2. King Lear
Phase One
• What play is he from? King lear is from a
Shakespear tragedy called ‘King Lear’
• Who is he? H goes by the name Kinglear. Lear
is a vain and temperamental man.
• What type of character is he? King Lear is the
main character in this play and is also the
protagonist. He is used to being flattered and
does not respond well not being contradicted.
3. • When and Where is this play set? This play is set
in Britain because King Lear is the king of
England.
• Synopsis: King Lear is used to enjoying absolute
power and to be flattered and he does not
respond well to contradicted or challenged. At
the beginning of the play, his values are notably
hollow – he prefer his elder daughters’ obvious
flattery over the actual devotion of Cordelia, and
he wishes to maintain the power of a king while
unburdening himself of the responsibilities.
Nevertheless, Lear inspires loyalty in subjects
such as Glouster, Kent, Cordelia and Edgar, all of
whom risk their lives for him.
4. • What type of conflict is in this play? One type
of conflict in this play was person versus
person as the elder daughters turn on their
father out of greed.
• The other type of conflict in this play is person
versus self. Lear has to deal with mental issues
after his elder daughters turn on him and
realises he has done bad towards his youngest
Cordelia. This is what eventually kills him.
5. • What is the main source of conflict driving
the plot and how does it involve your
character? The main Conflict in this play is
person versus person as Lear's daughters
betray him out of greed. He offers his
daughters land in return for their love, but
they are greedy and want more, they want to
rule as well.
6. Plot Structure
• Exposition: King Lear is old and tired of
governing his kingdom so he divides it for his
daughters in return for their love, while he still
wants the power of a king.
• The exciting force: His two elder daughters
flatter him while secretly betraying him. His
youngest daughter speaks the truth but Lear is
blinded by the flattery and gets angry with
Cordelia, his youngest daughter, and disowns
her.
7. • Conflict or rising action: King Lear stays with
his daughter Gonril at her castle. She dislikes
the amount of guards he has and complains to
him. Lear takes this as an insult and gets angry
and decides to live with his other daughter.
• Turning point or crisis: When Lear arrives at
his other daughters castle she also protests
against the amount of guards he has. Lear
then vows vengeance against them.
8. • Catastrophe or falling action: Lear then starts
to go mad, and his daughters become more
evil. They then join Edmund who is also very
evil. Lear then falls ill and finds himself in a
French camp in dover.
• Resolution: Edmund is slaughtered by his own
brother Edgar. The two sisters then realise
everything is lost and kill themselves.
• Denouement (untangling) : Al royal power is
then restored to Lear as it was at the
beginning.
9. • Comic Relief or Dramatic relief: In the midst
of Cordelia’s death, Lear then falls himself and
dies out of grief.
10. Phase Two
• Describe your character at the beginning of the
play:
• King Lear has many relationships at the beginning
of the play, some bad and some good. His
daughters are a good example. Lear feels he has a
great relationship between them. The motivation
that drives King Lear, is the contradiction from his
youngest daughter Cordelia, but this only drives
Lear to mental issues.
11. • Explain how your character changes,or
develops, over the course of the play:
• Lear starts off with power of a king and acts
like one too, but once his elder daughters
betray him, he changes for the worse. Lear
starts to go mad and as the play wears on he
increasingly becomes worse until he finally
realises that he was wrong to abandon his
youngest daughter. Lear then attempts to save
her life but is to late she was already dead, in
his own distress Lear then falls to his knees
and dies.
12. • Describe what they are like by the end of the
play: By the end of the play king Lear had
learnt about betrayal and the effects of greed.
He had achieved the insight to recognise those
who plotted against him. King Lear gained
back his kingdom and loyalty of his subjects by
the end of the play, this was partially due to
him regaining a stable mental state of mind.
His losses by the end of the play were huge as
not only di he lose his only faithful daughter
which ultimately lead to his own tragic death.
13. • Find a range of quotes- things they say or other people
say about them- that define the character at each stage
of their development: Development stages:
Stage 1: Powerful Lear
Quote: “I shall still be called king”.
Stage 2: Crazy Lear
Quote: “Lear's mind was in so much turmoil that he ignored
the rain”.
Stage 3: Sane but broken Lear
Quote: If only Cordelia could live, all my sorrows would
vanish. All royal power can now be returned to Lear, our
true king! But his words were wasted. Cordelia’s death had
finally broken Lear's heart and, collapsing, he died”.
14. • Bibliography:
• Phase One:
• Question One: What play is this character
from? =Wikipedia
• Question Two: Who is he? = www.blogspot.nz
• Question Three: What type of Character is he?
=No Fear, Shakespeare, King Lear (book)
• Question Four: Where and when is the play
set? = www.williamshakespeare.info
Synopsis= No Fear, Shakespeare, King Lear
(book)
15. • Question Five: What type of conflict is in this
play? = King Lear by Anthony Masters (book)
• Question Six: What is the main source of
conflict driving the plot and how is Lear
involved in it? = King Lear by Anthony Masters
(book)
• Phase Two
• Question One: Describe (with examples) your
character at the beginning of the play. =No
Fear, Shakespeare, King Lear (book)
16. • Question Two: Explain with examples how
your character changes or develops over the
course of the play. = King Lear by Anthony
Masters (book)
• Question Three: Describe what they are like by
the end of the play. =No Fear, Shakespeare,
King Lear (book)
• Question Four: Find a range of quotes. = King
Lear by Anthony Masters (book)
