...In the plays of William Shakespeare, whether a comedy or a tragedy, one character that is often seen is a villain. This villain may come in many forms, but one of the most popular forms is that of the bastard. The character of the bastard is always evil, but Shakespeare also gives us some clue as to why they have grown to be so evil. The character of Don John the bastard in Much Ado About Nothing, and the character of Edmund in King Lear have many of the same qualities. They are both bastards with legitimate brother, and their brothers are in line to inherit their father’s title as well as real assets. They are both scheming villains and their villainy leads them into trouble. They both say they are bastards and act evil because they are expected...
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...Title: The Tragedy of King Lear Author: William Shakespeare DOP: 1606 Genre: Shakespearean tragedy Writing Style: Play Setting: King Lear's castle in Albion England. Goneril's home. Gloucester's castle. The Cliffs of Dover Plot: Act I. Shakespeare's dark tragedy, King Lear begins with the fictional King of England, King Lear, handing over his kingdom to daughters Regan and Goneril whom he believes truly love him. King Lear intends to stay with each daughter consecutively, accompanied by one hundred loyal knights. Angry that Cordelia his youngest daughter does not appear to love him as do Goneril and Regan, Lear banishes his youngest daughter Cordelia, and Kent, the servant who attempts to defend her. Cordelia leaves and is taken by the King of France as his Queen. Edmund, the loved but illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester plots to have his elder brother Edgar's reputation ruined. Edmund tricks his father Gloucester into believing that Edgar wanted to kill him. The disrespectful Goneril conspires to have her guest and father, King Lear, driven out of her house. Kent, who has now disguised his identity to serve King Lear, earns King Lear's respect by defending his name. Goneril offends King Lear and dismisses fifty of his knights. Lear starts to realize Cordelia was not so disrespecting. Lear decides to leave for Regan where he is sure to be treated properly. Lear instructs Kent to deliver several letters to Gloucester. The Fool teaches Lear several riddles. Act II....
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...between humans. One of the strongest relationships that develop over time is the parent-child relationship. The bond between these two sets of people is so powerful and is rarely broken. Both people have duties and responsibilities that they carry out to help develop and nurture their relationship. In Shakespeare’s King Lear, he uses the family dynamic to analyze the relationship between King Lear and his two daughters, Regan and Goneril, to see if this bond exists. In a loving relationship, children respect and honor what their parents do for them. Shakespeare emphasizes on the compassion, blindness, betrayal and insanity that is present throughout the play. In every relationship there is always going to be a line of reasoning when both people do not see eye to eye on the same thing. However, there should always be someone in that relationship that shows the kindness and willingness to forgive. This is an act of compassion. When King Lear travels to Regan’s castle to live with her, he begins to realize that his two daughters are joining forces and inform him that they will not allow him to stay with each other unless he dismisses all of his attendants. When King Lear hears this, it Van Drine 2 disappoints him, “O, Reason not the need! Our basset beggars/Are in the poorest thing superfluous/Allow...
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...Madness Out of all of Shakespeare’s works, King Lear is by far his greatest tragedy. Tragedy, not in the sorts of horrific blood shed, but in terms of the hostile nature of humankind, that was thoroughly explored within the play. The brilliance of the play does not only lie in its brilliant storyline, it ultimately lies in the numerous universal, yet controversial themes. Themes of familial obligation, metaphorical blindness, political disarray, cruelty, betrayal, insanity and madness, these are only a few of the many conveyed. The critical summation of King Lear is as such: King Lear, ruler of Britain, decides to abdicate his throne and leave Britain in the charge of his three daughters. However, due to his weakness to flattery he bestows the entire kingdom to his daughters, Goneril and Regan. Unlike her malevolent sisters, Cordelia is banished by Lear. Ultimately, as a result of the committed acts, Lear sets not only himself, but also his entire country into civil strife. The natural order originally established by Lear falls apart and disorder engulfs the realm. Lear’s, ‘fall from grace’ in addition to the abuse he attains from his offspring causes him to go temporarily insane. However, insanity leads Lear to self-realization, completely stripped from his royal pretensions. Such a realization causes Lear to overlook his values and finally learn of humility. One is able to state that before the climax took place Lear, in fact was ‘mad’, this is characterized by his foolish...
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...Imagine what the world would be like if evil always triumphed the good in everything, would humanity cease to exist? Evil within humanity and situations evoked by the character’s actions is reiterated in King Lear through nature. Within each character in the play there is both good and evil, how much of it depends on the character. Shakespeare uses this aspect to foreshadow the tragic events forthcoming. In King Lear by William Shakespeare one of the predominant themes used throughout the play is evil over throwing good in extreme situations. Nature is used throughout the play to describe whether characters are good or malevolent. When it comes to the characters, if they are good hearted, they are described as gullible or clueless (“The Theme...
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...Comparing two screen versions of King Lear - The Fool: The Fool is a character who is used by Shakespeare to point out King Lear’s follies throughout the play by using thinly veiled songs and quotes (‘Fathers that wear rags/Do make their children blind/But fathers that bear bags/Shall see their children kind’ and ‘Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise’). He disappears in Act 3, Scene 6 because his purpose has been taken away from him as Lear starts to regain his senses and learn from his mistakes. The character can be portrayed as someone who really cares for Lear like in the 1983 movie version directed by Michael Elliot - or he could be seen as a prophet (reminiscent of Tiresias in the Oedipus Rex) who only observes as Lear goes mad in the play shown in the 2008 TV movie version directed by Trevor Nunn. Critics and audience members (including myself) seem to prefer the aloof Fool because as Isaac Newatt comments, the 1983 version has a fool who is a ‘bit too pathetic’ on the IMDB website for King Lear and Mara W says that John Hunt gives a ‘fairly standard and slightly too foolish portrayal of the Fool’. However this interpretation also has its advantages as the ‘scene after they are driven out of Goneril’s house’ showed the Fool trying ‘in vain to make his beloved master laugh, and Lear’ trying ‘just as hard in return to bring himself to laugh at the jokes’ which made the scene more melancholy and tragic than it would have been with an aloof Fool. This...
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...King Lear In Shakespeare’s Tragedy King Lear understanding the themes and motifs is as important as interpreting the dialogue. The emotional effect is highlighted in King Lear with Shakespeare’s use of themes which mirrors the father-child relationships, the different definitions of blindness and the degrees of complete madness. Blindness can normally be defined as the inability of the eye to see, but according to Shakespeare, blindness is not a physical trait, but a mental imperfection some people possess. Because of Lear’s high position in society, he was supposed to be able to distinguish the good from the bad however his lack of sight prevented him from doing it. King Lear’s first act of blindness came at the beginning of the play. First, his two eldest daughters easily deceived him by their lies then he could not see the reality of Cordelia’s true love for him, and as a result, banished her from his kingdom with the following words:“for we have no such daughter, nor shall ever see that face of her again. Therefore be gone without our grace, our love, our benison.” (Act I, Scene I, Ln 265-267) Lear’s blindness also lead him into getting rid of one of his most loyal men. Kent was able to see Cordelia’s true love for her father, and tried to protect her from her blind father’s irrationality. After Kent was banished, he disguised himself and was eventually hired by Lear as a servant. Lear’s inability to determine his servant’s true identity proved once again how blind...
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...Mr. K. McGuire ENG 4U1 30 May 2012 King Lear vs. Holden Caulfield Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear revolves around his decision to give away the kingdom to his three daughters which marked the beginning of chaotic and uncontrollable consequences. In the middle of the play, Lear went mad and lost everything. On the other hand, the novel, The Catcher in the Rye is about a boy named Holden Caufield. He does not care about school at all and got kicked out. He ended up running away from school early because of a quarrel between him and his roommate name Stradlater about a girl that he had feelings for. He then lived on the streets and met new and old friends until the day that he is supposed to return home. But there were problems and he went to sneak home early to visit his little sister Phoebe. Throughout the story, he tries to fit in but instead feels alienated and alone. Despite the differences in settings and story lines, both of these characters are similar to each other in many ways. Despite the differences in the time periods, King Lear and The Catcher of the Rye both display similar qualities which include their poor decisions, experienced major downfalls and lost of their psychological sanity. Both King Lear and The Catcher of the Rye illustrate their own terms of insanity which compliments the two as the major theme. In chapter 25 of The Catcher of the Rye, each time Holden crosses a street, he felt like he would disappear, therefore every time he reached...
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...Discuss the concept of nothing as used in King Lear. Consider the themes of the play as you discuss lines such as “nothing will come of nothing, speak again.” And “the quality of nothing has no such need to hide itself.” And “I am better than thou art now. I am a fool, thou art nothing.” Nothing becomes a double symbol for King Lear’s ignorance to the truth and inability to perceive nothing. It also symbolizes King Lear’s paranoia which is brought on by his ignorance and short shortsightedness. This is due to the fact that power under King Lear has consistently been contended, highlighting its fragility and vulnerability. Nothing also symbolizes the fear of becoming insignificant and destitute. Nothing is symbolic of a way to perceive reality where the fragility, dynamism and human nature’s obsession with power obscures. The idea of nothing symbolizes King Lear’s paranoia. Shakespeare explores the idea of nothing by implying the common characteristic of chasing away things that people don’t understand or things that are different by having King Lear banish his favorite daughter due to his inability to comprehend the fact that she wants ‘nothing’ from him. King Lear is so unable to accept this unusual and probably new idea of not wanting the power and fortune that he has, that he becomes suspicious. Not wanting anything is seen as a strange thing in the play just as it is seen in today’s society. There is usually and exterior motive when doing something to benefit other people...
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...King Lear questions Act 1, Scene 1 1. Is Lear’s demand of an expression of love from each daughter likely to bring honest answers? Lear chooses to give up his kingdom to the daughter that loves him the most. His two eldest daughters, Goneril and Regan, tell him that they love him so much and they use elaborate examples of how they love him. However, the youngest daughter, Cordelia chooses to explain her father by saying “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth, I love your majesty According to my bond; no more no less” which shows that she does love him but she doesn’t have words to explain her love for her father. Also Cordelia was the only daughter which told the truth to his father and she wasn’t greedy like her other sisters to have part on their father’s empire or kingdom. Infuriated with Cordelia's answer, Lear banishes her from the kingdom. Because of this, it is evident that Lear only cares about his children's love being overwhelming, even if the most honest answer was Cordelia's. Based solely on this love test at the beginning of the play it is obvious to readers that Lear is a selfish, horrible father who would rather divide his kingdom up amongst two daughters and banish another one than give each of the daughters a fair share of land. From this test one could also tell that Lear's method of dealing with issues as a king is corrupt. As long as someone can sweet talk, or explain how much King Lear means to them, Lear will allow them to do...
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...In the play King Lear, written by William Shakespeare, King Lear tumbles into a world of insanity after his daughters, whom he once cared for dearly, deceive him. Lear's eldest daughters, Goneril and Regan, betray Lear by falsely stating their love for him at a ceremony to divide the King’s kingdom. Dismayed by what she sees as her sister’s false confessions of love, the honest and youngest sister, Cordelia, chooses a path of sincerity to not profess her love for her father. Outraged, the king then banishes Cordelia and divides the land between Goneril and Regan. This decision comes to haunt Lear, when the two sisters take away his title and drive him mad. Cordelia’s honesty, loyalty and maturity are traits that separate her from her sisters and contrast their untruthful, unfaithful and insecure nature. To begin, Cordelia and her sisters are very different in the sense that Cordelia is honest and her sisters are untruthful. Cordelia portrays a very honest character and her integrity is evident from the beginning of the play and it is carried through all the way to the end. “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth. I love your majesty according to my bond, no more nor less.” (I. ii. 91- 93) This line is delivered after Cordelia is once again asked by Lear to confess her love to him after she already she has nothing to confess. She is being honest with Lear when she tells him she simply loves him the way a daughter should. Lear was expecting Cordelia to act like...
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...Evaluation of Women, Centaurs, and Devils in King Lear Women, Centaurs, and Devils in King Lear, by Claudette Hoover, analyzes the sexual and biblical nature of Lear’s quote “Down from the waist they are Centaurs, / Though women all above: / But to the girdle do the Gods inherit, / beneath is all the fiends: / there’s hell, there’s darkness,” (IV.vi.140-143). The paper connects this line to a medieval myth, in which women are said to have sexual relations with the devil, which originated from the biblical story of Adam and Eve. The paper also identifies Lear’s reluctance to take responsibility for his daughter’s behavior and tracks his misogynistic views throughout the play. The following journal clarified the line “beneath is all...
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...“King Lear”, a play written by Shakespeare is about a king from Britain who decides to step off the throne. He wants to divide his kingdom in three, and leave the pieces to his daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. He states that he will give the biggest piece to the daughter who can prove loves him most. Two of his daughters flatter him so dearly, and the other states that her true love for her father cannot be explained in words and she simply loves him with all her heart. The king is not happy with her words, so he banishes her from the castle and leaves her with nothing; however he unfortunately divides the pieces remaining to his two false daughters who have fed him with lies. While all this is going on Lear starts to realize the foolish mistakes he has been making and other families are having some similar issues. Many characters go through life altering events and finally see the plain truth at the end of the play, where it is in some cases too late to apologize for. They experience hardships, regrets, sorrow and grief. This play runs through many interlocking themes such as blindness, justice, and appearance and reality. The theme of blindness is ever so present in this play. For one, Cornwall and Regan poke out Gloucester’s eye because he helped Lear in a time of need. This physical act represents the symbolic nature of Lear and Gloucester’s great blindness. Both are blind to the falseness of their children. They praise the ones that are untrue to them, and believe...
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...Choose the letter of the correct answer to each of the following questions. ________ 35 From your reading of: Animal Farm 1.This pig is used as a propaganda machine by Napoleon... a. Snowball b. Minimus c. Squealer d. Sheep 2.Boxer is sold to the Knackers for what reason? a. He is too young to retire b. He is rebelling against Napoleon c. He is hurt and can no longer work d. The farm needed the money 3.By the end of the novel, the final Commandment states... a. All animals are equal except the pigs b.Some animals are more equal than others c.No animal may rebel against another d. Four legs good, 2 legs bad 4.Indentify the speaker: "If comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right." a. Mollie b. Clover c. Boxer d. Squealer 5.Identify the speaker: "Surely comrades you do not want Mr. Jones back?" a. Squealer b. Clover c. Muriel d. Sheep 6.Identify the speaker: "Four legs good, two legs bad." a. The sheep b. The geese c. The chickens d. The hens 7. What words were added to the end of this commandment? "No animal shall sleep in a bed..." a. With pajamas b. In the house c. With sheets d. With another animal 8.What words were added to the end of this commandment? "No animal shall drink alcohol..." a. To excess b. In the house c. In a glass d. With Mr. Jones 9.How is Napoleon double-crossed by Frederick? a. He refuses to send help when Jones attacks b. He pays for the timber with fake money c. He...
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...”Once you label me you negate me.” a quote by Søren Kierkegaard which is identical with ”Sorry for the loss” We’re introduced to a rough environment and in the beginning of the novel. We have a sterotypical image of a prisoner. We label them as criminal and killers. However, throughout the novel. We will gain a better understanding of people and how our stereotypes don’t match reality. written by Bridget Keehan starts in medias res. We’re thrown directly into the story. We follow a third person narrator with a restricted point of view. The narrator does not participate in the story, however, tells” Sorry for the Loss. It means that the narrator doesn’t have access to the thoughts of the other persons in the novel. Therefore, in this case, the narrator has a limited point of view. The narrator does only have access to the thoughts of Evie, who is a Catholic chaplain. Therefore, we don’t have access to the thought of Victor or the officer. If we had access Victors thought or the officers. We would have a bigger picture of the situation and their reaction to various subjects. The restricted point of view gives us as reader better understanding of Evie. We learn how Evie is as a person for an example. She says “Although she has been in the post for over a year she still finds the environment of a prison abrasive and intimidating” (P.1, L 18-19) Evie is the main character of the novel, she is characterized by the narrator as an inexperienced Chaplain since it’s her first...
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