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Teacher’s Guide King Lear 2007ARTISTIC LEARNING PROGRAMS AT CAL SHAKESArtistic Learning represents the California Shakespeare Theater’s commitment to integrate our artistic and education efforts. The vision of Artistic Learning is to become a leading Bay Area citizen, creating a culture of life-long learners and nourishing imaginations in preparation for the work of life. Listed below are some of our many programs for youth both in and out of the classroom
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Teacher’s Guide
King Lear 2007
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Teacher’s Guide
King Lear 2007
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ARTISTIC LEARNING PROGRAMS AT CAL SHAKES
Artistic Learning represents the California Shakespeare Theater’s commitment to integrate our artistic and
education efforts. The vision of Artistic Learning is to become a leading Bay Area citizen, creating a culture of
life-long learners and nourishing imaginations in preparation for the work of life. Listed below are some of our
many programs for youth both in and out of the classroom.
CLASSES
Cal Shakes offers a variety of theater programs taught by theater professionals throughout the school year and
summer.
Classes on-site at Cal Shakes are offered in many aspects of theater including acting, stage combat, and
improvisation.
Cal Shakes also hosts two summer theater camps in which students study with Cal Shakes professional
actors and artists. Limited scholarships are available.
Afterschool programs are also available at your school’s site.
For more information or to register for classes and summer camp, call the Programs and Outreach Manager at
510.548.3422 ext. 127 or email [email protected].
STUDENT MATINEES (Field trips)
Our well-rounded approach to Student Matinees consists of multiple offerings, including a free Teacher/Student
Guide, optional pre and post-show classroom visits by teaching Artists, a lively pre-performance engagement at
the theater, and a Q&A session with actors immediately following the show. This multi-pronged approach
offers a unique opportunity for students to develop a lasting appreciation of theater and of Shakespeare through
dynamic presentation and the experience of a live work of art.
For more information, to book your class for a student matinee performance, or to learn more about the
invaluable opportunity to enrich the classroom experience of Shakespeare for your students, please call the
Programs and Outreach Manager at 510.548.3422 ext. 127, or email [email protected].
TEACHER’S GUIDES AND STUDENT ACTIVITY GUIDES
Teaching and student activity guides are available for each Shakespeare mainstage production. These are
available free of charge to all classrooms regardless of whether or not a class attends a student matinee.
ARTIST RESIDENCIES
To support student achievement and teacher professional development, Cal Shakes brings working artists into
the schools to teach with the aim of developing students’ creative minds and voices. Collaborations can be
based on established school and teacher curriculum (called Arts Integration), or can be rooted in theater-related
disciplines, such as acting, Shakespeare, or stage combat.
For more information or to schedule a residency please call the Collaborations and Marketing Manager at
510.548.3422 ext. 136 or email [email protected].
Teacher’s Guide
King Lear 2007
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In this guide….
Teachers,
Welcome! We are thrilled to have you and your students join us for this season’s student matinee production of
King Lear at the Bruns Amphitheater in Orinda. It is our goal to engage students with the work on a variety of
levels in addition to the live performance, including this Teacher’s Guide. We also offer pre- and post-show
classroom visits by Teaching Artists. If you have not scheduled a visit to your classroom, please contact the
Projects and Outreach Manager at 510-548-3422 ext. 127 or email [email protected].
Students who are prepared are more engaged. Please spend some time using this study guide to prepare for both
the story and for the experience of live theater.
1. Artistic Learning Support
2. Artistic Learning Programs
3. In this Guide…
4. What to Expect at the Bruns Theater
5. Frontispiece of King Lear
6. King Lear: Plot Synopsis
7. Who’s Who in the Cast
10. King Lear Character Diagram
11. King Lear: “Peeling the Onion” – a note to teachers
12. Seeing the Play: Before and After
13. Elizabethan Culture: Some of the Basics
14. Where Do We Put the Onion: Setting King Lear in America
15. Shakespeare’s Language: Lost in Translation?
16. Peeling the Onion: Lear’s Losses
17. Inside the Onion: Why Do We Act as We Do?
18. The Sweet and Bitter Onion: The Fool
19. Through the Onion: Blindness and Sight
20. The Aged Onion: Old Age
21. What is the Onion: Identity and Disguise
22. The Crazy Onion: Insanity
23. The Moody Onion: The Four Humours
24. Lear on Film
Plus: 26. Classroom-Ready Activities Guide
41. Additional Resources (books and websites)
42. CA Content Standards
It has been our experience that not every student attending live theater is familiar with the etiquette of this art
form. On page 4 we outline basic theater etiquette, as well as rules of safety that are unique to the Bruns
Amphitheater, for easy distribution to students. Please be sure that you have an appropriate number of
chaperones with your group (a 10 to 1 ratio is recommended). Students who engage in disruptive activity will
be asked to leave the theater.
GUIDE CREDITS
Editor: Trish Tillman Writers:
Managing Editor: Tara Misra Bronwyn Eisenberg, Cathleen Sheehan
Consulting Editor: Carole Rathfon Carole Rathfon, Trish Tillman, Dan Venning
Senior Editor: Bronwyn Eisenberg Layout and Graphics: Ilsa Brink and Tara Misra
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King Lear 2007
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What to Expect at the Bruns Theater (Please copy and distribute to each student and chaperone)
How do we get there? Your teacher will make sure you have a signed permission slip from a parent/guardian and will make the
arrangements to get you to the theater. If you teacher makes arrangements ahead of time, the Cal Shakes bus (maximum 15 people)
will pick you up at the Orinda BART loading area.
Where do we park? You will park your car or bus in the dirt lot marked on your teacher’s map. Walk up the hill along the path to
the right. Handicapped students may be dropped off at the top of the driveway near the theater.
Who will meet us when we arrive? Cal Shakes staff and greeters will be outside to meet you. They might have special directions
for you, so listen and follow their directions.
Pre- and Post- Show Activities: On the day of the performance, in addition to the production, you will be treated to a lively pre-
performance engagement at the theater as well as a Question & Answer session with the actors immediately following the show. It is
important that you arrive on time for the performance. Should you need to leave prior to the Q&A, please do so quickly and quietly
following the performance and before the talk begins.
Who shows us where we sit? The ushers will walk you to your seats. Please take the first seat available. If you need to make a trip
to the restroom before the show starts, ask your teacher. You should not need to get up during the performance.
How will I know the show is starting? You will know that the show is starting because you will hear a bell and a staff person will
come out on stage to say hello. He or she will introduce the performance.
What do I do during the show? Everyone is expected to be a good audience member. This keeps the show fun for everyone. Good
audience members…
- Turn off cell phones
- Are good listeners
- Keep their hands and feet to themselves
- Do not talk or whisper during the performance
- Do not text message
- Do not get up unless it is an emergency. Take bathroom breaks before the show and at intermission.
- Unwrap any noisy food items BEFORE the performance begins.
- Laugh at the parts that are funny
- Stay in their seats during the performance
- Do not disturb their neighbors or other schools in attendance
- As a general rule, if you can hear and see the actors, they can hear and see you. Unnecessary talking and movement is
distracting to them as well as other audience members.
How do I show that I liked what I saw and heard? The audience shows appreciation by clapping after the show is completely
finished. This is called applause and it shows how much you liked the show. Applause says “Thank you! You’re great!” If you
really enjoy the show, give the performers a standing ovation by standing up and clapping during the bows.
How can I let the performers know what I thought? We want to know what you thought of your experience at a Cal Shakes
matinee. After the performance, we hope that you will be able to discuss what you saw with your class. What did your friends enjoy?
What didn’t they like? What did they learn from the show? Tell us about your experiences in a letter, review or drawing. We can
share your feedback with artists and funders who make these productions possible. Please send your opinions, letters, or artwork to:
Cal Shakes Artistic Learning, 701 Heinz St., Berkeley, CA 94701.
Teacher’s Guide
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Teacher’s Guide
King Lear 2007
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KING LEAR: Synopsis
Lear, King of England, decides to give up the
throne and divide his kingdom between his
three daughters, Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia.
Before he divides the country, he asks each of
his daughters to tell him how much she loves
him. The two older daughters flatter Lear, but
when Cordelia refuses to make a public
declaration of love for her father she is
disinherited. She marries the King of France,
who accepts her without a dowry (i.e., without
money or property). The Earl of Kent is
banished by Lear for daring to defend her. The
other two daughters, Goneril and Regan, and
their husbands, the Dukes of Albany and
Cornwall, inherit the kingdom.
The Earl of Gloucester, deceived by his illegitimate son Edmund, disinherits his legitimate son, Edgar, who is
forced to go into disguise as a mad beggar to save his life. Lear, now without power, quarrels with Goneril and
Regan about the number of attendant knights they allow him to keep. When they ask that he give up all his
knights, he goes out in a rage onto a heath (a piece of land, usually level and sometimes considered a wasteland)
in a storm. He is accompanied only by his Fool and by his former advisor, the banished Earl of Kent, who is
now disguised as a servant.
Lear, Kent, and the Fool encounter Edgar, Gloucester’s legitimate son, who is still in disguise as a mad beggar.
Gloucester tries to help Lear, but is betrayed by his illegitimate son Edmund and captured by Lear’s daughter
Regan and her husband, Cornwall. They put out Gloucester's eyes and make Edmund an Earl.
Lear is taken secretly to the port town of Dover, where Cordelia has landed with a French army to rescue her
father. There, Lear and Cordelia are reconciled but in the ensuing battle are captured by the sisters' forces.
Meantime, Edgar encounters his father, Gloucester, and after preventing him from committing suicide, leads
him to Dover as well.
Goneril and Regan are both in love with Edmund, who commanded their forces in the battle. Discovering this,
Goneril’s husband Albany forces Edmund to defend himself against the charge of treachery. Edgar arrives,
disguised as an anonymous black knight, challenges Edmund to a fight, and fatally wounds his brother. News
comes that Goneril has poisoned her sister Regan and then committed suicide. Before dying, Edmund reveals
that he has ordered the deaths of Lear and Cordelia. Soldiers are sent to rescue them, but arrive too late:
Cordelia has been killed. Lear enters carrying her body, and then dies. Albany agrees to give the throne to
Edgar.
Photo of Rachel Hauck’s set model for King Lear
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WHO’S WHO
In King Lear
King Lear (Jeffrey DeMunn)
King of Britain at the opening of the play, Lear decides to divide his kingdom among
his three daughters by asking them for a proclamation of affection; each daughter’s
portion will be determined by her public exclamation of how much she loves her father.
Lear’s anger at hearing his youngest daughter Cordelia’s response causes him to
disinherit her and banish her from his sight. He then divides his kingdom between his
older daughters, Goneril and Regan.
Goneril (Delia MacDougall)
Lear’s eldest daughter, Goneril successfully declares her love to her father and gains half
of the kingdom. She denies her father the ability to keep his 100 attendant knights, and
her actions overall seem to manifest a daughter more concerned about her own power
and status than about her father’s well-being.
Regan (Julie Eccles)
Regan is Lear’s middle daughter. Like Goneril, Regan flatters her father in her
declaration of love. The two sisters eventually leave their father outside to contend with
the fierce elements of the storm.
Cordelia (Sarah Nealis)
Cordelia is Lear’s youngest and most beloved daughter. Too honest to flatter her father
at his request, Cordelia voices her love to him as she sees it—and suffers her father’s
wrath as a result. Her suitor, the king of France, marries her in spite of her being
disowned by her father. She leaves for France with words of reproach for her sisters.
Later in the play, she returns to England with an army in the hopes of helping her father.
The Duke of Albany (Andrew Hurteau)
Albany is husband to Goneril. Albany eventually separates himself from the actions of
his wife and attempts to aid Lear and Cordelia.
The Duke of Cornwall (L. Peter Callender)
Husband to Regan, Cornwall is an equal partner in achieving their goals. With her aid,
he orchestrates the blinding of Gloucester—and suffers a fatal wound as a consequence.
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The Earl of Kent (Andy Murray)
Lear’s advisor and friend, Kent voices his disapproval of Lear’s treatment of Cordelia and
is banished as a result. Unwilling to abandon his king, Kent disguises himself and offers
himself as a servant to Lear, thus enabling him to stay close by and attempt to aid him.
The Earl of Gloucester (Jim Carpenter)
Gloucester is another of Lear’s court companions. He opens the play by introducing his
illegitimate son Edmund to court. Gloucester’s arc in the play is an interesting echo and
variation of Lear’s. Gloucester mistakes his sons’ worth, choosing to favor his
illegitimate son Edmund over his legitimate son Edgar. Edmund convinces his father of
the untrue thought that son Edgar is trying to murder him. Eventually Edmund seeks
Gloucester’s death.
Edmund (Ravi Kapoor)
Edmund is the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester. He manipulates his father into
believing that Edgar seeks his life. Having successfully turned his father against his
brother, Edmund then gains the title of “Earl of Gloucester” by betraying his father to
Regan and Cornwall.
Edgar (Erik Lochtefeld)
Edgar is the Earl of Gloucester’s legitimate and trustworthy son. Edgar flees the
kingdom at his brother Edmund’s urging—and thus appears guilty to his father.
Banished from his home and family, Edgar seeks refuge by disguising himself as Poor
Tom—a bedlam beggar and madman. While acting this role, he witnesses the suffering
of Lear and of Gloucester.
Oswald (Liam Vincent, who also plays the King of France and a Knight)
Oswald is steward to Goneril. Oswald is eager to please to get what he wants. Kent
perceives him as false, flattering and disrespectful; Kent’s outrage at Oswald lands Kent in
the stocks.
King of France (Liam Vincent, who also plays Oswald and a Knight)
A suitor to Cordelia, the king of France maintains his courting of Cordelia even after her
father strips her of her land and inheritance. Impressed by her honesty and integrity, the
king marries her and makes her the queen of France.
Duke of Burgundy (Arthur Keng, who also plays Messenger, Gentleman, Officer)
Another suitor to Cordelia, Burgundy’s interest evaporates after Lear disinherits her.
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Fool (Anthony Fusco)
Lear’s fool would have been the entertainment—a court jester—for the king. Once Lear
loses his kingdom, the fool remains with him, acting as a kind of conscience. Perhaps
because he lacks real, worldly status, the fool can reprimand, chide, and counsel Lear
without suffering the wrath of the king’s rage. In part, the fool does this through riddles,
songs, and apparent humor.
Curan, Captain, Servant (Jason Sanford)
First Gentleman, Knight, Messenger (Joseph O’Malley)
The ENSEMBLE is made up of actors who play a crucial role in filling out the world of the play as the
beggars, soldiers, knights, and Lear’s attendants. What do you notice is the role of ensemble during the
storm?
Kristoffer Barrera Michael Davison Vincent Faso Keath Hall
Avery Monsen David Moore Joseph Rende
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Teacher’s Guide
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KING LEAR: Peeling the Onion A note to teachers
King Lear is one of the most complex and all-encompassing plays Shakespeare ever wrote. Among its themes
are mortality (issues about life and death), the nature of kingship, power, insanity, and the duty of daughters.
Combined with a parade of betrayals and family miscommunications and the concerns of old age and death, it’s
probably not the usual fare for a grade-school student. In fact, in our latest summer camp sessions, in which an
abridged version was performed in four separate student productions, only one student out of the 64 students
participating actually wanted the part of Lear. We wondered about this: is Lear so far out of the students’
experience that almost none of them could imagine themselves playing the part? The answer at first glance
seemed to be “yes.” Lear is “fourscore and upwards”– that is, 80 years old plus, an age much more than what
most of us now teaching and studying this guide have reached.
Laurence Olivier, in his book On Acting, says of playing the part of King Lear:
“When you’ve the strength for it, you’re too young; when you’ve the age, you’re too old. It’s a bugger, isn’t
it?”
And so Shakespeare in his inimitable way has given us the paradox as well in studying the play. It may seem
hard to have empathy for an experience that seems so far out of reach; yet this play, long regarded as the apex
of Shakespeare’s talent, offers us insights into the human condition far beyond what we think we can know.
We ultimately learn that we can have empathy and understanding for someone who at first glance might seem
so different than each of us, and that we can learn from his and the play’s experience.
So with our overall theme, “Peeling the Onion”, we invite you to peel with your students, as it were, to reach
the most extreme reaches of human experience that Shakespeare furnishes us with.
Edgar: The oldest hath borne most: we that are young
Shall never see so much, nor live so long.
“The first and most important lesson… is that there are no rules about how to do
Shakespeare, just clues. Everything is negotiable.”
-Antony Sher and Greg Doran, Woza Shakespeare! 1996, on training in the Royal
Shakespeare Company
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KING LEAR: Peeling the Onion
King Lear? What’s the big deal? He’s grouchy, quick to anger, and seems to have terrible judgment. He’s
neither a villain nor a hero; he is a very old king, presumably a widower with three daughters, and wants
nothing more than to “crawl unburdened toward death.” So why should we stop him?
Shakespeare takes this character and gives him not the most crowd-pleasing or easily understood personality,
but something far more complex. Step by step, through each peel of the onion, King Lear brings us through the
extremes of temper, love, foolishness, family and death: some of the strongest and most fully felt parts of being
human.
Consider the following questions before and after the show.
BEFORE Viewing the Play AFTER Viewing the Play
What to watch for:
Each thing that Lear loses as the play
progresses: material things and
emotional things.
How others treat him, good and bad.
What Lear says he thinks of himself.
Gloucester’s problems with his sons
and how that compares with Lear’s
difficulties with his daughters.
How the father/daughter
relationships change during the play.
See the Critique Page in the Activity
Appendix for more ideas about what
to watch for.
What do you think of Lear?
Some people say he’s just an old man, set
in his ways, who does not quite realize
even at the end what his actions have cost
him.
Some see Lear as very sympathetic:
without his family, property, and title, he
has been forced to suffer inhumane
conditions.
Would you condemn him for his actions?
Give reasons why or why not.
What kind of picture do you think
Shakespeare is trying to paint?
Is Shakespeare telling us kings should be
respected and should not relinquish their
position as head of state even when old:
that is, when the king or father is in
power, all is right with the world?
Or is he saying kings should have more
in common with their subjects, to suffer
and know the life that they know?
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ELIZABETHAN CULTURE: Some of the Basics
Who was William Shakespeare? William Shakespeare is
considered one of the world’s finest playwrights of all time. Writing
in England during the late 1500’s during the reigns of Queen
Elizabeth I and King James I, he established himself as a major poet,
actor, and playwright. He mastered the comic and tragic dramatic
forms and introduced over 2,000 new vocabulary words into the
English language. Shakespeare is read by nearly every American
student and is perhaps best known for Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth,
Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
What was the political situation in England at the time
Shakespeare lived? The nature of power is a central theme in many
of Shakespeare’s plays, and the times in which he lived were full of
political intrigue. At the time that King Lear was written circa 1605,
King James I had come from Scotland to take the throne of England
after Elizabeth’s death and he believed in the “divine right of kings”:
which was that the king’s word on earth was God’s voice from
heaven, and therefore his decisions could not be questioned. There
was much argument about whether Scotland should be taken under England’s government or remain a separate
state. Shakespeare even named two of the characters in King Lear after King James’s sons: the Duke of Albany
and the Duke of Cornwall. Even though the play is set in pre-Christian times, and Lear is a fictional king, we
can see that Shakespeare was reflecting the concerns of his time.
What is a monarchy? A monarchy is when the absolute rulers of a country are all from one family, and only
blood members of that family can become King or Queen. The general population has no say in who gets to
rule them. However, in the Renaissance, Shakespeare’s time, people began to question the idea of divine right,
and even the idea of birthright to the throne. King Lear is in many ways about what the nature of power is: can
it be given up, split up, re-formed? Can anyone take the power, as Edmund and Goneril try to do? If they do,
can they use it wisely?
How was a “family” thought of in Shakespeare’s time? The family was seen as the bedrock of society,
created by God and nature, not to be altered by disturbances in daily life. The husband and father was seen as
the unopposed head of the family, much like the king was the absolute ruler of the country. Wives and children
were to give unquestioning and absolute obedience to the male head of the family, and the many limits on their
legal and social rights were published in popular guides to behavior. It is of course inevitable that problems
come up when confronted with the challenges of daily life; and history is full of recorded instances where wives
and daughters rebelled against the roles of obedient householder and childcare giver. Goneril and Regan are
remarkable in their ability to change from obedience to absolute denial of Lear’s authority; and even Cordelia
defies Lear’s initial order to speak her love for him. Shakespeare sets up the extreme situations of this play by
giving some of the major betrayals to female family members.
For more on these ideas, see Inside the Onion: Why Do We Act as We Do? (Page 17), and Peeling the Onion: Lear’s Losses
(Page 16)
Image: http://pro.corbis.com
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WHERE DO WE PUT THE ONION? Setting King Lear in America
The world of King Lear, as Shakespeare wrote it, is set in a long-ago
England: Isaac Asimov places the best guess at about 800 B.C., long before
the Romans, or Christianity, came to Britain. Many productions tend to set
the play in this dim historical time, but every director who stages the play
must make decisions about how the setting will heighten or enhance some
element of the drama.
Director Lisa Peterson says, as she prepared to direct Lear, that she wanted to
find a way that the audience could see themselves in the play. To this end,
she was interested in finding an American vernacular that paralleled the
experience of the characters in Lear, perhaps “a time in the twentieth century
when we were on the verge, as a country, of chaos.” Lear shows us an
elegant and civilized country and family that tears itself apart to nothing –
was there a similar moment in American history that might illuminate this story?
Peterson came up with the time of just before the Great Depression, when this country’s economy collapsed and
left much of the population ruined. However, she warns, this is not “the flapper 20’s, the fun 20’s… I’m
thinking about a darker moment when the economic pressures of the haves and the have-nots are… pushing
against each other… and something’s about to break.” By setting the play around 1929 for an American
audience, she hoped to find a way for the audience to be able to see themselves in the play.
Another familiar element for Shakespeare’s audiences was the character of Mad Tom, who was a type familiar to
English audiences of the time (see The Crazy Onion, page 16.) In Lisa’s words, this “lunatic beggar… was not
a sweet character, he was not a fun character; he was representing something to be feared… he was coming at
you asking for money - he had nothing and you had something and he wanted something.” Peterson remarks that
this culture of begging continues in many American cities today and reinforced her thinking about the economic
realities of Lear, between those who have something and those who do not, and many of the characters’ journeys
between those two states.
As you watch the play, look for things in the play that you might see
in today’s world, and see if you can tell what the director might have
wanted you to notice about them.
Peterson says that the play King Lear “looks over the edge into a
place where all civilization disappears – and closes its eyes and
jumps into it”.
ENGLAND
AMERICA
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I am a very foolish fond old man,
Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less;
And, to deal plainly,
I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
King Lear, 4. 7
Men must endure
Their going hence, even as their coming hither;
Ripeness is all.
King Lear, 5. 2
I am a man
More sinned against than sinning.
King Lear, 3. 2
Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound
Upon a wheel of fire.
King Lear, 4. 7
'Tis the infirmity of his age: yet he hath ever
but slenderly known himself.
King Lear, 1. 1
How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is
To have a thankless child!
King Lear 1.1
You are a soul in heaven,
But I am in hell.
His age is the trouble.
He doesn’t know what he’s doing.
But then he has always lacked self-control.
I am a very foolish old man,
over 80 years old;
and to tell you frankly,
I’m afraid I’m not in my right mind.
People must endure
Dying just as they do being born.
Being prepared for it is what matters.
Having an ungrateful child is more
painful than being bitten by a snake.
I am a man who has had more evil acts
done against me than I ever committed
against others.
The English language continues to grow and change in response to current interests
and culture. You may be interested in other comparisons between modern language
and Shakespeare’s speech. Take a look at Shakespeare and Hip Hop:
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3656/
SHAKESPEARE’S LANGUAGE: Lost in Translation?
When asked the number one challenge with Shakespeare’s works, modern day audiences will almost always
respond “the language.” It’s true that the language does sound a bit different to our ears. And he uses phrases
that we no longer use in our everyday speech. But think of this: there are phrases that we use today that would
baffle Shakespeare, should he mysteriously time travel to this day and age. That’s because language is
constantly transforming.
Here are some original quotes from King Lear. Can you match them to their modern-day translations?
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PEELING THE ONION: Lear’s Losses
Think about what is taken from him and what Lear gives up. How much do Lear’s choices influence his
situation?
For more on these ideas, see Peeling the Onion: Empathy Through Personal Connections in the Classroom Activities Guide.
1. KINGDOM
Lear gives his land away
to his daughters. 2. CORDELIA
Lear disowns the daughter
he says he loved the most. 3. SUPPORT
Lear banishes Kent, one of his
most faithful advisors.
4. GONERIL’S SHELTER
Lear is turned away with his
riotous knights.
5. RETINUE of KNIGHTS
Lear’s knights are dismissed
by Goneril and Regan.
6. DAUGHTERS’ OBEDIANCE
Lear leaves because Regan and
Goneril will not let him keep knights.
7. ANY SHELTER
Lear goes into the storm.
8. SANITY
Lear rages at the storm and
plays at being king. 9. FREEDOM
Lear is taken prisoner
in the war.
10. FAMILY
Lear’s daughters are all dead. 11. COMPANIONSHIP
The Fool is dead.
12. LIFE
Lear dies.
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INSIDE THE ONION: Why Do We Act as We Do?
A big part of the actor’s job when beginning work on a play is to figure out why the character does what he or
she does. People in real life mostly act according to a powerful desire or strong feeling that they have, and they
usually have a very good reason for doing what they do. This is not to say that what someone does is always
justified – they may do bad or evil things or simply make mistakes – but they are strongly motivated to do it. An
actor’s job is to find a strong reason why their character does what they do in the play.
Here are some questions to try and understand some motivations (reasons why we do what we do). The quoted
text will give you some clues (but remember there are many more in the play than these!).
1. Why is Lear so angry at the beginning of the play? With only the slightest hesitation, he disowns his most
loved daughter.
Lear: 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 give
Her father’s heart from her!
2. Why does Edmund decide to become a villain and betray his father and
brother?
Edmund: Why bastard? Wherefore base?
When my dimensions are as well compact,
My mind as generous, and my shape as true,
As honest madam’s issue? Why brand they us
With base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base?
3. Why do Goneril and Regan refuse their father shelter and his retinue of the hundred knights?
Goneril: I think our father will hence tonight.
Regan: That’s most certain, and with you; next month with us.
Goneril: You see how full of changes his age is… he always loved our sister most; and with what poor judgement he hath
now cast her off appears too grossly.
Regan: ‘Tis the infirmity of his age…such unconstant starts are we like to have from him as this of Kent’s banishment.
Goneril: Pray you, let us hit together; if our father carry authority with such disposition as he bears, this last surrender of
his will but offend us.
Remember, however, that these quotes are only part of a very long play. The characters say and do many other
things that will continue to give you clues as you think about why a character does what they do.
“One theory I came up with for explaining the King’s mood in the first scene
was the death of the Queen – Queen Lear. Not a character who normally
features. There must have been one.”
-Nigel Hawthorne, Straight Face, 2002
Teacher’s Guide
King Lear 2007
18
THE SWEET AND BITTER ONION: The Fool
The tradition of fools and jesters in royal
courts is as old as royalty itself. When we
think of the jester, we often think of a person
dressed in many bright colors, with a pointed
hat with bells, and indeed, this traditional
European court fool was very much in favor
during Shakespeare’s time. Elizabeth I and
James I, the rulers during Shakespeare’s
lifetime, had favorite fools that were much
admired and celebrated.
However, a fool was not just an entertainer in
the court, although most had some
performance skill such as singing, playing an
instrument, dance or athletics. The fool,
above all, had the king’s ear, and was
allowed, by virtue of his role as a joker, to
actually tell the king the truth. He was the opposite of a “yes-man”, and was able to give the king advice,
defuse a potentially violent or difficult situation through his humor, and tell the king not what he wanted to
hear, but what he needed to know. Through all, the fool was protected by the status of his wit and entertainment
value.
MODERN DAY FOOLS?
Since we don’t have royalty or fools around in our country today, it is difficult to imagine that sort of person or
role. But we do know who the class clown is, and we know the person in our lives who can always make us
laugh no matter how bad we feel.
The Jim Carrey film “Liar, Liar” has a classic example of a fool/king relationship. Jim Carrey plays a lawyer
who usually lies, but is compelled through a magical wish to only tell the truth. Asked to tell his boss what he
thinks of him, Carrey is forced to say the worst things he truly thinks. Amazingly, the boss laughs and laughs,
thinking it excellent that someone had the courage to stand up to him, and asks Carrey to go around the room
and tell the awful truth about everyone there; which he does, and promptly receives a promotion.
A modern day “roast” is also a continuation of this tradition: a large dinner is served in honor of a man of many
achievements, and often comedians are hired to make fun of the man being honored by talking about his worst
faults or habits.
“Get a Cordelia you can carry and watch your Fool!”
-Donald Wofit’s oft-repeated advice on playing King Lear
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King Lear 2007
19
THROUGH THE ONION: Blindness and Sight
In King Lear, Shakespeare uses the following words: “see” 46 times,
“eyes” 36 times, “eye” 10 times, “sight” 9 times, “eyeless” 6 times, and
“blind” 5 times. Shakespeare tends to repeat words in his plays that
illustrate the ideas he is exploring, and it is clear simply statistically that
Shakespeare is fascinated with the concept of seeing, both literally and
metaphorically.
For instance, in the metaphorical sense, we might think to ourselves:
why wouldn’t Lear just say, “Wow, I’ve made a terrible mistake, I must
act differently”? But, there are only rare moments of self-reflection, and
even rarer of self-criticism. He does not seem to see himself. And, as we see most obviously in the first scene of
the play, he does not see Cordelia's real love for him as opposed to her sisters’ professed affection.
It is interesting to note that in the storm Lear is in the company of Kent, Edgar, and the Fool, who are good and
loyal men. Even though Kent and Edgar are disguised, Lear is surrounded by faithfulness, humor, truth and
honor – but he cannot recognize them. So it is not the world that lacks goodness, but rather the king’s inability
to see it. Therefore comes madness. Since Lear cannot understand what is happening to him, he appears to
break rather than bend.
Now, to consider blindness in the literal sense, Gloucester is the character who has his actual eyes put out, and
must rely on his other senses to try and understand the nature of the world around him. This is one of the most
violent scenes in all of Shakespeare (and for a while this scene along with much of the other tragedy in the play
was simply cut out). Many critics see in this scene that the author is driving home through the literal blindness
the idea of the absolute importance of being able to see situations clearly and make wise judgments and the
consequences of not “seeing” the truth.
Try the exercise below and see how not being able to see affects the way you try to communicate with another
person.
“Blind” Drawing
Materials:
Drawing paper and various kinds of markers, crayons, pencils, etc.
How to Play:
Choose partners and sit back to back. Player A draws a picture of anything he or she wishes. This picture can
be abstract or specific, but encourage the players to use many kinds and colors of markers. When Player A has
finished, their task is to describe to Player B exactly how to draw their picture on their side to recreate A’s
picture. A may use any kind of words or descriptions to communicate, but they may not turn around and show
B anything visually (using gestures, draw in the air, etc.). When B thinks they have completed the picture
accurately, the partners turn around and reveal A’s original picture.
Talk about the results: Did you have misunderstandings? How much did you trust what your partner was
saying? What is your reaction to not being able to see what you were trying to do? Did you think of ways to
communicate to overcome the difficulties of not being able to see?
Teacher’s Guide
King Lear 2007
20
THE AGED ONION: “I am a foolish fond old man”
King Lear brings up many issues about elderly people. He is over 80 years old, he says, which in both the time
the play is set and in Shakespeare’s time was quite old indeed. What should people do when they are too old to
work or even function very well physically or mentally?
The question in our society is coming up more and more as our life expectancy keeps getting longer, and people
are faced with a much longer period in which they might not be able to contribute well to others or even take care
of themselves.
Elderly people in the Eskimo culture, it has been said, were put on an ice floe and sent to sea to die. Many claim
this is only a myth, but it is true that in very harsh living conditions such as the Eskimos faced, the very old
might have been put to death simply so the rest of the tribe could survive. The Japanese culture has a tradition
of filial piety: the obligation of children to take care of the elderly parents till their natural death to repay the debt
of raising them, and ancestor worship: that the old and dead must be respected for their wisdom and experience.
What do you feel we should do about the elderly in our society? Should they be turned out? Should they be
revered and honored among the young until they die? Should they be allowed to live at home, or put into a
nursing home until the end of their lives?
How would you feel if someone was making these decisions for you?
Think about when a king or leader might “go mad”. What might cause that to happen? We think of Alzheimer’s
disease today, where people can no longer remember their past or their loved ones or even what happened a few
minutes ago – what to do if this person used to run the affairs of the country? Or the family? Who should make
decisions for the older person if they cannot think rationally?
Psychologists specializing in elder care identify the following four major categories of needs: Income maintenance (enough money to live on)
Health Housing
Interpersonal relations (friends and family)
Which of these does Lear have? Does he still have them at the end of the play?
For more on these ideas, see Oral History Project: Lear and Old Age in the Classroom Activities Guide.
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King Lear 2007
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WHAT IS THE ONION: Identity and Disguise
Kent and Edgar both adopt disguises during the play. If you are thinking how in the world Lear could not have
recognized Kent when he (almost immediately) shows up disguised as Caius, and how Edgar could possibly
deceive his own father and others, think about what “identity” meant in Shakespeare’s time. Clothes were
considered to be the definition of the person and the person was defined by social status. Your social standing
was your identity. Therefore to change one’s clothes was to clearly and definitively change one’s identity.
Of course there is always the internal or emotional idea of what
one’s own identity is, and Lear is the one who must somehow
change in reaction to everything that happens to him in this play.
Some make the argument that the cause of Lear’s blindness to the
true nature of his daughters and to his own mistakes is that he is
desperately clinging to his idea of his identity – great man, loved
father, benevolent king. The sudden wrath he disproportionately
displays toward Cordelia and Kent can be justified if Lear strongly
feels that any questioning of his decisions might destroy his idea of
who he is, and consequently, his very self.
The number of times he says, “let me not be mad” might point to this; in other words, “let me not be other than
what I want myself to be”. This is also reflected in the idea of his clothing – he tears off most of his clothes
when he is mad, therefore showing the audience particularly that his identity was leaving him. At the end of the
play as well, Lear asks the men around him, “Pray you, undo this button” the moment before he dies.
Think about that common question: What do you want to be when you grow up? Your answer will be based on
some idea you have of yourself, or who you want yourself to be. Lear will apparently never let go of that idea
of who he should be – even when everything is taken from him.
Think about what clothes mean today.
Is what people wear important?
Do your clothes say something about who you are? Who others are?
Do you think clothes should affect how others think of you or not?
Image: St. Mark’s Square, Carnival Masks. http://procorbis.com
“Frankly Lear is an easy part, one of the easiest parts in Shakespeare… We can all play it.
It is simply bang straight-forward.”
-Laurence Olivier, On Acting, 1986)
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King Lear 2007
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THE CRAZY ONION: Insanity
“Tom o’ Bedlam”, “poor Tom” and “mad Tom”, are all
ways Edgar refers to himself in his disguise as an insane
man. This name comes from the infamous Bethlehem
Hospital in London, which was founded in 1247 as the first
hospital for the mentally disturbed. This hospital,
commonly called Bedlam, became known for its inhumane
conditions and as a place of chaos, filth, and derangement
where the madmen were chained up and nobles could even
come and watch for their entertainment. “Tom o’ Bedlam”
became a catchphrase in Shakespeare’s time for any
seemingly insane person. Today if someone says “it’s
bedlam in here”, they mean a noisy, chaotic environment.
In Act III, Lear is definitely changing. From saying “Let
me not be mad” in the first act, he now gives in to an assortment of caprices that his tortured mind comes up
with. He mocks the traditions of the king by stripping off his rich clothing and crowning himself with flowers.
By suffering his tremendous losses of fortune, his mind seems to snap. When Lear meets Mad Tom, he gives in
to what he now believes to be the truth – that there is no sense, no sanity, no identity to be had in the world
anymore – saying “Is man no more than this?”
In the Renaissance, a traditional model of understanding human behavior was based on the four “humors”, or
bodily fluids. If one had too much of a particular humor, it was expected that he or she would display certain
qualities: too much anger or sadness, for example. (See The Moody Onion, page 23, for a detailed
explanation of the four humours.)
But also in the Renaissance, madness and divine inspiration were also closely tied, and it seems that Lear must
go through intense suffering, perhaps of madness, (“bound to a wheel of fire”) to come to some new
understanding of himself and others.
What about today? Do you think madness can serve as a means for people to realize a fundamental truth about
themselves or the world? Or is madness only a chemical reaction or “imbalance” of our physical and chemical
selves and therefore devoid of meaning?
Image: The Rake's Progress: Scene in Bedlam by William Hogarth. http://pro.corbis.com
“Every night I referred to it as… ‘climbing Everest’ … and there was a real sense of the
verse and drama pulling you forward with great compulsion and urgency. After each
performance I would feel drained and exhausted. With Lear there was a physical
weariness that was similar to the feebleness one experiences after extreme exercise.”
-Ian Holm, Acting My Life, 2004
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King Lear 2007
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THE MOODY ONION: The Four Humours
You might come across the word “humour” in some form in Shakespeare’s writing -- it occurs about 140 times
across the plays. It does not mean “funny” however, as in our modern sense of the word (and in our American
spelling without the “u”.) The word “humour” describes the personality or mood of a character.
…you are altogether governed by humours.
- Lady Percy, Henry IV, Part I [III, 1]
In the Renaissance, a traditional model of understanding human behavior was based on the four “humors”, or
bodily fluids. If one had too much of a particular humor, they would display certain qualities:
Melancholy or black bile: sad, gloomy, sullen, depressed
“They say you are a melancholy fellow. [Jaques:] I am so, I do love it better than laughing.”
As You Like It, Act 4 sc. 1
Choler (choleric) or yellow bile: causes anger, rage and an excess of heat
“Go show your slaves how choleric you are… Must I stand and crouch/ Under your testy humour?”
Julius Caesar, Act 4 sc. 3
Blood (sanguine): optimistic, passionate, courageous
“In military rules, humours of blood, / He was the mark and glass, copy and book,/ That fashioned others.”
Henry IV Part II, Act 2 sc.3
Phlegm (phlegmatic): dull, indifferent, idle, apathetic
“I know you all, and will a while uphold/ The unyoked humour of your idleness.”
Henry IV Part I, Act 1 sc. 2
The idea of the four humours was developed out of a Greek model of medicine of close observation of blood
and other bodily fluids. This observation seemed to show four distinct compounds within the bodily fluid.
Having no diagnostic tools to work inside the body, they invented this model based on external observations.
They assigned a physical cause to certain emotional states, and then treated the physical cause. (The treatment
for too much choler, for instance, was to place the patient in a calm environment, put cool cloths upon their
body and in some cases, shave their heads so excess heat could be let off.)
Today we do not use the four humors as a model of our medicine, but we do base all of our medicine on
detailed scientific observations, always searching if there is a physical (chemical, electric, muscular, bacterial)
reason for our maladies.
But the idea of the humours has proved long-lasting. We still use these words today to describe a person’s
mood or character.
Look up each of the words in the list of humours above: melancholy, choleric, sanguine, and phlegmatic.
Do they mean today what they meant in Shakespeare’s time?
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King Lear 2007
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LEAR ON FILM
There are over 20 screen versions of King Lear, starting with two silent films made in 1909 in the US.
Interpretations span a wide range, from the 1934 Yiddish King Lear to Jean-Luc Godard’s experimental film
with Woody Allen and Peter Sellars as William Shakespeare, Junior the Fifth. These are a few of better-known
versions.
Classic Adaptations to Film:
King Lear 1953 USA
Directors: Andrew McCullough and Peter Brook, Lear: Orson Welles
King Lear 1974 USA New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp, producer
Director: Edward Sherin, James Earl Jones as Lear
This is a videotaped production of a live production of Lear performed outdoors, in the round, in Central Park.
It is excellent for conveying the immediacy of live theater.
King Lear 1984, UK
Director: Michael Elliott, Lear: Laurence Olivier
Modern Adaptations:
King of Texas 2002, USA
Director: Uli Edel, Lear: Patrick Stewart
Lear updated in modern language to 1840’s Texas, where
Lear is a wealthy landowner and his Fool a freed slave.
A Thousand Acres 1997, USA Rated R
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse, Lear/Larry: Jason Robards,
Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Lange
Set in the present day on a farm in Iowa, the story is told
from the point of view of the two older sisters and is
sympathetic to their motivations.
Global Interpretations of Lear:
Korol Lir 1971, USSR
Director: Grigori Kozintsev
King Lear 1971, Denmark/UK
Director: Peter Brook; Lear: Paul Scofield
Ran (Chaos) 1985, Japan
Director: Akira Kurosawa
ACTIVITIES:
Ask students to look at the opening
scenes of the King of Texas and the
Laurence Olivier film. What are the
differences? Similarities? Do they tell
the same story? Which one do you think
is more effective and why?
Ask students to come up with suggestions
for modern re-tellings of the story. What
style would they use (puppets, animation,
action film, Western)? Would you tell the
story from the point of view of another
character? How would that change the
story?
Does the story work when it is translated
to other cultures? How can another
culture inform the character of Lear?
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PEELING THE ONION:
EMPATHY THROUGH PERSONAL CONNECTIONS
The classroom leader should lead the students through this exercise verbally, using the provided text below.
Frame this as an imaginative exercise but using real life feelings.
ACTIVITY:
1. List eight things you really value or love most and that are truly important to you. They should not be in
any particular order. They can be material things, or emotional things, or people or animals, but it must
be something you honestly feel is a valuable part of your life.
2. Now go step by step in this exercise and allow yourself to answer the questions honestly.
3. What would you choose to give up? Write down three things from your list that you think you could do
without.
4. What do you think would be foolish to give up? Write down three things that you think you could not
live without.
5. Now we’re going to take away some random numbers. Cross off the thing next to the number as I call it
out.
6. Take away number 7.
7. Take away number 1.
8. Take away number 4.
9. Write down your first reaction to losing these things. Does your feeling match what you predicted you
could or could not lose?
10. Now take away numbers 2, 8, 3, 5, 6.
11. How do you feel?
12. Is there something you lost that you didn’t think you would miss?
13. Do you regret any of your choices?
14. Do you feel you could survive without all of these things? What would help you to do that?
15. If you could have one thing back, what would you choose?
REFLECTION:
After completing this exercise on paper, ask the students to reflect on their experiences. Do not ask the
students to share their personal choices unless they are willing. Using more general questions will help
them share without having to reveal anything specific, such as:
- How did it feel when everything was taken away?
- How was it when you could choose one thing to get back?
Now ask the students to list the things Lear loses in the play.
- Can you see any times in the play when King Lear expressed the same kinds of feelings that you
described? Did he have different reactions?
- Are you more sympathetic to Lear's situation?
- Which thing do you think Lear would choose to have back? Why?
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PEELING THE ONION: PERSONAL CONNECTIONS WORKSHEET
1. __________________
2. __________________
3. __________________
4. __________________
5. __________________
6. __________________
7. __________________
8. __________________
3 things I would give up: ______________, _________________, ______________
3 things that would be foolish to give up: ______________, _________________, ______________
I have lost 3 random things: how do I feel? Do I feel like I thought I would?
I have lost all the things. How do I feel?
Is there something I lost that I didn’t think I would miss (but I do)?
Do I regret any of my choices about what I thought wasn’t as valuable?
Do I feel I could survive without all of these things? Why or why not?
If I could have one thing back, which would it be?
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King Lear 2007
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TO LOVE HONOR AND OBEY (ONE’S PARENTS!)
Plays/Scenes Covered
King Lear This lesson could also be easily adapted for use with Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's
Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, or any play that deals with issues of filial obedience or family loyalty.
What’s On for Today and Why
This lesson will encourage students to think about parent-child tensions regarding obedience and
communication, in order to understand the conflicts in the opening scene of King Lear.
This lesson takes one to two class periods.
What To Do
1. Divide students into pairs and give them the following questions to answer and discuss: Do you ever tell your
parents what you know they want to hear? Ask students to jot down examples. Have you ever gotten in trouble
for telling the truth to your parents? Again, jot down examples.
2. In pairs or as a whole class, have students imagine how parent-child relations might have been different in
Shakespeare's day.
3. Give students copies of the handout, an excerpt from Charles Gibbon's 1591 book A Work Worth the
Reading. These pages will give students an idea of the deportment expected of children over four hundred years
ago.
4. In pairs or as a whole class, discuss ways in which expectations for children's obedience were different in
Shakespeare's day.
5. Read Act 1.1.37-155 from King Lear. Prompt discussion about whether Lear's reaction to Cordelia's response
seems fair.
6. Ask students to write a note of consolation to Cordelia. If they need writing prompts, try: "Dear Cordelia, I
know how you feel. One time I (or my parents)..." or "Dear Cordelia, This is what I think you should do."
7. As a possible homework assignment, have students bring in a contemporary song that expresses some aspect
of Cordelia's plight.
What You Need
Youth-friendly edition of King Lear, such as New Folger or Oxford School
Documents:
Copies of the primary source handout, A Work Worth the Reading; http://www.folger.edu/documents/tolove.pdf
How Did It Go?
Did the students sympathize with Cordelia's plight? Were they surprised about the ways parents were expected
to control their children in the late sixteenth century? Did the themes of the play strike a chord with the
students?
-From Susan O’Connell. http://www.folger.edu/index.cfm
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King Lear 2007
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STATUS ONE THROUGH TEN (page 1 of 2)
“Status” is a specific way of defining a person’s position relative to others. It is useful for an actor to realize
levels of status behaviors and recognize them in others; it is particularly useful for understanding Shakespeare,
where the class that one was in was not a matter of choice, and specific behaviors were codified for members of
higher or lower status to relate to each other. For instance, in Edwardian English households of the early 20th
century, servants had to turn their faces to the wall whenever a member of the family that they served happened
to pass by. Many people, servants or not, were not even allowed to look directly at the King of England at
certain times in English history. Even today there is a strict protocol of behaviors one must observe while in the
presence of Queen Elizabeth II.
Materials:
Index cards labeled 1-10, or use playing cards 1-8, plus the Queen and King.
If you have more than 10 students, use two or three of each number.
How to Play:
Have the students simply walk all around the room, changing directions frequently.
Describe certain behaviors of “high” and “low” status people, and have the students take on those behaviors.
“High” status behaviors:
Make direct eye contact and hold it
Have a straight back
Smooth controlled walking
Lifted chin
Calm expression
Arms are relaxed at the sides
“Low” status behaviors:
Make eye contact very briefly and look away
Slumped shoulders
Hesitant walking
Lowered chin
Many facial expressions
Arms are moving about, touching clothes or face or hair
After the students have practiced the behaviors, you may want to process the feelings that came along with
taking on these kinds of status. Focus on how you felt about others as well. Emphasize that status is simply one
way of looking at human behavior.
Now give each student a card labeled with a number between one and 10. Do not allow the student to see what
number card he or she has. Instead, each student will hold the card, for instance, on the forehead, so that
everyone else in the class besides the student can see the number. Ask the students to mill about the room as
they did before, but now they will treat each person according to their number. 10 is high and 1 is low. For
instance, if a student sees a person with a 10 (or a King or a Queen), they should treat that person as if they have
very high status – i.e., show that person low status behaviors. The person who is being shown their status
should take on those behaviors.
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STATUS ONE THROUGH TEN (page 2 of 2)
Call Stop or Freeze. Students (still not allowed to look at their cards) must now put themselves in a line from 1-
10 according to where they think they belong on the status continuum. Once everyone is in line, reveal the
cards.
REFLECTION: Was it clear what status you were? Did you meet people of similar status – how did you
know? Did you end up in about the right place in the line? Why or why not?
Name the different characters in King Lear and put them in the order of their status. Does it change throughout
the play?
FURTHER REFLECTION: Do you recognize these behaviors from life? Can you name certain characters in
movies or certain actors that play one status or another? (Keanu Reeves plays very high in The Matrix and
extremely low in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.) Which kind of status behavior lends itself to drama or
comedy?
“No one’s allowed to sit down unless you’re a king.”
-a character describing her short career as a Shakespearian actress
in George S. Kaufman’s play The Solid Gold Cadillac
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AND WE ALL SIT DOWN: STATUS IN KING LEAR (page 1 of 2)
Plays/Scenes Covered
King Lear, Act 1
What’s On for Today and Why
Determining status is an important way for students to understand the relationship between characters. This
lesson plan uses two simple status games to allow students to explore the relationships between Lear, his three
daughters, and his court.
The lesson plan will take one class period.
What To Do
1. Students will need to have covered Act 1 before beginning this lesson. Prepare 35 slips of paper labeled 1–10.
Have each student draw a number out of a hat. Tell the students that the number 10 indicates high status, the
number 1 indicates low status, and the other numbers indicate gradations in between.
2. At the front of the room, establish the position for the head of a line. Then ask all the students, without
talking, to place themselves in the line according to their numerical status, with the 10's at the head of the line,
proceeding on down to the 1's. When the students are finished placing themselves, have them count off, starting
with the 10's, to reveal their status. The students should be surprised to discover that they have been fairly
accurate in determining their positions.
3. Discuss how and why the students lined up the way they did. What is status? How do you express status
without using language? How does status apply to daily life? Discuss jobs and careers and assign the status of
1-10 to specific jobs. Explore assigning numbers to different family members, and discuss these choices. A
discussion about status can get pretty lively, but see if you can engage your students in thinking about and
maybe even questioning the role that status plays in students' lives.
4. Ask five students to choose a character card, a 3 x 5 card with a character from King Lear written on it that
you have prepared prior to class. (See below for the list of characters.)
5. Tell the five students to imagine that they have been invited to a formal dinner. Brainstorm with the whole
class about how people are seated at a dinner table according to their rank or status. Who sits at the head and
foot of the table? Who sits next to whom for conversation and courtesy? Why would it be impolite of the host to
place enemies next to each other?
6. After this discussion of basic protocol, ask the five students to find their character's place at the table
according to their status. They should do this without speaking or asking questions. When they are finished,
discuss with the class where the guests are sitting and how the choices were made.
7. Collect the character cards, reshuffle, and choose five other students. Continue playing the dinner party game
until the last 10-15 minutes of class.
8. Then have the students write five things they learned about status and five things they learned about their
character. Assign a short character analysis of this character for homework.
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AND WE ALL SIT DOWN: STATUS IN KING LEAR (page 2 of 2)
Extension Activity:
Play the dinner party game at the end of key scenes or at the end of each act to allow the students to explore
how the characters in King Lear experience shifts in status. Then ask the students to write a longer essay in
which they explore how shifts in status affect character development throughout the play.
What You Need
New Folger edition King Lear
Strips of paper numbered 1–10 and a hat
3x5 character cards: King Lear, Goneril, Albany, Regan, Cornwall, Burgundy,
Cordelia, King of France, Kent, Gloucester, Edgar, Edmund, Fool, Oswald
How Did It Go?
Did this lesson plan get your students thinking about the role that status plays in fiction and in real life? Were
they able to discover how status relates to the relationship between the characters of the play? How well did
they incorporate their discoveries about status in an analysis of a character in King Lear?
- From Kathy Dobronyi. http://www.folger.edu/index.cfm
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BLIND OBSTACLE COURSE
Here is a variation on the Blind Drawing Activity seen on page 19. This is fun to try in a large space, with
many objects that can be used to create an “obstacle course”. This is for an adventurous group that has the
ability to work with a lot of noise.
Goal: to guide a blind partner safely through a maze of obstacles.
Materials: A large open room, and many different sized objects (desks, chairs, books, etc.) that will not be
dangerous to step on or touch to use to create the obstacle course.
How to Play:
First, safety is paramount. Establish a signal that will indicate an immediate Freeze to every participant if
necessary. For this game, a very loud sound works best – a crash on a cymbal or piano, or even a dustpan, for
instance.
Have the students pair up, and decide who is Partner A and who is B.
The pairs will then stand opposite each other across the room – so all the A’s are on one side of the room
standing directly opposite from their Partner B on the other side. The B’s will close their eyes and the A’s will
use any available materials in the room – desks, chairs, backpacks, etc. to create a difficult passage across the
room. B’s keep their eyes closed. (You may wish to use blindfolds if they are available; older students
generally can stick to the “eyes stay closed” rule in the spirit of the game.)
On the leader’s command, the A’s will begin to call out instructions to their partners to get them to move
through the course. They may say anything they wish to help their partner. B’s may also talk but their primary
job is to listen and respond.
Once the partner B reaches A, they may open their eyes and survey the course they just traveled.
You may play again reversing the roles of A and B. They will have learned a lot from the first time through.
Coaching for this game: Emphasize this is not a race, but is about communicating clearly. Encourage the A’s
to be excellent leaders, putting the emphasis on creating safety for and trust in their partners. Encourage the B’s
to communicate with body language and for the A’s to be good observers of that language and adjust their
leading style accordingly.
Talk about the results: Did you have misunderstandings? How much did you trust what your partner was
saying? What is your reaction to not being able to see what you were trying to do? Did you think of ways to
communicate to overcome the difficulties built into this game?
REFLECTION:
- What kind of communication problems did Lear have with his daughters?
- Why do you think this happened? (For example, were problems caused by the fact that he was a king and
expected to have everything go his way without listening to anyone else? Or because daughters in that time
weren't allowed to express their opinions? What else?
- What can a person do to communicate better with friends and family? Did Lear do any of those things?
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“DEAR REGAN”
Plays/Scenes Covered
King Lear 1.1-5
What’s On for Today and Why
By the time students have finished reading the first act of King Lear, they have been exposed to many of the
interesting dynamics in the Lear family. The discussion and writing activities contained in this lesson will
encourage students to understand that each character in the play has a distinct point of view. The lesson will
also stress that it is necessary to look carefully at the interaction between two characters before labeling one as
the "bad guy" and one as the "good guy" in the relationship.
What To Do
1. After students have finished reading the first act of King Lear, begin a class discussion in which the students
explore how Goneril feels about what has been happening with her father. What has Lear done to make her
upset? How does she make her feelings known to the servant Oswald? Then explore Lear's feelings. Why has he
acted this way? What have the characters in the play done to make Lear feel welcome or unwelcome?
2. Break students into groups of four and have each small group examine Lear's attitude toward Goneril and her
servants and Goneril's attitude toward Lear and his knights. Make sure that the students find quotations from the
play to support their ideas. Each group should try to cite at least three quotations per character.
3. Each group will then create a packet of four letters to and from Goneril, Regan, and Lear. The letters must be
at least three and no more than five paragraphs in length, and must use lines from the text to justify the students'
interpretation of the characters’ actions. (If you have block scheduling, these activities will be easily
accomplished in a class period. If you do not, you may want to assign the letter writing for homework.)
*One student is responsible for writing a letter from Goneril to Regan telling Regan what has happened with
Lear, and what she has done about it.
**Another will write a letter from Lear to Regan complaining about his treatment at Goneril's castle.
***A third student will write a letter from Regan to Goneril responding to what she’s heard about the situation.
****The last student will write a letter from Regan to Lear.
4. Each group will present their packet of letters out loud to the rest of the class and justify their opinions about
the characters’ attitudes as expressed in the letters.
What You Need
Youth-friendly edition of King Lear, such as New Folger or Oxford School
How Did It Go?
Were your students able to discover differences in the interpretation of characters and motivations expressed in
each packet of letters? Were they able to see definite personality traits and family dynamics emerge in the first
act of the play? Based on this exploration of the text, what do your students anticipate will happen in the rest of
the play to Lear? To Goneril? To Regan? And based on their new understanding of the personalities within
Lear's family, can the students anticipate any parallels between the actions of the Lear and the Gloucester
families?
-From Judith Mayersmith. http://www.folger.edu/index.cfm
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PEOPLE PICTURES
Participants will use pictures as inspiration in creating characters, and interact with others as their characters.
They will try to determine which picture the other participants used for their inspiration after interacting with
them.
You might try this activity before you even begin discussing King Lear and use pictures that are of the
characters or very like the characters in the play. Without the initial burden of pre-conceived ideas about the
text and the always-implied “great literature” shadow of Shakespeare, fresh discoveries about the personalities
in the play might be made.
Materials: Gather pictures of people, at least as many as there are participants.
Notes on Pictures: Get a wide variety of people in settings and attitudes that lend themselves to the
imagination. (It is better to not have celebrities the students will know.)
How to Play: Participants spread themselves out in the room, so that each person has enough space to think
without distractions. The leader passes out a picture to each participant, explaining, "DO NOT let anyone else,
even me, see your picture. You have three minutes to look at the person in your picture and become that person.
Decide what kind of personality he or she has, how old the person is, what kind of life they lead, etc. Use the
picture to help you decide - are there details about the person's clothes, their surroundings, their face which give
you ideas? Try to create a "story" for this person, as well as a voice, mannerisms, attitude. All of your characters
will attend a party at the end of the three minutes." The participants should not talk to one another before the
three minutes are up. At the end of the three minutes, the participants hand in their pictures. As soon as they
hand in the picture, they transform into their character. The leader should explain that they need to talk to the
other characters, as if they are at a party. The participants should attempt to talk to everyone else, and try to
remember things about the other characters. The party lasts five to ten minutes, depending on the number of
participants. At the end of this time, the leader asks everyone to discard their characters and become themselves.
The leader then shows the participants the pictures that were used, and asks the group to identify whose
character matches with the picture. (Don't tell the participants that this will happen ahead of time. The
temptation of "fooling" everyone is too great to resist for some people, and these people will purposefully make
their character unlike their picture if they know there will be guessing.)
Reflection:
Start a discussion about the game with your students by asking the following:
- How did you feel when you were being your character?
- Did you find out more about your character by the way others treated you? What specifically?
- Were you drawn to anyone at the party? Why?
- Did you want to avoid certain people? Why?
If your students have not read the play, you might want to write down their answers and save the pictures to
connect to when you begin formal study of Lear. If your students are familiar with the play, you could ask:
- Did any of these people at this party remind you of the characters in Lear?
- Which character do you think you were?
- Now that you have an idea of which character you were playing in this game, did you find out anything
about them that surprised you? For instance, if you were Goneril, did you find other parts to her
character than just being mean or evil?
- Did the relationships that happened at the party mirror the relationships in the play or were they
different?
- Adapted from www.creativedrama.com
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ORAL HISTORY PROJECT: LEAR AND OLD AGE (page 1 of 2)
Many first world countries are “aging”. That is, the number of older people is increasing faster than the number
of young people. Sometimes the generations have difficulty understanding each other. This activity can help
students “connect” with the elderly.
1. Each student finds one elderly person who is willing to be interviewed about his or her life. It can be a
family member, a friend of the family, or someone in a local nursing home, etc.
2. If the students have access to a video camera, it can be very informative to videotape the interview.
Otherwise, just tape record it.
3. Give students the interview question sheet (below) and go over the questions. Have them add some
questions of their own.
4. Discuss interview techniques with students: tell them to ask “open-ended” questions. Encourage the
students to get the older person talking a lot, rather than just giving short answers.
5. Each student completes an interview and writes a report summarizing the interview. If videotaped...class
can make a video montage of the interviewers most interesting answers. Otherwise students give oral reports to
the other students. We suggest you DO NOT use this as a graded written project, but as a way to get better
acquainted with an older person.
6. It’s fun to have a culminating activity: invite the elderly interviewees and the students’ parents to the
classroom to look at the video and reports and celebrate with cake and ice cream.
REFLECTION:
Ask the students the following questions to help deepen their understanding of the experience.
- Did interviewing an elderly person help you to understand what Lear was going through as he became
old and tired and worried about losing his mind? Why or why not?
- Did you find any similarities between your interview subject and Lear?
- Do you think Lear would like the person you interviewed? Would they get along? Why or why not?
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ORAL HISTORY PROJECT (page 2 of 2)
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Record the interview on a separate piece of paper.
Interviewer’s Name:
Interviewer’s Age:
Classroom Teacher’s Name:
Interviewee’s Name:
Interviewee’s Date of Birth:
Where born:
1. What was it like when you were my age? Describe:
* Food
* Clothes
* School
* Vacations
* Games
* Jobs
* Favorite activity
* Friends
* Family
2. What did your parents expect of you?
3. What did they do when you disobeyed or ignored them?
4. When you were my age, what gave people high status?
For example, did your family have to be rich?
Did you have to have certain clothes or be good at certain activities? What?
5. What is the biggest change you have seen in your lifetime?
6. What is the worst thing about getting older?
7. What is the best thing about getting older?
8. What advice would you give to a young person?
9. (Insert your questions here)
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YOU’RE THE CRITIC: CAL SHAKES PLAY CRITIQUE (Elementary and Middle School)
NAME: __________________________________
1. Circle the number of stars that best matches how you’d rate this performance. (One star is the lowest
rating and five stars is the best rating.) Then write a paragraph on the back of the paper that specifically
describes why you gave it that rating. Do not simply say “I didn’t like it”, but say why. For example, “I
didn’t like the fact that the director changed the setting to New York” or “I loved the way the actors
made me believe that they were really going to kill each other”.
2. Outline the main actions that happened in the plot (what were the big events in the story?)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
3. What is the central idea or theme of the play?
4. Describe what the actors did to help you understand the Shakespearean language.
5. What did you particularly like or dislike about the staging (set design, lights, costumes, music, etc.)?
6. Shakespeare writes about things that we all experience: Love, jealousy, death, anger, revenge, etc.
Write a paragraph (on the back) about one emotion in the play that relates to your own life at the
moment.
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YOU’RE THE CRITIC: CAL SHAKES PLAY CRITIQUE (Middle and High School)
Give this production a rating of 1 to 5 stars. (One star is the lowest rating and five stars is the highest.) On a
separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph review of the play. In other words, describe why you gave it that
rating. Give specific examples to support your reasons. On the same sheet of paper, reflect on the following
questions:
1. How would you describe the character of Lear?
2. Is Lear justified in his actions?
3. Did you sympathize with King Lear? Do you think you are meant to?
4. Think about and describe:
i. the vocal and physical actions of the actors (characterization)
ii. the set
iii. the costumes
5. What do you think are some of the themes of the play?
6. Did the elements of characterizations, set, and/or costumes reinforce any of these themes?
7. Shakespeare writes about things that we all experience: Love, jealousy, death, anger, revenge, etc. Write a
paragraph about one emotion in the play that relates to your own life at the moment.
Now, imagine you are the director of King Lear, and use a new sheet of paper to create your new production.
Cast the characters of Lear, Goneril, Regan, Cordelia, the Fool and Gloucester with famous
actors.
Would you set the play during the Great Depression in America as in this production? What
other setting could you place the play in that would make sense? Why?
How about costumes? Imagine how the characters in your new production would be dressed that
would illustrate the kinds of characters they are and what setting you have put the play in.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Teaching Shakespeare:
www.folger.edu
www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/
http://parallel.park.uga.edu/Courses/F97/433G/group5/page.html
Davis, James E., ed. Teaching Shakespeare Today: Practical Approaches and Productive Strategies. Urbana,
Ill: National Council of Teachers of English, 1993.
Crystal, David, and Crystal, Ben. The Shakespeare Miscellany. The Overlook Press, Peter Mayer Publishers,
Inc. Woodstock and New York, 2005.
Crystal, David, and Crystal, Ben. Shakespeare’s Words: A Glossary and Language Companion. Penguin
Books, The Penguin Group. London, 2002.
Papp, Joseph and Elizabeth Kirkland. Shakespeare Alive! New York, New York: Bantam Books, 1988.
Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard. New York,
New York: Penguin Books, 1993
Asimov, Isaac. Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare. New York, New York: Random House, 1970.
Shakespeare for Elementary Students:
www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators//elementary
Bender, Michael. All the World’s a Stage: a Pop-Up Biography of William Shakespeare. San Francisco:
Chronicle Books, 1999.
Foster, Cass and Lynn G. Johnson. Shakespeare: To Teach or Not To Teach. Grades 3 and Up. Scottsdale,
AZ: Five Star Publications, 1992.
Garfield, Leon. Shakespeare Stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.
Morley, Jacqueline and John James. Shakespeare’s Theatre: the Inside Story. East Sussex, London: Simon
and Schuster Young Books, 1994.
Web Resources:
Tudor and Elizabethan Times: http://www.snaithprimary.eril.net/ttss.htm
Life in Elizabethan England: http://renaissance.dm.net/compendium/
Shakespeare Resource Center - Elizabethan England: http://www.bardweb.net/england.html
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CALIFORNIA CONTENT STANDARDS
This guide was created as a supplement for teachers preparing students to see the Cal Shakes production of Richard III.
Worksheets are designed to be used individually or in conjunction with others throughout the guide depending on time
and focus. While we recognize that no aspect of this guide fully outlines a course for meeting certain standards,
discussion questions and topics are devised to address certain aspects of California state content standards. Specific
English, History and Theater standards are listed below.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE STANDARDS
GRADES K-8
GRADE STANDARD READING
6
5
1.2
1.5
Vocabulary and Concept Development
Identify and interpret figurative language and words with multiple meanings
Understand and explain the figurative and metaphorical use of words in context
4-8
2.0
Comprehension and Analysis
Generate & respond to essential questions; make predictions; compare information in
age-appropriate text. Describe and connect essential ideas, arguments and perspectives.
5-8
2.3 Discern, connect and clarify main ideas and concepts in texts, and identify and assess
supporting evidence
4-8
3.0
Literary Response and Analysis
Read and respond to, increasingly complex literature. Distinguish between the structural
features of the text and the literary terms or elements (theme, plot, setting, characters).
Clarify ideas and connect them to other literary works.
7 3.3 Analyze characterization as delineated through character’s thoughts words, speech
patterns, and action; the narrator’s description; and the thoughts, words and actions of
other characters
5 3.4 Understand and recognize themes
8 3.4 Analyze the relevance of the setting (place, time, customs) to the mood, tone and
meaning of the text
7 3.6 Contrast points of view (1st & 3
rd person, limited and omniscient, subjective and
objective) in narrative text and explain how they affect the overall theme of the work
WRITING
Strategies
4 1.7 Use various reference materials as writing aids
Writing Applications
4-8 2.2-2.5 Write responses to literature that demonstrate careful reading and understanding of the
work. Draw inferences and support judgments.
4-8
2.0
Speaking Applications
Using speaking strategies in section 1.0, above, students make narrative presentations,
informational presentations, oral summaries, poems, soliloquies or dramatic dialogues
that establish situation, plot, point of view and setting. Show rather than tell.
8 2.2 Deliver oral responses to literature that interpret and provide insight. That connect the
students’ own responses to the writer’s techniques and specific textual references. Draw
supported inferences about the effects of a work on the audience.
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HISTORY-SOCIAL SCIENCE STANDARDS
GRADES K-8
GRADE STANDARD HISTORY-SOCIAL SCIENCE STANDARDS
6-8 Research, Evidence and Point of View:
1. Students frame questions that can be answered by historical study and research.
2. Students distinguish fact from opinion in historical narratives and stories
5. Students detect the different historical points of view and determine the context in which
the statements were made
ENGLISH LANGUAGE STANDARDS
GRADES 9-12
GRADE STANDARD READING
9-10
1.1
1.2
Vocabulary and Concept Development
Identify and use literal and figurative meanings of words and understand
word derivations
Distinguish between denotative and connotative meanings of words and
interpret the connotative power of words
Comprehension and Analysis
9-10
2.5
Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original
analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
9-12
9-10
3.0
3.4
Literary Response and Analysis
Read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of literature
that reflect and enhance their studies of history and social science. Students
conduct in-depth analyses of recurrent patterns and themes.
Determine characters’ traits by what the characters say about themselves in
narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy
9-10
3.11
Analyze recognized works of world literature:
Identify and describe the function of dialogue, scene designs, soliloquies,
asides, and character foils in dramatic literature.
WRITING
Writing Applications
9-10
2.2
Write responses to literature:
a. Demonstrate comprehensive grasp of significant ideas of literary works.
b. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and detailed
references to the text or to other works.
c. Demonstrate awareness of author’s use of stylistic devices and an
appreciation of the effects created.
d. Identify and assess the impact of perceived ambiguities, nuances, and
complexities within the text.
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9-12
1.0
Listening and Speaking
Students formulate adroit judgments about oral communication. They
deliver focused and coherent presentations that convey clear and distinct
perspectives and solid reasoning. They use gestures, tone and vocabulary
tailored to the audience and purpose
9-10 1.14 Identify the aesthetic effects of a media presentation and evaluate the
techniques used to create them (e.g., compare Shakespeare’s Henry V with
Branagh’s film version)
Speaking Applications
11-12 2.3 Deliver oral responses to literature:
a. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the significant ideas of
literary works (make assertions about the text that are reasonable and
supportable).
b. Analyze the imagery, language, universal themes and unique aspects of
the text through the use of rhetorical strategies (narration, description,
persuasion, exposition, a combination).
c. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and detailed
references to the text or to other works.
d. Demonstrate an awareness of the author’s use of stylistic devices and an
appreciation of the effects created.
e. Identify and assess the impact of perceived ambiguities, nuances, and
complexities within the text.
11-12 2.5 Recite poems, selections from speeches, or dramatic soliloquies with
attention to performance details to achieve clarity, force, and aesthetic effect
and to demonstrate an understanding of the meaning (Hamlet’s soliloquy “to
be or not to be”).
HISTORY-SOCIAL SCIENCE STANDARDS
GRADES 9-12
GRADE STANDARD HISTORY-SOCIAL SCIENCE STANDARDS
9-12 Research, Evidence and Point of View:
Students frame questions that can be answered by historical study and research.
Students distinguish fact from opinion in historical narratives and stories
Students detect the different historical points of view and determine the context in which the
statements were made
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THEATER ARTS STANDARDS
GRADES K-12
GRADE STANDARD ARTISTIC PERCEPTION: Processing, Analyzing and Responding to Sensory Information
Through the Language and Skills Unique to Theater
4 1.0 Observe environment and respond, using the elements and vocabulary of theater
9-12 1.0 Use the vocabulary of theater, such as acting values, style, genre, design, and theme, to
describe theatrical experiences.
4 1.2 Identify a character’s objectives and motivations to explain the character’s behavior
8 1.2 Identify and analyze recurring themes and patterns (e.g., loyalty, bravery, revenge, redemption)
in a script to make production choices in design and direction
9-12 1.2 Document observations and perceptions of production elements, noting mood, pacing, and use
of space through class discussion and reflective writing.
GRADE STANDARD HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT: Understanding the Historical Contributions
and Cultural Dimensions of Theater
9-12 3.3 Identify key figures, works, and trends in world theatrical history from various cultures and
time periods
GRADE STANDARD AESTHETIC VALUING: Responding to, Analyzing, and Critiquing Theatrical Experiences
4 4.0 Critique and derive meaning from works of theater, film/video, electronic media and theatrical
artists on the basis of aesthetic qualities
5 4.0 Develop and apply appropriate criteria for critiquing the work of actors, directors, writers and
technical artists in theater, film, and video.
4 4.1 Develop and apply appropriate criteria or rubrics for critiquing performances as to
characterization, diction, pacing, gesture and movement
5-6 4.1 Develop and apply appropriate criteria for evaluating sets, lighting, costumes, makeup and
props.
7 4.1 Develop and apply appropriate criteria or rubrics for evaluating the effective use of masks,
puppetry, makeup, and costumes in a theatrical production
8 4.1 Develop criteria and write a formal review of a theatrical production
5 4.2 Identify examples of how theater, television and film can influence or be influenced by politics
and culture
7 4.2 Explain how cultural influences affect the content or meaning of works of theater
9-12 4.2 Report on how a specific actor used drama to convey meaning in his or her performances.
GRADE STANDARD CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, APPLICATIONS: Connecting and Applying What is
Learned in Theater, Film/Video, and Electronic Media to Other Art Forms and Subject Areas
and to Careers
4-12 5.0 Apply what they learn in theater, film/video, and electronic media across subject areas
