King Lear Critic quotes

quote about the nature of goneril and regans sins

“there are not personal sins, but an upsetting of civilised values” -Norris

quote about the main theme of the play surrounding lear.

“the education and purification of lear” -Lamar

quote about justice

“there is no supernatural justice- only human natural justice” Goldberg

quote about what edmund is loyal to

“he repudiates and rejects custom, civilisation”

“he obeys natures laws of selfishness”

-Knight

quote about gonerils suicide

consolidates “her role as a villain in a way that no other action could.”
Mahony

quote about madness and blindness

it is “madness and blindness” which “binds the whole play together”

-Harold Bloom

quote about Edmund being a class warrior

“rewards should not follow the structure of a deeply hierarchical social order but go instead to those who merit them”

-Bruce

quotes about how the play is advisory

“could be seen to be advising a monarch”

-Hadfield

how Edmund Goneril and Regan view nature

To Edmund Goneril and Regan,

“'Nature' is a force encouraging the individual to think only of the fulfilment of his own desires”

-Wilson

quote about the fools wisdom

-Halvorson

the fool “expose[s] the foolish thoughts and deeds of those who inhabit the higher ranks of society”

quote about equilibrium

“The idea of an equilibrium in society, and the desire to break/create a new equilibrium”

-Todorov

quote about clothes

“Under the fine clothes, there is nothing but greed and lust”

-Kermode

quote about cordelia’s death

Cordelias death is a “direct representation of a God-less society"

-Elton

quote about Renaissance views on Edmund

“A Renaissance audience would immediately know that he was the villain because of his illegitimacy”

-Bruce

quote about the state of society at the end of the play

“We are left with a maimed society”

-Selden

quote about the storm scene

“in the storm scene Lear is at his most powerful”

-Everett