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Decoding "King Lear": Themes, Characters, and Structure

Explore the intricate structure, compelling characters, and profound themes in Shakespeare's "King Lear," unraveling dynamics, foils, and motifs while delving into intricate plot details. Uncover the rich tapestry of parent/child relationships, madness, judgment, and appearances versus reality.

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Decoding "King Lear": Themes, Characters, and Structure

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  1. King Lear Structure, characters, and themes

  2. King Lear King Lear Goneril Regan Cordelia Albany Cornwall France

  3. King LearCharacters Main Plot • Primary -- dynamic • Protagonist, changes through play • Lear • Antagonist, character revealed • Goneril, Regan • Secondary -- static • Reflection characters • Cordelia, Kent, Fool, France

  4. King LearCharacters Sub Plot • Good • Gloucester, Edgar • Evil • Edmund • Reflection characters • Oswald, Albany, Cornwall, servant to Cornwall

  5. King LearFoils • Character foiling • Lear and Gloucester • Cordelia and Edgar • Goneril/Regan and Edmund • Plot foiling • Act 1, sc 1 & Act 5, sc 3 • Act 3, sc 6 and sc 7

  6. Motifs Seeing Judging Flattery “the worst” “unaccomodated man” Patience nothing Imagery Insults Foul fiend, madness Swearing by Gods Astrology King LearMotifs and Imagery

  7. King LearSeeing motif • Act 1 • “Hence and avoid my sight” “Out of my sight!” • “See better, Lear” • “If it be nothing, I shall not need spectacles” • Act 3 • “Pluck out his eyes” • “I would not see thy cruel nails pluck out his poor old eyes” • “I shall see the winged vengeance overtake such children” • “See it shalt thou never”

  8. King LearSeeing motif • Act 4 • “I stumbled when I saw” • “Might I but live to see thee in my touch, I’d say I had eyes again” • Act 5 • “As for the mercy Which he intends to Lear and to Cordelia, The battle done, and they within our power, Shall never see his pardon” • “Do you see this? Look on her, look, her lips,Look there, look there!”

  9. Motifs Seeing Judging Flattery “the worst” “unaccomodated man” Patience nothing Imagery Insults Foul fiend, madness Swearing by Gods Astrology King LearMotifs and Imagery

  10. King LearThemes • Parent/child relationship • Flattery • Madness • Judgment • Appearance vs. reality • world view of Renaissance Christian Humanist and Machiavellian

  11. King Lear -- Act I Scene 1 Lear divides country, Disowns Cordelia Cordelia bids farewell to sisters Scene 2 Edmund soliloquy Conspiracy theory Advice to Edgar Scene 3 Goneril and Oswald Scene 4 Kent to serve Lear as Caius Lear and Fool Lear and Goneril Scene 5 Lear sends Kent to Regan Lear and Fool

  12. King Lear, Act I, scene 1 Lear Fool Albany Goneril Cordelia Cornwall Regan Kent

  13. King Lear -- Act II Scene 1 Edmund and Edgar Cornwall/Regan and Gloucester Scene 3 Edgar Scene 4 Lear/Fool and Kent Lear and Regan Goneril comes Scene 2 Oswald and Kent Glou/Corn/Regan Kent in stocks

  14. King Lear -- Act III Scene 1 Kent and Gentleman Scene 3 Gloucester And Edmund Scene 4 Lear in hovel Talks with Edgar as Poor Tom Scene 2 Lear on the Heath Scene 7 Blinding of Gloucester Scene 5 Cornwall and Edmund Scene 6 Lear Trial scene

  15. King Lear -- Act IV Scene 1 Edgar and Gloucester Scene 2 Goneril and Edmund Albany and Goneril Albany and Gentleman Scene 3 Kent and Gentleman Scene 4 Cordelia and Doctor Scene 5 Regan and Oswald Scene 6 Edgar and Gloucester Gloucester and Lear Oswald and Edgar Scene 7 Cordelia and Kent with Lear

  16. King Lear -- Act V Scene 1 Edmund and Regan Goneril and Albany Edgar to Albany Edmund Scene 2 Edgar and Gloucester Scene 3 Edmund with Lear and Cordelia Albany Edgar and Edmund fight Goneril and Regan dead Lear carries Cordelia in Restoration of Order

  17. King Lear, Act V, scene 3 Lear Goneril Cordelia Regan Albany Kent

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