Quotes of

Interest

King Lear Seminar

First Quote:

• “No, Lear is easy. He’s like all the rest of us, really: he’s just a stupid old fart. He’s got a frightful temper. He’s completely selfish and utterly inconsiderate. He does not for a moment think of the consequences of what he has said. He is simply bad-tempered arrogance with a crown perched on top. He obviously wasn’t spanked by his mother often enough.”

- Sir Laurence Olivier

Valid

• “No, Lear is easy. He’s like all the rest of us, really: he’s just a stupid old fart. He’s got a frightful temper. He’s completely selfish and utterly inconsiderate. He does not for a moment think of the consequences of what he has said. He is simply bad-tempered arrogance with a crown perched on top. He obviously wasn’t spanked by his mother often enough.”

For example, when he banished Cordelia he is acting on emotions

“We are not the first / Who, with meaning, have incurred the worst. / For thee, oppressed king, am I cast down.” (V.iii.4-6)

Invalid

• “No, Lear is easy. He’s like all the rest of us, really: he’s just a stupid old fart. He’s got a frightful temper. He’s completely selfish and utterly inconsiderate. He does not for a moment think of the consequences of what he has said. He is simply bad-tempered arrogance with a crown perched on top. He obviously wasn’t spanked by his mother often enough.”

-Lear only appears to be deceptively simple because for the first half of the play, he is overtaken by his egomania

“Tell me, my daughters,/(Since now we will divest us both of rule,/Interest of territory, cares of state)/Which of you shall we say doth love us most/That we our largest bounty may extend/Where nature doth with merit challenge?” (I.i.47)

He tells his daughters to flatter him, and whoever does so the most, will receive the most territory

Connection to Plot

• Appearance over Reality

• “Which of you shall we say doth love us most” (I.i.53)

• Love

• “I am a very foolish old man…I fear I am not in perfect mind” (IV.vii.60-63)

• “No, Lear is easy. He’s like all the rest of us, really: he’s just a stupid old fart. He’s got a frightful temper. He’s completely selfish and utterly inconsiderate. He does not for a moment think of the consequences of what he has said. He is simply bad-tempered arrogance with a crown perched on top. He obviously wasn’t spanked by his mother often enough.”

Character

• These negative flaws are his undoing, just as they are the undoing of other characters in the play who posses them.

• Case Point: Edmund

Lear is a template of everything those in power should not be.

Despite this, those who search for power in Lear possess at least some of these traits

• “No, Lear is easy. He’s like all the rest of us, really: he’s just a stupid old fart. He’s got a frightful temper. He’s completely selfish and utterly inconsiderate. He does not for a moment think of the consequences of what he has said. He is simply bad-tempered arrogance with a crown perched on top. He obviously wasn’t spanked by his mother often enough.”

Sir Laurence Olivier- Relation to CharacterEdmund’s similar unbecoming traits to Lear:

• Completely Selfish• Utterly Inconsiderate• Egotistical• Wasn’t spanked by his mother often enough

Perhaps these are the characteristics that guide one to a desire for power and ruling

“A credulous father and a brother noble, who’s nature is so far from doing harms that he suspects none; on whose foolish honesty my practices ride easy. I see the business. Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit. All with me’s meet that I can fashion with it.”

(I, ii, 187-92) • “No, Lear is easy. He’s like all the rest of us, really: he’s just a stupid old fart. He’s got a frightful temper. He’s completely selfish and utterly inconsiderate. He does not for a moment think of the consequences of what he has said. He is simply bad-tempered arrogance with a crown perched on top. He obviously wasn’t spanked by his mother often enough.”

Theme

• “No, Lear is easy. He’s like all the rest of us, really: he’s just a stupid old fart. He’s got a frightful temper. He’s completely selfish and utterly inconsiderate. He does not for a moment think of the consequences of what he has said. He is simply bad-tempered arrogance with a crown perched on top. He obviously wasn’t spanked by his mother often enough.”

Second Quote:

• “All my life I have held that you can class people according to how they may be imagined behaving to King Lear.”

-Isak Dinesen

Validity• How one would go about conversing and acting around

King Lear speaks volumes to their personality and temperament.

• There are certain avenues of response one may choose when in the presence of an individual with a short temper, self appreciative values, and stubborn opinion.

These qualities are unfavourable in any person, and most would find Lear a detestable person

King Lear belittles others, appointing himself as their superior in every way, and harshly punishes those who speak against his will

“All my life I have held that you can class people according to how they may be imagined behaving to King Lear.”

• Those who behave defiantly before Lear are the same type of people who will hold to true to their values and stand up for what they believe in, despite the consequences.

Two options of behaviour before King Lear:

1) Submit to the Kings opinionto avoid punishment or gain favour, foregoing one’s values and becoming humble and servile (Ex., Goneril, Regan)

2) Stand against the King, refusing to be controlledand manipulated, to speak for yourself

(Ex., Cordelia, Kent)

“All my life I have held that you can class people according to how they may be imagined behaving to King Lear.”

Invalid

“All my life I have held that you can class people according to how they may be imagined behaving to King Lear.”

Connection to Plot• Throughout the play and plot advancement, we as an audience

base our opinions of characters and situations on how Lear reacts to them, and vice versa

• As an example, we find that Regan and Goneril are indeed evil characters, judging by the way they treat Lear at the beginning of the play, and how they treat him in the later scenes

• Act 1, Scene 1

• “Sir, I do love you more than words can wield the matter,/Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty,/Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare,/No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor,/As much as child e’er loved or father found-/A love that makes breath poor and speech unable./Beyond all manner of so much I love you” (I.i.54)

Connection to Plot (cont.)• Here, Goneril is describing her so-called “true love” to her father,

indicating that she loves him most, more than anyone else he knows, and that she is worthy of his land.

• Act 1, Scene 4

• “This admiration, sir, is much o’ th’ savor/Of other your new pranks. I do beseech you/To understand my purposes aright./As you are old and reverend, should be wise.” (I.iv.220)

• On the other hand, barely a few days after, she completely disgraces him, and begins to mistreat her, as if though she never bore any love for him. After this, Lear is furious with her, which indeed makes the audience realize that Goneril is a very malicious and wicked character.

• -On the other hand, when Lear respects other characters, they tend to be more influential and positive ones in the play, such as Kent (while disguised as a peasant: Caius)

• “I thank thee, fellow. Thou servest me, and I’ll love/thee” (I.iv. 76)

“All my life I have held that you can class people according to how they may be imagined behaving to King Lear.”

Connection to Characters

•“You must bear with me. Pray you now, forget/ and forgive. I am old and foolish”(IV.vii.84-85)

•“When he returns from hunting,/ I will not speak with him. Say I am sick” (I.iii.9-10)

“All my life I have held that you can class people according to how they may be imagined behaving to King Lear.”

Theme

“All my life I have held that you can class people according to how they may be imagined behaving to King Lear.”

Theme of justice

Gloucester: “As flies to wanton boys we are to the gods; / They kill us for their sport.”(IV.i.32-34)

Edgar: “The gods are just.” (V.iii.169)

This quote and the play both consider those who stand up for their beliefs to be virtuous

Third Quote:

• The last line of the play is unique in Shakespeare. All his other plays suggest an optimistic future; no matter how terrible the events that have passed, there is hope that they will not happen again. In Lear, the last line poses a question. Edgar says, “We that are young shall never see so much nor live so long,” and no one can give a simple explanation for this. It is loaded with inexplicable hints of tremendous meanings. It forces you to look at a young man, his eyes naturally on the future, who has lived through the most horrifying times.“

-Peter Brook

Valid

“The last line of the play is unique in Shakespeare. All his other plays suggest an optimistic future; no matter how terrible the events that have passed, there is hope that they will not happen again. In Lear, the last line poses a question. Edgar says, “We that are young shall never see so much nor live so long,” and no one can give a simple explanation for this. It is loaded with inexplicable hints of tremendous meanings. It forces you to look at a young man, his eyes naturally on the future, who has lived through the most horrifying times.

“The duty of youth is to challenge corruption” – Kurt Cobain

Invalid

“The last line of the play is unique in Shakespeare. All his other plays suggest an optimistic future; no matter how terrible the events that have passed, there is hope that they will not happen again. In Lear, the last line poses a question. Edgar says, “We that are young shall never see so much nor live so long,” and no one can give a simple explanation for this. It is loaded with inexplicable hints of tremendous meanings. It forces you to look at a young man, his eyes naturally on the future, who has lived through the most horrifying times.

May be interpreted as “We that are young shall never see so much and yet live so long”

This implies that Edgar is respecting those who have died, not looking to the future

“The oldest hath borne most; we that are young...”(V.iii.186)

Shows Edgar pointing again to the elder generation

Connection to plot

“The last line of the play is unique in Shakespeare. All his other plays suggest an optimistic future; no matter how terrible the events that have passed, there is hope that they will not happen again. In Lear, the last line poses a question. Edgar says, “We that are young shall never see so much nor live so long,” and no one can give a simple explanation for this. It is loaded with inexplicable hints of tremendous meanings. It forces you to look at a young man, his eyes naturally on the future, who has lived through the most horrifying times.

Character

“The last line of the play is unique in Shakespeare. All his other plays suggest an optimistic future; no matter how terrible the events that have passed, there is hope that they will not happen again. In Lear, the last line poses a question. Edgar says, “We that are young shall never see so much nor live so long,” and no one can give a simple explanation for this. It is loaded with inexplicable hints of tremendous meanings. It forces you to look at a young man, his eyes naturally on the future, who has lived through the most horrifying times.

The line demonstrates that Edgar does indeed respect the situation that the country is in, and would speak honestly, rather than say something that is expected from him

This also demonstrates that Edgar as a character, understands that a dark time is approaching, and that the future may not be as bright as he expected, and that he is ready to face it

Peter Brook- Relation to Theme

• The last line of the play is a theme of the play in itself

“We that are young shall never see so much nor live so long”-Edgar

Your actions affect not only your life but the lives of everyone around you.

If taken in a positive manner, it is a promise from Edgar.

“The tragic hero(es) takes others with him(them) on their descent.”

As a whole, the events that have taken place have rocked the entire country

of England, leaving the people without guidance.

END

By: Serena, Adam, Nikita, Jordan and Dev