ActOne

ActOne

1. LEAR

   • "Come not between the dragon and his wrath'
   • AS A FATHER
     • "When she was dear to us, we did hold her so, // But now her price is fallen"
       • Cordelia is almost like a commodity to him and other men - did he really love her most or was she just the most valuable?

2. GONERILL

   • Her declaration of love is very revealing of some of her character, it's also very hyperbolic = fake
     • "Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty"
     • "A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable"

3. REGAN

   • She is similar to GONERILL in that she is untrue and hyperbolic - her speech reveals these similiarities to us
     • "I am made of that self-mettle as my sister"
     • "One she comes too short"
       • SIBLING RIVALARY
         • "What can you say to draw // A third more opulent than your sisters?" - LEAR
           • You could argue that LEAR causes the sibling rivalry between the sisters
             • "I loved her most"

4. CORDELIA

   • Her love for her father is true
     • "Love, and be silent"
     • "As unhappy as I am, I cannot heave // My heave into my mouth"
   • "she is herself a dowry" FRANCE

5. KENT

   • "I thought the king..."
     • The play opens on Lear's advisor, recognising some uncertainty or unexpected behaviour from LEAR.
   • "honoured as my king, // loved as my father, as my master followed"
   • "When majesty falls to folly"
   • "Kill thy physician, and thy fee bestow // Upon foul disease"

6. SUBPLOT:

   • GLOUCESTER AND EDMOND'S RELATIONSHIP
     • "I have so often blushed to acknowledge him"
       • Gloucester makes it no secret that his bastard son is an embarrassment - even in front of EDMOND
     • "There was good sport at his making"
       • Gloucester is rude and embarrassing in front of EDMOND
     • EDMOND
       • "Why brand they us / With 'base"? with baseness"
       • "Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land"

7. POLITICS

   • The division of Lear's kingdom is the root of the conflict of the whole play - although Lear feels he is doing what is best.
     • "while we // Unburdened crawl toward death"
     • "that future strife // Maybe be prevented now"

8. SYMBOLS

   • SEEING
     • "Out of my sight!" LEAR
     • "See better, Lear, and let me remain"
     • "with washed eyes, // Cordelia leaves you" CORDELIA
     • "Come, if it be nothing, I shall not need / spectacles" GLOUCESTER

9. CONTEXT