King Lear journal #4

I selected passage #3

"When the mind's free,
The body's delicate. This tempest in my mind
Doth from my senses take all feeling else
Save what beats there." (3.4.13-17)

I found that this passage meant that the King Lear could not think or feel anything in the storm, other than what is tormenting him. Meaning his daughters betrayal of his trust. As a whole this passage is hinting that Lear is overwhelmed by his anger towards his daughters. This leads me, as the reader, to believe that his daughters' betrayal is tearing Lear apart, mentally and emotionallly. This is one of the many occasions that illuminate that the King is doing insane. Even more insane than he already was. This scene might connect to the rest of the play by showing that Lear is slowly losing his mind, and because of this his decieving daughters will use this against him and lead to his unfortunate end. This passage also leads to the major idea in the play that you must keep your friends and family close and your enemies closer. His daughters ended up being evil all along and leading to his ultimate loss of mental wellness. This also leads me to believe that strong emotional problems can cause major damage in the long run.

King Lear Journal #3

I am tracking when characters betray their family members in the play King Lear.

Passage 1:

Gloucester: "Now, Edmund, where's the villian ?" Pg 75.

In this passage Edmund is trying to hoodwink his brother into thinking that his father is out to get him. He is doing this so that Edmund's father Gloucester will think Edgar(his brother) is a villian and is plotting against him. By doing this Edward will get Edgar in trouble with his father, and will then be the next heir to his father's thrown. This shows that in this passage that Edmund is going against his brother(family member) and betraying him.

Passage 2:

Lear: "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 forever." Pg 15.

In this passage King Lear is expressing that he is cutting off relations with his daughter Cordelia. He is doing this because she did not praise him as much as her other sisters did. This made him make the foolish decision to cut off relations with his daughter. She did this because she did not feel it necessary to lie to her father simply for wealth and power. This is a simple example of when characters betray their family members.

King Lear journal #2

Option #2 

The Fool is a very complex character in the play King Lear. He has many different characteristics about him. He is humerous, wise, intelligent, immature yet at the same time mature, and most importantly, an excellent advise-giver. When he speaks with Lear he talks to the King about important things with wise insight, yet he says his advise through jokes and humor. King Lear interprets this insight as jokes yet he finds a sense of truth in them. The Fool speaks to the King about his decision to banish his Cordelia and to split up his land and wealth between his other two daughters. The Fool tries to convince the King that this was a terrible mistake and that he should seriously reconsider it. This was the exact same advise Cordelia and Kent gave the King as well, yet when they gave Lear this advice they got banished. This shows that The King does not take the Fools advice seriously because he does not punish the Fool for bad mouthing him, and chooses to not take his precious advice. This is a poor choice on The Kings part. 

Because the Fool so sneakily ridicules the King without him knowing I percieve the Fool as a humorous man that is decievingly wise. His is portrayed as an idiotic person thats only duty is to make jokes. Technically that is his only duty but he does this in a way that he shows his hidden intelligence. This leads me to believe that the Fool may end up having a larger, more important and decieving role later on in the play. 

 

King Lear journal 1

option 1.

The daughter of Goneril and Regan use very different word choice than the other daughter of Cordelia. Both Goneril and Regan both use words that are intended to show their father how much they love him. They use outragous exagerations that must be completely false. Most of what they are saying imply that all their love goes to their father and they do not have any love left for anyone else. Yet they are both married to their husbands. This would mean that they spend so much of their love on their father, they do not have any left for their husbands.

Cordelia on the other hand is the opposite. She does not even speak any words to her father other than side comments to herself. But when she is put on the spot to praise her father she has nothing to say. She is a kind, grateful daughter but she does not have the heart to lie to her father. By saying that she only has love for her father in her heart, such as her sisters said, would be a lie and she knows it. She is aware that she loves others AS WELL as her father. So even though she is saying this praise for her father for all of his money, she does not have the ability to lie to him simply for his wealth.

Through these speaches it is revealed that the two daughters of Goneril and Regan will do anything for land and wealth. They will blatantly lie and exagerate to their father's face, simply for the money. This is not true about Cordelia. Even though her wealth and future is on the line, she still does not lie as her sisters did. This proves that Cordelia is a genuinely honest person, and Goneril and Regan will do anything for wealth and to benefit themselves. It also illuminates that the father is a self absorbed jerk that will not accept the fact that his daughters love other people as well as him, even if it's the honest truth.