Act 2 Scene 2 Flashcards
(9 cards)
Kent wants to duel
Quote: “[Draws his sword]” – Stage direction (Kent)
Context: Kent challenges Oswald to a fight.
AO1 (Meaning): Symbolises the old world’s instinct for honour and physical confrontation.
AO2 (Methods): Action rather than words — a stage direction expressing Kent’s integrity and rage.
AO3 (Context): Represents feudal loyalty where men defended honour with violence.
AO5 (Critical Debate): Kent’s behaviour seems excessive today, but for a Jacobean audience, this signalled righteous passion.
class insult to edmund
Quote: “Goodman boy.” – Kent to Edmund
Context: Kent insults Edmund using a term associated with commoners.
AO1 (Meaning): Kent attacks Edmund’s illegitimacy and low status.
AO2 (Methods): Use of class-based insult diminishes Edmund’s standing.
AO3 (Context): Reflects rigid class structures; Kent believes lineage equals legitimacy.
AO5 (Critical Debate): Critics debate whether Kent represents noble loyalty or elitist arrogance.
Oswald lies
Quote: “Whose life I have spared at a suit of his grey beard.” – Oswald
Context: Oswald lies about sparing Kent’s life.
AO1 (Meaning): Shows Oswald’s cowardice and ability to manipulate appearances.
AO2 (Methods): Irony — the “grey beard” line references Kent’s old age, but Oswald uses it to inflate his own status.
AO3 (Context): Jacobean culture valued honour and bravery — Oswald’s lie would be viewed with contempt.
AO5 (Critical Debate): Critics contrast Oswald’s cunning flattery with Kent’s blunt loyalty.
Oswald not worthy of carrying a sword hes talking
Quote: “That such a slave should wear a sword.” – Kent
Context: Kent reacts to Oswald’s weapon.
AO1 (Meaning): Kent sees Oswald as unworthy of carrying a sword — a symbol of nobility and honour.
AO2 (Methods): Strong, degrading metaphor; the word “slave” evokes both class and character weakness.
AO3 (Context): In Shakespeare’s time, wearing a sword signified manhood and social rank.
AO5 (Critical Debate): Emphasises Kent’s belief in true service vs status by association.
Kent’s brutal honesty
Quote: “Sir, ’tis my occupation to be plain. I have seen better faces in my time.” – Kent
Context: Kent explains his brutal honesty.
AO1 (Meaning): Shows his pride in truth-telling, even if it’s socially inappropriate.
AO2 (Methods): Direct declarative; tone is cutting but principled.
AO3 (Context): The plain-speaking servant was a familiar dramatic type, valued by Shakespearean audiences.
AO5 (Critical Debate): Some critics see Kent as a truthful moral compass; others argue he’s recklessly rude.
Regan adding pain
Quote: “Till noon? Till night, my lord, and all night too.” – Regan
Context: Regan insists on keeping Kent in the stocks longer.
AO1 (Meaning): Reveals her cruel nature and growing authority.
AO2 (Methods): Repetition of “till” builds dramatic tension and signals sadism.
AO3 (Context): Subverts expectations of femininity; Regan takes control with aggression.
AO5 (Critical Debate): Critics increasingly see Regan as more brutal than Goneril.
Regan sister>father
Quote: “My sister may receive it much, much worse.” – Regan
Context: Regan dismisses Gloucester’s warning that Lear won’t react well.
AO1 (Meaning): Suggests Regan’s growing alliance with Goneril and disregard for Lear.
AO2 (Methods): Repetition of “much” intensifies tone — shows boldness.
AO3 (Context): In a patriarchal society, daughters were expected to obey; Regan subverts this.
AO5 (Critical Debate): Critics debate whether her loyalty to Goneril is strategic or genuinely cruel.
Kent letter hope
Quote: “Pursue this letter.” – Kent
Context: Kent speaks of a letter from Cordelia.
AO1 (Meaning): Offers a moment of hope in an otherwise bleak scene.
AO2 (Methods): Imperative verb gives Cordelia an offstage presence.
AO3 (Context): Audiences would be emotionally invested in Cordelia’s return.
AO5 (Critical Debate): Some view Cordelia as a saviour figure; others argue her absence limits her power.
Wheel analogy
Quote: “Fortune, turn thy wheel!” – Kent
Context: Kent is placed in the stocks but remains hopeful.
AO1 (Meaning): Reflects his faith in fate’s reversibility.
AO2 (Methods): Personification of “Fortune”; metaphor of the “wheel” echoes classical tragedy.
AO3 (Context): Audiences familiar with Fortuna would recognise this as symbolic of tragic reversal. Fortuna goddess of good and bad luck, often portrayed as blindfolded to emohasise her unpredictability.
AO5 (Critical Debate): Kent represents the belief in moral restoration despite chaos
