King Lear
By close analysis of the language in this extract, discuss Shakespeare's portrayal of Goneril and Regan. In Act 2, Scene 4, Goneril and Regan are portrayed as patronising, belittling and extremely down putting when talking to their father King Lear. For example: "Why might not you, my lord, receive attendance from those that she calls servants, or from mine?" Goneril is talking in a belittling way, practically saying that now Lear is no better than them, so he can make do with their servants, he has little power now as he's given it to his two daughters, so he is no higher in society than them. This would be seen as especially down-putting for a King in that era, which conveys the harshness and cruelty of the two daughters, to whom Lear gave everything. Lear states: "I gave you all." To which Regan smugly replies: "And in good time you gave it." Regan speaks so ungratefully of her fathers actions of granting her land, which clearly makes Lear realise how stupid and idiotic he has been. The two sisters are portrayed as evil, ungrateful and smug throughout this scene, which makes the audience feel sympathy with Lear, even though he made rash, harsh decisions at the beginning of the play. "What must I come to you with five and twenty, Regan? Said you so?" "And speak't again, my lord. No more with me." Here, Regan appears to be saying that Lear is worth no more than to
King lear
King lear The Protagonist of King Lear spends much of the play ' not in (his) perfected mind.' How does Shakespeare present madness in the play and how does the theme contribute to the dramatic Impact? " Tis the times plague when madmen lead the blind." Madness can be associated with different meanings; in king Lear there are different levels of madness, which challenge the stereotypical view. For example, Shakespeare uses Lear, the central protagonist of the play; to portray insane madness to the audience, where as Mad tom is portrayed as fake madness. If you go beyond the mental madness, and associate the word madness, it could lead to chaos and corruption, which could be on a personal level or as a social. Madness is the main theme of the play and Shakespeare also uses motifs to help develop and inform the major theme of madness. Dramatic impacts are the things that evoke reactions from audience. Most of these dramatic scenes are related to the theme of madness; from the opening scene where the kingdom is split up to going out into the storm. Shakespeare has used two main plots to effect so that one mirrors another. In one plot its Lear and his daughters, and the other is about Gloucester and his sons. That is the main structure, which Shakespeare has used to write this play. The madness shown in the play is based around the character King Lear, and Shakespeare uses
King Lear
King Lear Shakespeare's characters are described as being a stark contrast to each other, they are simple but represent good and evil as many productions put across such as Cinderella, with the two evil twin sisters, and Cinderella, the good, pretty one of the sisters. They have been described as "two malign" and "one benign." Shakespeare's characters in the play King Lear have also been described as two dimensional, just "good" or "evil," this is very deliberate by Shakespeare. This division between very good and very evil is very important to Shakespeare's cause. There are many things that hint upon the actual natures of the three daughters, for instance, their names, Gonerill and Regan are harsh sounding, but Cordelia is softer and more gentle in sound. Cordelia is said to have a religious quality about her because when Lear and Cordelia are about to re-unite, the gentleman describes her grief in language that suggests a religious dimension to her presence. ...There she shook, the holy water from her heavenly eyes, and clamour moistened... She represents good, and forgiveness like most religious people would. Also the things that they do, like when Regan gouges Gloucester's eyes out, this indicates at a sense of evil. Physical appearance and costume are also a very good thing to see their different natures. In the 1983 Michael Elliot TV production, Regan and