Act 3 Sc 2

Question 1

‘I never gave you kingdom,called you children, you owe me no subscription’ Lear (3,2)

Answer 1

Idea of filial ingratitude from G+R , he hasn’t given the weather anything so expect nothing back, but he has given his daughters everything yet they give him nothing back.

Question 2

‘No i will be the pattern of all patience i will say nothing’ Lear (3,2)

Answer 2

doesn’t listen to the fool/ respond to the fool, he is learning that he needs to find patience, tragic reminder of cordelia in ‘i will do nothing’

Question 3

“i am a man More sinned against than sinning’ Lear (3,2)

Answer 3

• image of justice as imbalanced, the consequences of his mistake outweigh the original mistakes.
  
  • “sinning”= disowns C(+R), banishes Kent, divides kingdom, blindness to love vs duplicity
  • “sinned against” = reduction of knights, G+R break original agreement, lack of respect/gratitude from daughters, Kent in stocks, locked out in storm
    (all only up until this point of play)
• At this specific moment in time we feel sympathy for Lear because in this exact moment he is an old man who has nowhere to go in the middle of a storm, however, rationally when we weigh out his sinning vs him being sinned against. As the play progresses we see this play out in an imagine of justice being unbalanced as lear suffers an unbalanced amount and the consequences he faces far outweigh his original mistake.

Question 4

“My wits begin to turn…’ lear (3,2)

Answer 4

he can see it coming making it more painful, he can see his increasing madness.

Question 5

“[to the fool] come on, my boy. How dost my boy? Art cold?’ Lear (3,2)

Answer 5

Heartbreaking human interaction between lear and the fool, in a way as he becomes more mad, he becomes more clear sighted which is the irony of his whole trajectory. For a man who’s been seen to be completely self centred, he is caring and recognising the fool.

Question 6

“a poor infirm weak and despised old man” Lear (3,2)

Answer 6

Lines 14-24: Lear’s physical weakness is shown in the breaking rhythm of line:

Question 7

“i will say nothing”-lear (3,2)

Answer 7

reminds us of cordelia in act 1 + lear ignores fools advice, shows lears tragic self destruction