Act 1 scene 5 quotes

Kent:’I will not sleep ,my lord, till I have delivered your letter.’

-Kent as a parallel to Oswald, two devoted followers, both delivering letters

Lear:’ I did her wrong’

-only talking to the fool at this point

-showing a small moment of clarity, awareness, vulnerability

-a fleeting anagnorisis

Lear:’ I will forget my nature’

-Again only to the fool, perhaps he’s allowing himself to be emotionally vulnerable only with another man so as to not feel emasculated

-depicted as an old, vulnerable old man aware that he’s losing his mind, perhaps allows us to sympathise with Lear

-idea of nature, forgot his natural duty and will continue to go mad and the idea of nature inevitably taking its course

Lear:’O let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!’

-poignant plea to be kept sane, aware that he’s losing his mind

-modern interpretation of dementia increases the tragedy of this plea, knowing its inevitable

-fully dependent on the fool now at his age and now that he finds himself alone

-repetition of mad: definite plea, heightened distress at his possible madness