Act 1 Scene 1 Flashcards
Quote showing Kent asking Gloucester if Edmund is his son
Is this not your son my lord?
Analysis of “Is this not your son my lord?”
Paired with the fact that Edmund is in this scene and isn’t talked to directly.Shows treatment of Bastards in society and sows the seeds for the later villainy of Edmund
Quote showing Lear’s anger through a metaphor
“Come not between the dragon and his wrath”
Analysis of “Come not between the dragon and his wrath
Shows Lear as irritated and the epitome of a villain.Malicious,powerful,wrathful.A dragon however also usually has a downfall like Lear and is used in children’s stories showing his own childlike behaviour.Use of ‘the dragon’ shows his egotistical nature in referring to himself in the third person,This ego however is mythical just like dragons as he views himself still as a king despite him ridding himself of this.Intertwining of ‘dragon’ and ‘wrath’ shows how this wrath and rashness has become a part of Lear’s own character
How are Goneril and Regan’s words shown as being pretty and beautiful in nature yet shallow and insincere in reality
Glib and oily art
First mention of motif of nothing
“Nothing shall come of nothing”
What is the significance of “nothing shall come of nothing”
Motif of ‘nothing’ is present throughout text.Sonething comes of nothing however as Cordelia becomes queen of France despite being disowned shows Lear’s blindness and failure to value honesty
What does Kent say to Lear about eyesight
See better Lear
Significance of “see better Lear”
Metaphorical blindness of Lear as he’s unable to see past hyperbolic speeches and see true intentions of daughters.This blindness leads to his downfall.Use of informal “lear” shows Kent’s bravery yet also shows his tragic loss of identity as a King
What does Goneril believe Lear is “dearer than”
“Eyesight,space and liberty”
What is significance of “dearer than eyesight,space and liberty”
Use of hyperbole shows facade placed by daughters,use of triplet reinforces this.Irony of reference to “eyesight” due to Lear’s tragic blindness
What are some key quotes from the paragraph where Lear disowns Cordelia
“By the sacred radiance of the sun,
The mysteries of Hecate and the night,
By all the operation of the orbs”
The barbarous Scythian
Significance of “by the sacred radiance of the sun” and “the mysteries of Hecate and the night”
Grandiose language reflects belief in own divine authority and foreshadows later chaos due to disruption of natural order.His reliance on cosmic imagery also emphasised theme of fate vs human agency
What are the childish insults done by Lear in Act 1 Scene 1
“O vassal!Miscreant!”
What is the signifiacance of “o vassal,miscreant!”
1-Impulsivity,Lear having just disowned Cordelia is blinded by pride and rage refusing to listen to his most loyal servant Kent and turns on him with these insults
2.Power and Authority-Lear reminds Kent of his subordinate status by calling him a “vassal”,ironically Lear is losing power and this shows his insecurity”
3.Foreshadowing-Uncontrolled outburst marks Lear’s loss of control over his emotions and relies on personal insults rather than reason
What is the significance of the quote “turn thy hated back,thy banished trunk”
Shows his inability to recognise Kent for his loyalty as he merely sees him as body parts,exemplifying his tragic blindness.His banishing of Kent tragically isolates him
Other dramatic methods in act 1 scene 1
-Change from verse to prose when Regan and Goneril left alone
-Feminine endings in Goneril’s speech
-Extra 0.6 lines in Regan’s speech than Goneril
-Cordelia mirrors Lear’s words and so does Kent
-Use of rhyming couplets to end scene yet scene isn’t ended showing powerlessness
Analysis of Lear’s first entrance
Lear enters accompanied by a great train of people,he calls Gloucester to carry out orders that are done immediately and his own formal imperatives such as “give me the map there” show power and confidence over his own kingdom
Quote showing connetations to child and a
Lear’s own foolish decision
Unburdened crawl towards death
Quote from first six lines showing Lear as unpredictable and changeable
It appears not which of the dukes he values most
