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King Lear, concluded

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They kill us for their sport.' Act 4, Scene 2 ... BBC production of King Lear. Ran - Lear in medieval Japan. A Thousand Acres: Lear on a modern ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: 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.

16
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.
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