Ian Holm

In the play ‘King Lear’, the play writer shapes the characters in different ways. Gonoril and Regan in particular, display their figures of flattery and blatant boasting in attempt to please the king. It is important to note that both Gonoril and Regan profess flattery through ostensible manner. In Gonoril’s speech, she says: “Sir, I do love you more than words can wield the matter” (1-49). The meaning of this is that Gonoril’s love to Lear is beyond describable, with no word to match her love. In the context of the play, this sentence appears at the very beginning of Gonoril’s speech, and placing such a flattery of her love can be seen as both first and foremost expression, that Gonoril uses in attempt to persuade Lear so that she loves him most. In her continuous speech, Gonoril profusely uses four parallel structures with an increasing degree of boasting to persuade the King, as: “Dearer than eyesight, space, or liberty; Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare; No less than life; with grace, health, beauty, honour; As much as child e'er loved, or father, friend” (1-50). The words in the beginning of the structures are all about one thing: love. From this excerpt, Gonoril describes her love to Lear by praising her love beyond certain aspect of the world: the use of eyesight, space, and liberty addresses mercy, and her love is dearer that any one of these; the use of things that are valuable, rich, and rare means the preciousness of love that Gonoril professes; grace,…

The Three Villains and Their Character in King Lear King Lear is a play written by William Shakespeare in the Renaissance era. Set in ancient Britain, King Lear is about King Lear retiring from his post, and deciding to separate his kingdom into three parts, one for each daughter. In order to swell his ego, Lear puts his daughters through a test of telling him how much they love him. Lear’s youngest daughter, Cordelia, does not go through the scheme and is disowned. Cordelia leaves to France,…

The fracturing of the kingdom into three and it’s poor state help Goneril and Regan to further paint a façade that Lear is easily misled by. Therefore, the craftiness and desire for power from both Goneril and Regan are clearly shown when they both shower King Lear with praises. Goneril goes first and says, “Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter” (1.1.55). It is interesting when Goneril addresses her father as sir, as it shows a divide between Lear and his daughters; similarly,…

The location of the play takes place in Britain. When you read the first act you are introduced to the main story plot. We see King in a state of giving up his throne equally to his 3 daughters; Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. Before he hands it to them, he wants to see how much they love him, by them expressing their love. Cordelia is the only daughter that hesitates to speak for she can't express all of her love. She is banished for this, leaving all the land to the two oldest. King Lear starts…

Many times in our lives we make decisions that we think are “innocent” and will have no complications, but sometimes those decisions create many problems that led to massive consequences. In King Lear and Babel, the decisions that were considered to be “innocent” led to monumental mistakes and many consequences. There are many terrible decisions made in King Lear, but the ones made by King Lear himself, in regards of his kingdom and daughters take the prize for having the most complications…

The famous Shakespearean tragedy King Lear depicts King Lear of Britain’s rollercoaster path from foolishness to wisdom and his eventual tragic downfall. Lear divides his kingdom amongst his three daughters: Cordelia who is banished for not correctly expressing her love for the King, and Goneril and Regan who turn against him in order to gain more power. Likewise, Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres tells a tale molded around King Lear where the owner of a 1000-acre farm named Larry agrees to hand it…

The famous Shakespearean tragedy King Lear depicts King Lear of Britain’s rollercoaster path from foolishness to wisdom and his eventual tragic downfall. Lear divides his kingdom amongst his three daughters: Cordelia who is banished for not correctly expressing her love for the King, and Goneril and Regan who turn against him in order to gain more power. Likewise, Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres tells a tale molded around King Lear where the owner of a 1000-acre farm named Larry agrees to hand it…

Secondly, one of Lear’s daughters, Goneril, finds herself engaged in madness of jealousy that causes her to commit suicide. Goneril’s rage of jealousy is presented during her ultimatum towards her father, the affair, and poisoning her own sister. After Goneril is given her part of the land, the strive for more power becomes very consuming of her, as she shows willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve her true motives. When Lear first decides to stay in Goneril’s home, as he told them he…

Initially, by using his power and authority King Lear manipulates his three daughters, but is deceived in return by Goneril and Regan. What the king plans to do is divide the kingdom into three and allow each daughter to rule a section. Ideally, he wishes for his daughters to take his responsibilities as king off his hands, but still wishes to be seen as a powerful and respected figure. “Only we shall retain the name and all th’ additions to a king. The sway, Revenue, execution of the rest,”…

The representation of Goneril and Regan in King Lear and, Ginny and Rose in A Thousand Acres showcases a direct parallel to the image that women can not handle having a high position in the patriarchy. In King Lear their father was depicted as a powerful man who gave up all his power to his daughters. Once Lear had given them half of his lands, they start to turn their backs on their father; from refusing to shelter him to stripping away the hundred men he had left to abandoning him in the…