Shakespeare’s

King Lear

A. Background on the story

1. Pre Christian King of good reputation – -- source was probably Holinshed’s Chronicles, a source Shakespeare used for many of his plays

2. An earlier version of the play (King Leir, 1605 anon.)

3. Shakespeare’s changes(Gloucester subplot, final deaths)

I. Introduction

A. Nature (the four levels)

1. God and Perfection (above the stars)

2. Higher Nature but imperfect civiliz., conscious. Morality)

3. Lower Nature (amoral, bestial, animal (reason w/o conscience))

4. Evil – realm of the demons

II. Major Themes

2. Order vs. Chaos -- the question of Justicea. Lear (and we) learn that --life is awful

--there is not always a happy ending

--there’s nothing we cando about it

b. Job’s question: why dobad things happento good people

II. Major Themes (continued)

a. Can anything redeem this injustice / violence / suffering / meaninglessness of the world?

1. wisdom – this is the great gift of time and suffering (Lear finds wisdom when sees truthand stops valuingsuperficial (he seemsmad but is wisethe new Fool2. Lear’s journey

Prideragesuffering/humiliationmadnesswisdomdeath

2. Order vs. Chaos-the question of Justice

3. the real answer is goodness and honesty are rewards in themselves – that is what redeems/justifies life

Stoicism – be good (beauty and grace); not oneof “the many” (R and G)—choosing virtue maybring suffering but it is still better than being one of“the many” --Jesus and the adulterous woman--the meaning of virtue (morality and the godscome together

II. Major Themes – Good vs. Evil

For example: Cordelia

Cordelia chooses not to participatein a ridiculous and dishonestspectacle—this was not a flimsydecision when you realize what lovemeans to Cordelia honesty

duty loyalty

II. Major Themes

3. Good vs. Evil

Good (the moral) is directly related to love, compassion, the soul

Evil (the immoral) is directly realted to selfishness, the

id, violence, the physical

II. Major Themes (continued)

II. Themes –Good vs. EvilThe Higher World

LearCordeliaKentAlbanyThe FoolEdgar

The Lower World

GonerilReganEdmundCornwallOswald

4. Loyalty vs. Blind Obedience

Kent OswaldCordelia Goneril / ReganThe Fool Edmund (no honor)

II. Major Themes

II. Major Themes (continued)5. Chaos and the Uncaring Universe

a. Chaos results from DIVISION (the kingdom,

families, brothers, sisters, etc.)b. King Lear as precursor to

existentialism

“There is, therefore, no preexistent spiritual realm, no soul…,no cosmic compassion for or interest in human life, no afterlife, no transcendence of worldly existence, no cosmic meta-narrative, no angels and devils…, no divine will, no preset destiny, no inevitable fate.”

Chaos and the Uncaring Universe

In a sense Edmund is right—there are no stars to guide us. The play shows there to be no intrinsic meaning in the universe.

However, humans and human consciousness, human virtue,human loyalty, and human lovecreate a meaningful and caringuniverse.

II. Major Themes

Psychological Levels

Kent Cordelia the Fool (reason) (love) (wits, intell., wisdom) Lear Gloucester

Edgar Edmund (good) (evil)

III. The Characters

The Evil Side

Cornwall – Goneril Regan – Albany

Edmund

Oswald the guard who follows Edmund’s order to kill Lear and

Cordelia

III. Characters

1. The Storm

2. Blindness and sight

3. The Fool

IV. The Symbols

4. Nothingness

5. Nakedness and clothing

IV. The Symbols (continued

The Vision and Wisdom of King Lear

1. The Psychological

2. The Social

3. The Universal

V. Conclusion