Goneril & Regan

Goneril & Regan

1. Pragmatic Perceptive Wisdom

   • 'Pray you let us hit together. If our father carry authority with such disposition as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us.'

2. Sly Competitive Self-serving

   • 'Sir I do love you more than words can wield the matter Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty.' 'I find she names my very deed of love:/ Only she comes too short.'

3. Abused? Justified?

   • Lear: 'Degenerate bastard', 'Detested kite', 'thy wolfish visage', 'those wicked creatures', 'You unnatural hags', 'Those pelican daughters'
   • Lear: 'But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter,/ Or rather a disease that's in my flesh,/ Which I must needs call mine. Thou art a boil,/ A plague sore, or embossed carbuncle/ In my corrupted blood.'
   • Lear: 'To make this creature fruitful/ Into her womb convey sterility, Dry up her organs of increase, And from her derogate body never spring/ A babe to honour her. If she must teem,/ Create her child of spleen, that it may live/ And be a thwart disnatured torment to her…To have a thankless child.'
   • Lear: 'I gave you all-' Regan: 'And in good time you gave it.'

4. Uncaring/Cruel Masculine Subversive

   • Goneril's masculinity is juxtaposed with Albany's femininity: 'milky gentleness…mildness'
   • Regan: 'O, sir, you are old/ Nature in you stands in the very verge/ Of her confine. You should be ruled and led… Say you have wronged her, sir.'
   • Goneril: 'Idle old man,..Old fools are babes again and must be used/ With checks as flatteries, when they are seen abused.'
   • 'Sir,/ I had thought by making this well known unto you…'
     • Autocratic
   • Lear '[Kneels]Dear daughter, I confess that I am old;/ Age is unnecessary. On my knees I beg…That you'll vouchsafe me raiment, bed and food.' Regan: 'Good, sir, no more. These are unsightly tricks./ Return you to my sister.'