King Lear
by
William Shakespeare
(Questions
& Answers)
1.
Why has the king called the meeting for?
-
The king has called the meeting for a very
serious purpose. He is growing old and intends to divide his kingdom among his
three daughters to avoid future struggle after his death. He wants to give the
shares according to their love towards him.
2.
Who gets benefited from the division of
kingdom?
-
Goneril and Regan get benefited from the
division of kingdom. Each gets half of the kingdom with the help of flattery
though they are hollow and empty-hearted. Cordelia, the youngest and the most
virtuous daughter, does not get anything because she cannot flatter the king.
3.
How does the king react hearing
Cordelia’s answer?
-
Lear’s warns Cordelia to rethink and mend her
answer otherwise she will get nothing from his kingdom. He expects an answer
full of flattery from Cordelia also.
4.
Why does faithful Kent rebel against the
king?
-
Kent rebels and becomes unmannerly because he
sees injustice being done at the hands of the king. Lear has given his all to
his two elder daughters who perform flattery. He has made his virtuous daughter
Cordelia dowerless. Kent exposes the hideous rashness of the king &
hollowness of the two elder daughters.
5.
What is the effect of Kent’s appeal?
-
Lear has gone mad and is not ready to listen
to the good advice given by Kent. Rather Kent is banished from the kingdom.
6.
Explain the paradoxical statements of
King of France about Cordelia.
-
While explaining Cordelia’s character, King
of France uses paradoxes. He says that Cordelia is poor in property but rich in
virtues. She is forsaken by her family but chosen by France. She is disliked by
her family but loved by France, she is dowerless on one hand but queen of
France on the other, she loses her relations at Lear’s court but finds better
relations in France.
7.
Comment on the attitude of Goneril and
Regan towards the king at the end of this extract.
-
Goneril and Regan are very critical of Lear’s
attitude though they have got the whole kingdom. They talk about the infirmity
of his age, rashness even during the best and soundest of his time and
banishment of Kent. They are planning to do something in the heat of the
occasion.
8.
Whom does Gloucester blame for cold
relations, mutinies, divisions, discord and treason?
-
He blames the solar and lunar eclipses for
that. He believes that the heavenly bodies affect the destinies of nations and
individuals.
9.
What are Edmund’s views about the
influence of heavenly bodies?
-
He does not believe in the effect of heavenly
bodies upon the working of a nation, society and individual. He thinks it is
merely foppery of the world to blame stars for our own misdeeds.
10.
What are the salient features of Fool?
-
Fool in King Lear keeps company with the
protagonist of the main plot. He is motley, likes good food, sings, uses
metaphors in his speeches. His language is witty and comic. He calls King Lear,
Nuncle. His remarks upon the wrong doings of Lear are pertinent, satirical, ironical
and frank. He is licensed fool. He can advise the king in his own way.
11.
Why Lear does not want to have reason
for the need?
-
Lear believes that there cannot be any proper
reason for superfluous things. Even beggars and his own daughters have superfluous
things. If human beings are not allowed to have superfluous things, their lives
will be equal to those of beasts.
12.
What prayer does Lear make to gods for
himself?
-
He prays gods to give him patience so that he
may bear grief given by his daughters in old age.
13.
What does heath represent?
-
Heath represents a deserted place where the
elements of nature have a free play. It is a place for redemption and
improvisation for Lear. Lear’s character develops at the heath.
14.
What does storm symbolize?
-
The storm at heath symbolizes the mental
storm going in the mind of Lear as well as the upheaval in moral world. The
question of justice becomes a part of it.
15.
Why does Lear defy the storm?
-
Lear defies the storm as the elements of
nature rain, wind etc. are not his daughters to whom he has given his kingdom.
These elements of nature owe him nothing. Moreover, nature can establish rule
of justice against the vices of human beings. That is why he asks rain,
lightning and wind to punish the wrong doers. He cannot expect nature elements
to pay regard to his authority.
16.
How did Gloucester stumble when he could
see?
-
Gloucester stumbled when he had eyes because
he discarded his virtuous and legitimate son Edgar. Edmund deceived Gloucester
easily and instigated against the faithful son Edgar.
17.
How can a man look with his ears?
-
If a man has lost his eyes as Gloucester has
done, he can use his ears and guess with the help of the sound. Sound can help
in recognizing the person. Lear means, a man can do without his eyes also.
18.
What are Lear’s views about justice?
-
Lear says that strict punishment is given to
those who are poor and have no authority. Powerful and rich people do not get
any punishment for their wrong deeds.
19.
What does Edgar mean by “reason in
madness”?
-
Edgar in disguise of a beggar notices Lear’s
mental condition, his views about justice, power and wealth. Edgar says that
Lear’s mind has got matter and impertinency mixed. Lear looks mad but he has
the reasoning power.
20.
How does Lear plan to pass his time in
prison?
-
He plans to pass his time in prison with
pleasure. They will play, sing, tell tales and laugh upon the evil characters.
They will listen to the ups and downs happening at the court.
21.
What is reaction of Lear when he along
with Cordelia is imprisoned by order of Edmund?
-
He wants to face these circumstances with a
brave heart. He does not ask for any help from his evil daughters. He will not
weep and beg for forgiveness.
22.
How does Lear express his grief over
Cordelia’s death?
-
Lear expresses his grief on Cordelia’s death
by putting a big question mark on the justice of this world. A dog, rat or a
horse can have life but not his virtuous daughter Cordelia who has sacrificed
so much. His No, no, no! & Never, never, never! express his emotions of
extreme grief & insanity. He faints and dies in the end.
23.
What is Kent’s reaction on Lear’s death?
-
Kent advises that Lear’s ghost should not be
vexed. Lear has suffered much already & therefore; his life should not be
prolonged in this world. Rather Kent readies himself to serve his master in
heaven
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