Materials Needed:
Shakespeare, William. King Lear. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Print.
Questions to be explored:
What is a family?
Why do people trust the people they do?
What is the value in family?
What is the value in friendship?
What are the affects of guilt?
What is the importance of forgiveness?
What is the importance of the fool?
Why is nature important?
Why is King Lear one of the least performed tragedies?
What makes King Lear one of the most enduring of Shakespeare’s works?
Essential Question
How has Shakespeare endured?
What makes an effective monologue?
Quotes to respond to:
“I have no trouble with my enemies. I can take care of my enemies in a fight. But my friends, my
goddamned friends, they’re the ones who keep me walking the floor at night.”
- William Harding
“I have met the enemy, and it is the eyes of other people.”
- Benjamin Franklin
“True friends stab you in the front.”
- Oscar Wilde
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I
was the only one.’”
- C.S. Lewis
“Nothing will come of nothing: Speak again.”
- Lear
“Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides:
Who covers faults, at last shame them derides.”
- Cordelia
“The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman.”
- Edgar
Rather than a synopsis of the play – I asked several people why King Lear is Shakespeare’s
most affecting play.
Why do I find this the most affecting of Shakespeare's plays? (I've seen seven different stage
productions, and two on TV, and it only gets more powerful upon repeated exposure.) I can't
really pin it down - it's a combination of various elements. The characters are idiosyncratic, fully
realized, and their behavior is highly relatable, so the play is convincing at the level of the
individual protagonists. But the fable-like nature of the opening scene also confers a kind of
universal quality to its message, and the themes explored within the play - abuse of power,
relationships within families, responsibilities of parents and children, the breakdown of the
natural order and its consequences, the human capacity for enormous cruelty - are no less
relevant today than in Shakespeare's time. The skillfully constructed parallel plotting of the Lear
and Gloucester arcs adds to the power of the story, the breakdown in natural human behavior is
further accentuated by the raw fury of the elements during the storm scenes, where Nature
echoes Lear's fury.
- David Giltinan
King Lear is perhaps Shakespeare's most psychologically dark tragedy, though many may argue
for Macbeth. The central theme is that of the family and the emotional and physical exile that can
be brought about for simple material gain. The naive and pitiable Lear with his Cinderella-esque
children, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia present all that is right and wrong with a father's
relationship with his children. From his opening gambit:
"What will thoust say to gain
A third more opulent than thine sisters?"
We see exactly why the terrible tragedy must unfold. In the end, there is no victory, only selfrealization and, ultimately, death. Lear's supporting cast of characters can only dance to the tune
he sets in slow, unalterable motion, and there can be no silver lining at the end. Only a deep and
terrible understanding of the destruction of the human psyche. King drives home the failings of
the human soul but ensures that inner understanding and remorse is attainable at a great price. It
is Shakespeare's finest tragedy.
- George Starlin
Like "The Comedy of Errors," "Hamlet," and "Richard III," this is a phenomenal masterpiece
beyond expectations. Goneril, Regan, Cornwall, and Edmund are the most frightening and
demonic characters in Shakespeare's writing. (Only his King Richard III compares). I cannot
overemphasize Shakespeare's mastery of writing in how he gradually unfolds the evil of these
characters. While we may not know what to think of them at first, we soon learn that they would
do Satan proud. Lear is handled well. First we don't know what to think of him, but then we are
moved into deep and intense pity for him. Shakespeare also offers us powerful dramatic irony
with the fool. He also offers us powerful (and very terrifying) images. There are also several
moving passages in this play. (Especially Edgar's soliloquy 3.6.111-125). Somehow,
Shakespeare even managed to squeeze some welcome comical touches in. Simply put, the tour
de force of all theater.
- Sean Ares
Grammar:
Shakespeare is the king of complicated sentence structure. Throughout King Lear we will be
discussing what cohesive and interesting sentence syntax does to an essay; furthermore, we will
be exploring new and creative ways to create elaborate sentence structure through the use of the
colon, semicolon, and dash.
We are also going to review coordination in conjunction with subordination. We will also be
evaluating how we use clauses effectively, and we also will examine the value in juxtaposition
and everything from morphology to analogy.
Performance piece:
Our focus for King Lear is the performance of monologues. Your task is to choose a monologue
that is appropriate and perform it in front of the class. You can choose any monologue of your
choice but it cannot be from a musical and it must be approved by me.
I will also be providing some monologues along with some books of monologues to help with
your preparation. We will have time in class to read and practice the monologues; however, I
encourage you to start memorizing the monologue early.
On the day of your performance, you will give a brief synopsis of what is happening in the play
and why your character is delivering this monologue.
Rubric: Remember: a hard copy of the monologue must be turned in prior to the performance.
*8 points
4
3
2
Memorization
Actor knows all of
his or her lines; the
actor speaks with
fluidity.
Actor is
comfortable with
his or her lines. A
few lines are
forgotten or
stumbled through.
Actor needs direct Performer puts in
assistance from
no effort.
the teacher. He or
she has a difficult
time getting
through the
performance.
Movement
Actor moves
appropriately
throughout the
monologue; he or
she does not look
stiff.
Actor moves, but
it appears stiff or
as if they are
moving on cue.
Actor moves
around once or
twice during the
performance.
Movement takes
away from
performance.
Actor stays in the
same spot for the
entire
performance.
Volume
Speaks clearly and
loudly (100-95%) of
the time. No
mispronunciations.
Speaks clearly
94-86% of the
time. Can be
heard for the most
part or
mispronounces
one word.
Speaks clearly
85% of the time,
sometimes
mumbles. Or
mispronounces
two or more
words.
Actor mumbles
and cannot be
understood or
heard. OR
mispronounces
several words.
Some emotion
was used during
the performance.
No emotion was
used during the
performance.
Introduction is
missing one of the
required elements
AND lacks
confidence
Introduction is
missing two or
more of the
required
elements.
CATEGORY
Emotion/Acting Actor used emotion Actor used
Introduction
and acting
conventions
throughout the
performance.
emotion the
majority of the
time during the
performance.
Introduction is clear
and confident. You
clearly indicate your
name, play title,
playwright and you
properly explain the
monologue.
Introduction is
either missing one
of the required
elements or lacks
confidence.
1
Monologue lacked
Focal point and The monologue has The monologue Performance is
a
specific
and
has
a
specific
and
focus
some
of
the
any focal point.
focus
distinct focal point
distinct focal point time. Focal point
that is constant.
that is somewhat is unclear.
Performance is very constant.
focused all the time.
Comments:
x3
/80