thy -arents 6.*"*87
Ed!ar remar$s 6albeit as an act7 on his fall from !race havin! had three suits
to his bac$, siA shirts to his body 6.*"*1.1#&7
Ed!ars sufferin!
<hilst he attributes it to the foul fiend 6.*"*1'#17 and some of what he says
are fei!ned madness 6led throu!h fire and throu!h flame 6.*"*117 as-ects of
what he says resonate as havin! been caused by his downfall> made him
-roud of heart 6.*"*1"#17% course his own shadow for a traitor 6.*"*117
Ed!ars attem-t to attac$ the devil 6there, and there a!ain, and there 6.*"*:'#
17 is followed by the sta!e direction -tor" still shows the storm mirrorin!
his emotional state, much li$e 4ear
Identity
This cold ni!ht will turn us all to fools and madmen 6.*"*887 # the 3ool
a!ain raises the @uestion of identity with nobles becomin! fools
In as$in! Ed!ar <hat hast thou been0 6.*"*&7 4ear once a!ain raises
@uestions of identity su!!estin! that Ed!ar has lost his
Is no more man than this0 6.*"*1'17 4ear raises @uestions of what man is
su!!estin! that bein! both -hysically an meta-horically na$ed 6answer with
thy uncovered body this eAtremity of the s$ies 6.*"*1''7 as Ed!ar is reduces
him to a sim-le man
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page "?
o *ontaigne
*iserable man3 whom if you consider well what is heJ
4ear discards the so-histication of humanity and society 6three ons us are
so-histicated 6.*"*1'.#"7 as he says of Ed!ar thou art the thin! itself
6.*"*1'"7 su!!estin! that in bein! an unaccommodatd man 6.*"*1'17 Ed!ar
becomes more sim-ly human* This resonates with 4ears situation as havin!
lost his royalty he becomes nothin! more than a man culminatin! in his
stri--in! off his own clothes> Gff, off, you lendin!s> come, unbutton here
6.*"*1':#87
=ather than as$in! K<hos he0 4ear as$s of Gloucester <hats he0
6.*"*1&&7 a further illustration of his stru!!les with identity
The -rince of dar$ness is a !entleman 6.*"*1.?7
o ( res-onse to Gloucesters sur-rise that hath you !race no better
com-any 6.*"*1.7
o (lludes to the -ower of flattery as both his dau!hters and Gswald
a--ear to be honourable and !entlemen yet their flattery has terrible
conse@uences
4ear refers to Ed!ar as this -hiloso-her 6.*"*11'7, learned Theban
6.*"*11.7 and noble -hiloso-her 6.*"*1:7 without ta$in! that sarcastic tone
which may be eA-ected therein attributin! an intelli!ence to Ed!ars insanity
;omments on society
Ed!ar creates a list of evil deeds which he -retends to have committed
reflectin! on the lac$ of honour in men such as Gswald as well as the dan!ers
of a lust#led life
o swore as many oaths as I s-a$e words and bro$e them in the sweet
face of heaven 6.*"*:#87 reflects on those li$e Gswald for whom
loyalty is a mere act
o in woman, out#-aramoured the Tur$ 6.*"*?#?'7 a su!!estion of
the an!ers of lust as is illustrated by Edmund
o Oarious animalistic ima!ery used to describe the 5even /eadly 5ins>
ho! in sloth, foA in stealth, wolf in !reediness, do! in madness, lion in
-rey 6.*"*?1#&7
4ears a!ein!
The 3ool li$ens a little fire in a wild field 6.*"*1'?7 to an old lechers heart,
a small s-ar$, all the rest ons body cold 6.*"*11'#17 su!!estin! that 4ears
only vitality is in his heart and the sufferin! he eA-eriences
4oyalty
Gloucester eAhibits a similar loyalty to 9ent as he says Dy duty cannot suffer
tobey in all your dau!hters hard commands 6.*"*1""#17 refusin! to abandon
4ear -erha-s as he is able to em-athise with him re!ardin! the cruelty of ones
own children
The dramatic irony as Gloucester remar$s to the dis!uised 9ent (h, that
!ood 9ent, he said it would be thus, -oor banished man 6.*"*11?#:'7
em-hasises his devotion
5imilarities between 4ear and Gloucester
Gloucesters abandonment by his sons mirrors 4ear summarised by his
statement Gur flesh and blood, my lord, is !rown so vile that it doth hat what
is !ets 6.*"*1"1#&7 there is somethin! unnatural and near -erverse about his
descri-tion of the bro$en familial bonds
the 9in! !rows mad 6.*"*1:17 Gloucester li$ens this to his own situation
sayin! that !rief hath craLed my wits6.*"*1::7 havin! had Edmund
outlawed from my blood 6.*"*1:.7
I loved him, friend, no father his son dearer 6.*"*1:"#17 reminiscent of
3rances descri-tion of ;ordelia as 4ears best ob2ect, the ar!ument of your
-raise 61*1*&11#:7 both re-resentative of the fathers errors in banishin! their
most loyal and honest children
Act 3, Scene 5
Edmunds subservience
Edmund fei!ns fear of how he may be censured that nature thus !ives way to
loyalty 6.*1*&#.7 he -retends that this will be a necessary -erversion of the natural
affection due his father, fully aware that his more si!nificant betrayal of him* In doin!
so, he flatters ;ornwall and !ain his trustJalle!iance
Edmund becomes in!ratiatin! as he dramatically -led!es to -ersever in my course of
loyalty, thou!h the conflict be sore between that and my blood 6.*1*&&#.7
unashamedly invo$in! the familial bonds which he has forsa$en
o Foakes: #dmunds.s oily hy)ocrisy here in his subser%ience to 1ornwall
shows him at his worst, without the +auntiness that made him engaging in
1.& and &.13 com)are =ent.s descri)tion of smiling rogues at &.&.!<C5
;ornwalls -romise that thou shalt find a dearer father in my love 6.*1*&"#17
e-itomiLes the success of flattery and re-resents the -erversion of the su--osedly
sacred familial bonds
Edmund effectively convinces ;ornwall of his brothers evil dis-osition 6.*1*:7 as
well as the re-rovable badness 6.*1*87 in Gloucester illustratin! his ability to
mani-ulate both the K!ood and Kbad characters
)ow malicious is my fortune, that I must re-ent to be 2ust0 6.*1*?#1'7 in the
almost comical dramatic irony of Ed!ar accusin! fortune of malice and sayin! of
himself that he is ri!hteous, the sense of Edmunds control is enhanced as he is able
to convince ;ornwall of somethin! that seems ludicrous to the audience
Edmund a--ears shameless as he melodramatically declares G heavensH 6.*1*1&7
when referrin! to his own schemin! and unashamedly accuses Gloucester of the
treason 6.*1*1&7 which he himself committed
Edmunds schemin! aside 6If I find him comfortin! the 9in!, it will stuff his
sus-icion more fully 6.*1*&'#17 dramatically reinforces his mani-ulative nature
Act 3, Scene 6
4ears madness
(ll the -ower of his wits have !iven way to his im-atience 6.*:*"#17 9ent
attributes 4ears !rowin! madness to his des-air* This is the third time that wits are
mentioned, the first by 4ear sayin! my wits be!in to turn 6.*&*:87, the second by
9ent sayin! hit wits be!in tunsettle 6.*117 and now finally here illustratin! the
-ro!ression towards madness
4ears res-onse of ( $in!, a $in! 6.*:*117 to the 3ools @uestion of who the
madman is mar$s his descent into madness
4ears trial seems to only really eAist in the madness of Ed!ar and 4ear and the
-layfulness of the 3ool with 9ent des-erately -leadin! that 4ear stand you not so
amaLed 6.*:*..7
Bless thy five wits 6.*:*1:7 Ed!ars -ity for 4ear, !iven his own increasin! state
of madness, enhances the -athos of 4ears situation* Gnce a!ain wits are invo$ed,
continuin! the transition havin! now clearly lost them* The line is also a re-eat of
what Ed!ar says at .*"*18, furtherin! the lin$s between the two characters and
eAa!!eratin! the madness of 4ear
Ed!ars aside 6Dy tears be!in to ta$e his -art so much they mar my counterfeitin!
6.*:*:'7 illustrates the reduction of 4ear to a -athetic, -itiable man, -itied even by
those in dire situations themselves
There is a subtle su!!estion of 4ears madness in havin! banished his dau!hters as
Ed!ar says avaunt, you curs 6.*:*:&7 after 4ear li$ens his children to do!s and
Ed!ars madness and fre@uent hallucinations allude to the stu-idity of 4ear in 1*1
4ears !rowin! fondness for Ed!ar is -aralleled by the latters !rowin! madness and
his decision to ta$e the delude and near#na$ed man as one of his $ni!hts 6Bou, sir, I
entertain you for one of my hundred 6.*:*81#:7 and his ironic assertion that Ed!ars
wears the eAtrava!ant Cersian attire 6.*:*887 em-hasises his madness
4ears babblin! becomes increasin!ly li$e Ed!ars as he commands 9ent to /raw
the curtains which arent there and summarises his state of mental chaos by sayin!
well !o to su--er ithe mornin! 6.*:*17 echoed by the 3ool sayin! (nd Ill !o to
bed at noon 6.*:*&7, ironically in his last line in the -lay
The transition of 4ears wits is com-leted as 9ent fatalistically declares his wits are
!one 6.*:*"7
Identity
In res-onse to Ed!ars madness, the 3ool a!ain raises @uestions of identity,
-rovocatively as$in! Crithee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a !entleman or a
yeoman0 6.*:*?#1'7 in this case it a--ears that both the !entleman 64ear7 and the
yeoman 6Ed!ar7 are mad* (lterntively, the 3ool has reco!niLed Ed!ar in dis!uise as is
su!!ested by Dillers BB; ada-tation
The 3ool cry-tically criticises 4ear for havin! !iven u- his -ower to his dau!hters>
hes a mad yeoman that sees his son a !entleman 6.*:*1.7
4ears errors
4ear seems to ac$nowled!e his error in 2ud!ement as he refers to his children as The
little do!s and all, Trey, Blanch and 5weetheart 6.*:*:'#17 illustratin! the -ain which
Goneril and =e!an have inflicted on him in contrast to ;ordelias sweetness
4ears an!er
4ears tone chan!es suddenly from 2o$in! with the 3ool to the hellish ima!ery of
have a thousand with red burnin! s-its come hiLLin! in u-on Kem 6.*:*11#:7
Eature
The 3ool li$ens 4ears mis!uided faith in his dau!hters to believin! that -eo-le will
deviate from what is natural )es mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a
horses health, a boys love or a whores oath 6.*:*1#1?7 and therein contradicts
4ears faith that a dau!hters nature is to love her father
4et them anatomise =e!an% see what about her heart 6.*:*8.#"7 4ear su!!ests
that the is somethin! unnatural and worthy of scientific investi!ation havin!
eA-erience =e!ans betrayal
4ear des-erately as$s Is there any cause in nature that ma$e these hard heart
6.*:*8"#17 su!!estin! that such cruelty is a deviation from what is natural
9ent is relieved that 4ears G--ressed nature slee-s 6.*:*?"7 and ho-es this rest
mi!ht yet have balmed thy bro$en sinews 6.*:*?17 su!!estin! that 4ears sufferin! is
far from what is natural to endure and he is left with little of his former nature
Doc$#trial
The ceremonial nature of 4ears moc$#trial of Goneril and =e!an shows the only
2ustice to be in the fantasies of a dementin! man> I will arrai!n them strai!ht
6.*:*&'
most learned 2ustice% thou sa-ient sir 6.*:*&1#&7 in usin! le!al terminolo!y, 4ear
em-hasises the ceremonial as-ect of his trial eAa!!eratin! his madness and
illustratin! the eAtent of his delusion ins-irin! -ity
she#foAes 6.*:*&&7 notable difference from the use of -ro-er terminolo!y
elsewhere illustratin! his an!er towards his dau!hters
4ears delusion is em-hasised by his labellin! Ed!ar a robed, man of 2ustice
6.*:*.:7 as he in fact stand half na$ed and ra!!ed* 5imilarly, labellin! the 3ool a
yo$e#fellow e@uity 6.*:*.87 attributes to him an im-artiality des-ite the 3ool havin!
continually condemned Goneril and =e!an for their betrayal 4ears attem-t at
2ustice a--ears alto!ether insufficient
/es-ite havin! attem-t to emulate the ceremony of court, 4ears trial descends into
futility as he ma$es 9ent a third 2ud!e Bou are othe commission 6.*:*.7,
reminiscent of an eAcitable child
Ed!ars wholehearted en!a!ement with the trial 64et us deal 2ustly 6.*:*"'77 cruelly
em-hasises 4ears madness ins-irin! further -athos as Ed!ar babbles Curr, the cat is
!rey 6.*:*"17 the 2ustice of this court eAists only in the minds of the deran!ed
(rrai!n her first, Ktis Goneril 6.*:*":7 4ears trial becomes reminiscent of the
love#test in 1*1
I too$ you for a 2oint#stool 6.*:*117 the 3ool invo$es the -roverbial reference to
overloo$in! someone and cruelly eA-oses the madness of 4ear tryin! an em-ty stool*
The reversal of the roles of the 3ool and the royal is em-hasised
There is irony in the fact that 4ear asserts that =e!ans war-ed loo$s -roclaim what
store her heart is made on 6.*:*1&#.7 as it 4ears failure to do this in 1*1 which
brou!ht about his downfall
The futility of 4ears court is e-itomised by his clearly mad outburst of 5to- her
thereH (rms, arms, sword, fire, corru-tion in the -lace 6.*:*1.#"7 as the chaos he
earlier called u-on in .*& is shown clearly to have entered his mind* In then labellin!
Ed!ar a 3alse 2ustice 6.*:*117 4ear reveals his -reoccu-ation with the failure to
2ustly -unish his dau!hter
<ords vs substance
The foul fiend haunts Coor Tom in the voice of a ni!htin!ale 6.*:*&?#.'7 Ed!ar
reintroduces the dis-arity between what is and what seems to be with an added sense
of malevolent dece-tion
9ents loyalty
)avin! -leaded with 4ear throu!hout the scene that he rest awhile 6.*:*8?7 9ent is
symbolically commanded by Gloucester to ta$e him in thy arms 6.*:*17
4ears sufferin!
(s Ed!ar become the commentator in his solilo@uy at eh end of the scene, he invo$es
the -roverbial It is !ood to have com-any in misery and says <hen we our betters
see bearin! our woes we scarcely thin$ our miseries our foes 6.*:*??7 su!!estin! that
the eAtent of 4ears sufferin! ma$es his own seem less in com-arison to 4ears -ity
for the -oor na$ed wretches 6.*"*&7, 4ear has now become the -itiable one
<hen !rief hath mates and bearin! fellowshi- 6.*:*1'"7 e-itomises 4ears
abandonment as he is left no one to shoulder the burden with
)ow li!ht and -ortable my -ain seems now when that which ma$es me bend ma$es
the 9in! bow 6.*:*1'1#:7 indicates 4ears reduction to nothin! more than an
ordinary man
)e childed as I fathered 6.*:*1'87 Ed!ar -oints out the similarity of their
sufferin! at the hands of their family
Act 3, Scene 7
=uthlessness of Goneril, =e!an and ;ornwall
=> )an! him instantlyH G> Cluc$ out his eyesH 6.*8*"#17 they seem in unison as
they cruelly condemn Gloucester to severe -unishment* (udience reminded of
Gonerils -raise of her father as dearer than eyesi!ht 61*1*1:7 illustratin! the
hollowness of her flattery
you are my !uests* /o me no foul -lay 6.*8*.'#17 Gloucester em-haises their
cruelty by notin! their violation of his hos-itality
)ard, hard* G, filthy traitorH 6.*8*.&7 =e!ans treatment of Gloucester !oes
beyond -unishment and she seems to en2oy his sufferin!> Inmerciful lady 6.*8*..7%
Eau!hty 4ady 6.*8*.87
-.: Regan plucks his beard% Ktis most i!nobly done to -luc$ me by the beard 6.*."#
17 the use of the word -luc$ reminds the audience of .*8*1 in which Goneril
recommended his !ou!in!* <hilst -luc$in! his beard is merely disres-ectful, it is
forebodin! of them !ou!in! out his eyes
These hairs which thou dost ravish from my chin 6.*8*.7 Gloucester introduces
connotations of ra-e with the word ravish, a!ain forebodin! of his !ou!in!
;ornwall and =e!an combine to interro!ate Gloucester, both as$in! <herefore to
/over0 6.*8*11%1&7 leavin! Gloucester tied to the sta$e 6.*8*1.7
thy cruel nails -luc$ out his -oor old eyes 6.*8*11#:7 Gloucester refuses to allow
4ear to be sub2ected to the brutality which is soon to eA-erience
/es-ite Gloucesters certainty in some form of $armic -unishment bein! eAacted on
;ornwall and =e!an, the former cruelly res-onds that 5eet shalt thou never
6.*8*:17 su!!estin! that 2ustice is re-laced by cruelty
I-on thine eyes Ill set my foot 6.*8*:87 in declarin! his brutal intentions
;ornwall a--ears all the more cruel as he shows no reservations and seems to assert
his -ower in his rather detached descri-tion of the a--allin! act
o The act of !ou!in! is itself brutal and in crushin! the eyeball under his foot,
;ornwall !oes beyond a mere -unishment
o <hereas elsewhere 5ha$es-eare has revealed information indirectly throu!h
dialo!ue, the dramatic effect of such brutality bein! shown on sta!e
em-hasises the cruelty
o Iirectors tended to blind 8loucester offstage and bring him back with an
eye)atch until Geter 0rook.s 1B(& %ersion showed the 1ornwall using his
s)urs to remo%e the eye
Gne side will moc$ another thother too 6.*8*8'7 =e!an moc$s Gloucester and
ruthlessly orders his other eye to be removed* )er sense of detachment as she
commands her servants to carry out the !ou!in! illustrates both her cruelty and her
re!al -ower
;ornwall similarly taunts Gloucester sayin! If you see ven!eance 6.*8*817 ri!ht
before he !ou!es out his eye
=e!an somewhat sur-risin!ly !ets directly involved in the violence as -.: -he takes
a s%ord and runs at hi" behind0 Kills hi"0 5he is shown to be bac$#stabbin! and
have a facility with violence
Even whilst dyin! ;ornwall retains his cruelty sayin! 4est it see more, -revent it*
Gut, vile 2elly 6.*8*&7 and tauntin! <here is thy lustre now0 6.*8*.7
Thou callst on him that hates thee* It was he that made the overture of thy treasons
to us, whos too !ood to -ity thee 6.*8*8#?7 =e!an cruelly informs Gloucester of
his sons betrayal, erodin! any ho-e that Gloucester had in 2ustice
Even on his deathbed, ;ornwall remains cruel as he bids his servants Turn out that
eyeless villain* Throw this slave u-on the dun!hill 6.*8*?1#:7
;ornwalls -owerJcruelty
4eave him to my dis-leasure 6.*8*:7 described himself as a -owerful leader who
is res-onsible for eAactin! 2ustice
the reven!es we +M, ta$e u-on your traitorous father are not fit for your beholdin!
6.*8*8#?7 forebodin! of the brutality with which Gloucester is treated
Go, see$ the traitor Gloucester% -inion him li$e a thief 6.*8*&&#.7 a!ain asserts his
-ower by de!radin! Gloucester to the level of a thief
yet our -ower shall do a courtesy to out wrath 6.*8*&1#:7 wishes to flatter his
an!er as thou!h he may not -ass u-on his life without the form of 2ustice 6.*8*&"#17
he boasts of his -ower bein! able to eAact local 2ustice reminded of ;ome not
between the dra!on and his wrath 61*1*1&.7 both eAhibitin! the elevation of ones
an!er to somethin! royal and -owerful
men may blame but not control 6.*8*&:#87 establishes himself as royal and above
the system of 2ustice as he seems to invite disa!reement as it merely illustrates his
-ower
Edmunds dece-tion a--ears wholly successful as ;ornwall ironically warns him that
the reven!es we +M, ta$e u-on your traitorous father are not fit for your beholdin!
6.*8*8#?7 unaware that Edmund is himself res-onsible for this sufferin!
(s ;ornwall refers to Edmund as Dy lord of Gloucester 6.*8*1"7 he is shown to
have ta$en -ower directly from his father for himself
=e!ans lust for Edmund is subtly revealed as she declares him to be too !ood to
-ity thee 6.*8*?P illustratin! his command of other characters, even those so
formidable as =e!an
Eature
;ornwall tal$s of the reven!es we are bound to ta$e 6.*8*8#7 su!!estin! an
obli!ation as thou!h nature forces him to -unish Gloucester
Edmund, en$indle all the s-ar$s of nature to @uit this horrid act 6.*8*17 #
Gloucester su!!ests that violent retribution is what nature demands for ;ornwall
and =e!an
)y-ocrisy
=e!an unashamedly calls Gloucester an In!rateful foA 6.*8*&7 usin! the same
vocabulary as 4ear does towards her> her in!rateful to- 6&*&*.1&7% filial
in!ratitude 6.*"*1"7
Dy villein0 6.*8*887% ( -easant stand u- thus0 6.*8*8?7 ;ornwall and =e!an
a--ear outra!ed that a -easant would dare defy them su!!estin! that it is deviation
from what is natural whilst they have 2ust deviated from the eA-ected -ractices of
rulers in dis-ensin! brutal local 2ustice
=e!an labels Gloucester a treacherous villain 6.*8*87 unashamedly accusin! him
of what she herself is !uilty of
;ornwalls final words of Intimely comes this hurt* Give me your arm 6.*8*?87
contain a certain irony as his sufferin! seems lon! overdue
Goneril and =e!ans abandonment of 4ear
=e!an refers to 4ear as the lunatic 9in! 6.*8*":7 ne!lectin! any familial loyalty
Gloucesters loyalty
Gloucester becomes more admirable as he suffers as des-ite bein! tortured by =e!an
and ;ornwall he forcefully declares that I would not see 6.*8*117 their torturin! of
4ear and labels Goneril thy fierce sister who in his anointed flesh stic$ boarish
fan!s 6.*8*1:#87* )e attaches animalistic attributes to the dau!hters to em-hasis their
cruelty
Gloucester criticises the dau!hters for sub2ectin! their father to the hell#blac$ ni!ht
6.*8*1?7 -rovidin! a contrast with &*& in which he followed what =e!an said
Fustice
Bind fast his cor$y arms 6.*8*&?7% Bind him, I say 6.*8*.17 ;ornwall has to
instruct his servants twice* <hilst there is no sense of 2ustice in ;ornwall and the
dau!hters treatment of Gloucester, there is a su!!estion of some form of 2ustice as
the nameless and characterless servants instinctively su--ort Gloucester* This also
em-hasises how unnatural ;ornwalls brutality towards him is
<hilst ;ornwall and =e!an dis-ense their own local, -erverted 2ustice, Gloucester
remains assured that I shall see the win!ed ven!eance overta$e such children
6.*8*:"#17* Cerha-s this also reflects his -erceived abandonment by Ed!ar
/es-ite Gloucesters certainty in some form of $armic -unishment bein! eAacted on
;ornwall and =e!an, the former cruelly res-onds that 5eet shalt thou never
6.*8*:17 su!!estin! that 2ustice is re-laced by cruelty
(fter havin! his eye !ou!ed out, Gloucester cries G cruelH G you !odsH 6.*8*:?7,
callin! out for a -rotective forces which isnt to be found
)old your hand, my lord* I have served you ever since I was a child, but better
service have I never done you than now to bid you hold 6.*8*81#"7 a!ain the idea
of loyalty is brou!ht u- but here ;ornwalls brutality is shown to ne!ate it* The
audience is reminded of Gswald who would Brin! oil to fire 6&*&*817* In contrast,
the 5ervant is unfamiliar with Gloucester but accordin! to what is honourable
(s the 5ervant states he would only fi!ht =e!an If you did wear a beard on your
chin 6.*8*817 his chivalrous values remind the audience of 9ent and the ne!lect of
loyalty is thereby shown to be more si!nificant as it reflects the -erverse nature of
;ornwalls actions here
Gn his deathbed the 5ervant wishes for some sort of 2ustice to be brou!ht to ;ornwall
as he says Dy lord, you have one eye left to see some mischief on him 6.*8*'#17
Thou callst on him that hates thee* It was he that made the overture of thy treasons
to us, whos too !ood to -ity thee 6.*8*8#?7 =e!an cruelly informs Gloucester of
his sons betrayal, erodin! any ho-e that Gloucester had in 2ustice
Gloucester is left des-erate as he with the !ods for 2ustice> 9ind !ods, for!ive me
that and -ros-er him 6.*8*?17
The servants at the end of the scene voice the audiences outra!e at the scenes
actions>
o Ill never care what wic$edness I do if this man come to !ood 6.*8*?#?7
su!!ests that if there were any 2ustice in the world, ;ornwall would suffer
o If she live lon! and in the end meet the old course of death, women will all
turn monsters 6.*8*??#1'17 li$ens =e!an to a monster alludin! to how
unnatural her cruelty is* Cerha-s a feminist readin! would draw u-on this
statement as an eAam-le of the -lays seAism
o 4ets follow the old Earl and !et the bedlam to lead him where he would
6.*8*1'&7 the servants su--ort Gloucester des-ite bein! un$nown to him
and they -ity him in referrin! to the frailty that accom-anies his a!e and
su!!estin! that he needs Ed!ar, des-ite his madness, to show him the way
o )is +Coor Toms, ro!uish madness allows itself to anythin! 6.*8*1'.#"7
-oints out the irony that only the mad are truly free
o The final line of the scene e-itomises the des-erate situation of Gloucester as
the 5ervant bids )eaven hel- himH 6.*8*1':7 indicatin! his isolation as he
has no one to hel- him
Gloucesters sufferin!
(ll dar$ and comfortless 6.*8*"7 Gloucesters !ou!in! leaves him isolated and
without direction
There is cruel dramatic irony as Gloucester calls for Edmund to en$indle all the
s-ar$s of nature to @uit this horrid act 6.*8*17* )e also su!!ests that violent
retribution is what nature declares ;ornwall and =e!an deserve
G my folliesH Then Ed!ar was abused 6.*8*?'7 Gloucesters -hysical sufferin! is
matched by his emotional sufferin!
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page :'
Act 4, Scene 1
/eceit
In his solilo@uy a he ar!ues Bet better thus, and $nown to be contemned than still
contemned and flattered 6"*1*&7 Ed!ar -oints out the dan!ers of bein! flattered as
4ear was in 1*1 now that he has been left with nothin! but hatred
Ed!ar is forced by the deceit of others into deceivin! Gloucester> Bad is the trade
that must -lay fool to sorrow 6"*1*"'#17
I cannot daub it further 6"*1*117 for Ed!ar, the deceit to which the Kevil
characters are accustomed is unnatural
)o-e
The lowest and most de2ected thin! of fortune, stands still in Es-erance 6"*1*.#"7
says that havin! reached the bottom, one lives in ho-e and without fear
3all from !race
The lamentable chan!e is from the best, the worst returns to lau!hter 6"*1*1#:7
Ed!ar reflects on the -ain of his fall from !race but says that havin! reached roc$
bottom he has little left to fear> <elcome then, thou unsubstantial air that I embrace
6"*1*:#87
The wretch that thou hast blown unto the worst owes nothin! to thy blasts 6"*1*#?7
reminiscent of 4ear contendin! with the storm in .*&, Ed!ar bids the -ower of
nature do its worst as he has already suffered as much as he -ossibly can
/es-ite his own dire situation, Gloucester -ities Ed!ar as thou whom the heavens
-la!ues have humbled to all stro$es 6"*1*:7
o Foakes: 8loucester echoes ,ear.s $Goor naked wretches s)eech (see
.'.&5C("
5ufferin!
Ed!ar a--eals to <orld, world, G world 6"*1*117 whose stran!e mutations ma$e
us hate thee 6"*1*1&7 ar!uin! that 4ife would not yield to a!e 6"*1*1.7 he claims
that a!e alone cannot $ill a man but that the sufferin! he endures wears him down*
5imilar to Dans nature cannot carry 6.* &*"7
Thy comforts can be me no !ood at all, thee they may hurt 6"*1*18#7 Gloucester
has reached a -osition similar to that which Ed!ar has declared himself to be in* )e is
at roc$ bottom where nothin! can either hel- or harm him
Gloucester reflectively describes Ed!ar as The food of thy abused fathers wrath
6"*1*&"7 creatin! dramatic irony as Ed!ar is on sta!e
The !ods a--ear to taunt Ed!ar as he says in his aside G !odsH <ho ist can say KI
am at the worst0 I am worse than eer I was 6"*1*&8#7
(s Gloucester reflects on the wretch he saw in the storm he says Dy son came then
into my mind 6"*1*.1#:7* (s well as furtherin! the dramatic irony of Ed!ars
-resence on sta!e, he is shown to embody the sufferin! of man and 4ears -oor
na$ed wretches 6.*"*&7
4oyalty
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page :1
The Gld Dan re-resents the sort of loyalty which is notably absent from other
characters as he states I have been your tenant and your fathers tenant for these
fourscore years 6"*1*1"#17
o Foakes notes that he is the only character who belongs to ordinary life
outside the court and that he is older than e%en ,ear. He therefore
re)resents ideal or loyalty which are no longer )resent under 8oneril and
7egan
Gloucester re@uests the Gld Dans assistance of the !rounds of ancient love
6"*1*"17 as such loyalty is disturbin!ly anti@uated
/es-ite bein! allowed to do thy -leasure 6"*1*1'7, the Gld Dan vows to brin! him
the best K--arel that I have 6"*1*1&7 he re-resents outdates ideals of charity* )e
also s-ea$s in non#courtly dialect illustratin! that such values only eAist outside the
court
(nd yet I must 6"*1*187 des-ite his -ain at havin! to deceive his father, Ed!ar
retains his dis!uise out of some sense of duty, albeit mis!uidedJuneA-lained
Give me thy arm, Poor Tom shall lead thee (4.1.81-2) Edgars leading his
father by the arm symbolizes the reconciliation of father and daughter much
like Lear and Cordelia later. It strongly contrasts GH=e!an,will you ta$e her
by the hand0 6&*&*..7 which re-resents their abandonment of 4ear and
Ed!ar is therefore established as the sole eAam-le of a loyal child
Blindness
The Gld Dan tries to hel- Gloucester as you cannot see your way 6"*1*1?7 he is
both -hysically and meta-horically without a way
I have no way, and therefore want no eyes 6"*1*&'7 havin! lost everythin!,
Gloucester has no need for eyes
I stumbled when I saw 6"*1*&17 Gloucester reflects u-on his errors when he could
see* Duch li$e 4ear, he is only able to value what he had once hes lost it
Gur means secure us and our mere defects -rove our commodities 6"*1*&&#.7
there is somethin! o-en and eA-osed about the use of the word Kmere similar to
4ears )ere I stand your slave 6.*&*1?7* )e is also here similar to 4ear becomin!
more humble as his situation worsens> The art of our necessities is stran!e, and can
ma$e vile thin!s -recious 6.*&*8'# 17
Di!ht I but live to see thee in my touch, Id say I had eyes a!ain 6"*1*&1#:7
havin! been blinded, Gloucester is now able to Ksee his errors
The worst is not so lon! as we can say KThis is the worst 6"*1*"'7 Ed!ar says that
havin! the -resence of mind to deem oneself to be at roc$ bottom means that they
have not yet reached it% blindness to it is worse
Tal$in! of the ed!e of a cliff Gloucester says 3rom that -lace I shall no leadin!
need 6"*1*'#17 indicatin! that havin! lost his Kway in life, he now see$s only death
Dadness
The worst is not so lon! as we can say KThis is the worst 6"*1*"'7 Ed!ar says that
havin! the -resence of mind to deem oneself to be at roc$ bottom means that they
have not yet reached it% madness is worse
;haracteriLation of man
Ithe last ni!hts storm I saw such a fellow saw, which made me thin$ a man a
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page :&
worm 6"*1*."#17 resonant with Dans life is chea- as beasts 6&*&*"1:7* Den are
stri--ed of the shields of court and convention and laid na$ed before the s$ies
(s flies to wanton boys are we to the !ods, they $ill us for their s-ort 6"*1*.#?7
Gloucester summariLes his -hiloso-hical realiLation that des-ite the !randeur of
court, royalty and nobility, man is ultimately -owerless to resist the !ods
;haracteriLation of the world
KTis the times -la!ue when madmen lead the blind 6"*1*"?7 Gloucester reflects
on the inversion of order which has left him led by the instance
There is a cliff whose hi!h and bendin! head loo$s fearfully in the confined dee->
brin! me but to the brim of it 6"*1*8:#7 Gloucester become almost -oetic as he
calls for oblivion
Fustice
Gloucester wishes that That I am wretched ma$es thee ha--ier 6"*1*:#?7 as he
encoura!es em-athy fro those in a worse situation
4et the su-erfluous and lust#dieted man that slaves your ordinance, that will not see
because he does not feel, feel your -ower @uic$ly 6"*1*8'#&7 Gloucester calls to the
Gods, much li$e 4ear as .*&, to brin! about 2ustice on the -rivile!ed who ne!lect the
-oor* )is s-eech seems to challen!e 4ears earlier assertion that our basest be!!ars
are in the -oorest thin! su-erfluous 6&*&*"1.#"7
o Foakes: 8loucester begins to $see. in the sense of an acKuired insight into
how others might feel
Gloucester com-lains that distribution should undo eAcess and each man have
enou!h 6"*1*8.#"7 callin! once a!ain for a sense of fairness and e@uality that
Edmund, =e!an etc* defy
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page :.
Act 4, Scene 2
;haracteriLation of (lbany
Goneril refers to (lbany as her mild husband 6"*&*17, emasculatin! him and
-resentin! him as wea$ in com-arison to her* There is a sense of !ender inversion
and his wea$ness stron!ly contrasts her brutality towards Gloucester> Cluc$ out his
eyesH 6.*8*17
Eever a man so chan!ed 6"*&*.7 the audience has seen very little of (lbany
ma$in! his chan!e more dramatic thou!h less sur-risin! as his !radual distancin!
from ;ornwall and Goneril has been noted
<hat most he should disli$e seems -leasant to him, what li$e, offensive 6"*&*1'#
117 (lbany re#inverts the sense of order which Goneril, =e!an and ;ornwall have
themselves subverted* )e is here -resented as a contrast to the selfishness and
ruthlessness of the others
Goneril refers to the cowish terror of his s-irit, that dares not underta$e 6"*&*1&7
attachin! stereoty-ically female characteristics to him and assertin! herself as
dominant
Goneril criticiLes (lbany sayin! )ell not feel the wron!s which tie him to an
answer 6"*&*1.#"7 revealin! her own a!!ressive, -ower#see$in! nature
Goneril eA-licitly states the inversion of !ender convention as she says I must
chan!e names at home and !ive the distaff into my husbands hands 6"*&*18#7
( fool usur-s my bed 6"*&*&7 Goneril tellin!ly uses words associated with -ower
and royalty to describe her seAual relationshi- with (lbany
(s Goneril curtly dismisses (lbany sayin! Eo more, the teAt is foolish 6"*&*.7 she
ta$es on the conteAtually masculine im-erative and the !ender role reversal is
furthered
Dost barbarous, most de!enerate, have you madded 6"*&*""7 (lbany become far
more forceful here in his unreserved criticism of Goneril
3ollowin! (lbanys forceful criticism of her, Goneril labels him a Dil$#livered
man 6"*&*117 therein labellin! him as effeminate for refusin! to abandon 4ear
Goneril summariLes her view of him, labellin! him a moral fool 6"*&*1?7 she
thereby su!!ests that the values of honour which he defends are outdated and have no
-lace in contem-orary society
(lbanys idealiLed view of honour and loyalty is re2ected by Goneril who merely
condemns him as a vain fool 6"*&*:&7
(lbany is shown to re-resents chivalrous non#im-ulsiveness as he refuses to let
these hands obey my blood 6"*&*:17 as They are a-t enou!h to dislocate and tear
thy flesh and bones 6"*&*::#87
Darry, you manhood, mewH 6"*&*:?7 Gonerils criticisms of him remain related to
bein! non#manly and she @uestions the very essence of his manliness
(lbanys final lines declare his ambition to restore some sense of order as he states I
live to than$ thee +Gloucester, for the love thou showdst the 9in! 6"*&*?1#:7*
Ironically, he ta$es on a sons res-onsibility for and affection towards 4ear which
Goneril has so blatantly abandoned
)is ambition to reven!e thine eyes 6"*&*?87 also establishes himself as directly
a!ainst Goneril and =e!an and he becomes forceful, refusin! to ado-t the su--osedly
effeminate wea$ness with which hes described
Goneril and Edmunds affair
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page :"
Foakes: His DAlbanyF moral re+ection of 8oneril makes her )ursuit of #dmund
more )lausible
Goneril for the first time abandons her tou!h, ruthless eAterior as she lon!in!ly ho-es
that Gur wishes on the way may -rove effects 6"*&*1"#17
Ere lon! you are li$e to hear +M, a mistresses command 6"*&*&'#.7 whilst also
referrin! to her -ower as a ruler, Goneril is eu-hemistic here, a!ain showin! her
affection for Edmund
In sayin! 5-are s-eech 6"*&*&17 and This $iss, if it durst s-ea$, would stretch thy
s-irits u- into the air 6"*&*&&#.7 Goneril shows her love in deeds rather than words
remindin! the audience of her syco-hantic s-eech in 1*1
G, the difference of man and manH 6"*&*&:7 Goneril summariLes the differences
between (lbany and Edmund, the latter inducin! a sense of -assion alto!ether absent
from her marria!e
Gswald
There is somethin! disturbin!ly ironic in Gonerils labellin! of Gswald as This
trusty servant 6"*&*17 as for the audience he embodies deceit and mistrust
Goneril asserts that To thee a womans services are due 6"*&*&87 demonstratin! her
commitment to him but also illustratin! his control over and mani-ulation of other
characters
(lbany too is sur-rised to hear Ktwas he informed a!ainst him 6"*&*?.7 illustratin!
both the eAtent of his betrayal and his mani-ulation
(ccom-anyin! his com-ellin! mani-ulation of other characters is a ruthless as-ect to
him as he @uit the house on -ur-ose that their -unishment mi!ht have the freer
course 6"*&*?"#17 therein ne!lectin! any bond between father and son
Oalue
G Goneril, you are not worth the dust which the rude wind blows in your face
6"*&*.'#&7 (lbany describes Gonerils value much li$e 4ears descri-tion of
;ordelia as That little seemin! substance 61*1*1??7
Gonerils view of the world is rather economical as she criticises (lbany That
bearst a chee$ for blows, a head for wron!s 6"*&*1&7 his sufferin! ma$es him
wea$
Goneril criticiLes (lbany for lac$in! an eye discernin! thine honour from thy
sufferin! 6"*&*1.#"7 her invocation of honour is almost -erverse as she so -lainly
ne!lect traditional values of honour
(bandonment of 4ear
That nature which contemns its ori!in cannot be bordered certain in itself 6"*&*..#
"7 (lbany asserts that there is somethin! unnatural and untrustworthy about one
who would s-urn their own family as she has
5he that herself will sliver and disbranch, from her material sa- -erforce must wither
and come to deadly use 6"*&*.1#.87 (lbany com-ares her to a branch that brea$s
away from a tree sayin! that she will come to a bad end
(lbany labels Goneril 6and =e!an7 Ti!ers, not dau!hters 6"*&*"17 attachin!
animalistic connotations to their abandonment of him
;ould my !ood brother suffer you to do it0 ( man, a -rince, by him so benefitted0
6"*&*"1#:7 (lbany is unbelievin! that ;ornwall could betray 4ear illustratin! how
unnatural his abandonment of him
;haracteriLation of Goneril
(lbany su!!ests that <isdom and !oodness to the vile seem vile 6"*&*.?7
su!!estin! that her evil is so eAtreme as to cloud her understandin! of the very
conce-t of !oodness
3ilths savour but themselves 6"*&*"'7 -otential double meanin! as she can only
understand that which is as evil as her but she also only savour+s, herself
Goneril is @uite literally described as the devil in human s$in> 5ee thyself, devil
6"*&*:'7
Cro-er deformity shows not in the fiend so horrid as in woman 6"*&*:1#&7 (lbany
su!!ests that her betrayal is es-ecially terrible !iven her deviation from female
characteristics
The -resentation of Goneril as a deviation from femininity is furthered by (lbanys
labellin! of her as Thou chan!ed and self#covered thin!, for shame be#monster not
thy feature 6"*&*:.#"7
( womans sha-e doth shield thee 6"*&*:7 Gonerils femininity is her only
defence* Cerha-s a -oint where a feminist commentary would -oint out the inherent
seAism in King !ear2s society
)er aside shows her as schemin!, reflectin! Gne way I li$e this well 6"*&*"7
<hilst schemin!, she lac$s the eAtensive and im-ressive control of Edmund, lar!ely
due to her infatuation with him> But bein! widow, and my Gloucester with her, may
all the buildin! in my fancy -luc$ 6"*&*1#:7
5he becomes uncharacteristically indecisive as a result of her infatuation with
Edmund shown in her aside as she says (nother way the news is not so tart 6"*&*8#
7
;haracteriLation of 4ear
(lbany de-icts 4ear as wea$, innocent and res-ect#worthy to em-hasise the dis!race
of their betrayal of him> ( father, and a !racious and a!ed man 6"*&*"&7
)e is described as a man whose reverence even the head#lu!!ed bear would have
lic$ed 6"*&*"&#.7 usin! the a!!ressive connotations of a bear to eAa!!erate their
cruelty
Fustice
(lbany calls for heavenly 2ustice callin! If that the heavens do not their visible
s-irits send @uic$ly to tame these vile offences it will come 6"*&*"8#?7* )e su!!ests
that -unishment of them is deserved or else the world will descend into anarchy and
disorder
)umanity must -erforce -rey on itself, li$e monsters of the dee- 6"*&*1'#17
(lbany describes a state of chaos which will ensue if evil li$e Gonerils is left
un-unished
Gonerils view of 2ustice is twisted as she says 3ools do those villains -ity who are
-unished 6"*&*117 thereby advocatin! a merciless a--roach to Gloucester, 4ear and
;ordelia
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page ::
This shows you are above, you 2usticers, that thee out nether crimes so s-eedily can
aven!e 6"*&*8?#17 ;ornwalls death restores (lbanys faith in $armic 2ustice
thou!h this is one of the few eAam-les of it
<ords vs* deeds
The messen!ers version of ;ornwalls death !lorifies him as a !reat master 6"*&*8:7
who enra!ed, flew on him and amon!st them felled him dead 6"*&*8:#87 this
e-itomiLes the deceit of King !ear2s youn!er !eneration
Act 4, Scenes 3-5
;haracteriLation of ;ordelia
The Gentlemans descri-tion of how ;ordelias am-le tear trilled down her delicate
chee$ 6"*.*1&#.7 -resents her as fra!ile and innocent, a shar- contrast with the cold
cruelty of her sisters
Catience and sorrow strove who should eA-ress her !oodliest 6"*.*1:#87 ;ordelia
is conflicted between emotion and self#control whereas Goneril is conflicted between
-ower and lust
Bou have seen sunshine and rain at once, her smiles and tears were li$e a better
way 6"*.*18#?7 the Gentlemans descri-tion of ;ordelia is rather an!elic and she is
li$ened to the -owerful and natural forces of sun and rain
o Gotentially borrowed from Ghili) >idney.s Arcadia where Ghiloclea wee)s:
Her tears came dro))ing down like rain in sunshine
Those ha--y smilets that -layed on her ri-e li- seemed not to $now what !uests
were in her eyes 6"*.*1?#&17 almost an!elic descri-tion* Emblem of
sufferin!Jcom-assion
o *ilward: descri)tion is reminiscent of Lirgin *ary mourning death of
1hrist
(s -earls from diamonds dro--ed 6"*.*&&7 simile idealiLes ;ordelia and she
a--ears an!elic
5he becomes a symbol of noble sufferin! as the Gentleman asserts 5orrow would be
a rarity most beloved if all could so become it 6"*.*&.#"7 there is a beautiful
sim-licity to her sufferin!
<hilst she heaved the name of father 6"*.*&:7, she ;ried K5isters, sisters, shame of
ladies 6"*.*&7 e-itomiLin! the divide within the family
she shoo$ the holy water from her heavenly eyes, and clamour mastered her
6"*.*.'#17 ;ordelia !ives in to her !rief and is directly associated with the Oir!in
Dary
The stars above us !overn our conditions, else one self mate and ma$e could not
be!et such different issues 6"*.*."#17 9ent attributes ones character to fate as
;ordelia a--ear so different from her sisters as to a--ear unrelated* )e searches for a
new system of family as Goneril and =e!an have so clearly ne!lected their familial
duty
Goneril and =e!an are described as do!#hearted 6"*&*":7, a!ain attachin!
animalistic connotations of ruthlessness
;ordelia is de-icted re!ally thou!h her com-assion is in shar- contrast to the
connivin! attem-t at royalty of her sisters as she orders brin! him to our eye 6"*"*87
)e that hel-s him ta$e all my outward worth 6"*"*1'7 des-ite the -ower and
wealth that her coronation !ives her, ;ordelia retains her loyalty to 4ear whilst her
sisters can their -ower and wealth by doin! the o--osite* (lso, in describin! her
wealth as her outward worth she re2ects the economic a--roach to relationshi-s
which her sisters endorse
(ll you un-ublished virtues of the earth, s-rin! with my tears 6"*"*1:#87 this
ima!e of ;ordelias entails a certain fertility as her sufferin! breeds ho-e
;ordelia re-resents that which is aidant and remediate 6"*"*187 as she calls for this
in the herbs
G dear father, it is thy business I !o about 6"*"*&.#"7 there is a certain irony in the
fact that she is the only dau!hter not be !iven land by 4ear yet is now the only one to
defend him
;ordelias rhymin! cou-let at the end of the scene summariLes her virtuousness> Eo
blown ambition doth our arms incite, but love, dear love, and our a!ed fathers ri!ht
6"*"*&8#7* There is a sense of resolution in the rhyme and she establishes her own
benevolent intentions as distinct from the self#servin! motives of her sisters* In a
world that lac$s 2ustice, it is left to her to defend her fathers ri!ht
Cower
The Gentlemans descri-tion of ;ordelias tears tellin!ly uses an analo!y of royal
-ower sayin! It seemed she was a @ueen over her -assion, who, most rebel#li$e,
sou!ht to be $in! oer her 6"*.*1.#17 it also -resents her with a certain re!al
ele!ance
4oyalty
;ordelias love for 4ea star$ly contrasts Goneril and =e!ans in!ratiation in 1*1 as
once or twice she heaved the name of father, -antin!ly forth as if it -ressed her
heart 6"*.*&:#87 the word heaved su!!ests an emotional burden and sorrow
alto!ether lac$in! from Goneril and =e!ans cold mani-ulation
4et -ity not be believed 6"*.*.'7 ;ordelia reaches a -oint of des-eration as she
says no one should count on 2ustice and mercy
4ears remorse
sometime in his better tune remembers what we are come about 6"*.*"'#17 4ear
fluctuates between madness and memory, the latter brin!in! him only sufferin!
( soverei!n shame so elbows him 6"*&*".7% These thin!s stin! his mind so
venomously that burnin! sham detains him from ;ordelia 6"*.*"8#7 4ears sense
of !uilt brin!s him -ain
)is own un$indness that stri--ed her from his benediction 6"*.*".#"7 4ear
com-letes his role as the tra!ic hero as his character flaw has brou!ht about his
downfall and sufferin!
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page :?
The Gentleman recommends herbs whose -ower will close the eye of an!uish
6"*"*1"#17 callin! for a blindness to 4ears sufferin!
4ears madness
)avin! not seen 4ear on sta!e, his madness is described by ;ordelia who describes
him as mad as the veAed sea 6"*"*&#.7, the simile li$enin! him to an uncontrollable
force of nature
;rowned with +M, all the idle weeds 6"*"*.#17 4ears crown has hu!e aesthetic
value, -arodyin! his des-erate maintenance of his royalty earlier in the -lay* Cerha-s
related to ;hrist
o Forrest: dresses royally in his )ortrayal to em)hasise contrast with royal
,ear
4ear wears hemloc$ 6"*"*"7 and cuc$oo flowers 6"*"*"7, the first a sedative and
the second an allusion to madness* Both indicate his decayin! mental state*
4ear embodies the idle weeds that !row in our sustainin! corn 6"*"*1#:7, the former
burdenin! the latter
4est his un!overned ra!e dissolve the life that wants the means to lead it 6"*"*1?#
&'7 4ear lac$s the sanity to lead his own life and ;ordelia ta$es -ersonal
res-onsibility for sustainin! it
Eature
Gur foster nurse of nature is re-ose, the which he lac$s 6"*"*1&#.7 it is left to
nature to heal 4ear as only rest can ease his emotional and -hysical turmoil
(lbany and Goneril
Gswald too refers to the !ender inversion, statin! your sister is the better soldier
6"*1*"#17
;ruelty of Goneril and =e!an
=e!an shows her cruelty as she detachedly states It was !reat i!norance,
Gloucesters eyes bein! out, to let him live 6"*1*11#&7 there is no re!ret for her
cruelty, only for not $illin! him
<here he arrives he moves all hearts a!ainst us 6"*1*1&#.7 =e!an is aware of the
cruelty of the !ou!in!, notin! that it would ins-ire hatred towards her but shows no
sense of re!ret
In -ity of his misery to dis-atch his ni!hted life 6"*1*1"#17 she shows her war-ed
sense of 2ustice as she views Edmunds actions as ins-ired by -ity
If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor, -referment falls on him that cuts him
off 6"*1*.?#"'7 des-ite dis-layin! a sli!htly more human side to her in her love for
Edmund, she ends the scene by showin! once a!ain her cruelty as she refers to
Gloucester as a traitor and calls for his death
Edmund
)er affection for Edmund ma$es =e!an for the first time deviate from her
characteriLation as -owerful and commandin! as she -leads Ill love thee much% let
me unseal the letter 6"*1*&.#"7
5he !ave stran!e oeillades and most s-ea$in! loo$s to noble Edmund 6"*1*&8#7
illustrates Edmunds com-ellin! character as he forces both Goneril and =e!an to
abandon that hard, cold eAterior
desire her call her wisdom to her 6"*1*.87 both lose their better 2ud!ement on
account of their love for Edmund
Act 4, Scene 6
/ece-tion
Bou do climb u- it now* 4oo$ how we labour 6"*:*&7 Ed!ar doesnt ta$e this
o--ortunity to reveal himself to Gloucester and becomes ar!uably cruel in his
dece-tion
o Foakes: #dgar is )laying the traditional role of the de%il
G> Dethin$s the !round is even* E> )orrible stee- 6"*:*.7 the blatancy of
Ed!ars dece-tion of Gloucester em-hasises the blindness of the latter as he is both
-hysically and s-iritually led by his son
Gloucesters characteriLation as the Dachiavellian victim is furthered by Ed!ars
dece-tion of him, as he believes his assertion that your other senses !row im-erfect
by your eyes an!uish 6"*:*1#:7
Ed!ars dramatic descri-tion of the stee- cliff em-hasises Gloucesters blindness>
how fearful and diLLy Ktis to cast ones eyes so low 6"*:*11#&7% Ill loo$ no more,
lest my brain turn and the deficient si!h to--le headlon! 6"*:*&&#"7% theAtreme
ver!e 6"*:*&:7
/unn: 8loucester.s fall is made to look deliberately ridiculous as, kneeling, he
merely leans forward and to))les o%er. -his em)hasises his sorry state and the
figurati%e blindness which accom)anies his )hysical blindness
;ruelty
There is an element of cruelty as Ed!ar continues to trifle thus with his des-air
6"*:*..7 denyin! him of his final wish of death
/es-eration
-.: /+e kneels1 G you mi!hty !ods 6"*:*."7 Gloucester reveals himself before
the Gods, !ivin! in to the cruelty he has suffered
This world I do renounce and in your si!hts sha$e -atiently my !reat affliction off
6"*:*.1#:7 with all the sufferin! he has en2oyed, Gloucester wishes to be free of his
human body so as to end his torment
conceit may rob the treasury of life when life itself yields to the theft 6"*:*"&#"7
Ed!ar describes Gloucesters -osition as so des-erate that his willin!ness to die may
brin! it about
Is wretchedness de-rived that benefit to end itself by death0 6"*:*:1#&7
Gloucesters reflects on the cruelty of his -osition as he is unable to ta$e control over
even his own life
Bou ever !entle !ods, ta$e my breath from me% let not my worser s-irit tem-t me
a!ain to die before you -lease 6"*:*&1.#17 Gloucester is left to -lead for death as
even suiceide is forbidden to him
let thy friendly hand -ut stren!th tot 6"*:*&&:#87 Gloucester wills Gswald to $ill
him mar$in! the eAtent of his desolation
Eature
If I could bear it lon!er and not fall to @uarrel with your !reat o--oseless wills
6"*:*.8#7 Gloucester declares himself subservient to the wills of the !ods and says
that it is too much for his nature to bear> Dans nature cannot carry 6.*&*"7
Dy snuff and loathed -art of nature should burn itself out 6"*:*"?#"'7 Gloucester
describes himself as a de2ected and lowly fi!ure, followin! the same -ath from
nobility to -overty that 4ear and Ed!ar too$> ;rowned with +M, all the idle weeds
6"*"*.#17% -enury in contem-t of man brou!ht near to beast 6&*&*18?#'7
Eatures above art in that res-ect 6"*:*:7 4ear res-onds to Ed!ars -ity for him
sayin! that natural sufferin! li$e his -roduces a stron!er res-onse than can an act,
a!ain alludin! to the continually referenced relationshi- between nature and
a--earance
<ith society havin! so failed 4ear, he loo$s to nature for moral !uidance, acce-tin!
adultery as the wren !oes tot and the small !ilded fly does lecher in my si!ht
6"*:*111#&7
4ear loo$s to nature to be authority sayin! that a cur 6"*:*11.7 from whom a be!!ar
runs is the !reat ima!e of authority> a do!s obeyed in office 6"*:*11"#17 he
re2ects the authority which his royalty !ave him in 1*1 in favour of a natural order
I am even the natural fool of fortune 6"*:*1:#87 4ear views his life as a
-erformance to the -erverse !ods who are entertained by his sufferin! and ill#fortune
Ed!ar declares Thy lifes a miracle 6"*:*117 des-ite the fall havin! been
orchestrated by him illustratin! the absence of -ositive divine intervention in the -lay
Ed!ar acts the devil It was some fiend 6"*:*8&7 to show Gloucester that the
clearest !ods +M, have -reserved thee 6"*:*8.#"7 as the -lay lac$s any sense of
divine 2ustice or intervention, Ed!ar is forced to orchestrate it
(s 4ear moc$s Gloucesters blindness sayin! I remember thine eyes well enou!h*
/ost thou s@uiny at me0 6"*:*1.&#.7 he shows that society is founded on -ower as
those in dire situations loo$ for those worse off than them to have someone to have
-ower over
4ear accuses Gloucester of be!!in! and tric$in! money out of him sayin! you see
how this world !oes 6"*:*1".#"7 su!!estin! that he understands the economical
nature of the world and attributin! the ability of si!ht to the blind Gloucester showin!
his mistrust for society
<hen we are born we cry that we are come to this !reat sta!e of fools 6"*:*18#?7
4ear -rovides a dee-ly cynical de-iction of the world as re-resentative of nothin! but
sufferin! and folly
To $now our enemies minds we must ri- their hearts 6"*:*&117 Ed!ar -rovides a
de-ressin! vision of the world which functions on secrecy and blood
(!e vs* youth
Ed!ar uses Gloucesters su--osedly miraculous survival to illustrate the differences
between the older and youn!er !eneration
o )e s-ea$s in the conditional sayin! )adst thou been au!ht but !ossamer,
feathers, +M, thoudst shivered li$e an e!! 6"*:*1?#117
o )e re-laces this with bluntness an definite descri-tions sayin! thou dost
breathe, hast heavy seemin! substance, bleedst not, s-ea$st 6"*:*11#&7
o )e com-ares such stren!th of character with the li!ht ob2ects which re-resent
the youn!er !eneration, ma$in! them a--ear fic$le and wea$
Thou $nowst the first time that we smell the air we wawl and cry 6"*:*181#:7
4ear com-ares himself to a newborn in his old a!e havin! reached his the realiLation
of the corru-tion in which he has lived* )e is born a!ain but there is a tra!ic sense of
fertility 2uAta-osed with the morbidity of his madness
3all from !raceJsufferin! 64ear, Gloucester and Ed!ar7
<hereas before, 4ear a--eared -etulant in his attem-t to maintain his royalty via the
hundred $ni!hts, here his declaration of I am the 9in! himself 6"*:*.#"7 re-resents
his madness illustratin! the two fundamental chan!es 4ear has under!one
G thou side#-iercin! si!ht 6"*:*17 even Ed!ar, in his wretched state, feels -ity
for 4ears madness and -overty
/unn: ,ear gi%es #dgar a )lant as his )ressCmoney ('.(.5!"
6"*:*?"#1'"7 4ear becomes lar!ely monosyllabic and uses Germanic lan!ua!e
illustratin! his newfound understandin! of the world throu!h basic means
every inch a $in! 6"*:*1':7 -lays on the irony of his a--earance as he stand with
a mere crown of weeds
my heart brea$s at it 6"*:*1.7 4ear and Gloucester become re-resentative of
sadness and -ity as they are left to!ether, the blind and the mad
this would ma$e a man a man of salt, to use his eyes for !arden water#-ots
6"*:*1?1#&7 4ear furthers his characteriLation as the embodiment of sufferin!
( si!ht most -itiful in the meanest wretch, -ast s-ea$in! of in a $in! 6"*:*&''#17
the Gentleman recalls royal 4ear of (cts 1 and &, em-hasisin! his fall from !race
Ed!ar describes himself as ( most -oor man, made tame to fortunes blows
6"*:*&187 as he has become accustomed with sufferin! havin! eA-erienced little else
throu!hout the -lay
by the art of $nown and feelin! sorrows, am -re!nant to !ood -ity 6"*:*&1#?7
li$e 4ear, his sufferin! brin!s about com-assion for others who suffer
Gloucesters sufferin! is described as thinfection of his fortune 6"*:*&&?7
summariLin! his characteriLation as ill#fortuned
The 9in! is mad> how stiff is my vile sense that I stand u- and have in!enious
feelin! of my hu!e sorrows0 6"*:*&8"#:7 Gloucester is left so hel-less as to envy
the distractin! insanity of 4ear
Better I were distract% so should my thou!hts be severed from my !riefs, and woes
by wron! ima!inations lose the $nowled!e of themselves 6"*:*&8:#?7 much li$e
4ears a--reciation of the storm in that it distracts him from his misery> This
tem-est will not !ive me leave to -onder on thin!s would hurt me more 6.*"*&"#17
3latteryJart vs* nature
They flattered me li$e a do! 6"*:*?:#87 it is tellin! that 4ear is more aware of his
dau!hters obse@uiousness in his madness than in his royalty* (!ain animalistic
ima!ery is used, here to li$en 4ear to a do! which is seemin!ly cared for but
ultimately beneath its masters
4ear says they told me I had the white hairs in my bears ere the blac$ ones were
there 6"*:*?8#7* )e uses a!e as an eAam-le of the flattery which em-hasiLes the
eAtent of their deceit as it is this which contributed to their abandonment of him
4ear describes their flattery no !ood divinity 6"*:*?#?7 reco!niLin! that whilst they
treated him as a !od, they had no faithJloyalty to him
4ear himself reco!niLes the storm as the ori!in of his humaniLation sayin! there I
found Kem, there I smelt Kem out 6"*:*1'&#.7
It is only when 4ears -ower is shown to command no force in nature 6the thunder
would not -eace at my biddin! 6"*:*1'1#&77 that he realiLes his dau!hters flattery%
his -ower blinded him
they told me I was everythin!% Ktis a lie, I am not a!ue#-roof 6"*:*1'.#"7 4ears
sufferin! in the rain humaniLes him as he faces it as nothin! more than a man
I would not ta$e this from re-ort 6"*:*1.87 illustrates the -itiful state of 4ear and
Gloucester but also alludes to the mistrust which King !ear2s society is infested with
Gswalds descri-tion of Gloucester as a -ublished traitor 6"*:*&&7 subtly indicates
the arbitrary nature of his su--osed treachery
<hilst Gswald attem-ted intimidation of Ed!ar fails 6Kchud ha been Lwa!!ered out
of my life, Ktwould not ha been Lo lon! as tis by a vortni!ht 6"*:*&."#17, the latter is
-lain#s-ea$in!> ;hill be -lain with you 6"*:*&.7
o *iller (001": ?swald lifts one arm ceremoniously whilst fighting and
#dgar has no wea)on but sim)ly throws him to the ground. >im)licity wins
out. -his matches #dgar.s disregard for ?swald.s wea)on as something
with which to )ick your teeth ('.(.&'<" bidding him 1ome, no matter
%or your foins ('.(.&'<C1"
FusticeJorder
4et co-ulation thrive 6"*:*11&7 4ear re2ects the convention of marria!e which has
brou!ht him his le!itimate yet cruel dau!hters
o Garis: Argues that ,ear abandons se@ual con%entions as 1hastity is
merely a )lague of custom that is contrary to the course of nature
Gloucesters bastard son was $inder to his father than were my dau!hters !ot Ktween
the lawful sheets 6"*:11.#"7 4ear is overcome by a sense of in2ustice 6ironic !iven
Edmunds betrayal7 and therefore abandons the conventions which have brou!ht him
this in2ustice leadin! him to bid all luAury, -ell#mell 6"*:*1117
o Garis: ,ear comes close here to sharing #dmund.s %ision of life as a
+ungle, a %ision that is s)onsored in #dmund, too, by a sense of in+ustice
that leads him to re+ect the social order
4ear s-ea$s of a woman who does sha$e the head to hear of -leasures name
6"*:*11#?7 whilst The fitchew, nor the soiled horse, !oes tot with a more riotous
a--etite 6"*:*1&'#17 he im-lies that womens su--osedly noble chastity is a social
im-osition on their natural lust* (s he re-laces the crown of civiliLation with the
crown of nature, so too does he re-lace social convention with natural order
4ear eA-oses the societal 2ustice to be arbitrary notin! how yon 2ustice rails u-on
yon sim-le thief 6"*:*1"8#7 yet chan!e -lace and handy#dandy 6"*:*1"?7 and you
can no lon!er tell which is the 2ustice, which is the thief0 6"*:*1"#?7 4ears !reat
realiLation in the storm is that re!ardless of the royalty one shields themselves in,
they are ultimately men li$e any other
(!ain 4ear criticiLes the orchestration of 2ustice as he ima!ine a whore bein!
whi--ed and tells the ima!ined man to 5tri- thine own bac$ 6"*:*1187 as he is -rey
to the hotly lusts to use her in that $ind for which thou whi--st her 6"*:*11#?7* )e
therein societal 2ustice in its entirety
The usurer han!s the coLener 6"*:*11?7 4ear becomes rather insi!htful as he notes
the -erverse tendency of men to eAact -unishment on those beneath them accordin!
to societal convention, reco!niLin! this trait in his own former behaviour
Throu!h tattered clothes !reat vices do a--ear% robes and furred !owns hide all
6"*:*1:'#17 4ear eA-oses the arbitrary nature of 2ustice as one can avoid it throu!h
the dis!uise of royalty* Therefore, 4ear ado-ts the crown of nature for its
indiscriminate -ower over all men
Clate sin with !old, and the stron! lance of 2ustice hurtles brea$s 6"*:*1:1#&7 4ear
invo$es the ceremonial convention which he earlier endorsed as an eAam-le of
societys in2ustice* This is com-ounded by the irony of the wea$ness of !old which
would be easily -ierced
Eone does offend non, I say none* Ill able Kem 6"*:*1:"7 4ear does not -rotest
his own innocence so much as declare all men e@ually !uilty* )e ac$nowled!es his
faults and therefore refuses to -unish faults in others as he has no natural authority,
merely societal authority
o Garis: His %ision of the uni%ersality of corru)tion is at once a
generali4ation from what has been done to him and what he has done to
other and a way of warding off his own feelings of selfChate
4ears -resentation of women
4ear s-ea$s of a woman who does sha$e the head to hear of -leasures name
6"*:*11#?7 whilst The fitchew, nor the soiled horse, !oes tot with a more riotous
a--etite 6"*:*1&'#17 he im-lies that womens su--osedly noble chastity is a social
im-osition on their natural lust* (s he re-laces the crown of civiliLation with the
crown of nature, so too does his re-lace social convention with natural order
/own from the waist they are centaurs 6"*:*1&1#&7 4ear li$ens women to the
mytholo!ical creature, horse from the waist down, to su!!est that -eo-le are, whether
or not they mi!ht admit it, half controlled by animals lusts
But to the !irdle do !ods inherit, beneath is all the fiends 6"*:*1&.7 4ears
-erce-tion of women is !uided by Goneril and =e!an and thus he resents womens
very ability to !ive birth as it has brou!ht forth those such as his dau!hters* 5imilarly,
(lbany su!!ests that Goneril is not female in her cruelty as he says Cro-er deformity
shows not in the fiend so horrid as in woman 6"*&*:1#&7
4ear -rovides a vividly hellish de-iction of -rocreation 6theres hell, theres
dar$ness +M, burnin!, scaldin!, stench, consum-tion 6"*:*1&.#177 indicatin! his fear
of it !iven his dau!hters cruelty
do thy worst, blind ;u-id, Ill not love 6"*:*1."7 4ear re2ects love and all of its
conventions havin! suffered so dearly because of it
I will die bravely, li$e a smu! bride!room 6"*:*1?"7 -layin! on the lin$ between
seA and death 6le petit "ort7 as seA has brou!ht about his 6and Gloucesters7 sufferin!
4ears de-iction of women is shown to be founded on Goneril as Ed!ar 6on readin!
her letter7 similarly remar$s G indistin!uished s-ace of womans will 6"*:*&::7
/isorder
Gloucester sees 4ear as an almost a-ocaly-tic vision cryin! out G ruined -iece of
nature, this !reat world shall so wear out to nau!ht 6"*:*1.'#17
matter and im-ertinency miAed, reason in madness 6"*:*18'#17 4ear re-resents
sense bein! found in madness* In losin! his sanity he !ains sense in that he is reduced
to a mere man
Blindness
<hilst losin! his si!ht, Gloucester !ains a meta-horicalJs-iritual si!ht illustrated by
his statement I see it feelin!ly 6"*:*1"17 which reverses his earlier statement of
4ets see, lets see 61*&*".7 when readin! Edmunds for!ed letter a he so -lainly
fails to see
4ear bids Gloucester Get thee !lass eyes, and li$e a scurvy -olitician seem to see the
thin!s thou dost not 6"*:*1:8#7 alludin! to the corru-tion of the court
The Gentleman describes her with an!elic -owers of redem-tion as he asserts Thou
hast one dau!hter who redeems nature from the !eneral curst which twain have
brou!ht he to 6"*:*&'1#.7* This also se-arates her from her sisters and ali!ns her with
the -urity of nature rather than the corru-tion of court
Gswald
( most -roclaimed -riLe% most ha--yH 6"*:*&&&7 Gswald is disturbin!ly deli!hted
on seein! Gloucester in this -itiful state mar$in! the contrast between the K!ood and
Kevil characters with Ed!ar havin! 2ust said Give me your hand% Ill lead you to
some bidin! 6"*:*&1?#&'7
That eyeless head of thine was first frames flesh to raise my fortunes 6"*:*&&.#"7
Gswald alliteratively summariLes the self#servin! nature of the clash he re-resents
)e is once a!ain described as a serviceable villain 6"*:*&"87 describes as bein! (s
duteous to the vices of thy mistress as badness would desire 6"*:*&"#?7
Ed!ar fittin!ly describes Gswald as the -ost unsanctified of murderous lechers
6"*:*&:?#8'7* This summariLes his role in the -lay as the loyal, yet in!ratiatin!
servant of the Kevil characters
3ate
The characters who attem-t to control fate tend to come to bad ends
o Edmund denounces fate and is eventually $illed by the brother he betrayed in
doin! so
o Gloucester attem-ts suicide but is tric$ed and fails to do so
o Gswald here declares The sword is out that must destroy thee 6"*:*&&1#:7
and is $illed soon after
Identity
Ed!ar ado-ts yet another identity as he fi!hts Gswald, usin! eAa!!erated dialect to
distance himself from Ed!ar> Lir% vurther% Kcai!on Kchud% Lwa!!ered%
vortni!ht 6"*:*&.1#17
Ed!ar be!ins to sli- bac$ into his real identity, thrice callin! Gloucester father
6"*:*8&J&11J&17
Act 4, Scene 6
9ent as loyal servant
In res-onse to ;ordelias -roclaimed aim to match thy !oodness 6"*8*&7, 9ent says
To be ac$nowled!ed, madam, is oer-aid 6"*8*"7 furtherin! his characteriLation as a
noble and loyal servant
These weeds are memories of worser hours 6"*8*87 literally referrin! to his
clothin! but also su!!est that 9ent is re-resentative of 4ears flaws
Dy -oint and -eriod will be thorou!hly wrou!ht, or well or ill this days battles
fou!h 6"*8*?87 rhymin! cou-let re-resents 9ents resolution to die in service to
4ear and ;ordelia
9ent as -lain#s-ea$in!
(ll my re-orts !o with the modest truth, nor more, nor cli--ed, but so 6"*8*:7
9ent refuses to embellish or understate* It is tellin! that he says this when de-ictin!
himself as it is what he seems to identify himself by
=e-ort is chan!eable 6"**8*?&7 9ent bluntly res-onds to the ironic su!!estion that
he is in Germany with this sim-le de-iction of the relationshi- between words and
deeds
=econciliation
G you $ind !odsH 6"*8*1"7 ;ordelia unwittin!ly ali!ns herself with 4ear, cryin!
out to the !ods, foreshadowin! their reconciliation
G my dear father, restoration han! thy medicine on my li-s 6"*8*&:#17 re-resents
both reconciliation and his restoration as he is finally returned to lovin! care*
;ordelia also ta$es -ersonal res-onsibility and alludes to some sort of healin!
throu!h familial bonds
Cray you no, for!et and for!ive, I am old and foolish 6"*8*.#"7 4ear leaves with
his re@uest for for!iveness from ;ordelia si!nallin! their reconciliation as the latter
now loo$s after the former
Eature
;ordelia bids the !ods ;ure this !reat breach in his abused nature 6"*8*117
indicative of the sufferin! which has forced a deviation from his nature* 4ears nature
has been distorted by his ill#fortune and -ersonal error
4ears sufferin!
Thuntuned and 2arrin! senses 6"*8*1:7 almost mechanical descri-tion of 4ears
insanity alludin! to a sense of disorderJchaos
=e-air those violent harms that my two sisters have in they reverence made
6"*8*&#?7 2uAta-osition of violent and reverence indicatin! the dis-arity
between what is eA-ected of Goneril and =e!an and their actual treatment of him
<as this a face to be o--osed a!ainst the warrin! winds 6"*8*.1#&7 4ear comes to
re-resent undue sufferin! as ;ordelia describes his frailty and the resultant cruelty of
Goneril and =e!ans treatment of him
warrin! winds% dee-, dread#bolted thunder% terrible and nimble stro$e of @uic$#
cross li!htnin! 6"*8*.&#17 ;ordelias descri-tion of natures -ower entails both
-ower and a rather more disturbin! sense of delicacy associated with torment
this thin helm 6"*8*.:7 continues strin! of references to 4ears headJhair
6unbonneted he runs 6.*1*1"7 which indicates his a!e and frailty* (lso re-resents
the reduction of him to a sim-le man, with his thin head of hair his only defence
a!ainst the ra!in! storm
hovel thee with swine and ro!ues forlorn 6"*8*.?7 thou!h criticiLed by ;ordelia, it
is this which brin!s about 4ears humaniLation and increasin! humility
Thou art a soul in bliss, but I am bound u-on a wheel of fire 6"*8*":#87 whether
out of humility or a sense of his own sufferin!, 4ear contrasts their reli!ious fates,
him bein! damned to eternal sufferin!
I should evn die with -ity to see another thus 6"*8*1.#"7 4ear re-resents the
hel-less here, a symbol of the -itiful
4ear as a child
;ordelia labels 4ear this child#chan!ed father 6"*8*187 indicatin! that he has been
reduced, by the malice of his dau!hters, to a child a!ain
;ordelias royalty
;ordelia re-resents ho-e as she refuses to rule as 4ear did, biddin! her servants
-roceed iNthe sway of your own will 6"*:*1?#&'7* This contrasts 4ears des-erate
maintenance of his royalty> /eny to s-ea$ with me0 6&*&*&887% The 9in! would
s-ea$ with ;ornwall 6&*&*&?'7
;ordelia mar$s the cruelty of her sisters statin! Dine enemys do! thou!h he had bit
me should have stood that ni!ht a!ainst the fire 6"*8*.:#87 she re-resents !eneral
human com-assion whilst her sisters re-resent ruthless self#interest
4ears restoration
It is somewhat sur-risin! that the Gentleman says I doubt not of his tem-erance
6"*8*&"7 and it illustrates ;ordelias restorative -owers
G my dear father, restoration han! thy medicine on my li-s 6"*8*&:#17 re-resents
both reconciliation and his restoration as he is finally returned to lovin! care*
;ordelia also ta$es -ersonal res-onsibility and alludes to some sort of healin!
throu!h familial bonds
KTis wonder that thy life and wits at once had not concluded all 6"*8*"1#&7 4ears
restoration is shown to be near miraculous, furtherin! the an!elic de-iction of
;ordelia
Mano Emmanuel 13K Page '
Bou do me wron! to ta$e me out othe !rave 6"*8*"17 a!ain shows his restoration
to be miraculous but also associates him with Gloucesters welcomin! of death
3amilial bonds
;ordelia mar$s the -erversion of familial bonds which Goneril and =e!an have
brou!ht about su!!estin! )ad you not been their father, those white fla$es did
challen!e -ity of them 6"*8*.'#17 in King !ear2s world, family ins-ires not love
but betrayal
;ordelia as an!elic
Bou do me wron! to ta$e me out othe !rave 6"*8*"17 4ears restoration is shown
to be near miraculous, furtherin! the an!elic de-iction of ;ordelia
Bou are a s-irit% where did you die0 6"*8*"?7 ;ordelias -resence is ethereal in
4ears eyes, a!ain -resentin! her as an!elic
;ordelias loyalty
5/> /Kneels1 G loo$ u-on me sir, and hold your hands in benediction oer meH
6"*8*18#7 her $neelin! before her father and reverin! his royalty shar-ly contrasts
the syco-hantic $neelin! of her sisters 6as in /unn7 and -roves the claims of 1*1 to
be reversed
5/> /-he restrains hi" as he tries to kneel1 movin! symbol of their reconciliation*
;ontrasts &*&*.". where 4ear sarcastically $neels before =e!an
(nd so I am, I am* 6"*8*8'7 ;ordelia is eAtra#metrical here illustratin! her
affection and ha--iness in res-onse to 4ear reco!nition of her
;ordelia is ali!ned with 9ent as she says Eo cause, no cause 6"*8*817 after 4ear
says she had cause to desert him> Eow, banished 9ent, if thou canst serve where
thou dost stand condemned 61*"*"#17
4ears humility
Cray do not moc$ me* 6"*8*1?7% /o not lau!h at me 6"*8*:7 contrasts his earlier
will to be feared, mar$in! the humility that his fall from !race brin!s him ;ome not
between a dra!on and his wrath 61*1*1&.7% 3iery0 <hat @uality0 6&*&*&17
I am a very foolish, fond old man 6"*8*:'7 4ear has abandoned the -ursuit of
royalty and therein has lost the an!er and rashness of earlier
to deal -lainly 6"*8*:&7 mar$s his sim-licity, castin! of the embellished, re!al
lan!ua!e of 1*1> cham-ai!ns richd with -lenteous rivers 61*1*:"#17
all the s$ill I have remembers not these !arments 6"*8*::#87 4ear abandons the
ceremony of earlier* )e no lon!er shows care for riches as he is reduced to nothin!
more than a man and is without his shield of royalty
Bou have some cause, they have not 6"*8*817 4ear acce-ts his earlier mista$es
and eA-ects abandonment ma$in! their reconciliation all the more -oi!nant* )e also
se-arates ;ordelia from his other two dau!hters who have done me wron! 6"*8*8"7
4ears senility
<hilst somewhat recovered havin! been reunited with ;ordelia his descri-tion of his
a!e as 3ourscore and u-ward, not an hour more or less 6"*8*:17 2uAta-oses
va!ueness with -recision and shows him not to have re!ained all his mental faculties
o Foakes: ,ear is o%ercome with the o%erwhelming sense of his great age
I fear I am not in -erfect mind 6"*8*:.7 sim-le and movin! admission of his own
senility* )e no lon!er be!s to avoid it or ra!es a!ainst it but merely acce-ts it
foolish% doubtful% i!norant% lac$in! in s$ill 6"*8*1?#::7 all indicate 4ears
senility ins-irin! sym-athy and com-assion at his acce-tance of it
Act 5, Scenes 1 and 2
)es full of alteration and self#re-rovin!61*1*.#"7 shows him a!ain to be wea$
and indecisive
<here I could not be honest I never yet was valiant 61*1*&.#"7 establishes himself
as different from the ease with which the others 6Goneril, =e!an and Edmund7
deceive
(lbany notes that those in su--ort of 4ear Dost 2ust and heavy causes ma$e o--ose
61*1*&:#87 illustratin! that his morals and sense of 2ustice are unaffected by his
-ersonal interests
Edmunds influence on =e!an and Goneril
sweet lord, you $now the !oodness I intend u-on you 61*1*:#87 Edmund is the
sole character she allows herself to be relatively subservient to
Edmund brin!s about the division between Goneril and =e!an as she as$s if he has
been to the forfended -lace 61*1*117 with Goneril and says I am doubtful that you
have been con2unct and bosomed with her 61*1*1&#.7
Edmund asserts that That thou!ht abuses you 61*1*117 indicatin! the dishonour she
brin!s u-on herself in her lustful desires
I should rather lose the battle than that sister should loosen him and me 61*1*1?7
Gonerils obsession with -ower is overcome by her lustful feelin!s towards Edmund
G ho, I $now the riddle 61*1*.87 the two similar sisters are now forced into
o--osition, schemin! a!ainst each other for the love of Edmund
There is -erverse dramatic irony as Edmund s-ea$s of honoured love 61*1*?7 and
swears by mine honour 61*1*1"7 with the audience aware of his dishonourable
actions throu!hout as well as the adulterous nature of his and Gonerils relationshi-*
The very conce-t of honour here is re-laced by Edmunds mani-ulation and
schemin!*
3amilial bonds
In sayin! I never shall endure her 61*1*117 and -leadin! that Edmund Be not
familiar with her 61*1*1:7, =e!an shows her lust to ta$e -recedence over her familial
loyalty
the 9in! has come to his dau!hter 61*1*&17 subtly su!!ests ;ordelia to be his only
dau!hter
;haracteriLation of =e!an and Goneril
<hy is this reasoned0 61*1*&7 not only does she lac$ the em-athy and
understandin! of (lbany, she fails to understand why the !oodness of her enemies is
eve relevant
Each 2ealous of each other as the stun! are of the adder 61*1*18#7 simile de-icts
the com-etition and 2ealously between them
Bour business of the world hath so and end and machination ceases 61*1*":#87
su!!ests that the only rest from schemin! is in death
Edmunds solilo@uy
)is final solilo@uy a--ears far more des-erate and less Dachiavellian than his first
<hich of them shall I ta$e0 Both0 Gne0 Gr neither0 61*1*1#?7 his rhetorical
@uestions here star$ly contrast those in his first solilo@uy as here they re-resent
indecision whereas before they mar$ed his resolution> -ermit the curiosity of nations
to de-rive me0 61*&*.#"7% <hy brand they us with base0 <ith baseness, bastardy0
Base, base0 61*&*?#1'7 -losive alliteration brin! out an!er whilst his final solilo@uy
shows more fear
Edmund shows fear here that he EAas-erates, ma$es mad her sister Goneril 61*1*:17
whilst he before confidently declared I !row, I -ros-er 61*&*&17
4et her devise his +M, devise his s-eedy ta$in! off 61*1*:1#:7 Edmund leaves the
Kdirty wor$ to Goneril, showin! his decreased confidence and mani-ulation whilst he
earlier stated Edmund the base shall to- the le!itimate 61*&*&'#17
;ruelty of Edmund
Edmund re2ects the mercy which he +(lbany, intends to 4ear and ;ordelia 61*1*::#
87 therein contravenin! his su--osed commitment to honour 61*1*1"7
The ri!our our state 61*1*&&7 of which (lbany s-o$e is shown once a!ain as
Edmund declares my state stands on me to defend, not to debate 61*1*:?#8'7
endorsin! a rather anti@uated system based on maintainin! royalty rather than
im-rovin! the state
Gloucester and Ed!ar
a man may rot even her 61*&*7 Gloucester once a!ain resi!ns himself to his
death, wishin! to die alone beneath the natural sim-licity of the tree, away from the
violence of battle
Den must endure their !oin! hence even as their comin! hither 61*&*?#1'7 Ed!ar
lin$s birth to death, moraliLin! that suicide is wron!* <ith it comes the im-lication
that sufferin! is somethin! that all men must endure, thereby -aintin! a rather blea$
-icture of the world
=i-eness is all 61*&*117 Ed!ar, whilst a K!ood character a--ears too strictly
bound to his own sense of morals as he forces endurance des-ite Gloucesters dire
situation* )e waits for a readiness for death which seems to idealiLe it* Ed!ar holds
on to an view of ri!hteousness that doesnt a--ear relevant in the world of King !ear
Act 5, Scene 3
4ears sufferin!
;ordelia refers to 4ear as o--ressed 9in! 61*.*17 sim-ly alludin! to his fall from
!race and -ower at the hands of his dau!hters recallin! 9ents G--ressed nature
slee-s 6.*:*?"7
It is a chance which does redeem all sorrows that ever I have felt 61*.*&:"#17
climaA of -athos as only 4ear maintains ho-e for ;ordelias survival -rom-tin!
9ents G, my !ood master 61*.*&:17
I am old now and these same crosses s-oil me 61*.*&81#:7 summariLes his
2ourney of sufferin! throu!hout the -lay which reduce him to his current frailty
4ear is also sim-lified by his sufferin! as he says 6ironically to 9ent, the
re-resentative of -lain s-eech7 Ill tell you strai!ht 61*.*&887
If 3ortune bra! of two she loved and hated, one of them we behold 61*.*&8#?7
4ear re-resents ill fortune, recallin! his descri-tion of himself as the natural fool of
fortune 6"*:*187* There is also a sense in which the others observe an obliviousness
4ear in his madness, addin! to the cruelty of his senility
(lbany describes 4ears -ro!ression as !reat decay 61*.*&?:7 ma$in! him a--ear a
symbol of the fall from !race and the descent into senility
(nd my -oor fool is han!ed 61*.*.'"7 refers to both ;ordelia and the 3ool, the
monosyllabic sentence furtherin! the -oi!nancy
thoult come no more, never, never, never, never, never* 61*.*.':#87 4ear finally
ac$nowled!es ;ordelias death and the raw emotion of the re-eated never
em-hasiLes his -ain
o Foakes: 6..<! is )erha)s the most e@traordinary blank %erse line in
#nglish )oetry
o /unn: long )ause between each ne%er, ,ear becoming increasingly more
des)airing and emotional
o *iller: ,ear chokes on the fourth ne%er and says Gray you undo this
button (6..<5"
)e hates him that would u-on the rac$ of this tou!h world stretch him out lon!er
61*.*.1&#"7 9ent describes death as the only release for 4ear from his sufferin!,
havin! endured more than his nature can endure* In describin! him bein! u-on the
rac$ of this tou!h world he also de-icts the cruelty of the world which a--ears to
torture him
The wonder is he hath endured so lon!% he but usur-ed his life 61*.*.11#:7 recalls
Dans nature cannot carry 6.*&*"7 with 4ears sufferin! havin! worn him down to
nothin!ness* The use of the word usur-ed has ironic connotations of royalty also as,
in a sense, he dies by his -ower or loss of it
;ordelia remains noble in her sufferin! as she alliteratively vows to outfrown false
fortunes frown 61*.*:7 illustratin! he lac$ of fear at facin! her sisters -unishment
thou!h she remains cast down 61*.*17 in fear for 4ear
The !ods defend her 61*.*&1"7 the near#an!elic -ortrayal of ;ordelia ma$es her
death re-resent the lac$ of !ods in King !ear2s society
Is this the -romised end0 61*.*&:17 9ents inter-retation of ;ordelias death as
re-resentative of her !oodness and thus the cruelty of the world
3amilial bonds
5hall we not see these dau!hters and these sisters0 61*.*87 ;ordelia refers to them
by their familial relationshi- to them em-hasiLin! their betrayal
It is tellin! that =e!an asserts that for havin! led out -owers 61*.*:"7 and Bore the
commission of my -lace and -erson 61*.*:17 he deserves to call itself your brother
61*.*:87 =e!an establishes familial bonds on the basis of her lust and his -ower
I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund> if more, the more thoust wron!ed me
61*.*1:1#:7 Edmunds betrayal, li$e Goneril and =e!ans, is made all the more
treacherous by his blood lin$s to those he has betrayed
4ears relationshi- with ;ordelia
<e two alone will sin! li$e birds iNthe ca!e 61*.*?7 4ear movin!ly renounces all
-ower, wishin! to s-end his last days with ;ordelia, re!ardless of where* 4ear also
-rioritiLes nature 6sin! li$e birds7 above the man#made conce-t of a ca!e
o /unn: ,ear and 1ordelia dressed in sim)le white bedclothes whilst the rest
where red and black suits of armour
<hen thou dost as$ me blessin! Ill $neel down and as$ of thee for!iveness
61*.*1'#117 4ear resi!ns himself to ;ordelia recallin! his attem-t to $neel at "*8*18*
)e ta$es her to be his moral !uidance, re2ectin! the su--osed 2ustice of his ca-tors
o Foakes: 1ordelia alone seems to e@ist for ,ear. He insulates himself
against reality in a %ision that is at once selfCcentred, absurd, )athetic, and
a renunciation of )ower
well live and -ray, and sin! and tell old tales and lau!h 61*.*1&7 list of active
verbs 2uAta-osed with inherent confinement of -rison
I-on such sacrifices, my ;ordelia, the !ods themselves throw incense 61*.*&'#17
4ear describes the nobility of her sacrifice and devotion to him favourin! her divine
virtue over the reality of her sufferin!* )e also refers to her as my ;ordelia, a
seemin! retraction of my sometime dau!hter 61*1*1&17
)e that -arts us shall brin! a brand from heaven, and fire us hence li$e foAes
61*.*&&#.7 4ear asserts that no human -ower can ever a!ain se-arate them and a!ain
ali!ns himself with nature an a-art from society
5/> )nter !ear %ith $ordelia in his ar"s dramatically -oi!nant as father and
dau!hter are shown to be reconciled in her death* 4ears frailty is eroded as he is
restored to his -aternal role
o Foakes: >hakes)eare wanted to ha%e all three of ,ear.s daughters dead
on stage in this final scene, in order to recall and to contrast with the final
scene
G, you are men of stonesH 61*.*&117 4ear is brou!ht to the -ea$ of his sufferin!
and rues those who do not wee- with him
)ad I your ton!ues and eyes, Id use them so that heavens vault should crac$
61*.*&1:#87 recalls 9ents attem-t to burst heaven 61*.*&11#&7 in he lament* )e
also invo$es the -ower of the thunder and rain he eA-erienced in the storm seemin! to
ali!n himself with nature ahead of the !ods who have failed him
( -la!ue u-on you murderers, traitors all% I mi!ht have saved her% now shes !one
for ever 61*.*&:8#7 4ears ra!e ins-ires only -ity here as he des-erately call to
;ordelia, ;ordelia, stay a little0 61*.*&:?7
/o you see this0 4oo$ on her> loo$, her li-s, loo$ there, loo$ thereH 61*.*.'?#1'7
ambi!uity as to whether he dies ha--y thin$in! she has revived 6much li$e
Gloucesters death7 or devastated by her unmovin! li-s
o /unn: cries as he touches her still li)s and colla)ses
o *iller: cries with seeming +oy as he thinks she re%i%es and his throat sei4es.
,ess satisfying ending
4ears renunciation of society and his dau!hters
4ear says that they will lau!h at !ilded butterflies 61*.*1&#.7 therein re2ectin! the
-om- and ceremony he earlier embraced* Elaborate lan!ua!e recalls 1*1 thou!h here
it re-resents his vision of a world founded on sim-licity and lived alone with ;ordelia
hear -oor ro!ues tal$ of court news 61*.*1.#"7 distances himself from the court
which he earlier des-erately attem-ted to maintain* (s such, he wishes to ali!n
himself with the -oor na$ed wretches 6.*"*&7 and se-arate himself from the
corru-tion of court
well wear out in a walled -rison -ac$s and sects of !reat ones 61*.*18#7
summariLes his desire to live as a mere man away from the corru-t court * )e re2ects
those that ebb and flow by the moon 61*.*1?7 in favour of sim-le constancy
/es-ite his a!e, 4ear describes himself with a sense of fertility, assuredly statin!
The !ood years shall devour them, flesh and fell, ere they shall ma$e us wee-
61*.*&"#17 he has lost the sense of outra!e at havin! been betrayed and instead
becomes defiant in his re2ection of Goneril and =e!an> <ell see Kem starved first
61*.*&:7
;haracteriLation of Edmund
Ta$e thou this note 61*.*&7 cruelly 2uAta-oses the fertility and life in 4ears
descri-tion of -rison
to be tender#minded does not become a sword 61*.*.&#.7 Edmund -resents
ruthlessness as what is natural to a ruler
Edmund describes how 4ears a!e had charms in it, whose title more, to luc$ the
common bosom on his side 61*.*"?#1'7 indicatin! that they are forced to su--ress
natural feelin!s of sym-athy and com-assion
Edmund -erverts 2ustice su!!estin! that The @uestion of ;ordelia and her father
re@uires a fitter -lace 61*.*1?#:'7 in an attem-t to !ive sufficient time for their
eAecution
3alse to thy !ods, thy brother and thy father 61*.*1.&7 recalls Edmunds
renunciation of fate and the Gods and moc$ery of ( credulous father and a brother
noble 61*&*1887
I mi!ht well delay by rule of $ni!hthood, I disdain and s-urn 61*.*1"&#.7 in his
arro!ance, Edmund re2ects yet another convention and it is this which brin!s him to
his death* There is also irony is her citation of the values of $ni!hthood
the hell#hated lie oer whelm thy heart 61*.*1"17 Edmund ta$es command of even
reli!ion -assin! reli!ious 2ud!ement on Ed!ars su--osed lie
If thourt noble, I do for!ive thee 61*.*1:.#"7 Edmund abandons his earlier
re2ection of the limitations that his birth im-osed u-on him and la-ses into
traditional conce)tions of nobility and breeding (Hunter"
To lay the blame on her own des-air, that she fordid herself 61*.*&1&#.7 Edmund
eA-loits ;ordelias sorrow to his own benefit
thou dost ma$e thy way to noble fortunes 61*.*.'#17 as Edmund vows to -romote
the ca-tain should he deliver the death warrant he is shown to re2ect -ower based on
birth 6due to his status as a bastard7 and re-lace it with -ower based on the
Dachiavellian focus on servin! oneself
Edmunds ruthlessness can be attributed to a fierce sense of Dachiavellian
-ra!matism as he states that men are as the time is 61*.*.1#&7
o *achia%elli: A man who is used to acting in one way ne%er changes3 he
must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no longer are in harmony
with his ways
Edmunds mani-ulation of other characters is shown by (lbanys descri-tion of him
as of valiant strain 61*.*"17 seemin!ly overcomin! his limitations as a bastard* )e
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has succeeded in his attem-t to if not by birth, have lands by wit 61*&*117
Edmund re2ects any societal values of honour and unashamedly declares I will
maintain my truth and honour firmly 61*.*1'&7 indicative of his -erversion of the
noble values
Trust to thy sin!le virtue 61*.*1'.7 (lbany ta$es form Edmund his ability to
mani-ulate havin! dischar!ed all of his soldiers leavin! 2ust Edmund to the sim-licity
of hand#to#hand combat
I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats* If it be a mans wor$, Ill do it 61*.*.?#"'7
the ca-tain disturbin!ly sim-lifies 4ear and ;ordelias eAecution to mans wor$ but
also tellin!ly se-arates it from the wor$ of animals and thus from nature
Great thin! of us for!ot 61*.*&.17 4ear is for!otten about in the climaA of the
scene, re-resentin! the various levels of corru-tion within society
o Halio: Asserts that this re%eals an inability from here on to take effecti%e
and timely action A can critici4e
Ed!ar res-onds to 9ents a-ocaly-tic vision by as$in! whether ;ordelias death is a
mere ima!e of that horror 61*.*&:&7 illustratin! both the chaos and cruelty of King
!ear2s world
3all and cease 61*.*&:&7 (lbany bids the world colla-se to release them from
their !rief* This reintroduces Ed!ars moraliLin! that men must endure and
(lbanys horror at Ed!ars tale
)e hates him that would u-on the rac$ of this tou!h world stretch him out lon!er
61*.*.1&#"7 9ent describes death as the only release for 4ear from his sufferin!,
havin! endured more than his nature can endure* In describin! him bein! u-on the
rac$ of this tou!h world he also de-icts the cruelty of the world which a--ears to
torture him
(lbany distin!uishes himself from Edmund in his ho-e that we shall find their
merits and our safety may e@ually determine 61*.*"1#:7 (lbany comes to re-resent
a more benevolent alternative to the rule of Edmund and the dau!hters
(!ain, the -ros-ect of (lbanys rule is distinct from that of the others as he asserts
his -ower in declarin! Edmund, I arrest thee on ca-ital treason 61*.*.7 becomin! a
moral 2ud!e and deliverin! the $armic 2ustice that the !ods failed to -rovide
(lbany becomes more com-ellin!, renouncin! Gonerils descri-tion of him as a
Dil$#livered man 6"*&*117 as he 2o$es about the absurdity of his own situation as
Goneril is sub#contracted to this 4ord and therefore if she wishes to marry she must
ma$e your love to me 61*.*?7 as Dy lady is bes-o$e 61*.*?'7
I bar it in the interest of my wife% she is sub#contracted% I her husband contradict
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your banns 61*.*:#7 (lbany ironically ado-ts the economical and even le!al
descri-tion of relationshi-s used by Goneril and =e!an
In challen!in! Edmund 65/> 3hro%s do%n his gauntlet7 (lbany enforces the moral
2ud!ement which the !ods have failed to -rovide
Ill ma$e it on my heart 61*.*?"7 (lbany vows on his life to brin! Edmund to
2ustice and thus he as established as the moral 2ud!e in the -lay
Ere I taste bread, thou art in nothin! less than I have -roclaimed thee 61*.*?1#:7
(lbany become ever more forceful, reinforcin! his reference to Edmunds heinous,
manifest and many treasons 61*.*?.7
3ate
fortune led you well 61*.*"&7 this either foreshadows his imminent end and ma$es
it a--ear some sort of $armic 2ustice or -roves Edmunds earlier assertion that men
determine their own fate
Edmund fears that their soldiers may turn our im-ressed lances in our eyes 61*.*117
recallin! the cruelty of their blindin! of Gloucester* This would serve as some sort of
$armic -unishment thou!h delivered by men rather than !ods
Festers do oft -rove -ro-hets 61*&*8&7 meant by =e!an to re-resent her marria!e
to Edmund but recalls the 3ools -ro-hesisin! about the state of anarchy that such
abandonment of the values of honour will brin!
Thou art not van@uished, but coLened and be!uiled 61*.*111#&7 it is fittin! that
Edmund is $illed by dece-tion
The wheel is come full circle 61*.*18&7 recalls 9ents reference to 3ortunes
wheel in &*& and retracts his earlier re2ection of fate and fortune
I was contracted to them both% all three now marry in an instant 61*.*&&8#7
recalls neither can be en2oyed if both remain alive 61*.*:'#17 as all three are
brou!ht to a fittin! end in the various levels of corru-tion of their relationshi-s
=e!ans -ower
=e!an uses the royal -lural as she asserts her authority over (lbany sayin! Thats as
we list to !race him* Dethin$s our -leasure mi!ht have been demanded ere you s-o$e
to far 61*.*:&#"7
Edmunds influence on Goneril and =e!an
)e led our -owers, bore the commission of my -lace and -erson 61*.*:"#17% In his
own !race he doth eAalt himself more than in your addition 61*.*:#?7 both
dau!hters syco-hancy is ominously reminiscent of 1*1 as they attem-t to !ain favour
with Edmund eventually leadin! to both of their deaths
Eot so hotH 61*.*:87 Goneril refuses to let =e!an !et away with her flattery of
Edmund and also alludes to her lust for him
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In my ri!hts, by me invested 61*.*:?#8'7 =e!an abandons the royal -lural in her
lust for Edmund
That eye told you so loo$ed but as@uint 61*.*8.7 Goneril asserts that =e!an is
blinded in her infatuation with Edmund re-resentative of her deviation from her
ruthless cruelty
=e!ans feelin!s for Edmund are controlled by her full#flowin! stomach 61*.*817
indicatin! her sim-le lust for him
/is-ose of them, of me, the walls is thine* <itness the world, that I create thee here
my lord and master 61*.*88#8?7 em-hasiLed by her assertion of her -ower over
(lbany, =e!an submits herself to Edmund, surrenderin! to the Dachiavellian
wea$ness of love
It came even from the heart of +Goneril, 61*.*&&.7 symbolic of her death bein!
caused by her lust
Edmund was beloved> the one the other -oisoned for my sa$e, and after slew
herself 61*.*&.#"'7 Edmund a--ears almost boastful about the eventually fatal
influence he had over the sisters
;haracteriLation of Goneril
in thine attaint this !ilded ser-ent 61*.*"#17 (lbany asserts himself as the moral
2ud!e once a!ain associatin! Goneril with the cunnin! ruthlessness of a sna$e* In
referrin! to her as !ilded he also alludes to her shield of royalty and wealth with
which she avoids moral 2ud!ement
If not, Ill never trust medicine 61*.*?87 Gonerils aside here comes in the middle
of the showdown between (lbany and Edmund em-hasiLin! the dramatic climaA and
the various corru-tions of King !ear2s world
Identity
my name is lost, by treasons tooth and bare#!nawn and can$er bit 61*.*11?#&'7
Ed!ar ado-ts yet another dis!uise and this statement e-itomiLes his stru!!le with
identity throu!hout the -lay as Edmund has stri--ed him of his very identity
o /unn: #dgar a))ear in rags with #dmund in army dress and the former.s
statement of Met : am as noble as the ad%ersary (6..1&1" a))ears to
reduce #dmund to a mere man without his cunning and mani)ulation to
)rotect him
If my s-eech offend a noble heart, thy arm may do thee 2ustice 61*.*1&1#:7 Ed!ar
leaves it to their battle to deliver 2ustice as even Edmund cannot mani-ulate it
Dau!re thy stren!th, youth, -lace and eminence, des-ite thy victor sword and fire#
new fortune, thy valour and thy heart, thou art a traitor 61*.*1&?#1.17 Ed!ar stri-s
Edmund of all his success and reduces him to a mere traitor to his family
from theAtremest u-ward of thy head to the descent and dust below thy foot a most
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toad#s-otted traitor 61*.*1."#:7 anatomical descri-tion im-lies that Edmunds very
nature is evil
Fustice
if my s-eech offend a noble heart, thy arm may do thee 2ustice 61*.*1&:7% this arm
and my best s-irits are bent to -rove u-on thy heart +M, thou liest 61*.*1.8#?7
Ed!ar reduces their conflict to his arm a!ainst Edmund, re-eatin! the reference to his
heart* Fustice is left to be decided by their duel
The !ods are 2ust and of our -leasant vices ma$e instruments to -la!ue us 61*.*1:#
?7 alludes to the $armic 2ustice which has seemin!ly been lac$in! throu!hout*
Ed!ar !oes on to assert that the dar$ and vicious -lace where thee he !ot cost him
his eyes 61*.*18'#17 su!!estin! that Gloucesters adultery was what caused his
blindness* Gnce a!ain, Ed!ars moraliLin! seems both harsh and idealistic as all
eAam-les of 2ustice seem orchestrated by man, rather than the !ods
This 2ud!ement of the heavens that ma$es us tremble touches us not with -ity
61*.*&.'#17 (lbany assi!ns a sense of divine 2ustice to their death thou!h it a--ear
a!ain to arise from the very machination and contrivances of the sisters themselves
5eest thou this ob2ect, 9ent0 61*.*&"87 the various corru-tions of Edmund,
Goneril and =e!an are dramatically shown on sta!e with the first dyin! and the other
two dead bodies lyin! on sta!e
(ll friends shall taste the wa!es of their virtue and all foes the cu- of their
deservin!s 61*.*.'1#.7 (lbany assumes control of 2ustice with the heavensJ!ods
have failed to do so
Ed!ars tale
G, that my heart would burstH 61*.*117 -re#em-ts the tra!edy of his story and is
re-eated in his descri-tion of Gloucesters death
G, our lives sweetness, that we the -ain of death would hourly die rather than die at
onceH 61*.*1.#17% saved him from des-air 61*.*1?'7 Ed!ar strictly adheres to the
;hristian values that declare des-air the ultimate sin but in a -lay devoid of -ositive
divine intervention, the audience comes to @uestion this
became his !uide 61*.*1?7 Ed!ar becomes both a -hysical and s-iritual !uide for
Gloucester
But his flawed heart, alac$, too wea$ to su--ort, twiAt two eAtremes of -assion, 2oy,
and !rief, burst smilin!ly 61*.*1?:#?7 Gloucesters death a--ears both fittin! and
tra!ic as he dies in a miAture of love and re-entance
If there be more, more woeful, hold it in, for I am almost ready to dissolve
61*.*&'1#&7 Ed!ars tale re-resents -ure sufferin! and the tra!edy of Gloucesters
death em-hasiLes this
Blindness
his bleedin! rin!s, their -recious stones new lost 61*.*1#?7 alludes to a sense of
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em-tiness and theft
<ho are you0 Dine eyes are not the best 61*.*&8:#87 subtly associates him with
Gloucester* )is blindness is in failin! to realiLe 9ents loyalty> This is a dull si!ht>
are you not 9ent0 61*.*&'7
I am the very man +M, that from your first of difference and decay have followed
your sad ste-s +M, nor no man else 61*.*&"#&7 4ears interru-tion of 9ent
sayin! Boure welcome hither 61*.*&87 re-resents his tra!ic failure to realiLe
9ents loyalty as well as his -reoccu-ation with ;ordelias death
;haracteriLation of 9ent
)e fastened on my nec$ and bellowed out as hed burst heaven 61*.*&11#&7 9ent
comes to his own confrontation with the !ods as 4ear did and the ima!e of
burst+in!, heaven seems to rue the sense of in2ustice
in recountin! his !rief !rew -uissant and the strin!s of life be!an to crac$ 61*.*&1"#
:7 the tra!edy of 4ears fall from !race threatens to $ill 9ent as Gloucesters
reconciliation with his son did* 9ent is thus shown to be utterly devoted to 4ear with
his very eAistence tied into 4ears
banished 9ent, who in dis!uise followed his enemy $in! and did him service
im-ro-er for a slave 61*.*&1?#&'7 9ent is the symbol of service as he follows 4ear
des-ite the formers banishment of him> Eow, banished 9ent, if thou canst serve
where thou dost stand condemned 61*"*"#17
I am come to bid my 9in! and master aye !ood ni!ht 61*.*&..#"7 remains -lain#
s-ea$in! and stays in service to 4ear u- to his very deathbed
9ent res-onds to 4ears @uestion of whether he is 9ent by sayin! The same% your
servant 9ent 61*.*&'#17 fittin!ly com-letin! the meter of 4ears @uestion and
identifyin! himself by his service to 4ear
I am the very man +M, that from your first of difference and decay have followed
your sad ste-s +M, nor no man else 61*.*&"#&7 summariLes 9ents loyalty as
the character to stay by 4ears side throu!hout, in s-ite of his banishment
(lls cheerless, dar$ and deadly% your eldest dau!hters have fordone themselves and
des-erately are dead 61*.*&?'7 9ents words are almost a-ocaly-tic su!!estin! that
his life follows 4ears fortunes and as he draws towards his death, so to does 9ent
Brea$, heart, I -rithee brea$ 61*.*.117 a--ears to refer both to himself and to 4ear
wishin! both of their sufferin! to end
OeA not his !host% G, let him -ass 61*.*.1&7 9ent serves 4ears interests even in
death
I have a 2ourney, sir, shortly to !o% my master calls me, I must not say no 61*.*.&'#
17 the rhymin! cou-let of 9ents final lines -oi!nantly re-resents his service as his
-ath described as bein! service to 4ear
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Eature
5ome !ood I mean to do, des-ite of mine own nature 61*.*&"1#&7 Edmund fi!hts
a!ainst his a--arently evil nature to do !ood recallin! his earlier statement that he
would have been rou!h and lecherous 61*&*1.'#17 even if he was conceived by the
maidenliest star 61*1*1.&7
4ear a!ain ali!ns himself with nature as he animalistically yells )owl, howl, howl*
)owlH 61*.*&117
;yclical endin!
$now our intent 61*.*&?17 recalls 4ears discussion of our fast intent 61*.*.87
you twain, rule this realm and the !ored state sustain 61*.*.1#?7 (lbany a--ears
to s-lit the $in!dom as 4ear did in 1*1 thou!h the reci-ients bein! 9ent and Ed!ar is
more ho-eful than forebodin!
)o-e
we will rei!n durin! the life of this old ma2esty to him our absolute -ower 61*.*&?8#
?7 (lbanys relin@uishment of his -ower su!!ests some ho-e of chan!e, distancin!
himself from the -ower#hun!ry Edmund, Goneril and =e!an
you twain, rule this realm and the !ored state sustain 61*.*.1#?7 (lbany a--ears
to s-lit the $in!dom as 4ear did in 1*1 thou!h the reci-ients bein! 9ent and Ed!ar is
more ho-eful than forebodin!
The wei!ht of this sad time we must obey 61*.*.&&7 with Ed!ar a--earin! to
assume some -ower in the aftermath of the -lay, there is ho-e in that he vows to learn
from 4ears eAam-le
5-ea$ what we feel, not what we ou!ht to say 61*.*.&.7 summariLes 4ears
sufferin! as havin! derived from the flattery of various characters and vows to avoid
this* (lso invites catharsis thou!h not as a -ositive activity but as both the characters
and audience are raw with emotion
The oldest hath borne most% we that are youn! shall never see so much, nor live so
lon! 61*.*.&"#17 4ear ends the -lay as a symbol of endurance and sufferin! with
the attention havin! somewhat left him in this scene
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King Lear Revision Notes

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King Lear Revision Notes

5torm re-resentative of mental state

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