King Lear by William Shakespeare

Sections in this topic:
Introduction	Audiobook | Shakespearean Glossary | Context | Plot | External Links
Character and Characterisation	Dramatis Personae | Characterisation
Important events	Topic
Close Reading	Topic
Important ideas	Overview | Topic
Revision	Extension Activities
"A tragedy is a story of exceptional calamity leading to the death of a man in high estate" A.C. BRADLEY.

Objectives

To develop an understanding the key areas of the play, including: Character development and characterisation Context and setting Important ideas and themes Shakespeare's use of language

Preknowledge

Before studying Shakespeare, it's important to know a few things about: Shakespeare's Globe The Great Chain of Being The Divine Right of Kings

https://wikieducator.org/Shakespeare/King_Lear

https://wikieducator.org

wiki

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Audiobook of the complete play

Audio

Listen to Librivox recordings of the play: Act I Act II Act III Act IV Act V

Cartoon version of the play

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Shakespearean glossary

Do you know your 'dost' from your 'wherefore'? There is a glossary of words commonly used in Shakespearean plays [here]. Make sure you know these words, as they'll help you to understand the play a lot better.

Review

• Pull together across the whole text
• eg:

Act I Quiz

Activity

Find quotations that show the following:

Quotations

Why are each of these quotations important in the play? Think about what they reveal about character, their importance in terms of theme, imagery, relationships etc. Make a comment about each one.

Quotation	Importance:
	?

Animal Imagery

Why is each of these animal allusions used?

Quotation	Importance:
"that she may feel/How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is To have a thankless child." (Lear, I, iv, 294-96) [p. 70]	?
"When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails She'll flay thy wolvish visage." (Lear, I, iv, 314-315) [p. 71]	?
"Such smiling rogues as these, Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwain Which are too intrince t'unloose; smooth every passion That in the natures of their lords rebel, Being oil to fire, snow to the colder moods; Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon beaks With every gale and vary of their masters, Knowing naught, like dogs, but following." (Kent, II, ii, 75-82) [p. 84]	?
"O Regan, she hath tied Sharp-toothed unkindness, like a vulture, here." (Lear, II, iv, 133-34) [p. 95]	?
"She hath abated me of half my train, Looked black upon me, struck me with her tongue, Most serpentlike, upon the very heart." (Lear, II.iv.158-160) [p. 96]	?
"Because I would not see thy cruel nails Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister In his anointed flesh rash boarish fangs." (Gloucester, III.vii.57-59) [p. 128]	?
"I' th' last night's storm I such a fellow saw, Which made me think a man a worm." (Gloucester, IV, i, 32-33) [p. 132]	?
"Tigers, not daughters, what have you performed?" (Albany, IV.ii.40) [p. 137]	?
"They flattered me like a dog, and told me I had white hairs in my beard ere the black ones were there." (Lear, IV, vi, 97-99) [p. 150]	?
"Edmund, I arrest thee On capital treason; and in thy attaint This gilded serpent." (Albany, V, iii, 83-85) [p. 171]	?

Reflection

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Did you notice?

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