King Lear 4.1 Quotes

‘Enter Gloucester, led by an old man’

Stage direction— Edgar hasn’t realised what has happened to Gloucester, and thinks he is being led by someone inappropriate. It is ironic however, because Gloucester was poorly led before (by Edmund) and was metaphorically blind, and now he is literally blind.

‘I stumbled when I saw’

Gloucester— this is similar to a moral awakening, as he has gained insight through suffering

‘Our means secure us and our mere defects Prove our commodities’

Gloucester— he is saying being wealthy secures us but sheer and pure defects help us change. A ‘commodity’ is something that benefits you.

‘O dear son Edgar, the food of thy abused father’s wrath’

Gloucester— he has recognised his error and the true reality of the situation— moral awakening and anagnorisis

‘The worst I may be yet; the worst is not So long as we can say ‘This is the worst’

Edgar— he recognises how humans can suffer

‘I’the last night’s storm I such a fellow saw, Which made me think man a worm’

Gloucester— links to how you could define humanity, and to ‘reason not the need’ (Act 2 Scene 2)

‘As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods', They kill us for their sport’

Gloucester— this is the beginning of the loss of faith in the ordered universe and the collapse of his previous outlook. He is saying it is fun for the gods to kill them, indicating a lack of divine justice present in this bleak moral universe. It is a big shift in Gloucester’s thinking

‘And bring some covering for this naked soul’

Gloucester— he has learned from his suffering and is trying to care for somebody else— moral journey

‘heaven’s plagues’

Gloucester— he is saying the heavens send down suffering

‘Heavens deal so still! Let the superfluous and lust-dieted man’

Gloucester— he is saying that he should be punished as he is ‘superfluous’ and ‘lust-dieted’, implying that he has recognised this in himself (anagnorisis)

‘feel, feel’

Gloucester— ‘feel’ is repeated, as this is something that Gloucester relies on now more than ever because he is physically blinded

‘From that place I shall no leading need’

Gloucester— implication that he is planning to commit suicide, shock to the audience who will be engaged and waiting for the next scene. It is a significant thing because it leaves an ambiguous, unresolved and sinister ending to the Gloucester sub-plot.