King Lear, William Shakespeare, c. 1603     Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford (1550-1604)

                                                    (Death of Queen Elizabeth I – 1603)

Act I.

i.51 Lear wants to be special—the most loved, the only one loved. || Son of God’s mad idea

He (decision-maker) chooses the flattery of Goneril and Regan – the ego, over Cordelia – Holy Spirit

i.62 Cordelia: “Love, and be silent.”      87. “Nothing, my lord.”       Lear rejects her.

Kent defends Cordelia and is banished.             155. “My life I never held but as a pawn.”

Duke of Burgundy rejects her for want of dowry.          250. King of France appreciates her truth, marries her.

Sisters judge Lear to be insane, plot for his last surrender.

ii.103-117 Earl of Gloucester describes ego life.            Edmund fakes letter, sets Edgar up to be misperceived.

120. Edmund “We make guilty.” We blame.

iii. Goneril tells servants not to respond to Lear, another set-up.

iv. Kent, disguised as Caius, to trust, love, “fear judgment.”

226. Lear:      “Does any here know me?”           (alienation, loss of identity)

                        Either his notion weakens            (mental powers)

                        His discernings are lethargied” (perception)      

Lear and Goneril verbally attack each other. Lear heads to Regan’s castle.

Act II.

i. Edmund’s self-inflicted wound convinces his father, Earl of Gloucester, that Edgar is the bad guy.

Regan and Cornwall go to Gloucester’s castle to avoid having the king visit them at home.

ii.36. Kent accuses Oswald of taking “Vanity the puppet’s part,” Regan’s part, against her father the king.

165. Kent: “Nothing almost sees miracles but misery.” You hope to see a miracle when you’re miserable.

iii. Edgar disguises as insane Tom.

iv. 78 Fool: Don’t desire “form.” Lear becomes angry when Regan and Goneril won’t see him.
111. Fool: Truth is a dog to be whipped away (repressed) in the presence of lady Brach (flattering falsehoods).
140. A bitter fool is “That lord that counseled thee to give away thy land.” i.e. Lear, his choice to listen to ego.
187. You gave your daughters the rod and pulled down your breeches (It’s your own making)

        You “split your mind” and gave half to each daughter.                  Lear is an empty peapod.
277. The daughters whittle down Lear’s allotment of knights, one of his ways to measure ego stature and love. 
When it becomes too much, he roars and exits into the storm.

Act III.

i. Kent sends message to Cordelia via her Gentleman.

ii.58 Lear: “I am a man more sinned against than sinning.”  (Don’t we all feel that way?)

iii. Gloucester confides to Edmund that he’s loyal to the king.  (And Edmund vows to betray him.)

iv.21 Lear: “O, that way madness lies (focus on filial ingratitude and vengeance) let me shun that.”

v. Cornwall wants revenge, promotes Edmund to Earl of Gloucester.

vi.18 Fool, can’t trust anything in this world. Edgar is sad for Lear. Gloucester warns them to fly to Dover.
103. Who suffers alone suffers most in the mind, but suffering becomes light when you join with others in hate.
vii. While plucking out Gloucester’s eyes, Cornwall is wounded by a servant, who is promptly killed by Regan.
Gloucester learns Edmund was his betrayer, wants forgiveness for abusing Edgar.

Act IV.

i. Gloucester, my eyes we no good; they misperceived. There is no justice on earth.

He takes care of Edgar/Tom. Each man should have enough. [Tom’s “foul fiend” may be the ego.]

ii. Oswald reports to Goneril that Albany has taken the other side so she decides to take over and joins with Edmund.

She and Albany curse each other.

iii. Cordelia saddened by news of England but does not fall into anger.

iv. Arriving in England she says: we are not here for ambition but to save King Lear.

v. Regan learns of Cornwall’s death; she is eager to have special relationship with Edmund (before her sister).

vi. 34 Gloucester: I need to end this life lest I take sides to quarrel with your “great opposeless wills.”

55 Edgar: “Thy life’s a miracle.”

182 Lear: We cry coming into this “stage of fools.” Edgar kills Oswald and finds Goneril’s letter to Edmund.

vii. 35 Cordelia would not harm any enemy’s dog that bit her.

74 Cordelia: “no cause” not to love you. 82 Lear: pray, forget and forgive. Edmund has seized power.

Act V.

i.18 Goneril is obsessed wanting a special relationship with Edmund.

55. Edmund can’t decide which sister is the better choice; plans to have Goneril devise Albany’s death.

ii. Lear’s forces have lost the battle. He and Cordelia are taken prisoner.

iii. Lear to Cordelia: We’ll bless and forgive each other and laugh.

Edmund secretly orders Cordelia to be hung and most of the bodies are cashed in.

Albany arrests Edmund and Goneril for treason. Edgar mortally wounds Edmund, who confesses.

The Gentleman knifes Goneril, who had poisoned Regan.

Lear brings in Cordelia’s body, having killed her hangman. The Fool has been hanged.

Lear dies. Kent prepares to join him in death.

Fool  Merchant of Venice  Othello  Shakespeare  Return to Disappearance