King Lear

In shakespeare's play King Lear, King Lear is a tragic Hero. Why is he a tragic character? What are King Lear's tragic flaws?

King Lear is a tragic character/hero because he became enraged by Cordelia's response and therefore, divided his kingdom between his two older daughters,Goneril and Regan. Due King Lear’s high position in society, he was supposed to be able to
distinguish the good from the bad but his inability to see prevented him.

Lear’s blindness also caused him to banish one of his loyal followers,
Kent who later created a disguise in which he seeked employment from the King. Lear’s inability to determine his servant’s true identity proved once again how blind he actually was. As the play progressed, he realized how wicked his two eldest daughters really were after they locked him out of the castle during a tremendous storm. Finally, Lear saw through Cordelia’s lack of flattery and
realized that her love for him was so great that she couldn’t express
it into words. Unfortunately, Lear’s blindness ended up costing
Cordelia her life and consequently the life of himself.

King Lear's inability to judge his surroundings accurately especially when it comes to the flattery portrayed by his two oldest daughters who later destroy his kingdom due to their irrational judgement is the determinant of him bieng a tragic character. His tragic flaws are his irrational decisions, unwise judgements, stagnant foresight and inability to see the flaws or through others in order to determine fiction versus reality. Lear's dreadful decision leads to his gradual fall into insanity, a war between the forces of Britain and France, and the eventual death's of Lear's entire family.

King Lear Study Questions & Answers

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1.Who are the two nobles in the opening scene and what are they talking about?

• The two nobles in the opening scene are Earl of Kent and Earl of Gloucester and they are talking about their mistaken view of King Lear prefering Duke of Albany over Duke of Cornwall who are his first and second daughters, that is, Goneril and Regan, husbands respectively. They realise that the King's division of his Kingdom lacks favortism so upon the arrival of Edmund, Gloucester's illegitimate son, who gains favour in his father's and acquaintance's eyes. Also,Gloucester speaks positively of both his sons which seemingly cherishes and love without favour which is an element unique to his character unlike other characters in the Shakespeare Plays.

2.How do you think that Edmund must be feeling at this moment?

• I think Edmund is feeling gullable to commit evil for illegitimate children within the Shakespeare plays are usually seen as "trouble makers" or "bastards" because of the circumstances in which he was conceived. He must of felt that these men could be easily tricked because they saw him as containing the features of a legitimate son.
  

3.What does Old King Lear plan to do with his kingdom? What is the test that he proposes to the daughters?

• Old King Lear plans to split his Kingdom equally among his three daughters BUT he wanted to offer majority of it to the daughter who was able to convince him of their love toward him which would be considered far more superior to the other.
  

4.How do each of the first two daughters answer the old man?

• The first two daughters answered the old man with sweet sounding words which were full of fluff and flattery. For example- Goneril "Sir, I love you more than word can weild the matter" and Regan " And find I am alone felicitate in your dear Highness's love"
  

5.What is Cordelia's answer and why does she answer as she does? What does her reference to "nothing" suggest about the use of this motif in the rest of the play?

• Cordelia's answer is Nothing and she answers the way she does because of the flattery displayed by her sisters and her inability to transfer her feelings into words. As seen when she states, “heave her heart into her mouth,” that she loves him exactly as much as a daughter should love her father. Her reference to "nothing" suggest about the use of this motif in the rest of the play is that it reflects how the actions taken by some of the characters such as Cordelia and Edmund is based on nothing, their actions simply mistaken by its viewers.

6.Do you think that Cordelia is being cruel in refusing to play her father's game? Why?

• I do not think that Cordelia was bieng cruel in refusing to play her father's game because she is an individual unable to profess her feelings openly but uses her actions which was expected to speak louder than her words.
  

7.How does Lear react to Cordelia's response? How does Lord Kent react to Lear's response?

• King Lear obviously became infuriated by Cordelia's response since he disowned her and splitted her share between her sisters. Lord Kent reacts to Lear's response by not conforming to his usual norm but rather questioning the King's judgement and wisdom
  along with ridiculling him for being unable to see through the flattery of Goneril and Regan's speech and acknowledge the daughter that loved him the most bieng Cordelia whom was bieng punished for bieng honest.

8.How might the references to sight and blindness become important for the rest of the play?

• The references to sight and blindness became important for the rest of the play since the physical blindness of Gloucester symbolizes the metaphorical blindness that cripples both Gloucester and Lear who are fathers. The similarities between the two men are apparent for they both have loyal children and disloyal children, both are blind to the truth, and both end up banishing the loyal children and making the wicked one(s) their heir(s). Only when Gloucester has lost the use of his eyes and Lear has gone mad does each realize his tremendous error because their blindness to the truth about their children has cost them dearly.
  

9.How do France and Burgandy each react to the news that Cordelia will not receive any dower and what does their reaction tell us about their characters?

• France's and Burgandy's reaction to the news that Cordelia will not recieve any dower was quite different. For Burgandy bieng the first to respond states his displeasure with the Lear's decision and eagerly backs out of the fight for Lear's approval. This reaction tells us that Burgandy was only concerned about his inheritance through marriage relation rather than actually loving Cordelia. While France unexpected response is completly opposite to that of his opponent which is his willingness to accept her because he loved her and not her dower. France's reaction tells us that his feelings toward Cordelia were indeed geniune.

10.What does Cordelia mean when she says to her sisters, "I know you what you are." What do the sisters say about their father near the end of the scene?

Cordelia means when she says to her sisters, "I know you what you are" that she figured out that her sisters conniving behaviour was the surface of their plot to dethrone the King. The sisters near the end of the scene talk about their fathers illness and age which is the root cause of his inability to judge accurately as he once did.
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11.What are the two views of nature contrasted in the action and dialogue of this scene?

• The two views of nature contrasted in the action and dialogue are the stigma which is placed on illegitimate children by society provokes their thoughts into commiting evil deeds as in the case of Edmund and the inability for illegitmate children to become heirs to their parents kingdom.

12. What parallels do you see between this scene and the first one?

• The parallels that I see between this scene and the first one is Cordelia and Edmund who are both unable to openly express their feelings. While on the other hand, Lear and Gloucester who are unable to see and judge the actions of their children.
  

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13.A couple of months have now passed; what is bothering Goneril at this point and what does she instruct her servant Oswald to do about it?

Goneril's father's behaviour and his management style which includes the preferential treatment of his troops whose behavior is considered "riotous" and she instructs Oswald to ignore them which would infuriate her father giving her a reason to indirectly influence his sudden departure to his other daughter, Regan.
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14.Why does Kent wish to serve Lear? What does he discern in Lear's countenance and how is this ironic?

• Kent wishes to serve Lear because he respects him and only wants to guide him to see what is going on around him. He discerns in Lear's countenance is respect and acceptance. This is ironic since Lear punished him for expressing his beliefs openly which were contradictory to that of his superior.

15.What is Kent's reaction to what Oswald's servant does to Lear?

• Kent's reaction to what Oswald's servant does to Lear is tripping him.

16.Why is what the knight says about the Fool's pining away "since my young lady's going into France" important?

• The knights revelation of the Fool pining away as a result of "since my young lady's going into France" is important since he reflects how blinded the King was of his surroundings and even a fool could have seen how much Cordelia loved the King.

17.What is the Fool's function in this part of the play and what are at least three examples of how he fulfills this function?

• The fool's function in this part of the play is to foolishly enlightening the King while ridiculing his judgements. Three examples of how he fulfills this function are: " If a man's brains were in's heels, were't not in danger of kibes?", "Why to put's heads in, not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without a case" and "If thou wet my fool nuncle, I'ld have thee beaten for bieng old before thy time."
  

2.1
18.How does Edmund trick his brother Edgar into fleeing?

• Edmund tricks his brother Edgar into fleeing by convincing him that Cornwall was angry with him for being on Albany's side of their "disagreement" and that it would be beneficial for him to leave his hiding place because Cornwall knew of it.

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19.How do Kent's actions with Oswald characterize him as a "plain dealer"?

• Kent's actions with Oswald characterize him as a "plain dealer" since he acts based on indirect contact, that is, Oswald disrespected the King and as a servant of the King it was his duty to retaliate.

20.How might Kent's line "Nothing almost seems miracles/But misery" serve as a motto for the play?

• Kent's line "Nothing almost seems miracles/But misery" serves as a motto for the play because it shows on doing no wrong one is still punished.

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21.How is Edgar's disguising himself as a bedlam beggar an example of social criticism in the play? Why is Edgar's comment, "Edgar, I nothing am" important to the meaning of the play?

• Edgar's disguising himself as a bedlam beggar an example of social criticism in the play since due to the cruelty of his brother he was forced into poverty which is a social status undeserving for the heir to Gloucester's wealth. Edgar's comment, "Edgar, I nothing am" important to the meaning of theplay because it shows how a man innocently accused becomes poor within a society which dictates that his birth right should place him in the upper class.

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22.Why is Lear so angry that his servant Kent has been put in the stocks by Regan and Cornwall?

Lear is so angry that his servant Kent has been put in the stocks by Regan and Cornwall since it seems like they are readily assuming his authority by punishing his servant who falls directly under his control without consulting him as if he no longer exists.

23.What is Regan's first response when Lear complains of his treatment at the hands of her sister?

• Regan's first reponse when Lear complains of his treatment at the hands of her sister is that her sister is merely performing her duty and should not be blamed.