King Lear by William Shakespeare King Lear Act Three Edmund Said

King Lear Act Three

1- “The younger rises when the old does fall” comment with reference to Edmund’s character.

Edmund said these words to himself in Gloucester’s castle when Gloucester told him that there was an army which came to help King Lear and that he had to help his old master and he might die for this. Edmund succeeded in deceiving his father and brother, but at that point of time he decided to betray his father and tell Cornwall, Regan and Goneril that his father was helping King Lear and the French army. After telling them about his father, they gave him Gloucester’s money, land, and castle and even the title Earl of Gloucester. They decided to punish Gloucester for his treason.

2- Write short notes on :

Gloucester’s loyalty to Lear

Regan’s cruelty

Gloucester was a close friend to King Lear. He loved King Lear a lot. He was very old like King Lear. Old age made him unwise. He was deceived by his son Edmund. He had many things in common with King Lear. He was very loyal to King Lear. When Regan and Goneril decided to leave King Lear out in the storm, he felt pity for the king and he said that to Regan and Goneril, but they became very angry with him and ordered him not to speak about that again. Gloucester went out in the storm looking for King Lear to help him. He found the king in the open field and took him, Kent and the fool to a farmhouse adjoining his castle and provided them with food, fire and good bed to rest. When Gloucester heard a plot about killing King Lear, he hurried to Kent and asked him to take the King to Dover in order to be safe. Gloucester lost everything he had because of helping King Lear.

Regan was very cruel with her father. After she took everything Lear had to give, she didn’t want to have Lear and his knights. She asked her father to apologize to her sister and ask her forgiveness. She wanted him to reduce the number of the knights to fifty and to go back with her sister. When Lear said that he would stay with her and keep the hundred knights, she refused saying that she had no room for all this number of people then she agreed with her sister that they wouldn’t accept any of the knights and finally they left Lear out in the open air during the storm. Then they wanted to get rid of him.

King Lear Act IV ( 4 )

1-“ Give these letters to Edmund, Earl of Gloucester. Look for him among the British army.” Comment.

Oswald, Goneril’s servant, said these words to Edgar in the fields near Dover when Edgar stabbed him with a knife defending his father, Gloucester. While Edmund was still disguised, he was walking with Gloucester leading him to Dover, they met Oswald. Oswald wanted to kill Gloucester and give his head a present to Goneril and Regan to take a reward or a prize. Edgar defended his father. He succeeded in killing Oswald with a knife. While Oswald was dying, he said those words to Edgar giving him a letter from Goneril to give it to Edmund who became Earl of Gloucester after betraying his father.

2- “Please now, forget and forgive. I am old and foolish” Comment.

King Lear said these words to Cordelia in a tent in the French camp. King Lear was asleep when Cordelia, Kent and a doctor entered. When Lear saw Cordelia he thought that he died and that Cordelia was a spirit. Lear lost his mind because of what his two daughters Goneril and Regan had done to him. Lear was so sorry for what he had done to Cordelia saying that she had a reason to hate him and if she has poison for him, he would drink it, but her sisters didn’t have any reasons. Cordelia cried and said that none had a reason. She was so sad for her father and she came to Dover with the French army to fight her two sisters and give her father his kingdom back as she was so loyal to her father. She was honest and truly loved her father.

3- Edgar is a faithful son. Discuss.

Edgar was Gloucester’s faithful son. His brother Edmund succeeded in deceiving both his father and his brother. Because of Edmund’s plot, Gloucester wanted to kill his son Edgar. Edgar escaped and disguised as Poor Tom and hid in a hovel. After Edmund deceived his father, Gloucester, he betrayed him. Because of Edmund’s treason, Regan and Cornwall took out Gloucester’s two eyes and he became blind. After Gloucester lost everything he had, his money, land, castle and title the earl of Gloucester, Edgar was the only one who helped and protected his father. He was guiding his father. When his father wanted to kill himself and jump from the cliff, Edgar was there to help and protect him. After preventing his father from killing himself, he convinced him that God saved him for a reason and he made his father promise that he would not try to kill himself again. Then he was leading him to Dover while he was still disguised. On their way to Dover, Oswald wanted to kill Gloucester, but Edgar was there as usual defending his father. Edgar killed Oswald and kept his father safe. Finally Edgar took revenge on his brother Edmund and killed him in a challenge.

King Lear Act V ( 5 )

1- “The wheel of justice has come full circle” Comment with reference to Edmund, Goneril and Regan.

Edmund said these words to Edgar at the British camp near Dover when Edgar revealed his identity to him at the end of their challenge. Edgar defeated Edmund in the challenge while he was still disguised. Edmund asked Edgar who he was while he was dying. After the war over and the British army defeated the French army, Albany wanted to kill Edmund in a challenge for his treason, but Edgar arrived and asked to challenge him. First Edmund deceived both his father and his brother. Then he betrayed his father Gloucester and because of him Gloucester lost everything he had and even his eyes. After that he deceived the two sisters and made them believe that he loved them. He was planning to get Albany killed in the battle to marry Goneril. After Cornwall was dead, he agreed with Reagan to get married. He deceived and betrayed all the people he knew, but finally he was punished and killed by his brother Edgar. Goneril deceived her father King Lear by saying false words of love to get her share in the kingdom and Lear was deceived and gave her half of his kingdom. After she took everything Lear had to give, she didn’t want him and his knights anymore. She agreed with her sister that they wouldn’t accept Lear with the knights and they left him out in the open air during the storm. Then Goneril betrayed her husband and fell in love with Edmund. She was planning to marry Edmund, but finally she was punished because Edmund betrayed her and he was going to marry her sister Regan. She couldn’t lose Edmund to her sister so she poisoned her sister and then she killed herself. Regan was nearly the same as Goneril. She deceived her father and got half of the kingdom. She refused to accept Lear with the knights saying that she had no room for all this number of people and asked him to apologize to her sister, reduce the knights to fifty and to go back with her sister till the month was over. She knew that her sister was in love with Edmund, but she wanted to marry Edmund after her husband died. Finally she was poisoned by her sister and died. The wheel of justice has come full circle as all the bad people were punished at the end

2- Do you agree that King Lear was so foolish and hasty? Why?

I think that King Lear was foolish and hasty. This was clear when he made a decision to distribute his kingdom among his three daughters. When he wanted to give up ruling the kingdom, he asked his daughters to tell him how much they loved him and that he would give them according to their words. He was deceived by the false words said by Goneril and Regan. Cordelia was honest and true, but Lear couldn’t differentiate between the false words said by Goneril and Reagan and the honest true words said by Cordelia. This proved that he was foolish. When he became angry with Cordelia because she didn’t say much like her sisters, Lear made a decision to give Cordelia nothing. He gave her only his curse and this proved that he was hasty. He made quick and unwise decisions.