King Lear, concluded

1
King Lear, concluded

• CNE/ENG 120
• 12/8/04

2
Act 4, Scene 1

• Edgar, still in disguise, meets the blinded
  Gloucester and agrees to lead him to Dover.
• His first two lines cut to the heart of the play,
  which Cordelia had revealed at the start
• Yet better thus, and known to be contemned, than
  still contemned and flattered.

3
Resonance

• Gloucester has a moment of new self-knowledge,
  just as Oedipus did (of course, Oedipus blinded
  himself in response to his new knowledge of who
  he was and what he had done). Irony the sighted
  are blind, the blind now see.
• Line 19 ff. 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. O dear son Edgar, the food of
  thy abused fathers wrath, might I but live to
  see thee in my touch, Id say I had eyes again.

4
Human Suffering Blame the Gods?

• Gloucester, lines 41-42
• As flies to wanton boys are we to th gods
• They kill us for their sport.

5
Act 4, Scene 2

• Goneril and Edmund arrive at Albany and Gonerils
  castle. Oswald tells them that Albany has
  changed his mind about matters. After Goneril has
  sent Edmund back to Cornwall, Albany enters and
  fiercely rebukes Goneril for her treatment of
  Lear. Albany describes her as Lear did as a
  wild, predatory animal tiger. He goes so far as
  to say (81-82) Howeer thou art a fiend, a
  womans shape doth shield thee. She insults his
  manhood.

6

• A messenger reports Gloucesters blinding and the
  death of the Duke of Cornwall Albany determines
  to avenge Gloucesters eyes.
• Goneril fears that the newly widowed Regan will
  foil her own plans to marry Edmund.

7
Act 4, Scene 3

• In the French camp Kent and a gentleman discuss
  the King of Frances sudden departure and
  Cordelias love of Lear, which has brought her
  back to England at the head of the French army.
• They say that Lear is in Dover, and that,
  although he is sometimes sane, his shame at his
  earlier actions makes him refuse to see Cordelia.

8
Act 4, Scene 4

• In the French camp, Cordelia sends out a search
  party for Lear.
• She learns that the English forces are on the
  march toward her army.

9
Act 4, Scene 5

• Regan questions Oswald about Goneril and Edmund.
  She rues letting the blinded Gloucester live,
  since people pity him and turn against her side
  when they see him.
• She states her intention to marry Edmund, now
  that Cornwall is dead.
• She asks Oswald to dissuade Goneril from pursuing
  Edmund for herself.

10
Act 4, Scene 6

• To cure Gloucester of despair, Edgar pretends to
  aid him in a suicide attempt.
• When Gloucester wakes from his faint, Edgar, now
  in peasant disguise, tells him that the gods
  intervened to save his life.
• They meet the mad Lear, who talks with
  Gloucester about lechery, abuses of power, and
  other human follies. He wants to kill his
  sons-in-law when he comes across them next.

11
Act 4, Scene 6, continued

• Lear runs off when some of Cordelias search
  party come upon him.
• When Oswald appears and tries to kill Gloucester,
  Edgar kills Oswald.
• Edgar finds a letter from Goneril to Edmund on
  Oswalds body plotting Albanys death.

12
Act 4, Scene 7

• In the French camp Lear is awakened by his
  doctor and reunited with Cordelia.
• At this point the audience may feel that things
  will start getting better Gloucester and Edgar
  are reconciled as are Lear and Cordelia.
• Both Gloucester and Lear have gained new
  self-awareness and knowledge - will things get
  better as a result? Is there value in human
  suffering?

13
Act 5, Scene 1

• Albany joins his forces with Regans (led by
  Edmund) to oppose the French.
• Edgar in disguise approaches Albany with the
  letter plotting Albanys death. He promises to
  produce a champion to maintain the letters
  authenticity in a trial by combat.
• Edmund enters alone, he thinks about his
  possible marriage to either Regan or Goneril and
  his plan to have Cordelia and Lear killed if the
  English beat the French.

14
Act 5, Scene 2

• Cordelias French army is defeated.
• Edgar mourns King Lear hath lost, he and his
  daughter taen.

15
Act 5, Scene 3

• Edmunds sends Lear and Cordelia to prison and
  secretly arranges their assassination.
• Albany confronts Edmund and his wife Goneril with
  their intended treachery against him he calls
  for the promised champion.
• Edgar appears, fully armed, to accuse Edmund of
  treachery he identifies himself, tells of his
  disguised life, and describes Gloucesters death.

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Act 5, Scene 3, continued

• A messenger arrives to tell of the deaths of
  Regan (poisoned by Goneril) and Goneril
  (committed suicide).
• Edmund confesses that he has ordered Lear and
  Cordelias deaths.
• While a messenger runs to the prison to save
  them, Lear enters carrying the dead Cordelia.
• As Albany makes plans to restore Lear to his
  throne, Lear himself dies.

17
Learning Through Suffering?

• No good results from new self-awareness or
  self-knowledge.
• Some have accused Shakespeare of nihilism the
  idea that political progress comes through
  violent elimination of the former systems/people.

18
Three Different Takes on Lear

• We will watch the scene in which Lear divests
  himself of his power in three different
  productions
• BBC production of King Lear
• Ran - Lear in medieval Japan
• A Thousand Acres Lear on a modern
• midwestern farm.