Shakespeare’s King Lear
description
Transcript of Shakespeare’s King Lear
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Shakespeare’s
King Lear
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A. Background on the story
1. Pre Christian King of good reputation – -- source was probably Holinshed’s Chronicles, a source Shakespeare used for many of his plays
2. An earlier version of the play (King Leir, 1605 anon.)
3. Shakespeare’s changes(Gloucester subplot, final deaths)
I. Introduction
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A. Nature (the four levels)
1. God and Perfection (above the stars)
2. Higher Nature but imperfect civiliz., conscious. Morality)
3. Lower Nature (amoral, bestial, animal (reason w/o conscience))
4. Evil – realm of the demons
II. Major Themes
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2. Order vs. Chaos -- the question of Justicea. Lear (and we) learn that --life is awful
--there is not always a happy ending
--there’s nothing we cando about it
b. Job’s question: why dobad things happento good people
II. Major Themes (continued)
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a. Can anything redeem this injustice / violence / suffering / meaninglessness of the world?
1. wisdom – this is the great gift of time and suffering (Lear finds wisdom when sees truthand stops valuingsuperficial (he seemsmad but is wisethe new Fool2. Lear’s journey
Prideragesuffering/humiliationmadnesswisdomdeath
2. Order vs. Chaos-the question of Justice
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3. the real answer is goodness and honesty are rewards in themselves – that is what redeems/justifies life
Stoicism – be good (beauty and grace); not oneof “the many” (R and G)—choosing virtue maybring suffering but it is still better than being one of“the many” --Jesus and the adulterous woman--the meaning of virtue (morality and the godscome together
II. Major Themes – Good vs. Evil
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For example: Cordelia
Cordelia chooses not to participatein a ridiculous and dishonestspectacle—this was not a flimsydecision when you realize what lovemeans to Cordelia honesty
duty loyalty
II. Major Themes
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3. Good vs. Evil
Good (the moral) is directly related to love, compassion, the soul
Evil (the immoral) is directly realted to selfishness, the
id, violence, the physical
II. Major Themes (continued)
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II. Themes –Good vs. EvilThe Higher World
LearCordeliaKentAlbanyThe FoolEdgar
The Lower World
GonerilReganEdmundCornwallOswald
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4. Loyalty vs. Blind Obedience
Kent OswaldCordelia Goneril / ReganThe Fool Edmund (no honor)
II. Major Themes
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II. Major Themes (continued)5. Chaos and the Uncaring Universe
a. Chaos results from DIVISION (the kingdom,
families, brothers, sisters, etc.)b. King Lear as precursor to
existentialism
“There is, therefore, no preexistent spiritual realm, no soul…,no cosmic compassion for or interest in human life, no afterlife, no transcendence of worldly existence, no cosmic meta-narrative, no angels and devils…, no divine will, no preset destiny, no inevitable fate.”
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Chaos and the Uncaring Universe
In a sense Edmund is right—there are no stars to guide us. The play shows there to be no intrinsic meaning in the universe.
However, humans and human consciousness, human virtue,human loyalty, and human lovecreate a meaningful and caringuniverse.
II. Major Themes
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Psychological Levels
Kent Cordelia the Fool (reason) (love) (wits, intell., wisdom) Lear Gloucester
Edgar Edmund (good) (evil)
III. The Characters
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The Evil Side
Cornwall – Goneril Regan – Albany
Edmund
Oswald the guard who follows Edmund’s order to kill Lear and
Cordelia
III. Characters
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1. The Storm
2. Blindness and sight
3. The Fool
IV. The Symbols
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4. Nothingness
5. Nakedness and clothing
IV. The Symbols (continued
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The Vision and Wisdom of King Lear
1. The Psychological
2. The Social
3. The Universal
V. Conclusion