king lear a level essays

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AS and A Level: King Lear

• English Literature
• Shakespeare

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

"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

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

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

I am a man more sinned against than sinning How accurate do you consider Lears assessment of himself to be in relation to act 1.

"I am a man more sinned against than sinning" How accurate do you consider Lears assessment of himself to be in relation to act 1. "I am a man more sinned against than sinning" is the perfect quote to relate to King Lears characteristics and general attitude towards others. Lear is man flawed with a tragic fate, nevertheless the overall predisposition of the play is to discount Lears failings and regard the man with sympathy, understanding and compassion. However much Shakespeare tries to magnify Lears accomplishments it is hard not to recognise his own faults. Shakespeare shows Lears inadequacies through multiple mediums, firstly as a father through the lack perceptive qualities. Though the lack of understanding, Lear is unable to perceive good or evil within even his own daughters personalities. We witness the first sin of Lear, the love for flattery. Secondly, instead of giving away his land to the most capable and intelligent daughter, he intends to "divide in three [his] kingdom" based on "who doth love [him] most". As king of the country and ruler of all men, he should have been wiser than to believe in the empty glowing praise of Goneril and Regan. Yet Lear is a worshipper of flattery, he thinks love comes more in words than in actions, thus he enjoys listening to those "low sounds [which] reverb no hollowness". As his pride swells up to the false proclamations,

• Word count: 848

How does Shakespeare present Edmund in King Lear?

How does Shakespeare present Edmund in King Lear? King Lear is a play about child - parent relationships, nature, Christianity and enlightenment. King Lear initiates with a King dividing up his land and bestowing it upon his three daughters. After being betrayed by his youngest born Cordelia, Lear banishes her and starts his struggle with madness. King Lear is a tragic play and ends with many characters dying after a bloody war. Shakespeare touched on many themes when creating his masterpiece and all of these can be voiced through Edmund which makes him an integral character to the play. Edmund is the illegitimate son of the Duke of Gloucester. He is one of the first characters mentioned in the play, and throughout the play he seems to be the personification of evil. The mendacious bastard betrays his brother and father before dying with little remorse. Shakespeare used a variety of literary techniques to convey his message about Edmund and used the villain as a pawn in the story about Good vs. Evil. Edmund is a godless character; he embraces the concept of humanism and refuses to answer to any divine being when he stresses "thou nature art my goddess" he instantly dismisses the notion of an abrahamic God. To be an atheist was still seen as "satanic" so for Shakespeare to present Edmund as faithless, it reasserts this notion of malevolence. Edmunds denial of God means he

• Word count: 2461

Social injustices in King Lear

To what extent are the perceived injustices in Lear's society the ultimate cause of tragedy? To understand why tragedy was caused in 'King Lear' we must understand the root of the words 'Social Injustices' and how each character perceived them. 'Social' could be defined as an individual living in companionship with others or in a community rather than in isolation, and an 'injustice' could be defined as the rights of others being overlooked as they are treated unfairly and there is a violation of their rights and is a cause for their behaviour. Thus the social injustices in Lear's society were the fuel for the tragic momentum and were met by the majority of characters in "King Lear". These perceived 'social injustices' had led to the frustration and resentment characters bred. Lear created a society where the birth of a child and how it was conceived defined its social position, characters such as Edmond were branded as 'bastards' as they grew up feeling isolated and faced injustices society had condemned on them breeding frustration and resentment a cause for their behaviour and tragedy. Edmond's status in society inevitably led him to resent the status that was awarded to him at birth, consequently the tragedy being heightened due to his undying enthusiasm to overturn the injustices that were casted upon him. The injustices in Lear's society epitomized the frustration and

• Word count: 2422

Comparing and contrasting both the characters of Edmund and Edgar In king Lear.

KING LEAR In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting both the characters of Edmund and Edgar. In king Lear, appearances, station and how what others think influences our actions are examined through relationships found in family and services: father and child; nobleman and servant. Even though we believe that what we look like and what we say are reflections of who we are. Shakespeare in King Lear shows that appearances and words are ever deceiving and are not clear indications of the soul or the mind. As we go through the play we begin to see the differences between both the characters. Edmund being the bastard son turns out to be dishonest, deceitful, greedy and very cunning Edmund is the younger and natural or illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester. Edmund is energetic and ambitious; he feels that he has been denied the advantages to which his appearance and abilities ought to entitle him. Edgar being the legitimate son turns out to be honest and loving towards his father and every one he comes across. I will also discuss the function of Edmund. At the beginning of the play (I.1.39-51) in King Lear's palace we see the earl of Gloucester and the earl of Kent discussing how Gloucester loves his two sons equally: Edmund being the bastard son and also the elder son and Edgar is the legitimate son. Although he loves both sons, Edgar is the heir. So at the

• Word count: 1373

King Lear. Shakespeare does not allow any of his characters to have a peaceful end and all are affected by the betrayal and loyalty shown by each of his characters.

"King Lear" Shakespeare's "King Lear", is a tragic play filled with betrayal and loyalty on the behalf of all the characters. By showing the true nature of the characters, whether it is good or evil, Shakespeare enables the readers to expect the outcome of events. In contrast to Cordelia who remains loyal to her father, Edmund has a self-seeking personality that leads him to betray other characters. Shakespeare does not allow any of his characters to have a peaceful end and all are affected by the betrayal and loyalty shown by each of his characters. One of the most prevalent themes in the play is that of filial betrayal. King Lear steps down from his throne and prepares to divide his kingdom among his three daughters based on who can proclaim their love for him with the most grandeur. From this statement alone, I could tell that Lear thought more with his ego than he did with his brain. I believe that if Lear were smarter, he would have realized that any of his daughters that complimented him with the most grandeur would not have the best intentions. By giving Lear this vain and prideful character trait, Shakespeare gives the readers a clue to what will eventually lead Lear to his downfall. One of the first acts of betrayal in this play occurred when King Lear disowns Cordelia after she admits that she loves her father as much as she is supposed to. Because of Cordelia's

• Word count: 589

King Lear: Greed and Blindness into Madness

Albert Ngo Ms. Ferracci ENG4UN – 05 July 17th 2012 Shakespeare’s King Lear: Blindness & Greed Into Madness Human traits and complexity hold the key to a character’s development throughout their lives. In Shakespeare’s play King Lear, there is excellent portrayal as to how greed and blindness were used to reveal the flaws of each character. These significant traits emphasize the theme of madness within Edmund and King Lear’s character growth. Edmund portrayed greed in an indefinite way and King Lear portrayed blindness in a prominent way, both of which, experienced madness in the process and eventually, led to their realization of the truth. Firstly, greed is inevitably displayed through Edmund’s selfish actions. Greed manipulated and conquered Edmund, the bastard son of the Duke of Gloucester, which caused him to act immorally and selfishly. Edmund stated in his soliloquy, “Lag of a brother? Why “bastard”? ... Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land, Our father’s love is to the bastard Edmund as to the legitimate- Fine word, “legitimate”!”(1.2.6-18). Edmund displays such anger and resentment towards his brother, Edgar, because he was the legitimate son of Gloucester and the rightful heir to their father’s fortunes. Originally, Edmund acted upon jealousy and was mainly obsessed about inheriting his father’s land and fulfilling his desire

• Word count: 1002

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Lear is certainly regarded as the tragic hero of King Lear. In the opening scene, we see him divide his kingdom and then banish the only daughter who really loved him, all because she would not participate in his game of love. Not only does he banish Cordelia but also his loyal servant Kent. These examples of terrible decisions convey his poor judgement which many regard as his fatal flaw (hamartia). Lear begins the play as the king and his entry on to the stage is accompanied with great pomp and ceremony. The play then follows him as he falls from this high status. The audience then see him standing outside of a hovel, having been thrown out of his daughters’ houses. This is a powerful reversal of fortune. Shakespeare further emphasises this by having Lear strip on the heath so the audience can witness the loss of his status in a physical way. Furthermore, Lear experiences an anagnorisis as he recognises the mistakes that he has made and he sees the truth about his own behaviour “They flattered me like a dog… To say ‘aye’ and ‘no’ to everything that I said!” (4.6.95–98). Some may question the tragic hero status of Lear. His failure to understand who to trust may mean some feel he cannot be regarded as a true tragic hero as his actions are too foolish.

There are different examples of madness within the play. Lear’s actions lead him to what seems like madness. This is illustrated by him stripping on the heath and refusing for some time to find shelter. He even admits that “My wits begin to turn”. The importance of madness within the play is further shown in Lear’s cry ‘O let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven!’ The storm itself seems to be a mirror of Lear’s mental state. Once reunited with Cordelia Lear does speak as if he has entered the next world which would suggest his madness continues. However, there is evidence in this scene that he moves to some sanity although the proceeding events understandably lead him to see Cordelia’s breath after she has been murdered. The Fool could be regarded as another figure representing madness and indeed fools were sometimes people with mental disabilities. Often though a fool was an entertainer and thus intelligent. There is evidence of this in some of the Fool’s speeches where he makes insightful comments and shows an understanding of the mistakes Lear has made. While his words can appear strange, once analysed they are often meaningful. His song in Act I scene iv is an example of this, “That such a king should play bo-peep” as he is questioning Lear’s behaviour. Edgar has to take on the disguise of a Bedlam beggar, with the idea that he has come from a hospital for the ‘mad’. He too then is not really mad, despite appearances, and it is through his words that Gloucester to recognises his errors. Shakespeare’s exploration of madness in this play could be regarded as a way to examine what it means to be human.

Blindness is most clearly shown through the characters of Lear and Gloucester. It is Lear’s blindness to the truth behind the words his daughters express when he asks them to say how much they love him that leads to his downfall. His failure to see that Regan and Goneril are only flattering him to get their land means that he has placed his trust and his kingdom with the wrong people. Once they have this power they are quick to reject him and his rowdy knights resulting in him being homeless upon the heath. Cordelia was the daughter who loved him but he only recognises this much later. It can be argued that it is only his madness that brings him to see the truth. Kent tells him to “See better, Lear” and this is what he does. Similarly, Lear has been blind to the people in his kingdom and he has failed to see and thus take care of the poor. His fall allows him to finally see the truth in the form of Edgar disguised as the beggar and it is then that he shows kindness towards him “Come on, my boy. How dost, my boy? Art cold?” Gloucester is blinded in one of the most horrific scenes in Shakespeare’s plays. His eyes are gouged out by Cornwall for helping the King. However, it can be argued that the blindness was evident before this. He has been tricked by Edmund who suggested Edgar had plotted against him. Gloucester’s failure to see the truth about his sons resulted in Edgar fleeing. Interestingly it is after the physical blinding that Gloucester can see the mistakes that he has made and he even states “I stumbled when I saw”.

Both Lear and Gloucester are old men and their age does seem to be an important aspect of the play. In the opening scene Lear is giving up his kingdom so that he can “crawl unburdened toward death” immediately suggesting that Lear feels he wants to stop ruling because of his age. This could be viewed as foolish as it is this decision that leads to his downfall. There are other mentions of age such as when Lear refers to himself as “I am a very foolish fond old man”. It is also the abuse of these old men that creates the shock among the audience. Both Goneril and Regan criticise Lear because of his age “O, sir, you are old […] You should be ruled and led” and in the torture of Gloucester Regan takes pleasure in plucking his white beard.

Lear refers to himself as foolish and this description does seem to be applicable considering his actions of the opening scene in his game of love and indeed the very act of giving up his throne. His move into madness also presents him as foolish. He refuses to shelter despite the storm and he undresses. However, it is at this point that he shows empathy for Poor Tom. Similarly, the Fool can certainly be regarded as foolish but he also shows insight about the events and guides Lear. The play could certainly seem to be asking what it means to appear wise and actually be foolish or to appear foolish and actually be wise.

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A Level Literature: (20) King Lear – End of term Assessment (Guided Essay Writing)

Subject: English

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

1 October 2021

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William Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘King Lear’ remains a celebrated text, still being performed worldwide on-stage and also enjoying a number of reimaged film versions. I have taught this text a number of times and have used this specific (revised) resource to lead my teaching in class, as a distance learning material (Google Meet lessons), as a homework assignment and even as a tool of revision – all have worked well for the students.

This beautifully illustrated 38 slide PowerPoint lesson provides a step by step guide in A Level essay writing, working around the question: ‘King Lear is often referred to as a ‘tragic hero’. In what ways does Lear conform to the conventions and traits of the archetypal ‘tragic hero’?’ The study materials contained within this PowerPoint lesson provide approximately 4 hours teaching time in class. This is a complete resource with no additional work required from the teacher, enjoy!

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