King Lear Notes Test Flashcards
When did Shakespeare die?
April 23, 1616
When was Shakespeare born?
April 16, 1564
What all was Shakespeare in his lifetime?
Author, playwright, poet, and actor
How many sonnets and plays did Shakespeare write?
37 plays, 154 sonnets
What three categories are plays typically divided into?
History, Comedy, Tragedy
How many years did the story of King Lear originate before Shakespeare wrote his version?
400 years
What ethnicity was Lear?
British
British mythology refers to a “Lyr” or “Ler” who was the basis of a King Lear story by ______________ in _____ which Shakespeare used as a source as well as ________________ “Chronicle of England, Scotland, and Ireland”.
Geoffrey of Monmouth, 1137, Raphael Holinshed
Shakespeare also “borrowed” plot and subplot ideas from ____________ “The Faerie Queen” and __________ “A Mirror for Magistrates” among others which he then interwove into the basic King Lear tale to create his own version, ignoring much of the older Monmouth storyline.
Edmund Spencer, John Higgins
Shakespeare also “borrowed” plot and subplot ideas from Edmund Spencer’s “__________” and John Higgins’ “____________” among others which he then interwove into the basic King Lear tale to create his own version, ignoring much of the older Monmouth storyline.
The Faerie Queen, A Mirror for Magistrates
Shakespeare also “borrowed” from a convenient contemporary true story of a gentleman of the court of __________ name ___________ whose daughters tried to have him declared insane in late ________ so they could legally take control of his estate. His youngest daughter, named _______, intervened on his behalf.
Elizabeth I, Sir Brian Annesley, 1603, Cordell
___________ dies while defeating __________
Protagonist, Antagonist
In _________, the protagonist is driven by desire to exact revenge, which leads to his/her demise
revenge tragedy
The __________ is dominated by a fatal flaw in character, which leads to his/her downfall
tragic hero
The tragic hero is held in high standing, making the downfall more _________ for the audience
tragic
Parallel Plot Lines: Gloucester and his sons to…
Lear and his Daughters
The world view that demonstrates the belief that the souls of all who take their lives will be __________- __________–
damned forever, punished for her wickedness
The attraction between some key characters shows the attraction between like-minded individuals —>
It involves seeking in others for that which you possess in yourself
Lear has _______ legitimate daughters
three
Gloucester has ____ sons. Are they legitimate or not?
two, one is, one is not
Evil is not confined either to _______ or __________. It can occur anywhere.
gender, being illegitimate
In King Lear, appearances, rank, and how what others think influences our actions, are examined through relationships found in family and service:
Father and child
Nobleman and servant
Even though we believe that what we look like and what we say are a reflection of who we are, Shakespeare, in King Lear, shows that appearances and words are ________ and ___________of the soul or the mind.
deceiving, not clear indications
Even though _______ and ______ are of noble birth, they hardly show noble souls
Goneril, Regan
Although ______ can hardly be considered to have a fair countenance, he does develop a most fair and loving soul.
Lear
One of man’s most persistent characteristics is the desire to _____________
organize the world about him so that he can understand and explain it
The Elizabethans operated on TWO assumptions:
- All activity takes place in a world with good moral order.
- The universe is a Christian universe. Order has its source in God. There is also evil, and its source is in Satan, who revolted against the order of God, which subsequently brought about man’s fall (from grace).
In King Lear, Shakespeare offers a world where the_______ and _________ are intertwined, ________- and ________- are confused, and _____ - written and spoken - are deceptive.
natural (good), unnatural (evil); appearances, self-perception; words
