King Lear
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King Lear
Plot:
Lear, king of Britain , a
petulant and unwise old
man, has three daughters:
Goneril, wife of the duke
of Albany ; Regan, wife
of the duke of Cornwall ;
and Cordelia, for whom
the king of France and
duke of Burgundy are
suitors.
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King Lear
Intending to divide his
kingdom among his
daughters according to
their affection for him, he
bids them say which loves
him most. Goneril and Regan
make profession of extreme
affection, and each receives
one-third of the kingdom.
Cordelia, self-willed, and
disgusted with their hollow
flattery, says she loves him
according to her duty, not
more nor less.
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King Lear
Infuriated with this reply, Lear divides her portion
between his other daughters, with the condition
that himself with 100 knights shall be maintained
by each daughter in turn. Burgundy withdraws his
suit for Cordelia, and the king of France accepts
her without dowry. The earl of Kent , taking her
part, is banished. Goneril and Regan reveal their
heartless character by grudging their father the
maintenance that he had stipulated for, and finally
turning him out of doors in a storm.
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King Lear
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King Lear
The earl of Gloucester shows pity for the old
king, and is suspected of complicity with the
French, who have landed in England . His eyes are
put out by Cornwall , who receives a death-wound
in the affray. Gloucester 's son Edgar, who has
been traduced to his father by his bastard
brother Edmund, takes the disguise of a lunatic
beggar, and tends his father till the latter's
death. Lear, whom rage and ill treatment have
deprived of his wits, is conveyed to Dover by the
faithful Kent in disguise, where Cordelia receives
him.
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King Lear
Cordelia and king Lear
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King Lear
Meanwhile Goneril and Regan have both turned
their affections to Edmund. Embittered by this
rivalry, Goneril poisons Regan, and takes her own
life. The English forces under Edmund and
Albany defeat the French, and Lear and Cordelia
are imprisoned; by Edmund's order Cordelia is
hanged, and Lear dies from grief. The treachery
of Edmund is proved by his brother Edgar.
Gloucester's heart has “ twixt two extremes of
passion, joy and grief, / Burst smilingly. ” Albany,
who has not abetted Goneril in her cruel
treatment of Lear, takes over the kingdom.
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King Lear
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King Lear
Theme:
King Lear is not only a tragedy of an individual,
but also a tragedy of a society, with wide
significance and profound impact. It depicts a
great social upheaval. The miseries of Lear
disclose the essence of a corrupt society, in
which each is ready to prey on the other. No
images are more frequently met with in the
play than the images of animals and beasts.
This is a reflection of the jungle law of the age
of primitive accumulation.
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King Lear
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King Lear
Jungle of animals and beasts
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King Lear
This play also shows Shakespeare’s affirmation
of national unity and royal responsibility. The
root of Lear’s tragedy lies in his irresponsibly
dividing up his kingdom owing to his folly and
his mistaking flattery for true love. The
playwright here seems to point out that the
king, however great he might be, should be
responsible to the people. If he can’t, history
will punish him.
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King Lear
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