King Lear essay points – Flashcards

-Arnold Kettle "Lear is a world in which the new people are unprincipled" - whole new generation, including Edgar, do not act with principle of justice - Edgar does not demand justice for himself: Edmund explaining Edgar accusation, dialogue structured like prosecutor questioning defendant "Have you nothing said, upon his party, 'gainst the duke of Albany?" "I am sure on't, not a word" - certainty he is innocent, audience will him to tell Gloucester but he doesn't: frustration "some villain hath done me wrong"- "some villain" vague suggests lack of motivation to find identity- dramatic irony that villain who he is exclaiming to - " Seem to defend yourself!"- echoes our of frustrations- imperative - CONTEXT: cowardice- King first to ride into battle -King main judge

- initial failure to seek justice for self is redeemed by later execution of justice in Act 5 - C.J Sisson "The abuse of justice of the King whose power within justice lies"- contrast between Edgar's fair justice and Lear's "love trial" emphasise how dangerous Lear's original abuse of justice was -2nd person- "let thy arm do thee justice" and usually covered by armour to hide identity and symbolise disinterest of justice (April 2016 Oxford Playhouse makes identifiable) - contrast to Lear- "Which of you shall we say doth love us most"- 1st person pronouns "we" "us"- personal involvement

- Edgar's naivety about evil in human nature- unprepared for challenges of human nature and subjects- Gunpowder Plot against James I 1605 and Lear written 1606 - Kate Mckluskie "family ties are fixed and determined"- not true, Shakespeare criticises inevitability of "family ties" through Edgar's undeserved trust for Edmund as brother - repetition of "brother"- "Armed brother!" "Brother, I advise you the best" - ridicules use of word automatically gaining Edgar's trust - mirrors Lear's belief in unconditional love of his daughter "Yet thou art my blood, my flesh, my daughter" - inspired by true stories- Brian Annesley eldest daughter and husband tried to classify senile lunatic so could have property

- "poor Tom"- loses naivety and detachment from world and becomes in touch with ordinary people may rule in future - Alexander Legget- "poor Tom is a more vivid and recognizable character than Edgar"- poor member of society more "recognisable" and easy to relate to for "groundlings" - declaration of "Edgar I nothing am" and decision to "take the poorest and more basest shape" people saw him more in touch with subjects - 21st century audience- politicians seen as detached from working classes, with Etonian education, heavily criticised - contrast with audacious comment "Our basest beggars are in the poorest thing superfluous"- "beggars" makes line hyper metric- jarring and detached which Lear recognises too late "I have ta'en too little care of this" - Prince Hal emulates perfect King in Henry VI- spends time with ordinary people in pub with Falstaff

AC Bradley "Edgar's christian values are commented on"- in execution of justice- treats all social classes equally- "christian values"- Experience as ordinary all people of social classes fundamentally same -"Maugre...thy...place and eminence"- emphatic position "place and eminence" end of line- importance of social class not tainting judgment - improved Lear's corrupt judicial system "Plate sin with gold and the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks" - contrast to Albany- "methought thy very gait did prophesy a royal nobleness" - major theme- first performance 26th December

- William R Elton "the last act of the play shatters the foundations of faith itself" - we are not left with complete optimism about Edgar as King- frustration as unable to learn to take action more quickly - too late to tell Gloucester identity "His flawed heart...Alack too weak the conflict to support..burst smilingly" - "too weak" suggests if told when stronger, might have survived - failed to learn from father's death to act with haste- hyper-metric speech- long drawn out- frustration as Cordelia and Lear is process of being hanged - "foolish honesty" of being encouraged by Edmund "But speak you on; you look as though you had more to say" - Goldberg's description of Edgar as "most lethal character in play" inaccurate- shares vulnerability to manipulation of other's like Lear - timing and easily manipulated= poor kingship

- Orwell "Edgar is a superfluous character" undeserved - only good character demonstrates morality as well as cunning and manipulation - Edgar's decision to disguise himself- lose identity and help Lear and father unchallenged - Edgar's manipulation of language to disguise identity parallels to Goneril and Regan's to disguise motives "poor Tom shall lead thee" not enough syllables to fit iambic pentameter compared to hypermetric "Sir I love you more than word can wield the matter" - cunning matches those of evil characters- would able to challenge evil and corruption in way other moral characters could not

- flaws poor timing and naivety prevent from being absolute description "every inch a king" - but possession of traits that other moral characters lack- cunning and manipulation of others- best option as King for Albion and improvement from Lear

- Hal Holbrook- "He has clung steadfastly to the conviction that he is a loving father despite all evidence on the contrary"- suggests love trial at beginning warrants malicious methods daughters later use to abuse him- more sinning than sinned against - compromises love for family for own vanity- "Which of you shall we say doth love us most?"- plural contrasts to singular of "which of you"- divided daughters united as one into selfish individualists - BK Stuart "Lear would rather have flattery than the truth"- purposefully overlooks insincerity of own ego- "shall we say" - implies "say" he acknowledges they will give him words of flattery - Lear- "I loved her most" monosyllabic contrasts to flowery lang of G + R's flattery- love trials purpose was to receive words of flattery rather than reach decision about kingdom division- King James flattery

Martha Burns "Goneril and Regan are formidable" false- unpleasant portrayal from start- don't respect only resent calculated cruelty to father- sins outweigh father's folly - "In my true heart I find she names my very deed of love Only she comes too short" - hypermetric- jarring and insincere - "true" reassurance of sincerity suggests overcompensating for malicious hidden motives - love test encourages division, but can be seen that G + R already not united- "Only"- breaks iambic pentameter- unnatural willingness of Regan to compete with sister

- enabled to explore evil in human nature through portrayal of sisters' malice to have no clear reason - LK Bennett - "play is a microcosm of the human race"- Lear's abuse of daughters undeserved so "macrocosm" of inherent evil in human nature can be explored - Almeida 2012 makes us reason of sexual abuse but this leaves only microcosm of sexual abuse of one man and his family - However, Shakespeare shows wants to leave cause of G + R's evil ambiguous- Act 3 "Is there any cause in nature that makes these hard hearts?"- intends for audience to ask question to themselves- monosyllabic words and caesura in line alert attention - comparison with daughters and lear to Edmund and Gloucester- Edmund given long soliloquies- use of humour and crafty rhetoric- "Why bastard? Wherefore base"- dark charism- sins justified for him rejected as bastard - Contrast, Helen Norris' sisters "unnatural"- audience empathise little- no relationship, two dimensional evil characters- animal imagery Lear as "dragon"- Regan as "serpent"- Lear's sins come from volatility and passion, contrasts to calculated evil of serpents- Adam and Eve story - women inherently evil - "personifications of ingratitude" regardless of Lear- his behaviour gives chance to execute evil

- "Better thou Hadst not been born that not to have pleased me better" - calls "thou" and finishes Cordelia's iambic pentameter- close relationship so disowning shocking and jarring - harsh "b" sound contrasts to soft "L" sound- "Lost me in your liking"- gentle and caring tone makes meanness more undeserved - Arnold Kettle "at the beginning it is Cordelia who is the most heroic one"- Cordelia's overly honest and cold response irresponsible - Harley Granville Parker- "Cordelia has more than a touch of her father in her"- she herself like Lear reflects cold attitude towards family- "bond"- financial bond and physical bond with ball and chain

- N Brooke- "Lear's willful folly in Act 1 Scene one is the fault which brings the heavens literally crashing about him"- abuse of powerful position in dividing kingdom justifies subjects' removal of power - powerful and able at start of play- entrance followed by "senet" and "servant bearing a coronet"- full responsibility - Ian Mckellan already presents old and doddery- incorrect- tragic hero needs to be responsible and later regret decision -also context of Scotland and England - selfish- wants to get rid of responsibility for own peaceful retirement-To shake all cares and business from our age"- "shake"- forceful physical action- struggles to shrug off responsibility that only should belong to him- "divine right of kings"

C J Sisson "the main idea upon which the play rests in the abuse of justice by the king whose power within justice lies"- jacobean royal court court of justice as well as ceremonial - "trial of love"- symbolises abuse of justice- contradicts audience's expectations to be disinterested when making decisions about country - emotive lang juxtaposed with evil "dear Regan"- "sentence", "this shall not be revoked"

Andrew Hadfield- "The play does not represent a king who is ineffective or unimpressive, but one who has not taken enough care of his kingdom" -Lear's development throughout play shows redeeming features- potential to be "effective and impressive ruler" - Lear realises about helping poor- 26th December complex- "Take physic pomp, Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel, that thou mayst shake the superflux to them, And show the heavens more just"- "shake" now used in correct context- "plate sin with Gold and the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks"

- sin of disobedience towards king unjustified - Cornwall assume leader position " I will have my vengeance ere I depart his house"- "revenge" outrageous- right given to God or King - Cornwall's audacity to declare King- going against Divine Right of Kings and Will of god - some argues "Resistance theory" adapted by french nobles can be applied- Shakespeare reassures us that unjustfied- "poetic justice" of servants killing him- poor loyalty as Lear's subject reflected in mutiny of servants

- children's treatment of parents who meant to love unconditionally is reflection of parents' own cause - Shakespeare gives cause as poor parenting for hard heartedness in family - RA Peck- if Shakespeare does not expect us to approve of Edmund he certainly takes no pains to prevent us from doing so"- understand and empathise with abuse of Gloucester - pathos evoked for Edgar at start of play - due to Gloucester's "moral laxity" (Kettle) towards him - unloved Edmund= embarassment to father - "I have so often blushed to acknowledge him that I am brazed to it" - "brazed to it"- reluctance- only acknowledges son out of obligation - sexualisation of Edmund's mother in front of him- "there was good sport at his making"- written in prose as crude- contrasts to romantic way father may be expected to talk to son - contrast to Lear and Cordelia- close "thou" to "your lordship" - servant and master, not loving bond

- Robert West- "Edmund still has a share in being"- wrong- Edmund's later treatment of Gloucester so cruel-Gloucester's original shame of Edmund does not warrant later sadism - Moseley- Gloucester's eye- gauging as "gratuitous cruelty" false- turning point where see Edmund's evil as same inherent evil and G and R - Edmund's indifference at Cornwall's warning "The revenges we are bound to take upon your traitorous father are not fit for your beholding"- shocking to jacobeans- children expected to be obedient to parents for young age

- Hal Holbrook "Lear has clung steadfastly to the conviction that he is a loving father, despite all evidence on the contrary" - fact favourite is Cordelia- "I loved her most"- monosyllabic contrast to flowery lang of G + R to suggest Lear's deep rooted favouritism for her - may evoke sympathy- rejected by Lear- esp Jacobeans cos of King James I and favouritism

- Almeida performance story of sexual abuse as cause unjustified- S overall presents them as inherently evil without cause - like Edmund's father, undeserved cruelty shown by letting elderly vulnerable father out into the storm - no relationship with them- jarring hypermetric speeches of flattery from beginning- "health, grace, beauty honour" - willingness to compete- no family duty not just to father- Regan openly "only she comes too short"- "only"- falls outside iambic pentameter - unfounded cruelty allows Shakespeare to thematically explore human race- LC Knight "macrocosm" of inherent evil- rather than microcosmic family feuds - also microcosm of family division symbolised start of civil war- which many feared- expression of human hard- heartedness in macrocosm

-Edmund's rejection by society evokes audience's sympathy - contrast- Iago in Othello- little explanation of childhood and background- suggests Shakespeare using King Lear play in particular to explore societal causes of hard-heartedness - treason (sin against society) cause by Edmund's desillusion with society that rejected him because he's illegitimate - Susan Bruce "Edmund appeals to a meritocratic ideal"- 21st century sympathise- majoriity atheist and lots born out of wedlock and culture appreciates ambition of those of lower social status- disregard ambition of e.g. politicians with etonian education - modern audience- Edmund's cause society of albion - Edmund's very existence as a bastard indicts the society that rejects him- Race Capet- not Kettle's "tumultuous society from start"- because recognise to be jacobean england- particularly Great Chain of Being and system of worth- 1st person us "why they brand us?"- wider social group belongs to - bastards in Jacobean England criticised- connected with unruliness and criminality- criticise social order in Jacobean England

- Duke of Gloucester- don't see cruelty necess for own survival as more- so see without a cause - Goneril and Regan don't have cause to "stand up for bastards"-priveleged position as Duchesses - Devil imagery- Kate Mclusklie "female primal sin" emphasised- Goneril and Regan evil no real tangible cause- Goneril names "serpent" by Lear- links to Genesis story- v christian society James I protestantism- audience connected -"down from the waste centaurs"- hoofs like devil and rapists in greek mythology- contrasts with heavenly imagery of Cordelia to emphasise "a soul in bliss" - suggests some "higher power" creates hard-heartedness- largely unanswered

-Jonothan Dollimore "the play is about power.." - Cornwall presents correlation between power and human evil - When introduced to Cornwall, some justice- "Why art thou angry?"- evidence before judgement - contrasts to Gloucester's trial- "without the form of justice, yet our power shall do some courtesy our wrath"- corruption with power allows to explore theme of justice more generally "plate sin with gold and the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks" - context of Royal court also functioning as court of justice

- power does not cause it, merely facilitates hard-hearted actions- does not cause "wrath" - "does a courtesy" or allows it to be expressed - Cordelia inherently good not like this - Coppelia Kahn- "cordelia's return is a restoration of the patriarchy"- does not lose power to males- return as Queen of France v powerful - Queen over her passion- power of "queen" and compassionate, humane connotations of "passion"

Arnold Kettle "deep and complex story"- Goneril and Regan particularly's cause for hard-heartedness remains ambiguous - no real answer to advocate main message "ripeness is all"- evil in human nature will inevitably exist and have to be prepared to deal with

- sensitive to unloving treatment of Gloucester "moral laxity" (Kettle)- "brazed to it" and "there was good sport at his making"- (hard hearts essay) - "Edmund's plot against his brother destroys the unity of the fable (Warton) untrue- Edmund only gets romantic father son tone after he has brutally outcompeted brother- "loyal and natural boy"- from formal- master-servant relationship "your lordship" - Becomes, through evil, more of close relationship between Lear and Cordelia - "Yet Edmund was beloved"- one of last lines in play- sensitivity for not recieving love and craving for love was reason for brutality- esp to modern audience educated on "attachment disorder" and "emotional neglect"- Jamie Bulger case e.g.- see highly sensitive victim of father's neglect

- completely detached from family and uses family for own gain and "brutality" - J Dollimore "power,property and inheritence" reflected by Edmund - "Edgar I must have your land"- hubristic "must"- sinister as so certain- ruthlessness - ^ hints at later brutality to father- "The revenges we are bound to take upon your traitorous father are not fit for your beholding"- Wilson Knight "Edmund is selfish, soulless and in that respect bestial - Michael Mangan "Edmund decides to do one good deed before he dies"- untrue- as a tragedy- hopes that he might be good are dropped- has brutality towards not only his own family but close family relationships of others "But speak you on"- monosyllabic contrast to Edgar's hypermetric speech- suggests Edmund knows and purposefully is wasting time - Would have been particularly brutal to Jacobeans- "True Chronicle Historie Version" of King Leir- Rose theatre 1594- expecting Cordelia to live

- "We are offered an insight into Edmund that renders him more complex than he otherwise might be"- Susan Bruce - Edmund's background into bastard "renders him more complex" than other 2d evil characters- like Iago in Othello - made "sensitive" by solliloquy- "Why they brand us with base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base? - "us"- social group in society- modern audience particularly sympathise- secular society where many born outside wedlock and gay marriage legalised 2014- repitition of "legitimate" over 6 times echoes how meaningless we feel the word is- Susan Bruce's "edmund appeals to a meritocratic ideal"- true e.g. "I must have your land" ambition by use- like lower class ambition -dark charisma makes Jacobeans question treatment of bastards

- Welsford's claim "he almost gains our sympathy for his unabashed cruelty" false- uses Edmund's "brutality" to suggest the danger of ostracising social groups from society- makes become narcisstic like Edmund - vanity and preoccupation with power after has become Duke - "my state stands on me to defend not to debate"- hubris and suggests relishes idea of becoming new king and adopting role for self already- seen as Treason to protestant Jacobeans who believe in Divine Right of Kings- exacerbated by fact bastard - Even though part of oppressed social group, doesnt show "sensitivity" or understanding that all social classes treated equally - "In wisdom I should ask thy name But since thy outside looks so fair and warlike"- "warlike"- iambic pentameter broken-"plate sin with gold and the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks"- ignorant- contrasts to Edgar- "maugre thy...place and eminence - 26th december- time for charity of poor- makes snobbery seem worse - "the wheel is come full circle"- confirms brutality and that has to die- Sam Mendes "there is poetic justice enough, evil is destroyed

one of last lines "I wish to do some good, despite of mine own nature"- pun to suggest sarcasm with "natural" children of bastardy- resentment for his treatment made evil- Shakespeare does not make sensitive but makes brutal so can see the danger of ostracizing certain social group from society

Kent is weak- although unconditional loyalty and love for Lear shows strength of character- love overrides strength of integrity -defending good of Albion and strength of strategy and intelligence

- jeopardizes position as duke and relationship with King to stand up for principle of justice within Albion - C J Sisson "the play is about the abuse of justice by the King whose power within justice lies" - "when majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom"- juxtaposition of "majesty" and "folly"- king usually associated with wisdom- caesura after "folly" makes boldness shocking - C21st see as brave to stand up to higher classes, Jacobeans who believed in Divine right of Kings- treason to state - BUT "reverse thy doom"- legal language - role of King as judge - Jacobean court of justice so Jacobeans disapproved of mixng public and private- meant to be disinterested - Kent only disrespectful when gets ignore several times "Good my liege- Peace Kent!"- strength to be assertive when principles of dividing Kingdom and not ruling with personal interest- justice on Shakespeare's mind with "measure for measure"

- Samuel Colleridge "Kent is the most individualised" incorrect- Kent is later so caught up with love for Lear does not make individual choice about what is best for Albion - Goes back to Lear even though he has "not taken enough care of his Kingdom"- Andrew Hadfield -"Now Kent, If thou canst serve, where thou dost stand condemned So may it come" - "so may it come" passive- not an individual decision but an inevitability of serving Lear- whether or not a good ruler- like Albany "well,well, the event" - also respects old order for "Authority"- represents the old order and "authority" of him being born King- naive weakness as "new individualists" Kettle- rule regardless- irony makes seem ridiculous in same scene Oswald just said "so please you"- authority is unrealistic and not thinking of better solution for Albion - Preoccupied with King so takes no responsibility for Albion- when Albany asks to rule says "My master calls me; I must not say no"# - Also hyperbolic misery at end of the play - "rack of this tough world"- image of stretching device torture- "all's cheerless dark and deadly"- backs up Kettle's "Kent has an ultimate inability to cope with situation"- does not really echo Edgar's "men must endure their going forth, as their coming hither" - too preoccupied with love and grieving for Lear does not take action that is best for state

-overcomes deception of appearance and has insight into reality - Intuition at love trial, recognizes flattery of regan and Goneril is sincere- image of eyesight "See better Lear" introduced by Kent and "when power to flattery bows"- heightened by the fact that Kent echoes what we are thinking, as G + R so obviously false- hypermetric speech more than iambic pent sounds v unnatural " no less than health, grace, beauty, honour" and "in my true heart"- "true" overcompensating -Oswald- "a tailor made thee"- suggesting pretence to be higher class than is not fooled- also fits clothing imagery and social class tainting justice system "furred gowns hide all" - 26th december- recognising needs of poor

- protectiveness of Lear creates snobbery of poor Tom and stops Lear interacting with him because he is a beggar - "Good my lord, take his offer and go into the house" "Importune him once more to go my lord"- imperitive suggests a sense of urgency and "my lord" same term repeatedly- trying to remind of title and shouldn't be interacting with lowlives like poor Tom - snobbery to mad beggar may not have been so common in Jacobean society as thought- mentally ill only insititutionised in victorian period- freely walked around so saw as natural part of humans

- Simon Mendes "once the money stops and people lose their social rank, people abandon him"- not true, Kent never abandons -"Alack, bear-headed"- an aside, interact with audience and share sympathy and admire Kent's care for King - "My master calls me; I must not say no"- could admire loyalty to King at the end- romanticised by iambic pentameter- poetry - Contrasts to "the new people, the individualists" Kettle- Goneril's ending self- preserving "ask me not what I know"- and Edmund "yet Edmund was beloved" - See Kent's selflessness for King is a word so selfish as hopeful

-Does not learn from mistakes of speaking too "plainly"- which causes banishment then does it again - Hazlitt's recognition "It is Lears blindness to anything but the dictates of his passion"- servant shares this issue- comedy of scene with Oswald ridicules Kent's defence of Lear with no real foundation "I'll drive ye cackling home to camelot"- assonance makes seem childish and "camelot"- offers British legendary of old order seems pretentious -"Titanic tragedy of human life"- Kent's actions to defend Lear actually work to his detriment- fool's kurt comment "not in the stocks" and visual foolishness when hands him coxcomb - passionate loyalty causes issues- "who put my man in the stocks?"- eventually drives out into storm

- shows tendencies to be stong with integrity to state and loyalty to Lear- but Arnold Kettle "realistic writer" as Shakespeare is- unquestioned loyalty with no tact leads to overall weakness - does not advocate selfishness of evil characters but criticises selflessness to the point of altruism and must be smart in a way to help others

Edgar's message "Ripeness is all"- we must be prepared for any hardship and Nunn recognises that "Shakespeare concludes that life is not life a morality play"- trying to make us understand that life is about resilience to its unfairness - King Lier sequel- 1605 and shown in theatre 1594- audience would have expected Lear and Cordelia to live NIHILISM

- Dr Foster "Cordelia's death opposes traditional ideas of justice"- Protestant Jacobean thought God did justice- Nahum Tate changed traditional ending - Lear's death in sorrow gives evidence for no heavenly justice and nihilism- conclusion suspected from start -in darkest scenes, characters call for help of the Gods in vain- Lear's misery natural resolution - "By the kind Gods" and "I shall see the winged vengeance overtake such children"- "See shalt thou never"- pun makes humorous(Knight) - "see" drawn by enjambement and emphatic position at end of line- Gloucesters lines in prose to sound disorderly and unromantic to see how disorderly Gods are - "As flies to wanton boys are we to the Gods, they kill us for their sport"- Irony of Albany's speech at end with "All friends shall taste the wages of their virtue"- and "And my poor fool is hanged"- undermines the iambic pentameter with monosyllabic phrase at end -"Look there, look there!" suggests a hopeful death- but there is meant to be no higher power for Lear "Oooo" incomplete and satisfactory fading away matching up to Kent's "Is this the promised end?"

-Wilson Knight's "no mitigation at the end of Lear's death" still true for Folio version - no divine God brings Cordelia back to life- only mad Lear imagines it- gloomy dramatic irony that we know she is dead- symbolises audience left with idea that Gods are invented by humans when they are in times of need for some hope - Fits in with Edmund- "Foppery of the world, that when we fall sick in fortune, often surfeit of our own behaviour" we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the stars and the moon"- "solitary shocking atheist intelligence "sun stars moon" older pagan Gods that may have been ridiculed- stops play being outwardly blasphemous but also we compare own Christian god to see religion as human superstition- "Fairies and Gods" of Glocuester - Also fits in with fact that Edgar has to stage Gloucester's suicide to look as if been saved- nothing really there

-advocate messages of morality that follow christianity - Sam Mendes "there is poetic justice enough in King Lear. Evil is destroyed." - Shakespeare advocates Christian morals- treat poor and rich equally and not judging on appearance - Edmund's last lines "The wheel is come full circle"- suggests "atheist intelligence" ultimately accepts power of religion

- "the play is purgatory" Wilson Knight- Lear must be purged of his sins of going against the Gods and dividing Kingdom by dying unhappily- Jacobean audience protestant and firm believers in Divine right of kings "Now that we have divided... In three our Kingdom"- tragic hero and tragic flaw means needs to fall to misery and die in regret, not in AC Bradleys "ecstasy"- that would mean not really tragedy - evidence still not learned from flaw- parallels to love trial being public private scene mixed- all to do with light "See" "look" repeated over four lines- "I stumbled when I saw not really sunk in- and "look at her lips"- superficial- suggests only seeing superficially like words of flattery- hearing and seeing what wants to - if dies happily rewarded by Gods when not gained insight

-tragic death because he is tragic hero with tragic flaw- genre - But Shakespeare does not make death completely unsatisfactory and sad to persuade that he is rewarded by Gods for correcting sins- (humbleness, attitude to poor, seeing through appearance) and therefore they should do the same -Barbara Everett "The play moves us by our sympathy for Lear"- evidence from language that has corrected flaws "Pray you undo this button. Thank you, Sir"- "You" as respect and friendliness- to someone of lower rank than him- whereas in first scene called by surnames "Kent" "Undo this button" symbol of taking off clothing and learning "furred gowns hide all"- "exposure is the very essence of King Lear

NO- disguises to other characters but he is revealed to us through development from weak and gullible to King material

C.J Sisson "the abuse of justice by the King whose powers within justice lie" - Edgar shows better way to perform justice than Lear - disinterest when executing- "let thy arm do thee justice"- "thy arm" "thee"- second person focusing on defendent rather than self, contrasts to "Which of you shall we say doth love us most" "we" "us"-Lear - also dressed in armour, although Ox Playhouse version made him recognizable, better when armour hides identity to show neutral, impersonal execution of justice- esp important as Jacobean royal court court of justice and Measure for Measure written at time about justice and authority -Also justice and social class- "Plate sin with gold and the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks"- Edgar demonstrating optimism "Maugre...thy place and eminence" (emphatic position) - Hence "role" to perform justice: no personal feeling to Edgar

-Orwell's "Edgar is a superfluous character", suggesting not really character just a device untrue- witness development to become more just -"Have nothing said, 'gainst the Duke of Albany? I am sure on't not a word"- questioning like prosecutor and defendent- assures innocence but then reluctant to seek own justice "Some villain hath done me wrong" (vague) - at end, dramatic change "the play moves us by our sympathy for Lear"- Edgar's development also moves us

- impartiality to social class developed through experience of being poor Tom - Alexander Legget says "poor Tom more vivid and recognisable character than Edgar"- easier to relate to for groundlings and get to know- madmen not institutionalized then -By Edgar having this experience, develops to realise social classes are all same and sympathise with lower classes: "by the art of known feeling and sorrows am pregnant to good pity" (common with Shakespeare- with Hal and Falstaff in pub) -"Edgar I nothing am"- Edgar feels detached and dissimilar to someone of that social class- thinks different species to sound foreign or alien-like- not just "chameleon figure" (Michael Mangan) and doesnt mould into role completely- interaction with audience gives impression he is still Edgar "I cannot daub it further and yet I must" -develops to say "I am in nothing changed, but in my garments"- literal to disguise to Gloucester, but repeat "I am nothing" suggests learned he is same even with different social class- thematically fits in with clothing "robes and furred gowns hide all"- "handy-handy, which is the thief, which is the justice"

- Wilson knight "Edgar succeeds the Fool"- Fool said to guide audience so could see Edgar as doing the same -Interjections and asides directed at audience to help understand what to think- "Reason in madness!"..."O,side piercing sight" to stop audience laughing- could be compared to Fool's handing of Kent coxcomb to criticize Kent's blind loyalty to Lear - also compared, not a figure within society of Albion- outsider- Fool dressed in motley to symbolise and "I'll go to bed at noon" with mysterious disappearance- Edgar as "poor Tom" becomes the outsider

- "Edgar becomes a martial hero" overcomplimentary- Edgar still has weakness in A3 S5 - Does things too late and doesn't learn "His flawed heart...Alack too weak to bear the conflict, burst smilingly"- "too weak" suggests too late and if revealed earlier when stronger, may have survived - also has not learned represented by iambic pentameter- going on while cordelia and lear being hanged - Enid Welsford "Shakespeare tends to give more intellectual ability to his sinners than his saints"- "foolish honesty" Edmund describes still exists at end of play "But speak you on"- monosyllabic to suggest Edmund completely in control -Has to have flaws to be tragedy- last lines so King but that would be too much fault- Jacobeans especially upset as expecting King Leir version

- he is used to show importance of patience and faith in Gods- G's loss of faith could be said to parallel Gloucester's loss of faith in the Gods - emphasized by "O you Gods" as eyes plucked out- change from at beginning of scene when "I shall see the winged vengeance overtake such children"- is Shakespeare mocking his faith with pun of "see"? -moves on to say blasphemous speeches "Fairies and Gods"- comparing with folklore -This could be seen as looked badly by Shakespeare: "How should this be?"- finishes iambic pentameter of "as flies to wanton boys"- "sport"- sadism and "wanton boys"- children very belittling - after experience of suicide, realises more proactive "ripeness is all" form to religion- "Henceforth I'll bear affliction til it doth cry out itself"- teaches must not only rely on Gods but also on selves

- yes; in eye-gauging- politeness to people that then pluck out eyes makes seem defenceless "your graces" contrasts to "out vile jelly"- monosyllabic phrase increases honour- comes right before interval so left with image in our heads - no; death much less tragic than Lear- "his heart burst smilingly"- "burst" "smilingly"- have happiness connotations to extent and Edgar's frequent caesura suggests moved by (as loves him) - dies knowing wronged child is alive, contrast to Lear- also not on stage so not same impact as Lady Montague Romeo and Juliet

-when sight- unable to see beyond Edmund's true motives, symbolised by eyesight imagery "Come if it be nothing I shall not need spectacles"- needs "spectacles" suggests he is actually blind? -hyperbolic language- immediately completely believes Edmund "Where is the villain Edmund?"- hyper metric to emphasise the word Edmund- that the villain is Edmund himself also "tis too dangerous to be spoken"- then proceeds to tell Edmund - "insight through blindness (Cunningham)- "I stumbled when I saw"- also recognising seeing through appearance "Methinks thy voice is altered - also mimics Lear in more care for poor "bring some covering for this naked soul"..."So distribution should undo excess and each man have enough"

- Phillip Allan "metamorphosis from nonentity to man of integrity and inner strength" - starts passive- "well,well; the event"- not a sentence- appears unfinished as we wait for him to take action and doesn't have any lines A2 Sc4 when Lear goes out into the storm - contrasts to after "You not worth the dust"- monosyllabic to make him sound sure of himself- clearly moved to action by sympathy for Gloucester- "O poor Gloucester" and "I live... to defend thine eyes"- iambic pentameter like Edgar's speech "when we are betters see..." to suggest in control and assertive

"It remains difficult to believe in Albany"- York notes - still clearly fooled by social class- "Methought thy very gait did prophesy a royal nobleness" -makes same dividing kingdom mistake of Lear- back to square one- "you twain rule in this realm"- caesura same as Lear "Now that we have divided...in three our kingdom" - belief in "traditional ideas of justice" (Johnson)- " All friends shall taste the wages of there virtue"- broken iambic by "see,see" and then "And my poor fool is hanged" in monosyllabic prose- kind of unfunny bathos

-FAMILY - does not trust sisters even though family (contrast to Edgar at start trusting Edmund in the next scene)- refuses to take part in "glib and oily art" - we agree with her as it is made obvious to us that they "taking part in an elaborate language game (Mangan) - "no less in grace health beauty honour"- more than tricolon! compared to "I cannot heave my heart into my mouth" -"heroine" as recognizes that family love not inevitable

- FAMILY - so concerned with upholding moral of not flattering, response is unkind to Lear- ("Lear's sense of rejection in not without foundation"- Mangan) -"I love your Majesty, according to my bond"- "bond"- ball and chain and imprisonment -ALBION - too much faith in Gods, not proactive in addressing real awful state of Albion "O you kind Gods, cure this great breach in his oppressed nature"- exact same "kind Gods" phrase Gloucester used before they plucked his eyeballs out- particularly scrutinised by atheist contemporary society - tries to restore father to throne, although not best option for Albion - "Your majesty" "your lordship"- clearly trying to remind him of title- despairing image as calling these names to visually sad figure "hardocks, hemlocks, nettles , cuckoo-flowers" and calls himself "foolish, fond old man"- unrealistic that could ever be king again

- Matt Hoyle- "Gods seem to be there for temporary hope, but never for praise" - "You heavens, give me that patience, patience I need"- imperitive and pejorative "you Gods"- suggests sees them as his servants-(servile ministers)- also mimiced by Edgar before with imperitive "Now Gods, stand up for bastards" when already know individualist "I grow, I prosper"- "patience repition" makes sound like charm- religion just like sorcery? -Gloucester- in eye-gauging tries to get them to help him "Kind Gods, forgive me that and prosper him"- "Kind" almost if trying to flatter them -Kent "Fortune, good night, smile once more, turn thy wheel"- next morning Lear rides out in the storm- says when in stocks

- when servants say about Gloucester "now heaven help him"- in next scene he has found Edgar- raised hope