Context
Shakespeare wrote "King Lear" during this period, which was marked by political and social unrest.
What is the Jacobean era?
This celestial event is believed to influence the behavior of characters in the play. (Triple Points)
What are eclipses?
Shakespeare uses this literary device to reveal characters’ inner thoughts.
What is a soliloquy?
"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!"
Who is King Lear?
This theme is emphasized by the contrast between deception and truth in the play.
What is appearance vs reality?
This monarch was ruling England when "King Lear" was written, influencing themes of kingship and authority in the play.
Who is King James I?
King Lear’s madness is symbolized by his interactions with this character during the storm.
Who is the Fool?
This technique contrasts characters’ fates and reveals the theme of justice. (Double Points)
What is parallel plotting?
"I am a man more sinned against than sinning."
Who is King Lear?
This idea is explored through the relationship between parents and children.
What is filial ingratitude?
Shakespeare’s company, the King’s Men, performed "King Lear" in this famous London theater.
What is the Globe Theatre?
Blindness is both a literal and metaphorical motif, especially represented by this character.
Who is Gloucester?
This poetic structure is used throughout King Lear, characteristic of Shakespeare’s work.
What is iambic pentameter? What is iambic pentameter?
"The wheel is come full circle."
Who is Edmund?
The play critiques this idea, showing its fragility and the suffering that follows its loss.
What is authority and legitimacy?
This intellectual movement, which emphasized the potential for human achievement and the study of classical texts, influenced many of Shakespeare’s works, including "King Lear."
What is Humanism?
In "King Lear," this recurring element acts as a powerful metaphor for the collapse of social and political order, mirroring the internal turmoil of the characters as they grapple with betrayal and madness.
What is the storm?
In "King Lear," Shakespeare frequently uses this technique, where the audience knows more about the characters' situations than they do themselves, creating a sense of tragic irony as events unfold.
What is dramatic irony?
"I cannot heave my heart into my mouth."
Who is Cordelia?
500: This theme is highlighted by the recurring motif of "nothing," which plays a crucial role in King Lear's tragic journey.
What is the theme of nothingness or nihilism?
This philosophical concept suggests that all events are determined by preceding causes.
What is Determinism?
This character in "King Lear" embodies the theme of appearance versus reality by assuming a false identity, which allows him to survive and manipulate events from behind a mask, ultimately revealing the play's exploration of truth and deception.
Who is Edgar?
The storm in King Lear is a prime example of this device, where the environment mirrors the characters’ inner turmoil.
What is pathetic fallacy?
"Who said, 'Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise'?"
Who is the Fool?
500: Shakespeare explores the transposition of natural and social order through this thematic element, where roles and power structures are reversed. (Double Points)
What is inversion?