King Lear Language, Symbolism & Imagery There is imagery and symbolism in the play...so what? When you are discussing imagery and symbolism in the play, you must focus on the effect it has on your appreciation of the play. Imagery and symbolism usually serves to further our understanding of characterisation or themes within the play. It is not enough to say that certain types of language or imagery exist within the play without explicitly analysing their effect. So when analysing the language and imagery in a play, you must 1) Identify it 2) State the effect of it If you only do one of the above your answer will be incomplete. Sample exam-style questions “The themes evident in King Lear are skilfully presented through a series of dramatic symbols and images.” Discuss this view, supporting your answer with suitable reference to at least two of the themes in the text. “The vivid imagery throughout King Lear enhances Shakespeare’s characterisation and reveals key themes.” Discuss this statement, supporting your answer with reference to the text. It is very clear from these two questions that the imagery has to DO something. It is either used to present or reveal key themes or to add to characterisation. It is not enough to point out that imagery and symbolism exists. You MUST refer to all elements of the question. Types of Imagery in King lear King Lear is rich in imagery, particularly imagery related to the following: 1. Animals 2. Sight and Blindness 3. Human Nature and Suffering 4. Madness 5. Clothing Animal and Monster Imagery The animal imagery in King Lear emphasises that human beings often fall short of their God-given role and too often display characteristics (cruelty, carnal desires etc) entirely natural in animals but considered inappropriate in humans. This is particularly seen in the characters of Goneril and Regan: ● ● ● ● Lear calls Goneril a ‘detestable kite’ and Regan a ‘vulture’, both being birds which eat the flesh of dead creatures He refers to them as ‘pelican daughters’ who feed off the blood of their father Goneril is said to have a ‘wolvish visage’ and to have struck her father ‘most serpent-like, upon the very heart’. Indeed he says ‘How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is / To have a thankless child.’ In Act 4 Albany compares Goneril and Regan to tigers for the way they have cruelly treated their father. When he is cast out, Lear says that he would rather live in the wild and spend his time with wolves and owls, as their wild company would be better than staying with the unnatural daughters who treat him so selfishly. Similarly negative animal images include references to: a baited bear, venomous snakes, mistreated dogs, caged birds and mongrel bitches. What Purpose does the Animal Imagery Serve in King Lear? Enhances Characterisation [to Goneril] “Detested kite, thou liest.”(I.4.25 4) “Those pelican daughters.” (III.4.72) Tigers, not daughters . (IV.5.41 and 51) The sisters are continuously associated with aggressive animals and, in the end, they are destroyed by their own animal instincts Presents a Theme “Is man no more than this? Consider him well.Thou ow’st the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the cat no perfume. Ha? Here’s three on’s us are sophisticated; thou art the thing itself. Unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art. Off, off, you lendings: come, unbutton here.” (III.4.101-107) Lear believes that to uncover human nature, one has to go back to man’s origins; one arrives at a definition of man by finding the bare minimum one can still call human, and in that state a man is virtually indistinguishable from a beast. Animal Imagery symbolises Pain and Suffering Animal imagery in King Lear is linked to pain and suffering. Serpents dart, wolves are savage and even Cordelia’s imaginary enemy’s dog bites her! All of these violent and sometimes horrific images serve to strengthen the impression of physical pain and horror that pervade the play. The animals to which the evil characters are compared are all predators which feed on the flesh of other creatures: wolves, tigers and kites for example. For their appetites to be satisfied, others have to die. Ultimately, the characters linked with these natural killers turn on one another and in the deaths of Goneril, Regan and Edmund we see the death of the animal nature and the restoration of a proper social order. The critic D.J. Enright tells us that the purpose of animal imagery in King Lear is not to show how humans and amimals are similar, but rather to distinguish between them. Animal Imagery enhances Characterisation The use of animal imagery in King Lear prompted critic G.B. Harrison to write, "It is as if Shakespeare wished to portray a world in which most men and women are beasts, and only the exceptional few [are fully human]."–G.B. Harrison, ed. Shakespeare: The Complete Works. New York: Harcourt, 1952 (Page 1139) Animal Imagery enhances Characterisation By linking the behaviour of certain characters to the behaviour of animals, we see how inhuman and dangerous their actions are. If man is reduced to the level of a beast, then chaos and bestial cruelty may rule the day. Shakespeare uses metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech to compare Regan, Goneril, and other characters to animals. This imagery shows that human greed and lust for power, as well as other negative qualities, turn people into rapacious or poisonous beasts. It also demonstrates that the dilemmas people create for themselves can lower them to the status of beasts. Animal Imagery enhances Characterisation Among the animals to which characters are compared are rats, wolves, sheep, goats, horses, dogs (including a mastiff, a greyhound, a spaniel, and a mongrel), cats, mice, owls, wild geese, bears, monkeys, crabs, snails, an ass, a hedge-sparrow, a cuckoo, and each of the following: Kite: bird of prey that occurs in several varieties. It feeds on small land animals, fish, garbage, and carrion. In Act I, Scene IV, Lear speaks this line to Goneril: "Detested kite! thou liest" (Line 284). Vulture: scavenger bird that feeds primarily on carcasses. In Act II, Scene IV, Lear bemoans Goneril's behavior by saying that “she hath tied / sharp-tooth'd unkindness, like a vulture, here [points to his heart]” (Lines 136-137). Serpent: large snake, such as a python or boa constrictor; any poisonous snake; the devil in the form of a snake. In Act II, Scene IV, Lear says Goneril "struck me with her tongue, / Most serpent-like, upon the very heart" (Lines 162-163). Pelican: bird of prey that feeds on fish. In Act III, Scene IV, Lear "scolds" himself for fathering Regan and Goneril, saying “‘twas this flesh begot those pelican daughters” (Lines 76-77). Animal Imagery presents the theme of Human Nature and Suffering In Act 2, Scene 4, Regan attempts to persuade Lear to return to Goneril’s castle. He is appalled and says he would rather ‘be a comrade with the wolf and owl’ than subject himself to his daughter’s cruelty once more. For a king to be willing to reduce himself to the level of a beast heightens the horror of the situation in which he finds himself. When the Gentleman tells Kent of Lear’s crazed wandering in the open air, he compares his situation to those of wild animals and says even they would hesitate to be abroad in such stormy and inhospitable conditions: This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch, The lion and the belly-pinched wolf Keep their fur dry, unbonneted he runs, And bids what will take all. To see any elderly man – let alone a king – running about in the open with nothing to protect him from the elements when even the animals seek shelter is heart-breaking. What effect does animal imagery have in the play? Highlights the theme of human nature and suffering Also highlights theme of evil If we are ruled by animal instincts we lose our basic humanity and we will be subject to / cause dreadful pain and suffering If we are reduced to the level of animal due to circumstances outside of our control we gain more empathy and a greater understanding of huan nature. Enhances characterisation - In particular that of Goneril and Regan Reading: What do I need to know? In order to be able to answer a question on the language/symbolism/imagery that is used in King Lear, knowing your quotes is extremely important. If you know your quotes well, you will then be able to put them in context using the terms of the question you have been asked. The following link provides extensive reading, quotes and contextual notes on the animal imagery evident in King Lear. Please read: https://sites.google.com/site/4ukinglear/home/animal-imagery Watch the following Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYiyokxc4KU Homework ‘tigers, not daughters’ ‘How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is / To have a thankless child! 3. ‘struck me with her tongue, / Most serpent-like’ 4. ‘gilded serpent’ 5. ‘be a comrade with the wolf and owl’ 6. ‘This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch, The lion and the belly-pinched wolf Keep their fur dry, unbonneted he runs, And bids what will take all.’ 7. ‘pelican daughters’. 8. ‘unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor bare, forked animal as thou art’ 9. ‘detested kite' 10. 'To both these sisters have I sworn my love, / Each jealous of the other as the stung are of the adder.' 11. 'wolvish visage.' 12. 'the hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long / That its had it head bit off by it young' 1. 2. Write out the following quotations. Put each quote in context - Who is speaking and to whom/about whom are they speaking. You must then write a point articulating what this quote tells us, what effect it has or how it furthers our understanding of a particular character or theme within the play. (see exemplar on next slide) Homework exemplar 1. “Tigers not daughters” In Act IV Scene 2 Albany enters and angrily accuses Goneril of being an unnatural daughter. He has finally realised Goneril and Regan’s true colours and accuses them of being like tigers, who have attacked their aged father. With this new resistance to his wife, Albany joins the ranks of characters who have undergone dramatic change during the course of the play, growing and evolving into a stronger and more compassionate individual. This scene signals that Albany's loyalties will not be with his wife but with those who defend Lear, which shows what a detestable character Goneril really is.
