king lear reading exam - ap literature

shank

13. "Poor naked wretches, whereso’er you are, ... Take physic, pomp,/Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel,/That thou mayst shake the superflux to them,/And show the heavens more just." (3.4)

lear, lear understands what it is like to be poor during storm

14. "Why, thou wert better in thy grave than to answer/with thy uncovered body this extremity of the skies. Is/man no more than this? ... unaccommodated man is no/more but such a poor bare, forked animal as thou art." (3.4)

lear to edgar/poor tom, reacts to edgar, who is nearly naked and pretending to be a crazy beggar. lear is shocked by how vulnerable edgar is.

15. "Because I would not see thy cruel nails/Pluck out his poor old eyes; ... but I shall see/The winged vengeance overtake such children." (3.7)

gloucester, blinded by regan and cornwall, curses them. this is him being shocked after being blinded by them… sort of expressing sorrow over witnessing cruelty to lear

16. "Hold your hand, my lord: I have served you ever since I was a child; But better service have I never done you Than now to bid you hold." (3.7)

first servant to cornwall, as cornwall blinds gloucester, servant tries to intervene

17. "I have no way, and therefore want no eyes; I stumbled when I saw: full oft ‘tis seen, Our means secure us, and our mere defects Prove our commodities..." (4.1)

gloucester, after being blinded he realizes that he was misled when he has sight. he is lwk stumbling but see’s the truth more clearly

18. "As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods. They kill us for their sport." (4.1)

gloucester, still reeling from the horror he endured, expresses bleakness and wanting to kill himself, feeling humans are at the mercy of it all

19. "Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile... Humanity must perforce prey on itself, Like monsters of the deep." (4.2)

albany to goneril, after learning about wtf the sisters did, albany confronts goneril about her evil deeds

20. "You are much deceived: in nothing am I changed But in my garments." (4.6)

edgar disguised as poor tom to gloucester, edar reveals himself to blinded father, though gloucester does not recognize him

21. "Hadst thou been aught but gossamer, feathers, air... Thy life’s a miracle. Speak yet again." (4.6)

edgar to gloucester as a fisherman, edgar tricks gloucester into thinking he survived jumping off a cliff, though he actually only fell onto the floor like an idiot

22. "What, art mad? A man may see how this world goes with no eyes... a dog’s obeyed in office." (4.6)

lear to gloucester, lear… now insane and wandering, converses with gloucester, criticizing justice and authority.

23. "To both these sisters have I sworn my love... Shall never see his pardon; for my state Stands on me to defend, not to debate." (5.1)

edmund, after winning the affection of both evil sisters, plots to betray them and refuses to show mercy to lear and cordelia

24. "We are not the first Who, with best meaning, have incurred the worst..." (5.3)

cordelia to lear, cordelia tries to comfort lear after they have been captured… telling him that many good people have suffered for doing what is right

25. “The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices Make instruments to plague us:" (5.3)

edgar, after the death of edmund and others, edgar reflects on justice