Power/loss Of Power Flashcards
“Excellent foppery of the world that when we are sick in fortune, we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon and the stars as if we are villains on necessity.”
-Edmond has the belief we control our own lives and the consequences of our actions.
-suggests that he understand his own immorality
-foreshadows the effect of Lears decisions on the rest of the country
-message from Shakespeare for people to be aware of our Actions consequences?
“Let me if not by birth have lands by wit. All with mes meet that I can fashion fit.”
-rhyming couplet shows finality emphasising Edmond’s control
-shows the chaos that had come of the disturbance of the great Chain of being as the power is being put in the hands of the illegitimate son
“Nothing can be made out of nothing”
-metaphor for how he has given away his power and is left with nothing
-echoes Cordelia’s words
-a comment on society, people get too caught up on power and money but you will never know who you are until you have nothing: Lear must now learn who is above being king
“Who is is that can tell me who I am?”
-one interpretation is that Lear is losing his mind and is confused
-second interpretation is that he has lost his identity now that he has lost his power
-using ‘me’ and ‘I’ instead of the royal we, shows how he has lost his position
-creates pathos
“To take the basest and more poorest shape. Brought near to beast. A bedlam beggar”
-Edgar has lost his power and must reduce himself for survival.
- animalistic connotations
-bilabial plosives: harshness of his fortune and what he must do
-bedlam beggar: bedlam is a place in London where during Shakespeares time the mentally ill would be sent
“Tis worse than murder”
-Lear’s hyperbolic sentence emphasises the level of respect he thinks he deserves
-audience may view this as funny and dramatic which is not Lear’s intent presenting him as self righteous
“On my knees I beg.”
-imagery of lears literal fall from grace.(creates pathos)
-unnatural position for king to be in and therefore shows the disturbance in nature
-symbolic of his loss of power
“Here I stand your slave.”
-Lear reducing himself to a slave(very low on great chain of being) shows unnatural disturbance
-lost his power
“Hard by here is a hovel”
-hovel is a cow shed
-zoomorphism as the king must sleep in a cow shed showing his loss of power
“Thou hast pared thy wit of both sides and left nothing in the middle”
-the fool has the power to speak truthfully to Lear as in Shakespeare’s times the fool had that power
-this metaphor shows Lear loss of power and the “nothing in the middle” may be how he now has nothing or how he has lost Cordelia
-fool acts like greek chorus like a bridge between character and audience
“We put fresh garments on him”
-Lear now wears plain clothes that are not royal showing his loss of power and is now only a vulnerable human
-king Lears journey from ego to grace (power to humble) is a microcosm for everyone’s journey from life to death
-Perepetia: his reversal of fortunes
“I’ll kneel down”
-Lear kneeling down to Cordelia does show his loss of power but in quite a humbling way as he has been left with nothing but is everything to Cordelia (power does not make you something, love does)
“Know my name is lost”
-Edgar has lost his title and inheritance (power) and therefore his identity.
-hyperbolic/ metaphor for his loss of power
