1. King Lear
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LEARNING GUIDE

2. King Lear
LETTER FROM THE REP
Dear Educators,
Welcome to the Rep! We are thrilled to be presenting King Lear, our first Shake-
CONTENTS: speare production in five seasons. We are also proud to be presenting it in coopera-
tion with the University of Kansas City Department of Theatre. It is, sadly, rare that
LETTER FROM students have opportunities to see fully and professionally produced productions by
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THE REP the world’s greatest playwright. The themes of this classical tragedy are enormous.
They include such significant topics as justice, power, madness, abdication, redemp-
PLOT SUMMARY tion, family responsibility, material possessions and wealth (bling!) and the true na-
3-5
BY LAURA MUIR
ture and expression of love. Although we are not an elderly and wealthy king in
WILLIAM Britain during the Celtic era in the 8th century, these are themes that are a part of
6 our modern lives. And although they are themes of depth and magnificence in a
SHAKESPEARE
royal kingdom, they reflect the dynamics of questions with which we continue to
SHAKESPEARE wrestle and dance in our own lives today.
7
TIME LINE
KING LEAR When actors, directors and designers begin work on a play by William Shakespeare,
PLOT SOURCES they must first immerse themselves in the words of the play or the text. A rich un-
8-10
BY DR. THOMAS derstanding of the way he used words to create the most complex of human relation-
CANFIELD ships is integral to interpreting them on the stage today. In Shakespeare’s time, his
KING LEAR plays were not published and so the audience’s appreciation of them depended en-
10 tirely on performance. In the period during which these plays were performed, there
CHARACTERS
were no computers, TV’s, DVD players or iPods. There would have been no elec-
KING LEAR
11 tricity or high technology to bring to life the sound and lights of the raging storm for
FAMILY TREE
their afternoon performances. So the words played a much more meaningful role in
CLASSROOM storytelling than they do in our highly visual world. For those of us who want to
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ACTIVITIES make sure that the art of bringing the written word to life onstage survives and is
CREATE YOUR shared with future artists and audience members, Shakespeare is heaven-sent.
OWN FAMILY 12-13
COAT OF ARMS Young audience members possess the ideal openness and imagination to embrace
AS I WRITE IT 14-15
the size of Shakespeare’s stories and unforgettable characters. The first Shake-
speare production I saw as a youngster was Much Ado About Nothing here at the
KING LEAR’S Rep. I have never forgotten those colorful men and women, the vibrancy of their
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TALK SHOW passions or the wonder of their words. That early exposure to the richness of
SHAKESPEARE’S Shakespeare’s world sent me on a continually joyous adventure of discovery.
WORDS ARE 16
OUR WORDS There is an abundance of research and information available to us when we study
Shakespeare. Included here you will find just the tip of the iceberg. His characters
PHOTO CAPTION 17
are so uniquely expressive with words which is a skill I know you’d love for your
THEMES, students to cultivate. We love opening up the world of theatrical language and lit-
LANGUAGE AND 18-19 erature to students. If you would like us to help you do that, please be in touch any-
DISCUSSION time. Enjoy the play!
SCENE ANALYSIS
20-21 We relish your responses and opinions.
INCITING MOMENT
INTERVIEW WITH
THE DIRECTOR
LARRY
22 Melinda McCrary
CARPENTER Director of Education and Community Programs
8/235.5708
RESOURCES 23 mccrarym@kcrep.org
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3. King Lear
KING LEAR PLOT SUMMARY
It is the night of a lunar eclipse in Celtic Britain delia exit.
and the aging King Lear has decided to relinquish his Later that night, as the eclipse
royal throne and divide his kingdom between his three wanes, Edmund, bastard son of the Earl
daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. His surprise of Gloucester, vows to himself to secure the land his
stipulation is that each daughter must prove her love to father has given to his legitimate son Edgar. His
him by public declaration in order to receive her third of scheme involves a clumsy attempt to hide a letter
his land and power. from Gloucester that was supposedly written by his
Goneril, the oldest, speaks first, declaring that she half-brother Edgar. Falling into Edmund’s trap,
loves Lear “dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty…No Gloucester demands to see the letter. Edmund’s for-
less than life.” Regan continues the flattery, adding, “I gery of his brother’s hand states that Edgar believes
am alone felicitate in your dear highness’ love.” Lear their aging father should turn over his fortune to his
then asks Cordelia, the youngest and his favorite, “what sons and let them manage his affairs. Gloucester is
can you say to win a third more opulent than your sisters? enraged, but Edmund calms him. Later, Edmund
Speak.” Cordelia, indignant at having to prove her love warns Edgar that he is in trouble with their father,
and refusing to flatter her father, proclaims “I love your “Bethink yourself wherein you may have offended
Majesty according to my bond, no more nor less.” Her him.” After Edgar’s departure, the wily Edmund re-
father fervently urges her to mend her speech “lest you flects on his situation which he believes is soon to
mar your fortunes” but she says she cannot. change in his favor: “Let me, if not by birth, have
Unjustly enraged, Lear lands by wit.”
withdraws his offer to give Corde- At Goneril’s house on
lia her share of his land. His long- a subsequent day, the mistress
time ally the Earl of Kent implores accuses her father of disruptive
his king to reconsider, but Lear is behavior and instructs her
steadfast. He calls forth the Dukes steward, Oswald, to act coldly
of Albany and Cornwall, husbands towards Lear and his knights.
of Goneril and Regan, and passes Meanwhile, the banished Kent
his coronet to them, investing them arrives, disguised as a servant,
jointly with his power, and says intending to continue to be of
that he will alternate living in their service to Lear, behind the
households. Kent again urges Lear scenes. “Now, banished Kent,
to reconsider but his loyalty and if thou canst serve where thou
sound advice are ignored; Lear (l to r) Naomi Peter (Cordelia), Larry Paulsen (Fool), John dost stand condemned so may
considers Kent’s advice treasonous Rensenhouse (Albany), Kandis Chappell (Goneril), Gary Neal it come, my master, whom
Johnson (Gloucester), and Denis Arndt (Lear)
and banishes him on threat of death. Photo by: Don Ipock Photography though lov’st shall find thee
Lear has called for the King full of labours.”
of France and the Duke of Burgundy, both long-time suit- Lear demands to see Goneril, but she in-
ors of the now impoverished Cordelia. He offers Cordelia structs Oswald to say she is ill; Lear’s Fool jeers him
first to Burgundy but, without the dowry of land, as previ- for giving his lands to his unappreciative daughters.
ously agreed; the duke declines. Acknowledging Corde- Finally, Goneril enters and begins arguing with her
lia’s discredit, Lear then beseeches France to “direct your father about an outbreak of quarrelling and rioting in
liking a more worthier way than on a wretch whom Na- his retinue of 100 men, accusing him of protecting the
ture is ashamed almost to acknowledge hers.” France, miscreants and being too old to keep his knights in
however, is impressed by Cordelia's steadfastness and order. Furious, Lear leaves, proclaiming to Albany,
says that he considers Lear’s youngest daughter “herself a Goneril’s husband, “How sharper than a serpent’s
dowry.” He takes her as Queen of France, explaining, tooth it is to have a thankless child!”
“Thy dowerless daughter, King, thrown to my chance, is Lear vows to take refuge at Regan’s, declar-
Queen of us, of ours, and our fair France.” Lear’s court ing “I have another daughter, who, I am sure, is kind
exits, leaving behind Regan, Goneril, France, and Corde- and comfortable,” unaware that Goneril is at that mo-
lia who entreats her sisters to “Love well our father: to ment writing to her sister.
your professed bosoms I commit him.” France and Cor- (Continued on page 4)
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4. King Lear
That night, at Gloucester's cas- you all…made you my guardians…” Lear, in a rage,
tle, Edmund convinces Edgar that he is leaves Gloucester’s castle and sets out into the storm.
in danger and urges him to flee. Ed- Gloucester is concerned for his safety, but Cornwall urges
mund then wounds himself to make it him to “Shut up your doors my Lord; ‘tis a wild night…
look as if Edgar has attacked him. Gloucester, mis- come out o’th’storm.”
guidedly thankful for Edmund's support, vows to cap- Gloucester complains to Edmund that Lear’s
ture Edgar and reward Edmund. daughters and their husbands have commandeered his
Meanwhile Regan and Cornwall arrive to home for their own use and “charged me, on pain of per-
discuss their ensuing war against Lear, using petual displeasure, neither to speak of him [Lear], entreat
Gloucester’s dispute with his son as fuel. Edgar is from him, or any way sustain him.” But Gloucester vows
accused of being a companion of Lear’s riotous to search for his old master even if it costs him his life.
knights. Regan vows that if Lear “come to sojourn at On the Heath, Lear and the Fool are buffeted by
my house, I’ll not be there.” the raging storm when Kent arrives, still in disguise. He
In the predawn hours, Kent arrives at finds shelter for the King, whose sanity is faltering – “My
Gloucester's with a message from Lear and meets wits begin to turn.” Lear refuses to enter. Unexpectedly,
Oswald (whom Kent dislikes and mistrusts) who is Edgar, disguised as Poor Tom, a madman, comes out of
carrying a message from Goneril. Kent attacks the hovel. Recognizing the King and his Fool, Poor Tom
Oswald, but Cornwall and Regan break up the fight engages the men but Lear sees only references to his
and Cornwall puts Kent in the stocks. Gloucester daughters in Tom’s rages and begins tearing off his
tries to intervene, “Pray, do not, Sir.” replies Kent. clothes. Gloucester arriveds, and entreats the half naked
Meanwhile, Edgar decides he must flee and disguise Lear to enter the hut explaining, “My duty cannot obey
himself as a beggar, for his own safety. your daughters’ hard commands to bar my doors…I have
ventured to come seek you out and bring you where both
fire and food is ready.”
Back at Gloucester’s, Cornwall tells Edmund that
he will seek revenge against Gloucester for his sympathy
for Lear. Cornwall urges Edmund to betray his father,
claiming, “though shalt find a dearer father in my love.”
During the night, Gloucester has brought Lear,
Edgar (as Poor Tom) and the Fool to an isolated farm-
house. Lear, half mad, continues his rant against his
daughters, prosecuting them in a mock trial. Kent cau-
tions Lear to show patience with his daughters, and Ed-
gar, in an aside, takes pity on the old king. Gloucester
encourages Kent to immediately take Lear to Dover,
where protection awaits him. “If though should’st dally
half an hour, his life…stand[s] in assured loss.” Together,
they leave for Dover.
Meanwhile, the storm is blowing itself out and
Cornwall, Regan, Goneril and Edmund return to Glouces-
Gary Holcombe (Kent) and knights ter’s house with their servants. Cornwall tells Goneril that
Photo by: Don Ipock Photography
an army from France has landed at Dover, and tells his
Lear now arrives, and finds Kent in the knights to seek out the traitor Gloucester. Goneril says to
stocks. At first, Regan and Cornwall refuse to see her pluck out his eyes. Cornwall takes his leave and tells Ed-
father claiming fatigue from the night’s travels. Fi- mund, who is now calling himself Earl of Gloucester, to
nally, they agree to see Lear, and Regan chides him, stay behind. “The revenges we are bound to take upon
telling him that he “should be ruled and led” and en- your traitorous father are not fit for your beholding.”
couraging him to return to Goneril’s. Soon, Goneril Gloucester, now a prisoner, is returned to his
arrives and together the sisters admonish Lear for his home where he is interrogated about his alleged treason
behavior, accusing him of weakness; they push Lear and his loyalty to “the lunatic king.” Cornwall savagely
to the brink of sanity to which he comments, “I gave (Continued on page 5)
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5. King Lear
plucks out Gloucester’s eyes. Blinded, Gloucester calls At the French camp near Do-
out to his son Edmund for mercy but Regan exclaims, ver, Kent, who has continued to serve
“Thou call’st on him that hates thee; it was he that made as Lear’s protector, and Cordelia dis-
the overture of thy treasons to us.” Gloucester is turned cuss Lear’s condition with a doctor.
out of his home, but is followed by two servants who plan When Lear awakes, he seems saner than before and
to help him. recognizes his formerly favorite daughter. Lear ques-
On the Heath the following morning, Goneril’s tions whether or not Cordelia has plans to poison him,
servant leads Gloucester to the farmhouse and comes “I know you do not love me; for your sisters have, as
upon Poor Tom (Edgar). Gloucester sends the servant I do remember, done me wrong: You have some
away and asks Tom to lead him to the edge of the high cause, they have not.”
cliffs at Dover. That night Regan interrogates Edmund about
That afternoon, Edmund his possible love for her sis-
pledges his loyalty and love to ter. “Dear my lord, be not
Goneril. When her husband Al- familiar with her.” Goneril
bany learns that the daughters and Albany enter. Albany
have mistreated their father he tells them that Lear is with
lashes out at Goneril, “You are Cordelia. Goneril says the
not worth the dust which the sisters and their forces must
rude wind blows in your face.” A band together to battle Cor-
messenger brings news that delia and the French troops.
Cornwall is dead from a fatal jab Still disguised, Edgar pulls
he received from a protesting Albany aside and present a
knight during his savage attack letter that he believes will
on Gloucester. Albany, feeling change the course of action.
sorry for Gloucester and learning Denis Arndt (Lear) and Naomi Peter (Cordelia) Edmund enters, soliloquizing
Photo by: Don Ipock Photography
of Edmund's treachery with his to himself about having
wife, vows revenge. pledged his love to both sisters. If Albany is killed in
At a French camp near Dover, Cordelia sends out battle, both sisters will be widows. Edmund vows to
a sentry to find her father. That night, at Regan’s nearby show no mercy to Lear and Cordelia.
encampment, Regan shares her concerns with Oswald Lear and Cordelia are captured in battle by
(who has delivered a letter to the encampment) that her Edmund who orders them taken to jail and instructs a
sister might be in love with Edmund, whom Regan (now a Captain to kill them. Albany, Goneril and Regan ar-
widow) would like to marry. “My Lord is dead; Edmund rive and argue about the battle. Regan complains of
and I have talk’d and more convenient is he for my hand stomach pains and is taken to her tent.
than for your Lady’s.” Edgar, the rightful heir of his father to the
In the countryside near Dover, Edgar describes title of Earl of Gloucester, arrives and challenges Ed-
the perilous drop off the cliff to the blind Gloucester who mund’s claim to the title. They fight and Edmund is
jumps, thinking he will die. In fact, he falls but a short injured. Goneril cries out to save Edmund but Albany
distance. Realizing he is alive, Gloucester cries out, intervenes and reveals Goneril’s letter; Goneril hastily
“Alack, I have no eyes. Is wretchedness deprived that leaves. Edmund and Edgar continue to argue and
benefit to endself by death?” Now telling Gloucester he Edgar admits to protecting Lear. A knight rushes in
is a beggar, Edgar helps his father up. Lear, now fully carrying a bloody knife. Goneril has poisoned Regan
mad, approaches and speaks to them. Gloucester recog- and then stabbed herself. Both sisters are dead. Ed-
nizes Lear’s voice. A French knight and some comrades mund reveals that he has ordered his Captain to hang
approach and, finding Lear, try to convince him to go to Cordelia and kill Lear. Edmund dies of his wounds.
Cordelia, but Lear runs away. Lear emerges, carrying the body of Cordelia
Oswald comes across Edgar and Gloucester and in his arms, and cries out “A plague upon you, mur-
threatens to kill them. Edgar, though, kills Oswald in a derers, traitors all.” Grief stricken, he dies. The fu-
fight; he then discovers a letter that proves that Goneril ture of his kingdom rests in the hands of Albany, the
plans to murder Albany and marry Edmund. Edgar takes aging Kent, and Edgar.
Gloucester’s hand and leads him away.
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6. King Lear
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)
Only a small collection of documents 1606). The first performances of Antony and Cleopatra,
about the life of William Shakespeare Coriolanus, and Timon of Athens most likely occurred
has come down through the centuries to us, but during 1607 and 1608. Late in his life, Shakespeare pro-
available materials state that he was born in 1564 duced a series of plays—including Cymbeline (circa
and grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon, a prosperous 1609), The Winter’s Tale (circa 1610), and The Tempest
English market town in the county of Warwickshire (1612)—to which scholars have attached different la-
northwest of London. His father, John Shakespeare, bels; sometimes these have been referred to as
was a glove maker and a prominent citizen of Strat- “tragicomedies,” but in recent years they have most usu-
ford who eventually held the ally been described as
position of mayor. No known “romances.”
surviving formal records of In 1613, the Globe Theatre
the playwright’s life exist dat- caught fire and burned to the
ing from the time between his ground. About this time,
christening in 1564 at Strat- Shakespeare returned to Strat-
ford’s Holy Trinity Church ford, where his wife and chil-
and his marriage in 1582 to dren still lived. (Like the play-
Anne Hathaway, a woman wright’s early years, this move
eight years his senior. The has long been the subject of
couple’s daughter Susannah extensive scholarly conjec-
was born six months after ture.) Made financially pros-
their wedding, and twins, perous by his years in the thea-
Hamnet and Judith, were born tre, he died a wealthy Stratford
in 1585. How Shakespeare landowner at age 52, in 1616,
supported himself in his early and is buried in the same Strat-
adulthood and when or why ford church where he had been
he left Stratford for the Lon- christened.
don theatrical world have Although many of Shake-
been the subject of much speare’s plays were extremely
scholarly speculation. popular in England during the
By 1592, Shakespeare had playwright’s lifetime, it was
achieved some prominence in not until the 18th century—
London both as an actor and more than 100 years after his
as an author, especially of death—that his work began to
history plays; he also had pub- exert a major influence interna-
lished a long narrative poem, tionally. His plays now are
The title page of the First Folio of
The Rape of Lucrece. The William Shakespeare's plays. produced worldwide more than
Taming of the Shrew (circa those of any other dramatist.
1593) gained him further rec- Since the mid-19th century, it
ognition. By about this time he also had become a has occasionally been argued that someone else of no-
member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a theatre bler lineage and greater education must have written his
company (renamed the King’s Men during the reign works, because some have found it inconceivable that a
of James I which began in 1603) of which he was a man of modest family background and only a grammar
principal actor, playwright and shareholder for the school education could have written the 37 masterpieces
next 20 years. In 1598, Shakespeare’s company was credited to Shakespeare. Nevertheless, the literary canon
evicted from its playhouse and then built the Globe which every season is celebrated by theatrical compa-
Theatre in South London near the Thames River. It nies worldwide continues to bear his name, as do Shake-
was at the Globe that Shakespeare produced his speare festivals all around the English-speaking parts of
most famous tragedies: Hamlet (1600), Othello the globe.
(circa 1604), Macbeth (1606), and King Lear (circa
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7. King Lear
SHAKESPEARE TIMELINE
This is an overview of what is believed to be the timeline of William Shakespeare’s work:
1564. William Shakespeare is born in Stratford upon Avon to local tanner John and Mary Shakespeare. His actual
birthday is unknown but assumed and celebrated today on April the 23rd, just three days before his baptism was recorded in the Parish
register of the Holy Trinity Church on April the 26th.
1582. At age 18, he marries the considerably older Anne Hathaway (26 years old) from Shottery on November the 27th.
1583. Susanna, William and Anne Shakespeare’s first child who lives a full 66 years, is born just five months after Shakespeare and
Anne Hathaway’s wedding (May 26th).
1585-1592. Shakespeare is believed to have left his family in Stratford to join a company of actors as both playwright and performer,
starting his career in theatre.
1585. Shakespeare’s twins, Judith and Hamnet are born, (February 2) Hamnet living only eleven years whilst Judith lived 77.
1589-1590. Shakespeare is believed by most academics to have written his very first play, Henry VI, Part One in this year.
1590-91. Shakespeare is again believed to have written Henry VI, Part Two and Henry VI, Part III.
1592. Shakespeare begins to be noticed as a force within London theatre; Robert Greene’s Groatworth of Wit famously calls Shake-
speare an "upstart crow". He attacks Shakespeare as lacking originality since he borrows ideas from other sources for his own plays.
Academics see this criticism as proof that Shakespeare was in London at this time. Theatres in London close because of the plague.
1592-93. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote the poem Venus and Adonis and the plays Richard III and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
1592-94. The Comedy of Errors written in this time.
1593. Shakespeare begins to compose the first of what will amount to a 154 sonnet collection. His narrative poem Venus and Adonis is
his first ever published.
1593-94. The Rape of Lucrece, Titus Andronicus and The Taming of the Shrew are thought to have been penned by Shakespeare.
1594. The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a theatre troupe including distinguished actor Richard Burbage and comic Will Kemp performs
with Shakespeare in their group.
1594-1595. Shakespeare pen’s Love Labour’s Lost.
1594-1596. King John is assumed to have been written.
1595. A busy year for Shakespeare as he is thought to have composed Richard II performed that very same year, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, thought to be composed for a wedding and the greatest love story of all time, Romeo and Juliet.
1596-1597. The Merchant of Venice and Henry IV, Part One are thought to have been written.
1598. William is thought to have written the play Henry IV, Part Two and Shakespeare’s reputation as an actor is confirmed his per-
formance in Ben Jonson’s Every Man in his Humor which clearly lists his name as a principal actor in the London play.
1598-99. William writes the play Much Ado About Nothing in this year.
1600-1601. Shakespeare is thought to have composed arguably his greatest play, Hamlet at this time.
1601. The narrative poem, The Phoenix and the Turtle is thought to have been written.
1601-1602. Twelfth Night or What You Will, Alls Well That Ends Well and Troilus and Cressida are probably composed.
1604. Measure for Measure is believed to have been written in this year. It is later performed at King James I Court. Othello is also
penned, being performed on November the 1st at Whitehall.
1605. The Merchant of Venice is performed twice at King James’ Court earning a commendation from the King. King Lear is believed
to have been composed in this year and as is Macbeth, the play’s Scottish background and kind portrayal of ancestor Malcolm being
intended as a celebration and honoring of King James Scottish ancestry.
1606. Antony And Cleopatra is believed to have been composed.
1607-1608. Timon of Athens, Pericles and Coriolanus are composed .
1608. The King’s Men take on a twenty-one year lease of London’s first permanently enclosed theatre, the Blackfriars Theatre in this
year. The return of the plague forces a closure of all playhouses and theatres from the spring of 1608 through to early 1610.
1609-1610. Cymbeline is thought to have been composed.
1610-1611. The Winter’s Tale is written.
1611. The Tempest was written.
1612-1613. The King’s men perform Othello and Julius Caesar amongst others in this year. Shakespeare is thought to have written
Cardenio, his only lost play during this period and with John Fletcher as a likely contributor, composes Henry VIII.
1613. The Globe Theatre burns to the ground. The Two Noble Kinsmen is penned. A 1634 entry within the Stationer’s Registry confirms
that both William Shakespeare and John Fletcher composed this play.
1614. The Globe Theatre reopens.
1616. William dies on April 23rd, his burial being recorded in the Stratford Holy Church Register two days later.
1619. Hamlet is performed as part of Christmas celebrations at court.
1623. Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway dies, the same year, and fellow actors John Hemminges and Henry Condell gather together
and publish for the first time, 36 of Shakespeare’s 37 plays in a collection known as The First Folio.
Source: http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/timeline/timeline.htm
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8. King Lear
SHAKESPEARE’S SOURCES FOR KING LEAR
by Dr. Thomas Canfield
Popular commentators and academic ex- to their relative professions of affection. The youngest daugh-
perts around the world have celebrated ter, when she refuses to flatter her father, is disinherited and
Shakespeare’s genius for 400 years. Yet theatre audiences afterwards marries the king of the Franks. No English transla-
do not often realize that the most esteemed playwright in tion of this work was available in Shakespeare’s day, but he
world history, whom they adore for his great dramatic plots might have read it in its original Latin or, just as likely, re-
and poetic language, was in fact a very liberal borrower ceived the story as it was retold by numerous later writers who
from a variety of sources. A significant portion of Shake- borrowed from the Historia. For example, Geoffrey’s work
speare’s true greatness does not exist in the originality of forms the basis of two verse romance chronicles which retell
his stories, which he typically derived and reconstructed, the Lear story: the Anglo-Norman Roman de Brut (1155) by
but rather is due to his artistic transformation–through lan- Wace–translated into English by William Caxton before Shake-
guage and character development–of materials by earlier speare’s time–and Brut by Layamon, one of the first major texts
authors masterfully conscripted for his own use. The Trag- written in Middle English.
edy of King Lear is a perfect example Three centuries later, the Lear
of Shakespeare’s inspired adaptation story was again briefly retold by John
of sources, and also typifies his skill in Hardyng in his Chronicles (1436), but it
employing older elements to create was a renewed interest in the story by the
works of dramatic art which com- Tudor chroniclers and versifiers of the
pletely overshadow their originals in next century that gave the tale truly wide-
craftsmanship and brilliance. spread circulation. Obviously, such more
Numerous early versions of contemporary sources have greater prob-
the basic Lear story existed hundreds ability of having been familiar to Shake-
of years before Shakespeare’s play speare. For example, the story of Lear was
was written in the early seventeenth recounted by Robert Fabyan in his New
century, and this has caused frustration Chronicles of England and France
for scholars seeking to answer the (1516), and it appears as well in Polydore
sphinx-like riddle of exactly which Vergil’s Anglicae Historiae (1534), a
sources Shakespeare had on hand work which introduces Cordilla’s argu-
when composing his work. In King ment for transferring her primary devotion
Lear, for example, the general theme from her father to her husband after mar-
of filial ingratitude and the contrast Denis Arndt (Lear) riage–a detail which also appears in
between the treatment of their aged Photo by: Don Ipock Photography Shakespeare’s version. Later, elements
parents by good and selfish children from both Hardyng and Fabyan were ap-
are common features found in ancient tales from Asian propriated by John Stow in his Summarie of Englyshe Chroni-
tradition. The motif of a love test as a basis for the division cles (1563) and Annales (1592).
of a parent’s property comes from European folklore, sev- In the 1574 edition of A Mirror for Magistrates, a
eral variants developing a tale in which a daughter first verse biography of various figures from English history, John
tells her father that she loves him as much as salt, and then Higgins reiterated the tale of Leire as part of a collection of
dissipates his anger by demonstrating that this means he is early legends of Britain. In Higgins’s version, which draws
essential to her life. Scholars have also recognized in upon Geoffrey of Monmouth as a primary source and contains
Lear’s motif of three sisters, two of whom are evil and one many similar details, the dead Cordilla provides a first-person
who is good, superficial affinities between the play and the narrative account–in the form of a verse complaint–of her disin-
fairy tale of Cinderella. The name “Lear” itself appears to heritance and the subsequent disgrace inflicted on her father at
originate in Celtic tradition, with characters called Ler, Leir the hands of her sisters. Eventually, Leire comes to France and
or Lyr. requests his estranged daughter’s assistance. Once reconciled,
The earliest extant written down version of the Cordilla aids him in reestablishing his rule for three years and,
Lear story–one that Shakespeare could have known–is the after Leire dies, she rules the country for five additional years–
Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Brit- until the sons of Gonerell and Ragan imprison her in a dungeon,
ain), a work composed in Latin by Geoffrey of Monmouth eventually leading her to commit suicide in despair.
(c. 1100-c. 1155), a twelfth-century monk and historian. In Other possible sources for the play are William War-
this text, a pseudo-historical figure called Leir, eleventh ner’s Albion’s England (1586), a long verse chronicle contain-
king of the Britons and legendary founder of the city of ing a version of the Lear story, as well as the 1587 second edi-
Leicester, plans to divide his kingdom among his three tion of Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland,
daughters–Gonorilla, Regau and Cordeilla–who are put to a and Wales, a work which Shakespeare clearly used as a staple
verbal test and given rule over their father’s land according (Continued on page 9)
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9. King Lear
source not only for King Lear, but also for Macbeth, Cymbeline fiends by whom Edgar . . . claims to be
and several of his English history plays. It was not until 1590, possessed” as well as “some of the lan-
with the publication of two of the most famous English Renais- guage of madness, several of the attributes
sance poems–Edmund Spenser’s The Fairie Queene and Sir of hell and a number of colorful adjec-
Philip Sidney’s The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia–that plau- tives.”
sible antecedents for Shakespeare’s play represent literary and In the same year that Harsnett’s work was pub-
artistic modes rather than historical writing. This is also where lished, two other possible sources for Shakespeare’s play
it becomes possible that Shakespeare becomes the source for also emerged, namely John Florio’s translation of Michel
subsequent works dealing with the story, in the view of some de Montaigne’s Essais and an account of the highly pub-
scholars. licized court case in October involving Sir Brian An-
Book II of Spenser’s unfinished epic allegory cele- nesley. Scholars have noted that more than one hundred
brates the virtue of Temperance in the character of a knight words from Florio’s translation do not appear anywhere
named Sir Guyon. In Canto X, Sir Guyon reads a “chronicle of in Shakespeare’s writing before King Lear, and that two
Briton kings” while sojourning at the House of Alma. This of Montaigne's famous essays, “Of Solitariness” and “An
seven-stanza section of the lengthy epic is notable especially for Apology for Raymond Sebonde,” apparently refer to
the mode of Cordelia’s death; it is in Spenser that, for the first themes similar to those which Shakespeare's deals with
time known, the manner of her death is specified as being in Lear. In the lawsuit involving Annesley, an ex-servant
through hanging, by her own hand. Sidney’s work is also nota- of Queen Elizabeth I who owned a valuable estate in
ble for being a primary source for the secondary Gloucester plot Kent, the eldest of his three daughters, Lady Grace
in King Lear. One episode in Book II is set in “a certain hollow Wildgoose, attempted to have her father certified as in-
rocke” where the two main characters are compelled to take competent so that she and her husband could take over
shelter from the hail and wind of a “tempests furie.” There, they the management of his affairs. Although the role played
encounter a king who has been alienated from his legitimate by Annesley’s second daughter in the affair is unknown,
son by the false accusation of his bastard son–who has usurped his youngest daughter, Cordell, opposed the malevolent
his father’s title and blinded him. Subsequently, the rightful designs of her elder sisters by appealing to Sir Robert
son, described as “poorely arayed” and “extreamely weather- Cecil.
beaten,” rescues his father and prevents him from committing The Annesley case, moreover, does not stand
suicide by leaping from a cliff. alone as a possible legal history source of themes ex-
The single most important and immediate source for pressed by Shakespeare’s play. Another case involved
the main plot of Shakespeare’s tragedy, however, is The True Sir William Allen, Lord Mayor of London from 1571-72.
Chronicle Historie of King Leir and his Three Daughters: Growing old and frail, Allen decided to divide his estates
Gonorill, Ragan, and Cordella, a chronicle play (author un- and wealth between his three married daughters, arrang-
known) published in 1605 (although there is evidence that it ing to stay with each in turn. The trio eventually resented
was performed by the Queen’s Men before 1594). Because this the charge of his upkeep and argued that Allen was rude
play draws upon many of the same historical sources that to their servants. After cursing his daughters for their
Shakespeare may have used independently for his own work, mistreatment of him, Allen died in misery.
the problem of scholarly attribution is tangled. There is no Yet one more literary and dramatic source for
doubt that Shakespeare freely adapted some language and plot King Lear may be the work of John Marston (1576-
details of the earlier play to his own ends, making it superior. 1634), the English poet, playwright and satirist. Some
However, unlike Shakespeare’s play, King Leir features a scholars have identified the mad speeches of Lear as
prevalent Christian emphasis. Another major difference is the being influenced by Marston’s book of satires, The
fact that the king and Cordella do not die Lear but survive and Scourge of Villanie (1598), but more importantly they
live happily. The king goes off with his companions at the con- (Continued on page 10)
clusion, leaving Cordella to reign in his place. Her two sisters–
called Gonorill and Ragan–also do not die, but instead become
fugitives. Two important features in Shakespeare’s play, the
parallel plot of Gloucester and the character of the Fool, do not Did you know???
appear in Leir. There are some scholars who speculate that the
For the mad verbiage Edgar employs when disguised roles of Cordelia and The Fool may have been
as Poor Tom O’Bedlam, Shakespeare may have been indebted originally played by the same actor.
to a work published in 1603 by Samuel Harsnett (1561-1631). How could this work? One of the most
Harsnett was Chaplain to the Bishop of London and later be-
obvious ways is that the two characters never
came Archdeacon of Essex and subsequently Archbishop of
York. His tract A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures appear onstage together.
is a detailed account of several heretical exorcisms conducted What could this doubling of roles
by Roman Catholic priests in England during 1585-86. In accomplish for both the theatre and for the
Shakespearean Negotiations, Stephen Greenblatt notes that significance in character’s relationships?
Shakespeare appropriated from Harsnett “the names of the foul
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10. King Lear
have seen his play The Malcontent (1604)
as a source for the saturnine personality and
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY
psychology of Edmund. The malcontent, a
character type which frequently appears in King Lear, King of Britain, “a very foolish, fond old man,
Renaissance drama, stands apart from the fourscore and upward,” who is headstrong and “full of
society surrounding him, usually having separated himself changes,” yet “every inch a king,” and “more sinned against
by choice. A discontented observer, the malcontent is than sinning.”
often a melancholic anti-hero with a dark, sarcastic view
of life. In Edmund’s case, it should be noted in fairness, Goneril and Regan, Lear’s two older daughters, “the shame of
this separation is not only by nature but also due to ille- ladies,” “she-foxes,” “gilded serpents,” “tigers, not daughters.”
gitimate birth.
While the quest to unearth Shakespeare’s sources Cordelia, Lear's youngest daughter, the “unpriz’d precious
provides much interesting material for study and research, maid,” who lacks “that glib and oily art to speak and purpose
it is often a difficult and inconclusive endeavor resulting not.” “Her voice was ever soft, gentle, and low; an excellent
in more questions than solutions. The same evidence can thing in a woman.”
point to opposing interpretations. King Lear is by no
means an exception to the typical problem of identifying Earl of Gloucester, like Lear, a gullible, rash old man.
the originals of Shakespeare’s work, and is perhaps an
indication of the playwright’s genius by showing how he Edgar, Gloucester’s elder legitimate son, “whose nature is so
combined elements from a wide variety of previous au- far from doing harms that he suspects none.”
thors. Ultimately, for the true lover of dramatic art, the
products of Shakespeare’s craft usually soar above any of Edmund, Gloucester’s illegitimate son, “a most toad-spotted
his historical or literary sources, and their excellence far traitor,” “rough and lecherous.”
surpasses the quality of the raw materials the playwright
exploited for their composition. Duke of Albany, Goneril's “mild husband,”; “a man of milky
gentleness.”
Bibliography
Bullough, Geoffrey, ed. Narrative and Dramatic Sources Duke of Cornwall, wicked husband of Regan, a man “whose
of Shakespeare. Vol. 7. London: Routledge and disposition...will not be rubb’d nor stopped.”
Keagan Paul, 1973.
Collington, Philip D. “Self-Discovery in Montaigne’s ‘Of The Duke of Burgundy and The King of France, rival suitors
Solitariness’ and King Lear.” Comparative for the hand of Cordelia.
Drama 35 (2001): 248-69.
Greenblatt, Stephen. Shakespearean Negotiations. Berke Earl of Kent, a “noble and true-hearted” courtier, whose plain
ley: U of California P, 1988. honest speech, like Cordelia’s, sometimes results in evil for the
Halio, Jay L. King Lear: A Guide to the Play. Greenwood old King to whom he is devoted. “He cannot flatter, he; an
Guides to Shakespeare. Westport, CT: Green honest mind and plain, he most speak truth.”
wood P, 2001.
Kermode, Frank. “King Lear.” The Riverside Shake The Fool, “a pretty knave,” Lear’s “bitter, all licensed” jester,
speare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans and J.J.R. also devoted to Lear and Cordelia, but one whose words are “a
Tobin. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. pestilent gall” to the old King.
“King Lear.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature.
Ed. M.H. Abrams. 7th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Oswald, Goneril's steward, “a serviceable villain,” whose
W.W. Norton, 2000. 1106-1109. “easy-borrowed pride dwells in the fickle grace of her he fol-
“King Lear.” The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. Ed. lows.”
Michael Dobson and Stanley Wells. Oxford:
Oxford UP, 2001. 244-248. An old tenant of Gloucester’s
The True Chronicle History of King Leir. Ed. Sir Sidney
Lee. London: Oxford UP, 1900. A Doctor
Wells, Stanley. Introduction. The History of King Lear.
The Oxford Shakespeare. Oxford: Clarendon, Knights, Captains, Heralds, Soldiers, Pages and Attendants
2000. 1-80.
Dr. Canfield has a Ph.D. in Renaissance Drama from the
University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He currently teaches Bibliography
English at Grantham University and is Dramaturge for the Watt, Homer. “Outlines of Shakespeare’s Plays. New York:
Kansas City Repertory Theatre production of King Lear. Barnes & Noble, 1958.
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11. King Lear
THE LEAR FAMILY TREE
THE FOOL (EARL OF) KENT
A court jester who is devoted to Faithful to Lear, he is banished after
Lear and Cordelia. he speaks out about the treatment
of Cordelia. He disguises himself to
help serve Lear after he has given up
his kingdom.
KING LEAR
The ruler of Britain. Upon the knowledge of his impeding
retirement, he request his daughters to tell them how much
they love him. His reaction to this act becomes his downfall.
GONERIL REGAN CORDELIA
Lear’s middle daughter. She Lear’s youngest daughter. Her
Lear’s eldest daughter. She name means (“heart of a lion”).
chooses to turn her back on too turns her back on her
father (after inheriting half Is disowned by her father yet
her father (after inheriting remains loyal to him. Uses her
half his kingdom) and his kingdom).
husbands power to try to help
betrays her husband. her father after he is banished
by her sisters.
(DUKE OF) ALBANY (DUKE OF) CORNWALL
Goneril’s husband. Regan’s husband. KING OF FRANCE
A powerful nobleman in Another powerful nobleman Chooses to marry Cordelia
Britain. He sees the brutality of in Britain. He leaves Lear even after she has been
what he and his wife have done. out in the storm and gouges disowned by her father.
Gloucester’s eyes out. Helps Cordelia storm
Britain in an attempt to
take back the country for
Lear.
EDMUND EDGAR
Gloucester’s illegitimate son. Gloucester’s son. His
Turns his father against his illegitimate brother
brother. Uses Goneril and forces him to leave the
Regan to further his ambitions. kingdom and disguises
Forms a romantic triangle with himself as
the two sisters. “Tom of Bedlam”.
(EARL OF) GLOUCESTER
Loyal to Lear. A nobleman in Britain.
The father of Edgar and his illegiti-
mate son, Edmund. Tries to help
Lear and pays for it with his eyesight.
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12. King Lear
CLASSROOM ACTIVITES
COAT OF ARMS
Create Your Own Family Coat of Arms
On the opposite page, create your own Coat of Arms use Symbols and Colors from
below for inspiration. Write a paragraph about your Family Coat of Arms.
What specific attributes did you use for your Coat of Arms? Why?
ANIMALS OBJECTS
Bear Strength, cunning, ferocity in the protection of one's Candle Light, life, and spirituality
children
Compass Direction
Bee Efficient industry
Cat Liberty, vigilance, forecast, and courage Fire Zealousness
Deer One who will not fight unless provoked; peace and Flowers Hope and joy
harmony
Globe Worldliness; world travel
Dog Courage, vigilance, and loyalty
Loving constancy and peace; the Holy Spirit; with an Hand Pledge of faith, sincerity, and justice;
Dove
olive branch in its bill, it signifies a harbinger of good two right hands conjoined represent union and
tidings alliance
Ivy Leaves Strong and lasting friendship
Duck Person of many resources
Elephant Great strength, wit, longevity, happiness, royalty, Inkhorn or Art of writing and educated employment
good luck, and ambition Inkwell
Moon Serene power over mundane actions
Fish A true, generous mind; virtuous for himself, not be-
cause of his heritage; also unity with Christ, spiritual Pears Felicity and peace
nourishment
Fox One who will use all that he/she may possess of wis- Rainbow Good times after bad
dom and wit in his/her own defense
Star Celestial goodness; noble person
Lion Dauntless courage
Mermaid Eloquence Sun Glory and splendor; fountain of life
Owl One who is vigilant and of acute wit Tree Life and the mystical connection of the earth
with heaven and the underworld
Panther Fierce, but tender and loving to children and will de-
Wings Swiftness and protection
fend her children with her life
Peacock Beauty, power, and knowledge
Tortoise Invulnerability to attack
Snake Wisdom
COLORS
Swan Poetic harmony and learning, or lover thereof; light, Gold Generosity and elevation of the mind
love, grace, sincerity, perfection
Silver or White Peace and sincerity
Unicorn Extreme courage; virtue and strength Red Warrior; Military strength
Blue Truth and loyalty
Green Hope, joy, and loyalty in love
Black Constancy or grief
Purple Royal majesty, sovereignty, and justice
Orange Worthy ambition
Maroon Patient in battle, and yet victorious
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13. King Lear
CREATE YOUR OWN FAMILY COAT OF ARMS (CONT…)
For More Information Regarding Coat of Arms: http://www.fleurdelis.com/
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14. King Lear
AS I WRITE IT
Writing and Comprehension Classroom Exercise
Shakespeare’s King Lear
Objective: To enhance comprehension of individual words and the overall meaning of the text and how
the very specific words and images of Shakespeare bring the characters’ thoughts, feelings and goals to
life. To help the students learn to listen carefully to why particular language is chosen to tell a story.
Resources: Paper/pencil or computer. Dictionary or annotated script of King Lear. A great reference
book for Shakespeare’s words is A Shakespeare Glossary by C. T. Onions.
Suggested Scenes to Use: Edmund’s soliloquy – Act 1, Scene 2
Act 1, Scene 4 - It’s a long scene and can be divided up among the class.
Act 4, Scene 6 - Kent, Cordelia, Lear, Gentleman
Sequence of Activity:
1.) Pick a scene or a soliloquy or monologue from King Lear. Discuss it’s meaning and how it moves
the plot of the play forward. Discuss each character’s motivations and their feelings about the other char-
acters in the scene.
2.) Write the scene or monologue out on notebook paper leaving a blank line between each of
Shakespeare’s lines.
• Ask each student to use their own words and language and re-write the script of the scene.
• It is acceptable to use contemporary slang because Shakespeare certainly did.
• If you are using a scene, you may want half of the class to do this with the lines of a major speaking
character and the other half to do the lines of another major speaking character.
• An objective is to write specifically to the sense of what Shakespeare is saying and not to write too
much more.
• Be sure to include all indications in the language about entrances and exits. Shakespeare wrote very
few stage directions. Instead, he put that information and those clues in the words.
3.) Make sure each student reviews their work and makes certain that their punctuation is how they want
it to be. Punctuation is very important for actors as they make decisions about pauses and rhythm as they
deliver their character’s lines. A period can mean something different than a comma.
4.) Have each student read their work aloud, pairing students if you are using a scene. It is important to
the understanding of the language for it to be read aloud. He never meant for his plays to be read quietly
at home. You may want to have the students trade scripts and express the work of others.
5.) Discuss each scene to evaluate whether or not the student captured the sense of the scene as Shake-
speare meant it to play.
6.) After discussion, let the students edit and re-write their work based on the feedback.
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15. King Lear
AS I WRITE IT (CONT…)
Questions for Discussion:
Did the scene have the same meaning and emotional level as Shakespeare’s? What words or phrases did
he use to communicate that emotional level?
As you wrote, was there a particular character whose motivations and feelings you identified with more
than others? Did that make that character’s lines easier to put into your own words?
Did the students use more words than Shakespeare to achieve the meaning of the scene? Why?
Did the students use fewer words than Shakespeare to achieve the meaning of the scene? Why?
KING LEAR TALK SHOW
Active Classroom Exercise
Shakespeare’s King Lear
Objective: To encourage students to move beyond the language in expressing their understanding of
Shakespeare's play. To bring the motivations of the characters and the sequence of the play to life for the
students in order to enhance their comprehension of the plot and characters.
Resources: The play, paper, a pen or pencil, 2 chairs.
Sequence of Activity:
1.) Ask the students to help name the talk show using the language and themes of King Lear.
2.) Have the students write down one question they’d like to ask a major character in the play. Give them
several characters from whom to choose.
3.) Have one character play the talk show host and give them the questions for each character.
4.) Have other students portray the major characters who are the guests of the talk show. They can appear
on the show one at a time or as a panel.
Questions for Discussion:
Was your question answered?
Do you have a greater understanding of why some of the characters behaved as they did in the play?
If you portrayed a character on the talk show panel, do you have a greater understanding of that character
now that you have been asked to speak on their behalf?
Does this exercise make you think of more questions you’d like to ask the characters?
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16. King Lear
SHAKESPEARE’S WORDS ARE OUR WORDS
Classroom Poetry Exercise for
Shakespeare’s King Lear
Objectives: To solidify comprehension of words in the play, to break down Shakespeare’s poetry and liter-
ary devices and use them again in an original way. To reinforce comprehension of literary devices such as
imagery, tone, alliteration, assonance, metaphor, simile. To find the emotional meaning behind words and
a new way to begin to write a play.
Resources: Paper, pencil or computer. Scissors. Envelopes. King Lear script (or any Shakespeare play)
and dictionary. A great reference book is A Shakespeare Glossary by C. T. Onions.
Sequence of Activity:
1.) Choose a passage from the play that is particularly rich in language and literary devices. (It’s not a hard
assignment!)
Suggested Scenes to Use: Edmund’s soliloquy Act 1, Scene 2
Lear and the Fool Act 1, Scene 5
Edgar’s soliloquy Act 2, Scene 3
Lear’s monologue at the end of Act 2, Scene 4
Lear’s monologue at the beginning of Act 3, Scene 2
Edgar’s monologue at the end of Act 3, Scene 4
Cordelia’s lines in Act 4, Scene 6 - “ O my dear father…….Speak to him.”
2.) Read the passage out loud and discuss the meaning of your selection and why those particular words,
images and sounds are effective in expressing that moment in the life of the character. Make certain that
you have researched the definition of each word.
3.) Type or write out your text selection in a large font for each student.
4.) Have the students cut the text up into random words and phrases. It might be fun for them to cut out
some of the punctuation as if it were a word and include it. Put the cut up words into an envelope and have
the students pass their envelope onto another student.
5.) They are then to take the words, now disembodied from their original meaning, and piece them together
into a new speech or poem which can be structured in any way the student designs. Copy this poem out.
It will provide the kernels of a new character in a new story.
6.) Read the new poems aloud and read Shakespeare’s passage again.
Questions for Discussion:
Did the words, phrases and imagery change in meaning or tone in their new form? How?
What story, character or scene comes to mind as you read your new poem?
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17. King Lear
PHOTO CAPTION
Visual Art Classroom Exercise for
Shakespeare’s King Lear
Objective: To connect the physical activity of the actors to an understanding of the plot line and script.
To paraphrase for meaning and comprehension Shakespeare’s lines.
Resources: King Lear Learning Guide, illustrated versions of the play or photos online from other pro-
ductions at other regional theatres.
Sequence of Activity:
1.) We have included several photos of our production of King Lear throughout this guide and below.
Pick, study and discuss a photo.
2.) Decide at which point in the plot the photo was taken.
3.) Give the photo a caption from the words in the script at that point in the plot. Which lines might be
being spoken by the characters as that moment of action is taking place?
4.) Give the photo a caption in your words that expresses what the characters are thinking or saying as the
moment of action is taking place.
If you are interested in drawing, you could also draw your favorite scene from the play or cut out images
from a magazine that call to mind the actions and atmosphere of the play’s themes and characters. Then
use the script to put captions with your artwork.
Denis Arndt (Lear) and knights
Larry Paulsen (Fool) and
Denis Arndt (Lear)
David DeSantos (Edmund)
Photos by Don Ipock Photography
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18. King Lear
THEMES, LANGUAGE AND DISCUSSION
The themes that arise in the plot of King Lear are common in Shakespeare’s tragedies and in all classi-
cal tragedies. The story follows two primary characters, King Lear and the Earl of Gloucester. As we
witness each of their families unravel, we find many themes of their individual stories are parallel and interwoven.
We identify some of those themes as justice, madness, abdication, redemption, power, fate vs. free will, family
responsibility and inheritance, blindness vs. vision, material possessions and wealth and the true nature of
love. Any of these are worthy as discussion topics of this fast-moving and passionate masterpiece. You will most
likely come up with more ideas of themes explored by the plot and characters of King Lear as you discuss the play.
THEME: RENUNCIATION Larry Carpenter, the director of our production was very struck by the theme of
renunciation in the play.
renounce 1 : to give up, MR. CARPENTER HAD THESE QUESTIONS AS HE
EXPLORED THE PLAY:
refuse, or resign usually by
formal declaration <renounce When and why does someone renounce their work, their family,
his errors> or their life choices?
2 : to refuse to follow, obey,
When we give up or renounce something in our lives,
or recognize any further :
are we looking to become someone else?
repudiate <renounce the We might ask, as well, are there times when renouncing
authority of the church or saying farewell to a particular part of life or a person
Synonyms :ABDICATE, is a productive choice? What is an example?
ABJURE
When might it be a mistake to renounce a part of our lives
(Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary) or a person we love?
OTHER QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE THEMES OF THE PLAY:
Who acted justly or fairly in this play? Who acted unfairly?
What were the consequences to those who treated someone unfairly?
What were the consequences to those who treated someone fairly?
King Lear becomes mad in the play – what caused his madness? Was it inevitable?
How could it have been prevented?
Was it his doing? Does the responsibility lie with others? Who and Why?
THEME: FATE OR FREE WILL?
As do most classical tragedies, King Lear explores the extent to which we try to control our lives, the lives of oth-
ers and our destiny by making particular choices. It also explores the way we try to control those we love.
Do you believe you control your fate or your future by your choices or is it already planned out
by some greater being?
Considering each of the major characters, how do they justify their choices and actions? Can you put
yourself in each of their shoes? Have you had experiences similar to any of their experiences?
How do the choices of your parents control your lives? How do your choices control your parent’s lives?
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19. King Lear
THEMES, LANGUAGE AND DISCUSSION (CONT…)
LANGUAGE
As you read and watch this play, try to listen to the numerous times that Shakespeare uses images from nature. They
are often words and phrases that describe the sounds, colors and emotional impact of the natural world. There are
many references to animals which use the features of an animal to describe a person. For example, when Edgar is
pretending to be Tom of Bedlam, he describes himself as a ‘hog in sloth, fox in stealth, wolf in greediness, dog in
madness, lion in prey.”
Shakespeare’s characters are particularly expressive when they are insulting or cursing each other! Listen to the crea-
tive ways they let one another know they are angry.
The word “nothing” appears numerous times in this play and is spoken by a variety of characters. How does the im-
age, meaning and definition of the word “nothing” fit in with the plot and themes of King Lear?
LIFE CONNECTION DISCUSSION
In today’s world of modern advancements in health care and prevention, we are living much longer than people
did in Shakespeare’s time. So many of us are or will be responsible for the care of an aging parent. Lear’s
daughters Goneril and Regan say they will care for him in their own homes and then do not, claiming his
behavior is unacceptable.
Keep in mind an interesting historical fact about society during Lear’s reign and during the Elizabethan period
when Shakespeare lived. Even though Shakespeare’s queen, Elizabeth I, was one of the most powerful rulers in
world history, women could not directly inherit land or money from their fathers or their husbands.
The inheritance would go to their husbands. Therefore, when Lear gives part of his kingdom to his daughters,
Goneril and Regan, the land will actually pass onto their husbands, Albany and Cornwall.
Do parents need to behave a certain way in order to be cared for by their children?
How does inheritance of land, property or money influence a parent/child relationship?
How do we see this influence each of Lear’s three daughters?
How does our relationship with our parents influence our relationships
with our brothers and sisters?
How do the three sisters in the play deal with each other and their husbands as they
discover ways to deal with the decisions of their father?
How does your relationship with your siblings influence your relationship
with your parents?
Gloucester’s sons, Edgar and Edmund, have very different ways of treating their father?
What are the reasons for that difference?
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20. King Lear
SCENE ANALYSIS—INCITING MOMENT
King Lear
by William Shakespeare
The following scene is from the beginning of the play Act I Scene 1 and can be called the inciting moment or incident. It is
from this conversation between King Lear and his daughters that all of the rest of the events of the play flow.
Read it aloud and discuss what each character is saying and why they are saying it. What does each character want?
Is it Lear’s question or Cordelia’s answer that sets the rest of the play in motion? Who is controlling the moment?
Why does Cordelia answer the way she does? What is she thinking and what does she mean?
What are Regan and Goneril saying and why do they answer the way they do?
Why does Lear react to Cordelia’s answer the way he does?
How do Lear’s words and imagery change as the scene changes?
Clue: an ‘aside’ means that the actor speaks the line out loud but either to himself or to the audience. The
rest of the characters do not hear it, so it functions as a thought. Since we, the audience hear the thought, it
contributes to our understanding of what is happening.
Shakespeare, and all playwrights, use repetition of words or images for emotional impact. Find an example of repetition
in this scene and how the actors might use it to make their meaning, desires and emotions known.
Act 1, Scene 1
Lear: Tell me, my daughters,
(Since now we will divest us both of rule,
Interest of territory, cares of state)
Which of you shall we say doth love us most?
That we our largest bounty may extend
Where nature doth with merit challenge.
Goneril, Our eldest-born, speak first.
Gon: Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter;
Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty;
Beyond what can be valued rich or rare;
No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour;
As much as child e’er lov’d, or father found;
A love that makes breath poor and speech unable;
Beyond all manner of so much I love you.
Cord: [Aside] What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be silent.
Lear: Of all these bounds, even from this line to this,
With shadowy forest and with champains rich’d,
With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,
We make thee lady; to thine and Albany’s issue
Be this perpetual. What says our second daughter
Our dearest Regan, wife of Cornwall?
Reg: I am made of that self-same metal as my sister,
And prize me at her worth. In my true heart
I find she names my very deed of love;
Only she comes too short: that I profess
Myself an enemy to all other joys
Which the most precious square of sense possesses,
And find I am alone felicitate
In your dear highness’ love.
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21. King Lear
Cord: [Aside] Then poor Cordelia!
And yet not so; since I am sure my love’s Often, theatre directors decide to set one of
More ponderous than my tongue.
Shakespeare’s plays in a different time period or
Lear: To thee and thine, hereditary ever,
Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom, location from when or where he indicates in his
No less in space, validity, and pleasure, original script. The universality of his plots and
Than that conferred on Goneril. Now, our joy, themes offers theatre artists many opportunities to
Although our last and least, for whose young love
The vines of France and milk of Burgundy interpret them in a variety of ways. For example,
Strive to be interessed, what can you say to win Romeo and Juliet has been set in the Civil War or in
A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak. Northern Ireland, using the warring families as a
Cord: Nothing, my lord.
Lear: Nothing? context within which the play can come to life.
Cord: Nothing. The words are still Shakespeare’s but the external
Lear: Nothing can come of nothing: speak again. world is updated or interpreted by a modern
Cord: Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave
My heart into my mouth: I love your Majesty director and designers. What would be some
According to my bond; no more nor less. places and eras in time where you could place
Lear: How, how Cordelia? Mend your speech a little King Lear and still have the play make sense to an
Lest you may mar your fortunes.
Cord: Good my Lord,
audience? Remember, the scenery, sound, lights
You have begot me, bred me, loved me: I and costumes need to reflect your interpretation.
Return those duties back as are right fit: Please see the King Lear Film Adaptatations
Obey you, love you, and most honour you.
section on Page 23 for some examples.
Why have my sisters husbands, if they say
They love you all? Haply, when I shall wed,
That lord whose hand will take my plight shall carry
Half my love with him, half my care and duty:
Sure I shall never marry like my sisters,
To love my father all.
Lear: But goes thy heart with this?
Cord: Ay, my good Lord
Lear: So young, and so untender?
Cord: So young, my Lord, and true.
Lear: Let it be so; thy truth then be thy dower:
For, by the sacred radiance of the sun,
The mysteries of Hecate and the night,
By all the operation of the orbs
From whom we do exist and cease to be,
Here I disclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity and property of blood,
And as a stranger to my heart and me
Hold thee from this for ever.
Come not between the Dragon and his wrath.
I loved her most, and thought to set my rest
On her kind nursery. Hence, and avoid my sight!
So be my grave my peace, as here I take
Her father’s heart from her!
Naomi Peter (Cordelia) and
David Graham Jones (King of France)
Photo by: Don Ipock Photography
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22. King Lear
INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR
Esteemed Director Larry Carpenter Returns to the Kansas City
Repertory Theatre to Stage Shakespeare’s Poetic and Powerful King Lear
Kansas City Repertory Theatre welcomes back Larry Carpenter nihilism, in the case of this play--he can be devastating. Simply being
to direct King Lear by William Shakespeare. His other projects responsible for getting the scope and magnificence of this play on the
here, Company, Saint Joan, The Front Page and Give ’Em Hell, boards it a great challenge. It's terrifying and exhilarating all at the
Harry, have been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. same time. I hope to be able to pass that feeling onto the audience.
Carpenter informs his directing with a singular blend of intellect
and wit as he takes on a variety of challenging projects from Has the text of the Rep’s production of King Lear been altered in
musicals to comedy to drama. He received a Tony Award any way? If so, how do you determine what to eliminate or change
nomination for best director for Starmites and has directed pro- and why?
ductions in New York for Roundabout Theatre Company, Soho
Repertory Theatre, Playwrights Horizon, the Julliard School, Yes, we have shortened the play. I've examined many different cuts of
and Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. His the play from many sources. From these sources and from my entry
many directing credits at regional theatres include the Hunting- point on the play, I generated a first draft cut script. Peter Altman and
ton Theatre Company in Boston, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and I then worked together to generate the rehearsal draft.
Pasadena Playhouse. As a side bar, it's probably also important to say that I was fortunate
enough as a younger man to act in two separate productions of King
The following interview was conducted by Kansas City Rep’s Lear with the renowned American classical actor Morris Car-
director of communications Laura Muir. novsky. Morris was very famous for both his portrayals of Lear and of
Shylock. I learned a great deal about the play, about the theatre and
The previous works you have directed for Kansas City Rep about the art of living from Morris. I owe him a great debt. That's a
are very diverse in subject matter and yet each of them very big reason for my interest in this play
raises questions about how individuals, be they private citi-
zens or religious and political figures, respond to societal Do you consider King Lear to be a play of our time that reflects
issues. Is this subtext something you look for in your direct- contemporary politics and humanity?
ing projects?
Since 9/11, the world has become progressively unpredictable, unsta-
The simple answer is that every play in some way is a reflection ble and chaotic. By renouncing his kingdom, Lear throws his own
of its society. I like to think that I'm drawn to plays that wrestle world into a similar chaos. A chaos which permits a perversion of
with bits and corners of moral and ethical dilemmas that operate established moral and civil codes, cruelty, terrorism, and revolt. Lear
as fractals of our greater societal problems. Theatre is an arena is very much a cautionary tale for our time.
which usually places an individual character center stage as a
proxy for the audience member. This character then acts out a Do you have a favorite play by Shakespeare or any other play-
ritual of trying to solve a dilemma--whether successfully or not- wright that you would still like to direct?
-on behalf of the audience member and its society at large.
Shakespeare - Richard II, Stoppard - Arcadia, Shaw - Major Barbara,
You are well known for the extensive research you conduct Sondheim - A Little Night Music. These four authors really are my
for your plays How did you prepare to direct King Lear? heroes. I'd pretty much direct any of their work anytime. I'd also like
to take a crack at Aeschylus, Athol Fugard, Chekhov, Brecht, and
Yes, I'm a research maven. I have read a great deal on the Samuel Beckett.
play. I've also viewed five or six of the DVD versions that are
available. In addition, I've done quite a bit of research on what
was happening to Shakespeare in 1604-5 London. There is a FAMOUS QUOTES FROM KING LEAR
fascinating book by James Shapiro titled 1599: A Year in the
Life of William Shakespeare. It is a very aggressively re- "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a
searched and well-thought-out examination of the year (1599) in thankless child!" (Act I, Scene IV).
which Shakespeare wrote Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like
It, and Hamlet. I'm in the process with our production's drama- "I am a man more sinned against than sinning."
turge of conducting a similar study to understand the social, (Act III, Scene II).
political, religious, and theatrical issues that affected Shake-
speare at the time he was creating Lear. "My love's more richer than my tongue".
(Act I, Scene I).
King Lear is such a profound exploration of the complexities
of the human spirit. What qualities of Shakespeare’s works "Nothing will come of nothing." (Act I, Scene I).
stimulate you as a director?
"Have more than thou showest, speak less than thou
Well, he always engages the big issues, doesn't he? His plots knowest, lend less than thou owest."
and his understanding of character are extraordinary. And when (Act I, Scene IV).
you add to this his extraordinary use of language--both verse
and prose--he always holds me captive. Further, when he uses "The worst is not, So long as we can say, 'This is the
plot, character and language to advance some central theme-- worst' ." (Act IV, Scene I).
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23. King Lear
KING LEAR FILM ADAPTATIONS
1971 - Directed by Peter Brook with Paul Scofield as Lear, Alan Webb as Duke of Gloucester, Irene Worth as Goneril,
Susan Engel as Regan, Anne-Lise Gabold as Cordelia, and Jack MacGowran as Fool.
(All is bleak in this black and white, existential experience.)
1974 - Directed by Edwin Sherin this is a live recording from the New York Shakespeare Festival’s performance in Central Park, with
James Earl Jones as Lear.
1984 - Directed by Michael Elliott starring Laurence Olivier as Lear, Diana Rigg as Regan, John Hurt as the Fool, Colin Blakely as Kent,
Leo McKern as Gloucester, and Robert Lindsay as Edmund. (This made for television film begins and ends at Stonehenge.)
1987 - Directed by Jean-Luc Godard with Burgess Meredith as gangster Don Learo and Molly Ringwald as Cordelia.
(This version is set in a post-apocalyptic world.)
1997 - Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse and starring Jason Robards, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Colin Firth.
This film is based on Jane Smiley's novel A Thousand Acres. (A modern retelling, set on a farm in Iowa. This novel attempted to
explain the elder sisters' hatred of their father.) *May not be suitable for some audiences
1998 - Directed by Richard Eyre and starring Sir Ian Holm. (A film version of Royal National Theatre’s production. Using minimalist sets to
help put the focus on the acting.)
2002 - Directed by Uli Edel. Starring Patrick Stewart, Marcia Gay Harden and David Alan Grier. (A television adaptation “King of Texas”,
set in 1840’s Texas frontier.)
RESOURCES
Shakespeare Resources Online Shakespeare Books
Shakespeare Online A Shakespeare Glossary by C.T. Onions
http://www.shakespeare-online.com
Shakespeare; The Essential Reference to His Plays by
E-Notes Charles Boyce
http://www.shakespeare.com
Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield, Illustrated by
Wikipedia Michael Foreman
(Online Encylopedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare King Lear Text Online
The Literature Network The Complete Text of Shakespeare’s King Lear with Quarto
http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/ and Folio Variations
(Annotations, and Commentary, by Dr. Larry A. Brown, professor
Shakespeare Resource Center of theater, Nashville, TN)
http://www.bardweb.net/ http://larryavisbrown.homestead.com/files/Lear/lear_home.htm
Complete Works University of Pennsylvania Library; Schoenberg Center for
(Has the Complete Works available to download free on-line) Electronic Text and Imaging
http://www.william-shakespeare.info (The 1608 Quarto edition)
http://dewey.library.upenn.edu/SCETI/PrintedBooksNew/
The Oxford English Dictionary index.cfm?TextID=lear_q2&PagePosition=1
(subscription fee required)
http://www.oed.com/ Center for Electronic Text and Image
(The1619 2nd Quarto edition)
http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/furness/lear1619/001.html
Online Study Guides for King Lear
Online Literature Guides
The Goodman Theatre (The 1623 Folio edition, Shake Sphere)
http://www.goodmantheatre.org/_pdfs/teacherguide_lear.pdf http://sites.micro-link.net/zekscrab/index.html
Folger Shakespeare Library
http://www.folger.edu/template.cfm?cid=2345 For information regarding the acting company
and design team please reference the
Center Stage King Lear program or visit:
http://www.centerstage.org/upload/guide_PDF/06.KL.NS.final.pdf www.kcrep.org
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