King Lear Lecture 1

Term II : Lecture 1 Text - King Lear

Reminders  Please buy the text from the bookshop  Either get a photocopy of the text done or print out the soft copy of the text from the online Literature Resource Folder

King Lear Historical Background  Set in Pre-historical England  Written for Tudor Audience  Political Instability of the Times (War of the Roses)

King Lear Ideas Explored  Kingship

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Duties & Expectations (Divine Right)

 Parenthood Norms)

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 Parent

Child Relationship (Societal Norms)

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Duties & Expectations (Societal

 Legitimacy Vs Illegitimacy (Societal Norms)

King Lear: Act 1 Scene 1 Issues of Exposition  Situation  Initial Characterisation  Convention-Societal Norms  Pre-historical England (Tudor Court)  Conventions – Drama  Shakespearean Tragedy

King Lear: Act 1 Scene 1 Issues of Dramatic Conflict  Competition among daughters  Kent’s outburst  France Vs Burgundy (Rival suitors)  Exposure of Goneril & Regan’s real identity

King Lear: Act 1 Scene 1 Characters  King Lear

 Cordelia

 France

 Kent

 Burgundy

 Gloucester

 Goneril

 Edmund

 Regan