king lear key quotes

‘While we / __________ crawl toward death […] that future ______ / May be _________ now’

unburdened / strife / prevented

• use of body politic - ironic, almost comedic

• structurally ironic double assertion about the avoidance of plight by the action which indeed drives the cataclysmic ultraviolence

• prolepsis

~ link to James I, Paganism, capital punishment, Great Chain of Being, body politic

‘Sir I love you more than ____ can _____ the matter […] Beyond what can be ______, ____ or ____.’ (Goneril) vs ‘_____ me at her worth […] ____ highness’

word / wield / valued / rich / rare ~ price / dear

• terms of address that mirror each other in competitive formality that is notably absent of filial love

• semantic field of ‘bounty’ and monetarism

• ironic first line from Goneril as she uses it to introduce her ‘word[s]’

~ link to machiavellian characters

‘forests’ / ‘plenteous rivers’ / ‘wideskirted meads’

• semantic field of a opulently edenic milieu to imply Lear’s self-perception as somewhat of a God

~ link to James I, Paganism, Robert Carr

‘I am sure my love’s / More ponderous than my tongue’

• aside - makes the audience feel compelled to support her as we are immersed into her stream of consciousness

• the enjambment creates a rhythmically legato genuine tenor that reflects the overpour of love she feels

~ link to apron stage, EGO - FREUD

‘Nothing.’ / ‘Nothing will come of nothing.’

• the repetition of ‘nothing’ suggests their similar naivities - they do not understand each other

• dramatically ironic and perhaps comedic for the audience who are aware of her genuineness and her sisters’ duplicity

~ link to EGO - FREUD, James I, women

‘Come not between the dragon and his wrath,’

• masculine imagery emphasises Lear’s characterisation as the foil to Cordelia

• imperatives and staccato register evoke a tenor of lividity

• ironic because he has given all his power away and is now characterising himself as all-powerful

• also ironic because dragons are traditionally evil - calling himself evil

~ link to women, James I, dragons, SHADOW SELF - JUNG

‘See better, Lear’

• introduces Kent as the mellowing force to Lear’s hubristic delusions - good character

• theme of blindness is introduced notably

• emphasises Kent’s loyalty

~ link to Oedipal blindness

‘My father watches’ / ‘Draw! Seem to defend yourself.’ / ‘Father, father!’ / ‘Now, Edmund, where’s the villain?’

• Edmund’s duplicity and asides in his soliloquies are continuously used to illuminate Gloucester’s blindness

• the audience are ultimately positioned to criticise Gloucester’s naivity and lack of insight as he refuses to think critically

~ link to apron stage, entering through aisles, primogeniture

‘he replied, / ‘Thou unpossessing bastard’’

• hubris that is satirised by Shakespeare as the audience think surely Gloucester cannot believe this mad lie of a quote from Edumnd about Edgar

~ link to Machievellian characters, primogeniture

‘Loyal and natural boy’

• pun ‘and natural’ sounds like unnatural

• ironic - the audience are reminded of Edgar’s loyalty when posed with this false characterisation of Edmund

• placing legitimacy on Edmund and revoking his bastard identity

~ link to primogeniture

‘A knave, a rascal, an eater of broken meats’ / ‘like smiling rogues at these, / Like rats, oft bite the holy chords at wain’

• the audience naturally takes up Kent’s position as he is depicted as a character of foresight that has previosu knowledge of Oswald’s sliminess

• the simile