Consider the role of the Fool in King Lear. How important is he to the play as a whole?

King Lear Essay Question Consider the role of the Fool in King Lear. How important is he to the play as a whole? How has the role been treated by different critics and in different performances? How might the role reflect the culture of Shakespeare's time? How would you prefer the role of the Fool to be performed? The Fool is considered an important character in the play even though he is not a major participant in events witnessed. His comments, full of ironic insight, provide wisdom and reasoning for Lear at times of need. He generally plays three major roles; Lear's inner - conscience, represents Lear's alter ego and plays a dramatic chorus. The way the character is portrayed also provides us with a social commentator and vehicle for pathos. Although the Fool may seem strange to us, an Elizabethan audience would have greeted the Fool with great familiarity. The position was a historic one in Shakespeare's time, with the monarch appointing an official court jester (Fool). In conventional drama of the day he was a hold over from morality plays, with his role-becoming classic. His role had established characteristics and responsibilities. Among them the Fool had license to roam the stage and interact with the audience often joking and talking directly to them. He had great popularity with the audience of the time, with his role a bridge between the action on stage and

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 2163
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

How effectively does Shakespeare present Lear's loss of power in the play?

How effectively does Shakespeare present Lear's loss of power in the play? In the opening scenes of the play, King Lear is the character who wields the most power. However throughout the play he gradually loses his power and this is presented very effectively by Shakespeare. Shakespeare portrays this loss through the characters language, Lear's and other's, and certain symbolic events such as the loss of Lear's knights. At the beginning of the play, Lear's language displays his power and authority. His language is forceful and the line, "Come not between the dragon and his wrath", portrays his power as he compares himself to a dragon, a very powerful beast. It also shows how he can issue demands without a moment's hesitation. As King, Lear's servants and courtiers attend to his every need. Lear's first line of the play is a demand to Gloucester to "Attend the lords of France and Burgundy", which is immediately obeyed. This again portrays Lear's power. Another part of Lear's language that depicts his power is the use of the 'royal we'. He describes Cordelia as "our joy", which shows his status as King by the use of the royal we. Therefore Shakespeare effectively presents Lear's loss of power by emphasizing Lear's initial power through his language in the opening of the play. This emphasis on the vast amount of power Lear wields in the play's opening makes the audience all the

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 2822
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

King Lear. The seeds of tragedy are sewn in Act 1 scene 1. To what extent are the events inevitable with reference to the opening?

Question: The seeds of tragedy are sewn in Act 1 scene 1. To what extent are the events inevitable with reference to the opening. According to Aristotle a tragedy should consist of a tragic hero; a character of noble status possessing a fatal flaw. He proposed that the hero's downfall should be a result of his own actions and that he should have a chance to learn from his mistakes during the play. Aristotle's theory of a tragic flaw is designed to allow the audience to engage with the hero, regardless of the character's higher status or power. This view also suggests that a tragedy is a play which causes pity and fear amongst the audience for the tragic hero; in Shakespearean tragedies the Hero's flaw is often lust or ambition, which an audience is able to identify with therefore the hero's demise causes the reader to sympathise with the character more. During Shakespearean time, king ship was considered to be granted by God. As a result it was believed that the down fall of a king would result in the destruction of society. Expanding on this further, a Shakespearean audience would have viewed the king as being incapable of making poor decisions therefore Lear's tragedy may have been considered as an 'accidental tragedy'. There are many events in the opening which result in a series of tragic occurrences later on in the play. When Lear gives away his authority to Goneril

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 1602
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

The influence Act 1 has on the rest of the play in King Lear

What evidence does Act 1 of King Lear give us of the tragic forces are to be explored on stage? 'King Lear', Shakespeare's most profound tragedy is centred around the tragic protagonist, King Lear himself, was written in 1605 and has more than just the one main plot. The story of Gloucester and his sons (one of King Lear's noblemen) heightens the tragedy that occurs, which also explores the enduringly compelling struggle between good and evil, issues about power and responsibility and the magnified downfall of King Lear; once a ruler of a large empire that 'tied his wagon to a falling stone' and resulted in the life of what can only be described as a homeless beggar with 'Nothing'. The main the main plot and creates a parallel tragedy on a lower scale to that of the main, and therefore provides points of comparison with the royal family. Lear's foolishness of believing false flattery instead of the truth, and therefore choosing evil over good, results in the realm plunging into crisis. The first Act of 'King Lear' creates a good indication of what may occur in the rest of the play. In Act 1 Shakespeare introduces King Lear and his noblemen, which begins to display the tragic forces Shakespeare has planned ahead as Lear's 100 knights are the representation of his power, and they are significant here as later on Goneril strips him of this luxury 'A hundred knights!'. By

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 2350
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

King Lear: Act I Scene IV

Discuss your response to Lear in Act I Scene IV Role reversal is central to the plot of King Lear, and perhaps one of the most pivotal scenes which stresses role reversal has truly occurred is Act I Scene IV. Following both the foolish division of Lear's land and the utter destruction of natural order, King Lear begins to realise his 'power' has been stripped and even those below him begin to realise this and treat him accordingly. The act welcomes a disguised Kent who still wishes to serve his King despite Lear's earlier mistreatment towards him. Act I Scene IV also introduces the Fool which has been mentioned to have been in hiding since Cordelia's banishment. The jester begins to commentate on Lear's illogical decisions and the consequences of them while Lear infuriates at the fact that he is receiving little, or no respect from those around him. Firstly, Lear close to the beginning of the scene realises he has been mistreated as a King and as a father. There seems to be a kind of unnatural theme running throughout the play heretofore and it continues in Act I Scene IV. Lear realises himself that he has been 'neglect of lately' which is bizarre to an audience as he is, or was the King. Despite his current status, he still was noble: does nobility and respect dissolve with retirement? Indeed, Lear probably didn't retire but rather quit his responsibilities and leadership

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 1190
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Villains in King Lear

It could be argued that the most interesting characters In Shakespeare's plays King Lear, there are many interesting characters however the action in the play is driven by the villainous characters. This is often the case in Shakespeare's plays, but it may be even more so in this play, which contains four villainous characters. There are King Lear's two daughters, Regan and Goneril, who turn on their father as soon as they have enjoyed a taste of his power. There is Regan's husband, Cornwall, who engages in the most physically gruesome act of evil behavior ever exhibited in any Shakespeare's work when he gouges out Gloucester's eyes. Finally, there is Edmund, who is arguably the most interesting character in the entire play and who easily takes on the role of the most villainous character in the play. Goneril is the first of the King Lear's daughters to express to him the depths of her love. She tells him that, "Sir I love you more than word can wield the matter" (1.1.60). However, we soon realize that Goneril is not the loving daughter she presents herself to her father as in the first scene of the play. She tells Regan that something must be done quickly to make sure that their father does not "carry authority with such disposition as he bears" (1.1.351-352) to act as rashly with her and Regan as he did with Kent and Cordelia. When Regan suggests that they think on it

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 1360
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Long Days Journey into night - Analysing a scene The place of the scene is the dramatic resolution of the play, to be more exact, the end of it. In this scene, the conflict

Long Days Journey into night - Analysing a scene The place of the scene is the dramatic resolution of the play, to be more exact, the end of it. In this scene, the conflict completely revealed, the reader knows the past and the conflict as well. All the four characters has been there. Jamie and Edmund are in the room, Jamie is sleeping and simultaneously James is coming into the room. He wanted not to speak to Jamie, however the drunken Jamie woke up and started to say poetic sentences and cite from different works in order to make his father furious and start an argument. Edmund is the one who makes them to stop that before Mary comes from her room with full of morphine. Jamie starts to make comments on his mother and creates another conflict with Edmund and James. Mary starts to speak to herself ignoring everyone in the room while the others are staring at her. They are trying to make contact with Mary, without any result. The men start to drink and ignore her; Mary is still speaking to herself. The tensions are very obvious, because in that part of the plot everyone knows what happened to Mary and what is the relationship among the family members. Like in the beginning James Tyrone doesn't want to be with Jamie in the same room, and later their conversation full of anger and hatred, these acts are revealing that they don't like each other. Later on, when Mary comes into

  • Word count: 538
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

"Consider the dramatic functions ofthe fool in King Lear".

"Consider the dramatic functions of the fool in King Lear" Hannah veseli The fool's dramatic functions reach far further than is first obvious on the surface of his character. Although he is not without wit and humour, his usually gaiety has been soured to suit the high tragedy that is paramount to King Lear. His presence in King Lear, is not just to show the folly of the king (which is his actually job) as in other Shakespearean plays, but rather he has many other important dramatic functions. Having said that his gaiety is soured, he does provide a contrast to the otherwise perennial gloom that surrounds King Lear. This is used for a number of reasons; firstly if Shakespeare was to simply concentrate on the tragedy and not include any 'comical moments', the gloominess would become monotonous. However by adding contrast, almost by juxtaposition, it emphasises the depth and seriousness of the tragedy. This is especially true when one thinks that the fool's gaiety is less humorous than his predecessors, and in many cases simply common sense. This common sense provides a comparison with Lear's madness, once again emphasising the depth of it. A prime example of the fool's common sense, compared with that of Lear's madness is in the 'mock trial scene'. When Lear is 'putting Goneril on trial' (using a stool to represent her), the fool says "Cry you mercy, I took you for a

  • Word count: 933
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Explore the presentation of Edmund in 'King Lear'

Explore the presentation of Edmund in 'King Lear' There is all the difference in the world between the evil of Goneril and Regan - dour, stark, and mean-minded - and the evil of Edmund, which has an almost magnificent vitality and elegance. His first appearance in Act 1 reveals all; scorns traditional attitude, establishing himself as a crusader in the cause of amorality. There is tremendous energy and vigour here; martial fidelity and family ties are swept aside. Self-confident and poised, for Edmund a man is what makes himself, especially 'by wit'. His pride in his cunning is justified; Edgar and Gloucester are slickly manipulated, while Cornwall and Regan are smoothly incorporated into his plans other people are there to be used; he uses, when suited, Goneril and Regan against each other. Yet nobody is allowed to use him, as we see when he fights shy of Goneril's suggestion that he should murder Albany. Such single mindedness makes him a successful military leader, concerned with results and not the niceties of principle. Yet we must beware of glamourising this dangerous man, and remind ourselves that he does callously abuse those who are closest to him. He delivers Gloucester into the hands of Cornwall and Regan; he later rides out to apply the final murderous thrust to his own father; he calmly orders the execution of Lear and Cordeila. He is attractive in his zest,

  • Word count: 2593
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

King Lear Act II

English Lit: King Lear * Q: Discuss the presentation of Lear in Act II Scene IV. Explore the ways Lear changes in this scene commenting on his language and actions. Explore what they reveal at this stage in the play. 'I shall go mad' Act II Scene IV welcomes the theme of role reversal and reinforces the evident stripping of power encountered by Lear and the utter mistreatment of Lear which unveil a irrational and vulnerable king from the beginning to the end of the scene. Symbolism is used to impose an ominous idea from the very beginning of the scene as the fool is quick to interject Lear, and exclaims 'Winter's not gone yet, if the wild-geese fly that way'. The fool indicates and rightly so makes the prediction that despite Lear believes he has hit rock bottom and isn't receiving what is owed to him, things will only get worse. And with this, a negative and malevolent scene to come is projected by Shakespeare. Further, Lear is presented as a poor father. The fool also highlights the theme of role reversal when he announces to Lear 'Fathers that wear rags'. Role reversal is envisioned and thrown directly at Lear - how is it that Lear has nothing while his children have complete power and wealth? By 'rags', does Shakespeare suggest Lear's lack of wealth or Lear's lack of love? Lear has quickly been deprived of both as a consequence of his decisions and he is now left a

  • Word count: 1140
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
Access this essay