Session 5

Act 3 scene 4
King Lear as a tragic hero acquire knowledge about 1-man
2- human nature
3- civilization
4- kingship
In his madness king Lear becomes aware of the social injustice that
befall the poor.
He becomes aware of the fact that his society is divided into 2 broad
social classes : - upper social class
-lower social class
Upper class leads a luxurious mode of living
Poor live in poverty .
The upper social class live in the social order live in the social order lead
civilized life live in civilized universe.
The life of the poor is similar to the life of man still living in the state of
nature
Poor lack the luxuries of civilization they live like animals “ poor naked
wretches” means the poor .
The poor don’t have the means (tools) in protecting themselves against
storms … they lack the borrowings of civilization that is why they are
reduced to the levels of animals.
Lear realize that the king should be aware of his subjects ( nation) take
care of the needs of his nation.
Line 39
He ask wealthy people to live the life of the poor, to be aware of the
needs of the poor thus they would help them.

Enter Edgar disguised as a mad ma and a bagger.

He pretended to be mad.
Line 76
King Lear describe his daughters as animals. This highlights the
animalistic nature of Lear’s two daughters.
His daughters behave as if they were still living in state of nature.
Therefore the two daughters have reduced the kingdom to the level of
jungle.
In this kingdom strong beats the weak. The daughters are strong
animals,a d Lear is weak.

Pelican→ kind of birds

Pelican mother feed its babies its flesh , the babies feeds on the
mother flesh .
The daughters have feasted on him this is how daughters reduced the
kingdom to the state of nature.
Line 86
Don’t be a false witness, don’t commit prostitution.
Edgar mention some of the 10 commandments . One of them is obey
your parents. The daughters disobeyed Lear.
Edgar is a noble person, never committed the 7 deadly sins or violated
the 10 commandments.
The king should be a Christian figure.
Last one of the 7 deadly sins voluptuousness.
He mentions these sins but he hasn’t committed any sins.
This highlights the nobility of Edgar’s character.
The king who takes over is a Christian figure who uphold the Christian
values and the values that king Lear believe in .
Line 110
King Lear , fool , Kent.
Lear is saying Edgar (bagger) owes nothing to civilization , he has
neither gorgeous clothes nor perfume. Civilized people wear perfume
and clothes.
Three of us (lear kent fool) are sophisticated civilized.
Uncivilized man is nothing but an animal .
In state of nature king Lear becomes aware of the difference between
state of nature and social order.
Act 3 scene 7
In this scene Regan and her husband Cornwell blind Gloucester
because he helped king Lear.
Gloucester is blind and ask a servant to take him to Dover where
Cordelia and her French army are .
Regan asks him why
He don’t want to see Regan blind her father .
Gloucester describe Regan and Goneril as animals .
The king is chosen by God , god images , Regan and Goneril didn’t
respect this image , they destroyed this image.
They blind Gloucester and one of Cornwell’s servants kills Cornwell.
Gloucester becomes blind line 85.
Gloucester line 103.
Gloucester think that Edmund is his good son who will revenge his
father from Regan and her husband but then he knew that Edmund is
evil.
Line 111
He ask for forgiveness for his sin that he disowned Edgar. Sin of
disowning Edgar, confess his sin before he dies, so he dies as a Christian
man.
He calls the gods to make Edgar succeed.
Act4 scene1
Line 18
EDGAR (in disguise) and Gloucester are in the heath
Edgar see Gloucester.
When Gloucester had his sight and was able to see physically he was
intellectually blind. He had his physical sight but he lacked to see the
truth. He couldn’t see the true nature of Edgar. He lacked vision , lacked
the insight of the nature of his sons.
When he could see physically he was bling intellectually. When he is
bling physically he could see intellectually.
He wasn’t able to see the truth when he had eyes.
Old man leave Gloucester and Edgar takes care of his father.
Line 35
He have some reason else be couldn’t beg.
Like king Lear Gloucester realize that a man stripped of civilization
becomes an animal.
Men are living at the mercy of God / fate
The gods are symbol of justice: punish the people for the sins.
Act4 scene 2
Albany: Gods are just (justice) establish justice on earth, evil doers are
punished by gods
Act 4 scene 6
Gloucester is taken care of by by Tom(Edgar)
Gloucester wants to kill himself he ask Edgar to take him to ghe edge of
the cliff to jump but Edgar takes to another place and tell him to jump
so he doesn’t die since Edgar don’t want him to die.
Gloucester is praying→ knelling
He forgive Edgar
Edgar change the way he is talking with his father and pretend to be an
peasant (poor farmer of low social status)

Enter Lear line 115

Lear gain knowledge that the world of kingship is world of hypocrisy
and flattery. The people around the king are hypocrites and flatterers.
King Lear is mad .
In his madness he becomes a wise person.
Schlegle ( German critic) says that madness in literature provides man
with an insight into the nature of things.
King Lear is mad → acquire
When he was sane he was not wise.
When he is mad he is wise .
Like Gloucester’s blindness.
Lear’s madness give himm a lot of knowledge -humans who could be
ferocious like animals.
- Kingship
- Difference between state of nature and social order.
They( people around him) told him that he was wise even though he
was young they were flatterers.
Gloucester and Lear meet
Gloucester say I know this voice ist it kibg Lear ?
Lear think he is judging a grouo of people and one committed adultery
he say that even wren (bird) commit adultery.
King Lear comes at the fact that people’s appearance does not reflect
the true nature of people.
The optimistic view of man : body reflect your real nature
A well integrated man have a body/ appearance that reflects his self /
nature.
His daughters violated the renaissance optimistic view of man they put
in masks. That’s why he was cheated.
These women pretend to be chased but the are animalistic.
Line 170
And the creature run from the….
King Lear is stripped from his power that’s why he is not obeyed.
A whore is whipped line 175
An allude to the the story of Mary Magdeline she was a prostitute
whose community wanted to stone her but Jesus forgave her.
King lear in his Madness allude to Mary Magdeline . Jesus forgave the
whore
Christianity the religion of forgiveness.
Line 180
King Lear is pointing to the difference between social classes.
The poor are punished for the sins , the rich are not.
His society lack social justice. Where the rich evade punishment and
poor are punished ( social discrimination).

Edgar comment on King Lear’s statements that they are mad but wise .
King Lear madness provide him with insight to the true man’s nature.
His madness mad him wise.
Line 200
Shakespeare in King Lear and other plays compare the world to a stage
and people are the actors and are assigned certain role .
The 2 evil daughters shouldn’t be queens
They took the wrong roles there role is not to be queens .
Act 4 scene 7
King lear is taken to french army who came to defend him against his
enemies.
King Lear become the child of the 2 daughters.

At the end of act 4 scene 7 he ask Cordelia for forgiveness and dies as a
Christian figure he confess his sins .
Line 92
he ask for forgiveness
Confess his sin for forgiveness.

Act 5 scene 3
The British army defeat the French Army
Cordelia and Lear taken to prison .
Edmund ask someone to take them to prison
Edmund is in love with 2 evil daughters wants to marry them to be the
king
Regan is a widow and Goneril want to kill her husband.
The all die Edmund is killed
Goneril kill Regan then kill herself when everybody knows what she did
.
Line 9
King Lear and Cordelia forgive each other .
Cordelia represent what Lear believe in
They are sent to prison Where Edmund send someone to kill Cordelia
Edgar say that Gloucester was blinded due to his sin of committing
adultery.
Cordelia is killed line 258
Enter King Lear with Cordelia dead in his arms .
Cordelia, Lear , Gloucester are dead
Edmund Regan and Goneril are killed and destroyed since they
represent state of nature and Shakespeare disapprove lf the state of
nature .
Cordelia , king Lear are sacrificed for the sake of the nation to atone the
sins of the nation.

King Lear tragic hero who wants to pass the throne to ruler who is
young and health has the Christian values to become the source of life
of the nation.
Line 368
Fool → Cordelia
LEAR feel he is going to die and he dies
They want to appoint a new king
Kent is so old and the king should be young and healthy so Edgar
becomes the king Because he is young to provide the nation with a new
life.
Edgar embodies the Christian values kinf Lear believe in .
- No 7 deadly sins
- Don’t violate the 1p commandments
Edgar is kings Lear’s god-son
The 2 plots meet in Edgar
Edgar is the son of Gloucester and the god-son of Lear.
Order is restored with the new king
Edgar is proponent of the social order that’s why he takes over from
king Lear .