Family/father Figures Flashcards
“I have so often blushed to acknowledge him”
-metaphor for being embarrassed about his bastard son
-creates image that Gloucester is not the best father and leads the audience to question if he is getting what he deserves later on
-in Shakespearean times a child born out of wedlock was considered bad
“Which of you shall we say doth love us most.”
-royal “us” shows that Lear still holds power
-the love test blurs the lines between the body politics and body natural as Lear makes a political decision based on his body natural relationship with his daughters
-example of hubris
-Lears hamartia may be to give into sycophantic behaviour
-the reason their are no mothers present in the play could be because the daughters represent the mother (Goneril) who he goes to for salvation, the wife (Regan) who he runs to for love and cordelia(the daughter) who he reprimands like a father would. Does Shakespeare believe these are the only roles of a women?
“Only she comes too short that I profess myself an enemy to all other joys”
-foreshadows rivalry between sisters
-hyperbolic language shows sycophantic behaviour and falseness of Regan and Goneril
“Nothing”
- single word answer shows Cordelia’s truth
-the word nothing is echoed through out play: foreshadows that lear doesn’t need anything to be happy.
-presents Cordelia as the foil of her sisters
“I cannot heave my heart into my mouth: I love your majesty according to my bond.”
-metaphor of the heart
-cordelia believes love will be shown through action not words and she cannot profess her love for her father
-is Cordelia being rebellious or truthful?
“Begot me, bred me, loved me…obey you, love you and most honour you.”
-epistrophe(rep of word at end) of me and you shows Cordelia’s view of a parental relationship
-the listing of verbs shows how actions should show love not words
“Put on what weary negligence you please”
-Goneril demand to her servant to treat lear badly goes against the Elizabethan belief that children should show parents and elderly respect
“How ugly didst thou in Cordelia show which like an engine wrenched from my frame of nature and drew from my heart all love”
-simile of engine shows the power Cordelia had to take all love from her father
-hyperbolic “drew from my heart all love” shows what a profound effect it had on lear
-could argue it is his daughters betrayal that causes his madness
“I did her wrong”
- creates pathos
-is he talking about Goneril or Cordelia
-starting to regret his Rashness and feels lost
“My old heart is cracked, it’s cracked.”
-Gloucesters hyperbolic announcement shows how much the “betrayal” of Edgar effects him
-mirrors lears own heart break
-repetition of “cracked” could emphasise his pain or reflect how the story line and sub plot mirror each other
“Beloved Reagan, thy sisters naught.”
-naught could mean wicked or nothing
-Lear turns to another daughter when one lets him down
-“beloved Reagan” is it out of love or desperation.
“Rather a disease that’s in my flesh…thou art a boil a plague sore”
-metaphor of R and G as an illness could represents how they leech onto him for power and money but have taken his power away(draining energy like a disease)
“But where the greater malady is fixed the lesser is scarce felt”
-comparative metaphor of his daughters betrayal with the storm (the storm is like nothing compared to their betrayal) show how damaging it was to Lear
“Is there Any cause in nature that makes these hard hearts?”
-question reflects lears desperation
-he thinks his daughters betrayal goes againt nature
-bilabial plosives show harshness of their treatment
“Poor Tom shall lead thee”
-even when disguised Edgar still wants to help his father despite him trying to have him killed
-“lead” may be physically lead him or lead him out of despair
