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Digging into Act I, Scene i, of King LearKING LEAR Meantime we shall express our darker purpose.Give me the map there. Know that we have dividedIn three our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intentTo shake all cares and business from our age;Conferring them on younger strengths, while weUnburthen'd crawl toward death. Our son of Cornwall,And you, our no less loving son of Albany,We have this hour a constant will to publishOur daughters' several dowers, that future strifeMay be prevented now. The princes, France and Burgundy,Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love,Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn,And here are to be answer'd. 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 extendWhere nature doth with merit challenge. Goneril,Our eldest-born, speak first.Answer the following questions concerning the passage above:1. Find an illustration of the idea that you may well discover as you near the end of your life that what you own has become less important to you. It may even seem to be a burden.2. What does the word “crawl” suggest about Lear?3. Find a word which means the same as “fast” in line 36 and suggests that Lear takes pride in his firmness of intent. Explain your answer.4. What evidence is there that Lear is in fact being very careful in his distribution of the kingdom, and knows exactly why he is doing it.5. What phrase can be construed as mildly sarcastic? Why?6. “Which of you shall we say doth love us most?” What does Lear’s phrasing suggest about his motives in asking his daughters to declare their love?7. What is there about Lear’s request that does not make sense?8. Can you see any way in which his plan might be a clever one, given the rivalry which may exist among his daughters and his initial intention to give Cordelia more than her fair share? Explain.9. As a general question, regardless of the passage, what other reasons might we expect someone to have for seeking an expression of love from someone else?10. Look at Regan’s and Goneril’s professions of love. Decide which of the two makes more effective use of rhetorical devices and figurative language. Give one mark for each use of an item on the list.GonerilRhetorical deviceexamples from passagePointsExaggerationAlliterationBody ImageryListPunAbstract nounAntithesisPersonificationRepetitionFormal DictionSymbolTotal PointsReganRhetorical deviceQuotes from passagePointsExaggerationAlliterationBody ImageryListPunAbstract nounAntithesisPersonificationRepetitionFormal DictionSymbolTotal PointsThe exercise above should show you that both speeches are very contrived. The impression one gets is that they have been prepared beforehand. This may cast doubt on their sincerity; but we shouldn’t be too surprised given the artificial nature of the whole event. 11. Look at Cordelia’s two asides. What is the dramatic impact? Additionally, what do they suggest about her character?12. “Nothing” is a word on which the whole rest of the play will turn. What is the impact of the word as it is used in the exchange between Cordelia and Lear? Is there any irony here?13. If you were playing the part of Lear, what tone of voice would you use for the lines “How, how…fortunes”? Explain your choice.KING LEAR Peace, Kent!Come not between the dragon and his wrath.I loved her most, and thought to set my restOn her kind nursery. Hence, and avoid my sight!So be my grave my peace, as here I giveHer father's heart from her! Call France; who stirs?Call Burgundy. Cornwall and Albany,With my two daughters' dowers digest this third:Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her.I do invest you jointly with my power,Pre-eminence, and all the large effectsThat troop with majesty. Ourself, by monthly course,With reservation of an hundred knights,By you to be sustain'd, shall our abodeMake with you by due turns. Only we still retainThe name, and all the additions to a king;The sway, revenue, execution of the rest,Beloved sons, be yours: which to confirm,This coronet part betwixt you.Much of the play’s dialogue and what it means will focus on Shakespeare’s choice of diction and imagery. Find words and phrases within the text above to match the comments below (be sure to explain your choices):14. An image that says something about Lear’s view of himself15. A phrase that sees life as something of a gamble, and that suggests that Lear may be aware of the risks of his plan to give away his kingdom and still enjoy his personal power and comfort.16. A word suggesting a feeling of ebbing strength in Lear and anticipating the time when he will be helpless17. Another image that points towards the unhappiness ahead of him.18. A word that could imply greed in Albany and Cornwall.19. A word similar in meaning to “truth” as used by Lear in “thy truth then be thy dower”.20. A clothing image that sees kingship as something to be put on and taken off as necessary21. A military term which refers to the trappings of kingship.22. A phrase which suggests that Lear will not find it easy to think of himself as “not king”.23. A word that does not ring quite true, given what Lear has said about “reserving”100 knights.24. A symbol of the power he is now giving away.KING LEAR Hear me, recreant!On thine allegiance, hear me!Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow,Which we durst never yet, and with strain'd prideTo come between our sentence and our power,Which nor our nature nor our place can bear,Our potency made good, take thy reward.Five days we do allot thee, for provisionTo shield thee from diseases of the world;And on the sixth to turn thy hated backUpon our kingdom: if, on the tenth day following,Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions,The moment is thy death. Away! by Jupiter,This shall not be revoked.Find examples from the passage above that show how Lear wants to be seen by others:26. As something approaching a deity27. As a man of his word28. He will still be king even after he has given his kingdom away29. His justice is tempered with some humanity30. He is supported by the most powerful of Roman gods31. After the above speech by Lear, Kent delivers a paradox of his own. Quote it.32. What do you note about the structure of Kent’s final speech (there are 3-4 things you should note) and what dramatic effect does it have?33. In Cordelia’s speech (approx lines 220-235), what is she most concerned about? The syntax of the speech is distorted and shaky. Why?34. Cordelia delivers a bit of foreshadowing when speaking to her sisters near the end of the scene. Cite the text.35. How does the style of France’s speech change as he gathers momentum?36. Goneril tries to be as hurtful as she can to her sister? How?37. Explore the central image in Cordelia’s parting comment (284-287)King Lear Act I, Scene ivContext of passage (what happened just before):Guiding Question:Explain how Shakespeare, in this passage, conveys the magnitude of Lear’s anger and savagery.Mark passage and be prepared to defend your answer to the guiding question.KING LEAR It may be so, my lord.Hear, nature, hear; dear goddess, hear!Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intendTo make this creature fruitful!Into her womb convey sterility!Dry up in her the organs of increase;And from her derogate body never springA babe to honour her! If she must teem,Create her child of spleen; that it may live,And be a thwart disnatured torment to her!Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth;With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks;Turn all her mother's pains and benefitsTo laughter and contempt; that she may feelHow sharper than a serpent's tooth it isTo have a thankless child! Away, away!ExitALBANY Now, gods that we adore, whereof comes this?GONERIL Never afflict yourself to know the cause;But let his disposition have that scopeThat dotage gives it. ................
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