William Shakespeare’s King Lear: an overview by Brian Yablon

1. William Shakespeare’s King Lear: an overview by Brian Yablon

2. In the beginning: sources • King Leir, 1590 • Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland 1587 • Geoffrey of Monmouth • Higgins’ A Mirror for Magistrates 1587 • Edmund Spenser’sThe Faerie Queene 1589 • Sir Philip Sidney’s Arcadia 1590

3. When was it written? • Written between 1603 and 1606. • Published in Quarto 1 (bad quarto) 1608. • Quarto 2 (False Folio) 1619. • First Folio 1623. • Over 300 lines omitted from Q1; over 100 lines added

4. Performances? • For King James 1, December 26, 1606. • Now well liked. • Altered to happy ending in 1681 by Nahum Tate. • Suppresse when King George III was insane. • Returned to Shakespeare’s original in 1845.

5. Act 1, Scene 1 • Earl of Gloucester introduces Edmund (illegitimate son) to Earl of Kent, mentions legitimate son (Edgar). • King Lear’s heirs: • Goneril (with Duke of Albany) • Regan (with Duke of Cornwall) • Cordelia (Duke of Burgundy/King of France) • Goneril & Regan get kingdom • Cordelia gets France, but is disinherited. • Kent banished upon arguing with Lear.

7. Act 1, Scene 2 • Edmund (illegitimate) decides to steal Edgar’s (legitimate) inheritance. • Fools father (Gloucester) using a fake letter. • Fools Edgar as well.

8. Act 1, Scene 3 • Goneril -- bad daughter -- decides to humble her father, orders Oswald to treat him badly.

9. Act 1, Scene 4 • Lear arrives at Goneril’s. • Oswald is mean, disguised Kent beats him. • Lear’s fool mocks his surrender of power. • Goneril scolds Lear, demands halfing his men. • Lear decides to visit other daughter. • Albany protests Goneril’s behavior, is silenced. • Goneril sends Oswald with letter to Regan.

10. Act 1, Scene 5 • Lear sends Kent with letter to Regan. • Fool again taunts his master, Lear.

11. Act 2, Scene 1 • Edmund tricks Edgar into appearing -- in front of Gloucester -- to fight. • Gloucester vows to legitimize Edmund and capture/kill Edgar. • Regan (and Cornwall) arrive, like Edmund, take him into their service.

12. Act 2, Scene 2 • Outside Gloucester’s castle, Kent beats Oswald. • Cornwall, Regan, Gloucester appear. • Cornwall punishes Kent; Gloucester protests. • Kent ponders a letter from Cordelia, who knows of her father’s situation.

14. Act 2, Scene 3 • Edgar escapes capture, learns that he is to be killed. • Disguises himself as Tom O’Bedlam.

15. Act 2, Scene 4 • Lear arrives at Gloucester’s castle (seeking Regan), sees Kent in stocks. • Regan and Cornwall free Kent. • Regan defends Goneril’s actions; Goneril arrives; they both demand he give up his retainers. • Lear rages into a storm followed by his Fool and Gloucester.

17. Act 3, Scene 1 • Kent discovers that Lear is madly in the storm. • Kent asks the gentleman to inform Cordelia, who as arrived at Dover with a French army.

18. Act 3, Scene 2 • Lear raves. • Kent arrives, takes him to nearby shelter. • Fool predicts bad things to happen.

19. Act 3, Scene 3 • Gloucester tells his son, Edmund, that Cornwall forbids him to help Lear. • But…he also tells him that Lear will soon be helped via Cordelia. • Edmund (very bad) decides to gain his inheritance sooner by informing on his father, which will lead to his death.

20. Act 3, Scene 4 • Lear, Kent, and the Fool approach the shelter (hovel). • Fool goes in, comes out afraid of Tom O’Bedlam (Edgar). • Lear and Edgar commiserate. • Gloucester appears, offers shelter, warns Kent that Regan and Goneril want to kill Lear.

21. Act 3, Scene 5 • Edmund reveals to Cornwall his father, Gloucester’s, dealing with French army. • Cornwall orders him to be arrested.

23. Act 3, Scene 6 • Gloucester leaves them. • Lear acts out an imaginary trial of his daughters. • Gloucester returns with warning; Kent and Fool taking sleeping Lear away. • Edgar stays behind.

26. Act 3, Scene 7 • Gloucester, arrested, is sent to Regan/Cornwall. • Cornwalls blinds Gloucester. • A loyal servant attacks Cornwall. The servant is killed. • Other servants take Gloucester to wandering madman (Edgar) to escape.

27. Act 4, Scene 1 • Gloucester is led to Edgar. • Edgar continues as Tom O’Bedlam, agrees to lead Gloucester to the cliffs of Dover.

28. Act 4, Scene 2 • Oswald meets Goneril and Edmund. • Albany likes Cordelia’s invasion, dislikes Gloucester’s situation. • Goneril sends Edmund to Cornwall to gather an army; hints of plot against Albany. • Messenger arrives, tells of Cornwall’s death, Gloucester’s blinding. • Aside, Goneril is jealous of Regan about Edmund. • Aside, Albany vows revenge for Gloucester.

29. Act 4, Scene 3 • In Dover, the gentleman tells Kent about Cordelia’s reaction about Lear’s situation. • Kent says that Lear is nearby but ashamed to see his daughter, Cordelia.

30. Act 4, Scene 4 • Cordelia orders a search party for Lear. • Albany and Cornwall’s armies approach.

31. Act 4, Scene 5 • Oswald tells Regan that Goneril convinced Albany to fight Cordelia. • Letter from Goneril to Edmund makes Regan jealous. • Regan gives Oswald her own token, tells him to kill Gloucester for reward.

32. Act 4, Scene 6 • Edgar convinces Gloucester that he has jumped and survived the cliffs at Dover. • Gloucester accepts his affliction. • Lear appears, raving. • Search party takes Lear to Cordelia. • Oswald appears, attacks Gloucester, is killed by Edgar. While dieing, gives letters to Edgar. • Letters (from Goneril for Edmund) propose Albany’s death and their marriage.

34. Act 4, Scene 7 • Cordelia greets Lear. • Lear mistakes her for a spirit. • Kent and the gentleman talk about upcoming battle.

35. Act 5, Scene 1 • Regan corners Edmund about Goneril. • Edgar appears, in disguise, gives Albany letters; proposes a challenger after the battle to prove/disprove letters. • Edmund needs Albany’s military leadership but hopes he dies after battle. • Albany has proposed mercy, Edmund will not allow it.

36. Act 5, Scene 2 • Edgar goes to fight in battle. • Fleeing soldiers, and Edgar, pass by Gloucester, informing him of Cordelia and Lear’s defeat and capture. • Gloucester and Edgar flee.

38. Act 5, Scene 3 • Edmund sends Cordelia and Lear to prison (with orders to have them killed in an apparent murder-suicide). • Albany, Regan, Goneril arrive. • Albany arrests Edmund and Goneril for treason. • Regan gets sick, leaves.

39. Continued • Edgar appears in full armor, fights Edmund, who is wounded. • Albany shows letter, Goneril leaves • Dying Edmund confesses. • Edgar reveals himself, tells of his revelation to Gloucester, which shocked and killed him.

40. And then… • A report arrives that Goneril poisoned Regan and killed herself. • Soldier is sent to stop Lear and Cordelia’s deaths. • Lear carries in Cordelia’s body, mad again. • Edmund dies.

41. Finally • Albany will return kingdom to Lear. • Lear “sees” Cordelia breathing, then dies. • Albany orders funerals, Kent and Edgar to assist in ruling kingdom. • Kent predicts his own death.

42. Some things to ponder • Nature and order • Politics • Justice • Madness • Betrayal • Blindness • Prose vs. Verse