Theme: Appearance V.S Reality

Act One, Scene One: "but now, in the division of the kingdoms, it appears not which of the dukes he values most;" Gloucester says this in reference to King Lear's proposed Kingdom slip. Lear has clear views in regards to how he'll divide the kingdom, but he is very clearly keeping this under wraps.
1. "So young, and so untender?"/" So young, my lord, and true." This ties in well with the theme of appearance versus reality, as Lear expected Cordelia to gush about her adoration for him, as she is his favorite and she adores him. When he set the absurd love test, her appearance of being callous and stubborn did not meet the reality- her love so immense for him that she couldn't begin to qualify it.
  1. "little-seeming substance" meaning insignificant as she is. Cordelia is anything but insignificant to the plot of King Lear-she is a tool used to add tragic emphasis to the play and although seeming cold and unloving, she is his ally and one of few truly devoted to him.
    1. "to speak and purpose not" meaning not to do what is promised. Cordelia's incredibly apt description of Goneril and Regan's false flattery. She predicts this well, as they have no intention of sticking with their declarations of love.
Act One, Scene Four: "I do profess to be no less than I seem: to serve him truly that will put me in trust; to love him that is honest; to converse with him that is wise, and says little; to fear judgement; to fight when I cannot choose; and to eat no fish." In this scene, the previously-banished Kent comes back in a disguise. Whilst he talks about honesty, he himself is being dishonest but this is one of the few times that this theme is being used to do good, rather than bad.
Act 2 Scene 1: This entire scene is the epitome of appearances versus reality. We get our first concrete example of what Edmund is truly like, as in this scene he plots against his brother Edgar and sets up a fight scene between them. So far, he has forged Edgar's handwriting in a letter containing a plot against Gloucester, their father's, life. There's no direct quote in this scene to sum up his behavior but now I draw reference to another of Shakespeare's tragedies where Lady Macbeth says to her husband to "Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it". Our first impression of Edmund is that he is an innocent flower, but we soon learn otherwise.
Act 2, Scene 2: "Fellow, I know thee." Kent tartly responds to Oswald with this. This quote is not to be taken at face value. Yes, Kent has met Oswald before but this quote is referencing how Oswald's reputation precedes him. He is widely known to be a "knave, a rascal, an eater of broken meats" etc. He has a tendency to suck up for his own personal gain and thinks about nobody but himself. Kent is aware of how fickle he is and is disgusted by it.
Act 4, Scene 4: "You're much deceived. In nothing am I changed but in my garments." Edgar says this. There are several layers of irony in this remark. Gloucester has been and still is the victim of deception. He has been deceived by Edmund, he is being deceived by Edgar for his own good "Why I do trifle thus with his despair is done to cure it" and Gloucester's despair is deceiving him as mental health problems are wont to do.
Act 5, Scene 3: Usually, this theme pertains to someone appearing good but actually being bad. However there is one surprising exception to this near the end of the end of the play. On his metaphorical death bed, we learn that Edmund isn't all bad. "Some good I mean to do, despite of mine own nature." He tries to stop the execution of King Lear and Cordelia that he ordered. He doesn't succeed, but this change in nature changes our opinion of him slightly.

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Theme: Appearance V.S Reality

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	Erstellt von Bridget Kelly vor etwa 8 Jahre