Title: King Lear

Author: William Shakespeare

Genre: Play
Date Written: 1606

A. SYNOPSIS OF PLOT

* Lear states that he will divide his kingdom and wealth between his three daughters after they
_have publicly professed their love to him. Cordelia refuses and is banished along with Kent.
* The King of France chooses to marry Cordelia without her dowry.
* Edmund tricks Gloucester into thinking that Edgar has betrayed him and Edgar soon runs away
_to escape death (he takes on the disguise of Poor Tom).
* Goneril is angry with Lear because of his knights and Lear wants to leave for Regans.
* Kent returns in disguise and becomes one of Lears followers. Kent verbally abuses Oswald
_when taking Lears letter to Regan. He is sent to the stocks for punishment.
* Regan and Goneril tell Lear he can only stay with them if he gets rid of his knights. Lear is
_angry and runs out into the storm. His daughters lock him out.
* Kent finds Lear and the Fool in the storm and takes them to a hovel.
_Edmund betrays Gloucester by telling Cornwall of his plans to help Lear and about the letter
_from France. Edmund is then made Earl of Gloucester.
* Lear holds a mock trial for daughters. Gloucester sent Kent to Dover with Lear to avoid death.
* Cornwall blinds Gloucesters. Cornwall is wounded by one of his servants and soon dies.
* Poor Tom agrees to lead the blinded Gloucester to Dover.
* Goneril and Regan both want to marry Edmund. Goneril sends a letter to Edmund with plans to
_kill Albany.
* Edgar aids Gloucester in a false suicide attempt in order to help him. He kills Oswald and fins
_the letter from Goneril to Edmund.
* Lear is reunited with Cordelia and the French army is defeated.
* Edmund sends Lear and Cordelia to death. Edgar appears to accuse Edmund of his treachery
_and fatally wounds him.
* Regan, Goneril, Edmund, Cordelia, and Lear all die.


B. CHARACTERS AND MOTIVATION

Lear
He divides his land amongst his two daughters who professed their love to him and banishes
Cordelia for not doing so.
He is motivated by his regret to banish Cordelia, the daughter who truly loved him and would
care for him and for not going mad.
I did her wrongoh let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! Keep me in temper!
I am a very foolish fond old manI fear I am not in perfect mind. Me thinks I should know
youmy child CordeliaI know you do not love meyou have some cause, they do not.

Kent
He is Lears obedient follower who would anything to help Lear.


He is motivated by his loyalty to serve and protect Lear at all costs.
Royal Lear, whom I have ever honored as my king, loved as my father, as my master followed
_as my great patron thought in my prayers
I do profess to be no less than I seem: to serve him truly who will put me in trust.

Edmund
He is the bastard son of Gloucester. He betrays many of the characters in the novel.

He is motivated by his desire of greed to inherit land and wealth (and acceptance into a social
circle).
A credulous father and a brother noblelet me, if not by birth, have lands by wit.
Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed and my inventions thrive, Edmund the base shall top th
_legitimate

Goneril
She is one of Lears daughters who ultimately betrays Lear and her sister Regan.
She is motivated by her desire to have power and wealth (and Edmund).
Hear me, my lord: What need you more than five-and-twenty, ten, or five, to follow
Ill not endure itwhen he returns I will not speak with him. Say I am sick.

Gloucester
He is the father of Edmund and Edgar. He is one of the characters who attempts to help Lear.
He is motivated by his loyalty and respect for Lear he is punished for the allegiance with Lear.
Let me beseech your good grace not to do sothe good King his master will check him fort.
The trick of the voice I do well remember. Ist not the King?...Oh let me kiss that hand!


C. STATEMENT OF THEME

The continuous pestering of a person may lead them to perform what may seem like unjustifiable
acts.

Edmund is continuously beleaguered for being the illegitimate son of Gloucester.
Gloucester himself is so accustomed to it that he did not want to claim him and has become
brazed to t. Despite being illegitimate and younger, Edmund cannot help but feel that he has a
right to inherit his fathers wealth, instead of the legitimate eldest son Edgar. As a result,
Edmund betrays his own brother and forces him to seek refuge in nature and create a disguise as
Poor Tom in order to survive. Then Edmund betrays his own father by reporting to Cornwall of
Gloucesters aid to Lear and incriminating letter from France. As a result of his betrayal,
Edmund is dubbed the new Earl of Gloucester and his father is blinded and sent to nature. To
Edmund, his acts are justifiable, but to everyone else, there is no justification in betraying people
(especially family) to gain wealth and status.

D. MOTIFS

Betrayal Deceit Respect Ignorance Disownment


Revenge
Honor
Hurt
Blindness
Power
Trickery
Love
Envy
Foolishness
Resentment
Innocence
Deception
Justice
Loyalty
Nakedness
Pride
Truth
Intelligence
Disapproval
Embarrassment

E. CHARACTER ARCHYTPE

Kent: Hero
Rises to the Occasion Despite becoming an outcast, with a death penalty, Kent loyally comes
back in disguise to protect Lear.

Performs tasks most cannot do Kent has the ability to forgive. Most would not have
respected Lear after being casted out in such a manner, especially since he has become a mad
and unpredictable old man.

Acts out of a higher/nobler sense of purpose Kent persists in being loyal to Lear. He seeks to
protect Lear at all costs and even considers himself a pawn to wage against [Lears] enemies.

At the beginning of the play Kent was the only one who attempted to convince Lear to
reconsider his abandonment of Cordelia. Kent realized that Lear would regret this since decisions
made in anger are not always meant, and in an effort to help, he too is sent into exile by Lear
with a death sentence if he remains in the kingdom. Despite all this, Kent is able to heroically
forgive Lear and loyally comes back in disguise to protect him, even after he is abandoned by
everyone including his two daughters. After Lear is shunned by his conniving daughters, Kent
becomes Lears last link to humanity and his means to physical survival. Without Kent standing
up for him, Lear may have been beaten by his enemies before he was able to see Cordelia again.


F. RESEARCH

Shakespeare was born in April 1564 and died in April 1616. By 1592 he had achieved
recognition in London as both an actor and playwright. A year later he became a published poet
due to the closure of theater that year. In 1594, along with being an actor and playwright,
Shakespeare became an acting-company shareholder where he and his company built a theater
where many of Shakespeares plays were performed. Around 1610 Shakespeare returned to
Stratford-upon-Avon where he died.

Hamlet
Othello
Macbeth
The Tempest
Romeo and Juliet
The Winters Tale

G. PERSONAL REACTION



Considering this was written by Shakespeare, I did enjoy reading King Lear. I liked how Lear
found enlightenment despite his mistake to banish the daughter who loved him and the loyal
servant who disguised himself in order to be of service. What I didnt like was that this was yet
another devastating play where everyone dies. I know its called a tragedy for a reason but its
still upsetting to see Lear die of grief after Cordelia is killed. When Edmund confesses to
sentencing Lear and Cordelia to death, you cant help but feel a sense of hope, only to see them
end up dead. The only remaining people are Edgar, Albany, and Kent (but even he is
foreshadowed to kill himself in order to be loyal to Lear).