King Lear
Historical background
Lear is a mythical king, appears in
several works.
 Written at height of Shakespeare’s
tragic period (1601-1608)
 Lear first played in spring 1606.
 Elizabeth had died March 1603; court
degeneracy followed. National grief.
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Historical background
Elizabethans were going through a
confusing and difficult time.
 1606—Plague—30,000 died.
 Feeling that the universe was corrupt
and at the point of dissolution.
 Universal gloom. Fear of vast and
vague calamity.
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Lear
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Difficult, mature plot.
Not an easy play.
Playing Lear requires
power and maturity
from actor.
Elaborate plot/subplot.
Timeless and universal
themes.
Plot synopsis
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Lear is a pre-Christian King in
southwest England. He decides to
retire and to divide his kingdom among
his three daughters. He asks if they
love him. Goneril and Regan claim
extravagently that they do; Cordelia
answers honestly. Lear disinherits
Cordelia.
Double plot (not subplot)
Lear and Gloucester. Lear has three
daughters; Gloucester has two sons.
 Stories parallel and complement each
other.Makes tragedy universal.
 Lear is a powerful man who imposes his will
on the world; Gloucester too easily accepts
the will of the world.
 Gloucester’s flaw is passivity; Lear is violently
active on wrong principles
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Themes—Parental authority
How children and parents treat each
other.
 Relationship of children/fathers.
 How should children show love/loyalty
to their parents? Should parents
reward love/loyalty?
 Clash of ages/generational conflicts.
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Theme—Nature as universal
order
Elizabethan belief—order of nature
reflects human law. Nature was
ordered for good of Man.
 Is nature a norm for conduct?
 Erosion of order leads to an amoral
collection of forces.
 Storms symbolic of chaos.
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Nature and order
Natural order=family
 Family and birthright—legitimate vs.
illegitimate
 Need to look beyond surface to
understand love, affection, and loyalty.
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Great Chain of Being
A belief that every being occupies a
predetermined place in hierarchy of
universe.
 Strong belief in power and influence of
starts, fate and the gods.
 Great chain of being—divinely
preordained—invited human passivity,
despondence, and lack of initiative
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Great Chain of Being
Renaissance is a time of moving away
from this belief.
 Renaissance shifts away from human
passivity and influence of gods/fate and
toward an emphasis on human selfdetermination, independence, and
responsibility
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Theme--Madness
Man’s ability to reason an important
part of his personality.
 Real madness in Lear? When Lear is
mad, he reasons better.
 Feigned madness in others
 Fool=wisest character.
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Theme—Pride/Self-will
Lear’s over-confidence causes him to
make several mistakes:
 1. believes he can retain privileges of
kingship w/o responsibilities.
 2. insists love can be measured by
words and land.
 3. fails to understand language/words
of his daughters.
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Role of women
Marriages were arranged.
 Women occupied lower social status
than men.
 What picture of women is Shakespeare
painting in this play?
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Cordelia
Can be seen as
protagonist; similar
to Antigone.
 Must make difficult
choice; penalty for
either option--Tell
her father what he
wants to hear or
stand on her dignity.
 Cordelia tries to
compromise.
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Importance of paradox
Gloucester is physically blinded at the
moment he receives spiritual insight.
 Lear is more lucid when he is mad.
 Fool is wisest character.
 Watch for other examples.
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Imagery
Animal/Nature imagery most prevalent
in the play. 57 different animals named
in the play.
 Clothing/nakedness
 Fortune/fate
 Eyesight/blindness—Sight/Insight vs.
Blindness and Ignorance
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Aristotle’s definition of tragedy
Reversal is essential in Aristotle’s view of
tragedy. State of affairs change rapidly;
climax; reversal of discovery; from ignorance
to understanding.
 Moment of discovery is highly dramatic
moment. Recognition scenes.
 In Lear the process of self-discovery is the
center of the tragedy. It is the play.
 Lear as tragic hero. What is his flaw?
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Macrocosm/Microcosm
By understanding the small world of
Lear, we can better understand the
entire world.
 Human nature.
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