Lear

King Lear

King Lear

Ageing king of Britain, tragic hero of the play. Makes two grave errors in giving up political power and transferring it to Goneril and Regan over Cordelia. Maintains some loyalty but this doesn’t save him form madness and death

“Nothing will come of nothing”

Love ceremony 1.1 - Lear makes association between language and property: he doesn’t take his daughter’s real affection into consideration, only her words. Begins the character pattern of basing actions on appearances and speech instead of honest principles/sentiments.

“Allow not nature needs, Man’s life is cheap as beast’s”

Being berated by Regan and Goneril 2.4 - his descent into madness is allowing Lear to gain insight into life. He recognises that men are not above beasts. Theme of animals.

“The art of necessities is strange and can make vile things precious”

In the storm 3.2 - subtle paradox, for arts are generally taken to supplement human existence. Muddles definition of necessities points to the power of human psychology in reshaping meanings of objects.

“Let me wipe it first; it smells of mortality”

Lear and Gloucester after fake suicide 4.6 - two figures who are crippled from proper communication as both are disabled. Inverts roles as blind Gloucester recognises Lear, and Lear doesn’t recognise Gloucester. Reiterates the way madness is equivalent to philosophical insight in this play

“No, no, no, no. Come lets way to prison we two alone will sing like birds in the cage”

Sentenced to prison after loosing the battle 5.3 - romanticises the experience of prison. Role would fulfil his hope of offloading responsibilities and living happily with Cordelia. Acceptance comes from insanity. Lunacy thus offers freedom, he beautifies and thus escapes his fate.

“Crown’s with rank fumiter and furrow weeds”

Crown of nature mirrors Jesus’ crown of thorns, made to mock him. Lear in connected with nature but in a pitiful way.

“Howl, howl, howl! O’ you are men of stones! Had I your tongues and eyes, I’d use them so that heaven’s fault should crack”

Lear mimics environment sounds becoming an expression of natural catastrophe rather than of rational human logic - theme of animals

Implies something could crack in the heavens, change course in the pre-determined role of the heavens and the characters. A point that notably deviates from his earlier adherence to fate and the heavens. Highlights his deviation from sanity and descent as well as stepping away from accepted belief so his love for Cordelia is above all - character development. - theme of the stars, heavens and the gods

“No, no, no life? Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, and thou no breath at all?”

Ends with abject denial of himself and of human nature. Repetition of no combined with phrasing as question casts Lear as hesitant, even infantile.

Obsessive repetition of negation recalls Cordelia’s nothing, here we see how far denial has take them both.