Core Scenes

Core Scenes

1. Love Test - Act 1 scene 1

   • Themes
     • Family
     • Power/ Authority
     • Chaos/ Disintegration
     • Kingship
     • Women
   • Summary
     • Lear decides to split the kingdom into 3 parts
       • Requests each of his daughters to prove their love to him
         • Goneril and Regan both insist they love their father dearly - extremely hyperbolic speech
           • Cordelia refuses to lie to her father - tells him she loves him 'according to their bond'
   • Quotes
     • 'We have divided in three our kingdom' - Lear
       • Royal 'We' - Lear divides the kingdom between his female daughters  A03  - divine right of kings - role of women 
       • 'Which of you shall we say doth love us most' - Lear
         • First person plural pronouns 'us' - Lear's vanity and pride is eventually his downfall - fatal flaw  AO3 - the play as a greek tragedy - divine right of kings
         • 'more than world can wield the matter' - Goneril
           • Personification/ Comparative - words can't give her enough emphasis for her love for Lear - hyperbolic
           • 'dearer than eyesight, space and liberty...with grace, health, beauty, honour.' - Goneril
             • 'makes breath poor and speech unable,' - Goneril
               • 'Love, and be silent' - Cordelia
                 • 'Only she comes too short' - Regan
                   • 'I profess myself an enemy to all other joys' - Regan
                     • 'No less in space, validity and pleasure' - Lear
                       • 'Nothing, my lord.' 'Nothing?' 'Nothing' - Lear and Cordelia