Lear: critics Flashcards
Jan Kott, “The fool knows that …
the fool knows that the only true madness in this world is to accept it as rational
Johnson on suffering, “There is no scene …
There is no scene which does not contribute to the aggravation of the distress.
Johnson, “[Her death is] …
[Her death] is contrary to the natural ideas of justice
Jan Kott, “All that remains …
“All that remains at the end of this gigantic pantomime… is the earth, empty and bleeding”
Worall on Kott, “[Edgar is] the worlds best …
[Edgar is] the worlds best hope - fragile and tenuous though that hope may be.
Worall on Kott, “Edgar is the kind of man …
Edgar is the kind of man who has seen the worst of human degradation and the best of human endurance.
Woods on madness, “As the social, ethical and…
As the social, ethical and familial bonds between people are severed, individuals lose their sense of self and go mad.
Tosh on Shakespeare and Madness, “the elderly often became …
“the elderly often became ‘frantic’ with age, or quietly decayed into the ‘mere oblivion’ of ‘second childishness’ (AS you like it)”
Woods, “[The fool] provides an alternative
“[The fool] provides an alternative perspective on the king’s behaviour, one that isn’t bound by the political deference to which other courtiers are expected to conform.”
Woods, “Part of the tragedy of King Lear is not …
“Part of the tragedy of King Lear is not so much that there are fraudsters who pretend to be mad to secure charity, but that society has left little other option.
Kahn on fathers, “We are shown only …
“We are shown only fathers and their godlike capacity to make or mar their children”
Kahn, “In Freud’s …
In Freud’s unforgettable phrase, he is ‘his majesty, the baby’.
