7028197
Description
Mind Map by Bridget Kelly, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Bridget Kelly
over 7 years ago
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Theme: Appearance V.S Reality
- Act One, Scene One: "but now, in the division of
the kingdoms, it appears not which of the dukes
he values most;" Gloucester says this in reference
to King Lear's proposed Kingdom slip. Lear has
clear views in regards to how he'll divide the
kingdom, but he is very clearly keeping this under
wraps.
- "So young, and so untender?"/" So young,
my lord, and true." This ties in well with
the theme of appearance versus reality,
as Lear expected Cordelia to gush about
her adoration for him, as she is his
favorite and she adores him. When he set
the absurd love test, her appearance of
being callous and stubborn did not meet
the reality- her love so immense for him
that she couldn't begin to qualify it.
- "little-seeming substance" meaning
insignificant as she is. Cordelia is anything but
insignificant to the plot of King Lear-she is a
tool used to add tragic emphasis to the play
and although seeming cold and unloving, she
is his ally and one of few truly devoted to him.
- "to speak and purpose not"
meaning not to do what is
promised. Cordelia's incredibly apt
description of Goneril and Regan's
false flattery. She predicts this well,
as they have no intention of
sticking with their declarations of
love.
- "to speak and purpose not"
meaning not to do what is
promised. Cordelia's incredibly apt
description of Goneril and Regan's
false flattery. She predicts this well,
as they have no intention of
sticking with their declarations of
love.
- "little-seeming substance" meaning
insignificant as she is. Cordelia is anything but
insignificant to the plot of King Lear-she is a
tool used to add tragic emphasis to the play
and although seeming cold and unloving, she
is his ally and one of few truly devoted to him.
- "So young, and so untender?"/" So young,
my lord, and true." This ties in well with
the theme of appearance versus reality,
as Lear expected Cordelia to gush about
her adoration for him, as she is his
favorite and she adores him. When he set
the absurd love test, her appearance of
being callous and stubborn did not meet
the reality- her love so immense for him
that she couldn't begin to qualify it.
- Act One, Scene Four: "I do profess to be no
less than I seem: to serve him truly that
will put me in trust; to love him that is
honest; to converse with him that is wise,
and says little; to fear judgement; to fight
when I cannot choose; and to eat no fish."
In this scene, the previously-banished Kent
comes back in a disguise. Whilst he talks
about honesty, he himself is being
dishonest but this is one of the few times
that this theme is being used to do good,
rather than bad.
- Act 2 Scene 1: This entire scene is the epitome of
appearances versus reality. We get our first concrete
example of what Edmund is truly like, as in this scene
he plots against his brother Edgar and sets up a fight
scene between them. So far, he has forged Edgar's
handwriting in a letter containing a plot against
Gloucester, their father's, life. There's no direct quote in
this scene to sum up his behavior but now I draw
reference to another of Shakespeare's tragedies where
Lady Macbeth says to her husband to "Look like the
innocent flower, but be the serpent under it". Our first
impression of Edmund is that he is an innocent flower,
but we soon learn otherwise.
- Act 2, Scene 2: "Fellow, I know thee." Kent tartly responds
to Oswald with this. This quote is not to be taken at face
value. Yes, Kent has met Oswald before but this quote is
referencing how Oswald's reputation precedes him. He is
widely known to be a "knave, a rascal, an eater of broken
meats" etc. He has a tendency to suck up for his own
personal gain and thinks about nobody but himself. Kent
is aware of how fickle he is and is disgusted by it.
- Act 4, Scene 4: "You're much deceived. In nothing am I
changed but in my garments." Edgar says this. There are
several layers of irony in this remark. Gloucester has
been and still is the victim of deception. He has been
deceived by Edmund, he is being deceived by Edgar for
his own good "Why I do trifle thus with his despair is
done to cure it" and Gloucester's despair is deceiving
him as mental health problems are wont to do.
- Act 5, Scene 3: Usually, this theme pertains to someone appearing good
but actually being bad. However there is one surprising exception to
this near the end of the end of the play. On his metaphorical death bed,
we learn that Edmund isn't all bad. "Some good I mean to do, despite of
mine own nature." He tries to stop the execution of King Lear and
Cordelia that he ordered. He doesn't succeed, but this change in nature
changes our opinion of him slightly.
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