Act 3 scene 3

Question 1

Gloucester bravery

Answer 1

Gloucester – “If I die for it… the king my old master must be relieved.”
AO1: Demonstrates Gloucester’s tragic loyalty and moral courage.
AO2: Conditional clause heightens risk; personal pronoun “my” shows deep emotional attachment.
AO3: Loyalty to monarchs was expected in Jacobean England, even in the face of danger.
AO5: Some critics view Gloucester as a tragic parallel to Lear — a man who gains insight too late.

Question 2

when one rises one falls

Answer 2

Edmund – “The younger rises when the old doth fall.”
AO1: Highlights generational conflict and Edmund’s ruthless ambition.
AO2: Antithesis between “rises” and “fall” mirrors social upheaval.
AO3: Reflects Jacobean anxieties about succession and shifting power.
AO5: Marxist critics may see this as a commentary on emerging class dynamics.

Question 3

oppressive force of the new world

Answer 3

Gloucester – “He charged me on pain of perpetual displeasure.”
AO1: Shows the oppressive force of the new regime on Gloucester.
AO2: Hyperbolic threat emphasises Cornwall/Regan’s authoritarian rule.
AO3: In a patriarchal society, Gloucester is caught between private conscience and public command.
AO5: Could be seen as a critique of tyranny suppressing moral duty.

Question 4

Edmund betraying his father

Answer 4

Edmund – “This courtesy, forbid thee, shall the duke instantly know.”
AO1: Marks the exact moment of Edmund’s betrayal.
AO2: Ironic use of “courtesy” to describe betrayal shows Edmund’s manipulative language.
AO3: Betrayal of kin in a patriarchal society reflects unnatural disorder.
AO5: Psychoanalytic critics may interpret this as Edmund projecting his resentment onto his father.