King Lear Quotes Act 1-3

Who: Gloucester to Kent
Significance: Gloucester acknowledges that he loves his bastard son. This goes against the natural world because not only did he have a son out of wedlock after he was already married, he also loves Edmund and Edgar equally.
Motif: disruption of the natural order of the world.
Talking about Edgar

"But I have a son, sir, by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account."

Who: Lear to his daughters and their husbands and the crowd
Significance: King Lear disrupts the natural order of the world by dividing his Kingdom by decreasing power instead of increasing it.
Inversion
Start of Lear's downfall, yet still clings on to power
Irony, "crawling towards death," only giving away power, also foreshadowing

"…Know that we have divided / In three our kingdom, and 'tis our fast intent / To shake all cares and business from our age, / Conferring them on younger strengths while we / Unburdened crawl toward death."

Who: Cordelia
To whom: Lear
Characterizes Cordelia by exemplifying that she truly loves her father and is honest and prideful
Critiques her sisters that they should love their husbands
Know thyself

"… Good my lord, /You have begot me, bred me, loved me: I/ Return those duties back as are fit, … Sure I shall never marry like my sisters, / To love my father all."

Who: Lear to Cordelia and the entire court
Significance: Exemplifies how Lear values nature by using its powers to disown Cordelia; shows appearance versus reality in that Lear disowns Cordelia despite loving her the most; going against the natural order of the world by calling upon the powers of nature.

"For, by the sacred radiance of the sun, the mysteries of Hecate and the night; by all operation of the orbs from whom we do exist and cease to be; here I disclaim all my paternal care, propinquity and property of blood."

Who: Kent
To whom: Lear
Motif: sight, service
Characterization: Lear being foolish for leaving his most favored daughter and splitting his kingdom & Kent for being an honest advisor of Lear. This is important because although Kent is telling Lear what is best, he is still banished by Lear
Lear banishes Cordelia and Kent is trying to make him realize his mistakes. This signifies the start of Lear's downfall, as he won't "see better," or be able to interpret everyone's advice for him.

"See better, Lear"

Who: France
To whom: Cordelia
Significance: The King of France decides to take Cordelia back his home with him after Lear banishes Cordelia. This proves that while Lear claims to love others more than himself, he loves himself the most while France loves Cordelia truly. (Also viewed as controversial at the time since France and England, were rival countries)
Paints king of France as a romantic hero via syntax

"…, that art most rich, being poor; / Most choice, forsaken; and most loved, despised!"

Regan
to Goneril
Act I-Regan and Goneril are complaining that their father has to stay with them and how rashly he disowns Cordelia; quote demonstrates theme of not knowing oneself as the sisters complain that Lear has no idea who he is or what he is doing
Appearance vs reality= Lear has no idea that his children are beginning to plot against him

"… yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself."

Who: Edmund's opening soliloquy in scene II
To whom: the audience
Edmund wonders why everyone laments bastard children when they are born with more passion than any legitimate child
Motif= "lusty stealth of nature"= this is nature's doing, which correlates with Edmund's belief that nature is a goddess
Characterizes Edmund as vengeful, and he will later plot against his father and legitimate brother

"…Why brand they us with base? …. Who, in the lusty stealth of nature, take more composition and fierce quality than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed, go to creating a who tribe of fops got 'tween asleep and wake?"

Gloucester to Edmund
right after Gloucester reads the fake letter from Edgar and thinks Edgar is trying to kill him
nature= Gloucester's superstitious take on nature; omens of nature; human actions and nature have a cause and effect relationship
Both have respect for nature; Gloucester's relationship is more fearful because of his own superstition, Edmund's relationship is more loving as he sees nature as a goddess

"These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us."

Edmund to himself
about nature (he would be the way he is regardless of nature)
Motif: Know thyself

"My father compounded with my mother under the Dragon's Tail, and my nativity was under Ursa Major, so that it follows I am rough and lecherous. Fut!"

Kent to himself
Significance: even though he was banished - still loyal
Also appearance - disguising himself

"If but as well I other accents borrow that can my speech diffuse, my good intent may carry through itself to that full issue for which I razed my likeness."

Lear to his knight
Significance: Identity - not being treated as he feels he should be as a King; this also shows a rare instance in which Lear is aware of his own flaws
Motif: Sight

"I have perceived a most faint neglect of late, which I have rather blamed as mine own jealous curiosity than as a very pretense and purpose of unkindness. I will look further into it."

Who: Fool to Lear.
Fool characterization (wise one)
When: Right when the Fool enters and offers Lear his hat.
Significance: The fool is revealing how Lear actually did the opposite of what he intended. By Banishing Cordelia, he saved her from having to deal with himself and the land.

"Why, this fellow has banished two on's daughters, and did the third a blessing against his will."

Who: Fool then Lear
When: Right after the Fool's rhyming speech
Significance: Motif: nothing- Lear takes the fool literally, referring to having nothing as in material goods, while the Fool is talking about a metaphor. In the previous line the fool gave advice, but it does not mean anything because it is of no value because he isn't paid (reference to a lawyer who does not say anything of value unless he's paid)
Somebody tries to give their two cents on Lear but he does not understand

"--Can you make no use out of nothing, nuncle? --Why, no boy. Nothing can be made out of nothing."

Who: Fool to Lear
When: The Lear is asking the Fool why he thinks Lear is foolish
Significance: An example of inversion, the Fool is wise while the King is a fool. Metaphor with egg.

"When thou clovest thy crown i' the middle and gavest away both parts, thou borest thine ass on thy back o'er dirt."

Who: Goneril
Talking to: Lear
What's being discussed: Goneril asserts her dominance over her father, she says that he approves of his knights causing chaos. She thought that if she told him, he'd put an end to the chaos. She acknowledges that he has been acting foolishly.
Characterization: Shows that Goneril is assertive and cold; she's being rather harsh to her father. She validates her harshness by being in power.
Shows children's ingratitude towards parents

"..Sir I had thought, by making this well known unto you to have found a safe redress; but now grow fearful, by what yourself too late have spoke and done, that you protect this course, and put it on by your allowance; which if you should, the fault would not scape censure, nor the redresses sleep, which in the tender of a wholesome weal might in their working do you that offence which else were shame, that then necessity must call discreet proceeding."

Who: Lear
Talking to: The Fool, Goneril, himself
What's being discussed: Lear's lack of self identity and he is not realizing that without his power, he's nothing. He's not himself. He hasn't come to the realization that he doesn't know who he is without his power which he has given away.
Motif: Nothing; Lear is nothing without his power; "Nothing can come of nothing"
Characterization: Lear doesn't know who he is (know thyself)
He still believes he is the king

"Who is it that can tell me who I am?"

Who: Lear
To whom: Goneril and nature
Significance:
Imbalance of nature: Lear thinks he can try to command nature and enact imbalance by trying to sterilize his daughter. Imbalance due to doing this evil onto her daughter but also Lear thinks he has more power than he has.

"Hear, Nature, hear! Dear goddess, hear! / Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend / To make this creature fruitful. / Into her womb convey sterility;"

Who: Lear
To whom: Goneril
Significance:
Appearance vs reality: Lear thinks that Reagan will be happy to take him in, but in reality, Goneril and Regan are both plotting against him.
Motif: Sight- He believes he is still in control and has power, but he is blinded by his delusions.
Characterization: Lear is delusional and clueless

"…Yea, is it come to this? / Ha! Let it be so. I have another daughter / Who I am sure is kind and comfortable."

Who: Fool
To whom: Lear
Significance:
Appearance vs reality: Fool is telling Lear that what he thinks may not be the reality. He uses the comparison to a crab-apple, meaning that Goneril and Regan's thoughts are the same.
Kindly = in kind

"Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly; for though she's as like this as a crab's like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell… She'll taste as like this as a crab does to a crab."

Edmund wounds himself to frame Edgar. (Scene 1)

"Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion of my more fierce endeavour"

Edmund lies to Gloucester about the sword fight. (Scene 1)

"Persuade me to the murder of your Lordship"

Gloucester, wrongfully, wishes he never had Edgar as a son. (Scene 1)

"I never got him"

Gloucester intends to have his conniving son, Edmund, written into his will. (Scene 1)

"Loyal and natural boy, I'll work the means to make thee capable"

Gloucester is extremely foolish and gullible as he believes Edgar stabbed Edmund in the mock sword fight, where Edmund injures himself to frame Edgar, which Edgar didn't take part in. (Scene 1)

"O madam, my old heart is cracked, it's cracked"

Kent expresses his sincere loyalty towards Lear. (Scene 2)

"You come with letters against the King, and take Vanity the puppet's part against the royalty of her father"

Cornwall tells Regan. (Scene 2)

"He dies that strikes again. What is the matter?"

Kent has been threatened with being placed in the stocks by Cornwall, and this acts as an insult to Lear. (Scene 2)

"You shall do small respect, show too bold malice against the grace and person of my master. Stocking his messenger"

Regan is cruel towards Kent and her father, Lear by agreeing to place her father's servant in the stocks. (Scene 2)

"Till noon! Till night, my Lord, and all night too"

Kent reminds us of Cordelia as she is kept within our mind throughout the play. (Scene 2)

"I know 'tis from Cordelia, who hath most fortunately been informed of my obscured course"

Edgar in soliloquy representing the disorder of the Kingdom of Britain during Shakespeare's time, as he disguised himself as a mad beggar named, Poor Tom. (Scene 3)

"Poor Tom! That's something yet. Edgar I nothing am"

Lear is enraged and full of anger at Kent being placed in the stocks. (Scene 4)

"Tis worse than murder, to do upon respect such violent outrage"

Theme of Madness x1 (Scene 4)

"O, how this mother swells up toward my heart! Hysteria passio, down, thou climbing sorrow!"

The Fool advises Kent, then, to avoid contact with Lear, or else he will get hurt. (Scene 4)

"Let go thy hold when a great wheel runs down a hill, lest it break thy neck with following it"

Lear can hardly speak a word to Regan. (Scene 4)

"Thy sister's naught. O Regan, she hath tied sharp-toothed unkindness, like a vulture, here"

Regan insults Lear by labeling him as powerless to the throne. (Scene 4)

"I pray you, father, being weak, seem so"

Theme of Madness x2 (Scene 4)

"I prithee, daughter, do not make me mad"

Lear Vs. Goneril and Regan. (Scene 4)

"Or rather a disease that's in my flesh which I must needs call mine"

Lear thinks he can escape from Goneril and Regan with no exchange of knights. (Scene 4)

"I can be patient; I can stay with Regan, and my hundred knights"

Illustrates how hurt Lear is after the act of his cruel daughters. (Scene 4)

"I gave you all"

Lear tells Regan and Cornwall: (Scene 4)

"O, reason not the need! Our basest beggars are in the poorest thing superfluous allow not nature more than nature needs, man's life as cheap as beasts!"

Theme of Madness x3. (Scene 4)

"O fool, I shall go mad"

Regan inflicts complete and utter cruelty on Lear. (Scene 4)

"O, sir, to willful men the injuries that they themselves procure must be their schoolmasters. Shut up your doors!"

What does the Gentleman say about the storm?

"Eyeless rage"

What does the Gentleman say about the King during the storm?

"Strives in his little world of man to out-scorn"

Who does the Gentleman say the King is with?

"None but the fool"

How does Lear challenge the gods?

"Let the great gods… find out their enemies now"

What does Lear say that makes it clear he is aware of his loss of sanity?

"My wits begin to turn"

How does Edmund pretend to pity Gloucester?

"Most savage and unnatural"

What does Kent tell the Gentleman in return for his help?

"There is division/Although as yet the face of it is covered/With mutual cunning"

What does Lear shout at the storm?

"Rumble thy bellyful! Spit, fire! Spout, rain!/…here I stand your slave,/A poor, infirm, weak and despis'd old man"

How does Lear refuse to speak?

"I will say nothing"

What does Lear believe he is?

"A man more sinned against than sinning"

Lear showing pity for the Fool and Kent?

"Poor Fool and knave, I have one part in my heart that's sorry yet for thee"

What does Edmund say after Gloucester tells him about helping the king?

"The younger rises when the old doth fall"

What does Lear say to let us know that he does not feel the storm because of the hurt his daughters caused?

"Contenious storm/Invades us to the skin; so tis to thee/But where the greater malady is fix'd/the lesser is scarce felt"

What does Lear say about his mental state - pathetic fallacy related?

"Tempest in my mind"

What advice does Edgar give based on his Father's mistakes?

"Let not the creaking of shoes nor the rustling of silks betray thy poor heart to woman. Keep thy foot out of brothels, thy hand out of plackets, thy pen from lenders' books, and defy the foul fiend"

What does Lear call his daughters' behaviour?

"Filial ingratitude"

What does Lear say his mistake is?

"O! I have ta'en too little care of this."

What does Lear assume Poor Tom's mistake was?

"Didst thou give all to thy daughters?"

How does Lear question the human race?

"Is man no more than this?… Thou art the thing itself; unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art"

How does Regan reveal the truth to Gloucester?

"Thou callst on him that hates thee"

What does Lear call his daughters in their trial?

"Tray, Blanch and Sweetheart"

How does Lear see himself in Poor Tom?

"Thou robed man of justice"

What piece of wisdom does the Fool give regarding trust?

"He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf"

What does Edmund decide on doing?

"I will persever in my course of loyalty…"

What does Gloucester give in to?

"I am tied to th'stake, and I must stand the course"