Appearance VS Reality Flashcards
(76 cards)
what are 6 of the ways appearance vs reality is shown in the play?
-goneril and regans fake love confession
-Cordelias silence
-Edmunds deception
-Edgar disguised as poor tom
-Lear’s madness
-Gloucester’s blindness
-Kent’s disguise
“sir, I love you..”
-“more than words can wield the matter”
-Goneril’s flattery speech juxtaposes her selfish and cruel actions towards Lear
-her lying/ deception
“I am made of that same..”
-“self metal as my sister”
-Regan lying too
-she never actually says I love you
-shows how blinded Lear is by his hubris as he doesn’t notice this
“which of you shall..”
-“we say doth love us most”
-ignition of the theme of deception
“I love your majesty…”
-“according to my bond”
-Cordelia answers honestly
-doesn’t feed into her father’s egotistical nature, for her own benefit
-she actually is the one who loves him most
“the bow is bent…”
-“make from the shaft”
-image shows how Kent sees that Lear has already made up his mind about the banishment of Cordelia
“we must do something…”
-“and i’the heat”
-Goneril and Regan plotting on how to take power over Lear
-the reality of their flattery is for their own gain of land and power
what do the 2 soliloquies in act 1 scene 2 show about Edmund?
-the first evokes sympathy over his illegitimacy
-the sinister dialogue overpowers the audience sympathy showing his scheming and deception as a character
-2nd soliloquy he boasts about his father’s weakness and how weak people must be punished
“it is a letter from my brother…”
-“that I have not o’er read”
-beginning of Edmund’s manipulation
-appears to be the victim but is the writer of this letter on plotting the death of Gloucester
“abhorred villain!…”
-“unnatural, detested, brutish villain”
-repetition of these negative adjectives show Gloucester’s blindness to the truth
-fooled by the appearance of Edmund
“that he suspects none;…”
-“on whose foolish honesty my practices ride easily”
-oxymoron shows Edmunds corruption
-Edgar is easily manipulated as he has an overly optimistic outlook on life
“now banished Kent…”
-“if thou canst serve where thou dost stand condemned”
-Juxtaposition of serve and condemn shows the selflessness of Kent
-appears noble and selfless and he actually is
-he disguises himself in order to still serve Lear, appears to be a common man
“dost thou call me…”
“all thy other…”
-“a fool, boy?”
-“titles thou hast given away”
-fool attempts to get Lear to see the reality rather than the false appearances and promises of Goneril and Regan
“a little to…”
-“disquantity your train”
-role reversal of a child and their father, Goneril has power over her father
-her calm demonour contrasts Lear’s outburst like a child
-contrast to her previous flattery language to her now cruel actions humiliate her father
“let me not be mad…”
-“not mad, sweet heaven; keep me in temper, let me not be mad”
-Lear’s appeal to the God’s to preserve his sanity
-appears to be losing his mental stability however this madness allows him insight into who he is as a person and tackle his hubris
“I will forget my nature…” (act1 scene5)
-“so kind a father!”
-Lear believes that Regan will sympathise with his situation at Goneril’s castle
-he is blind to R and G’s plotting against him
-he believes that he was a great father, victimises himself here despite humiliating his daughters to feed him egotistical behaviour
“have you not spoken…” (act 2 secne1)
-“gainst the duke of Cornwall ought? Advise yourself”
-Edmund tells Edgar that Cornwall is after him, and he also says that Gloucester knows where he is hiding after discovering the letter which plotted his death (was actually written by Edmund)
-Edmund makes it seem like he is helping Edgar to escape however he is just trying to get him banished
“wounds his…” (SD) (act 2 scene1)
-“arm”
-Edmund hurts himself to make it seem that Edgar done it
-shows Edgars supposed viciousness, makes it seem more likely that he would be capable in murdering Gloucester
-basis for his banishment
“natures of such deep…” (act2 scene1)
-“trust, we shall much need”
-Cornwall hires Edmund into his services
-Edmunds manipulation moves up the ranks
-everyone is fooled by Edmund as they only hear his side of the story
-appears noble but is actually corrupt
“you beastly knave…”
-“know you no reverence”
-animal imagery
-Cornwall to Kent
-Kent attacked Oswald (Goneril’s servant) for his hostility to Lear#
-Kent appears to be a reckless servant for Lear now in disguise, but is truely a noble gentleman
-Kent personification of loyalty and nobility in the play
“you’re a knave…” (act2 scene2)
-“a rascal, an eater of broken meats”
-Kent’s verbal attack on Oswald for his attitude to Lear
-contrast in Kent’s noble language in act 1 to now in act 2
-evokes humor from the audience as this is uncharacteristic of him
“my face…” (act 2 secne3)
-“I’ll grime with filth”
-Edgar banished to the woods
-is going to disguise himself and pretend to be mad so he isn’t caught in the kingdom
“poor Tom!…” (act2 scene 3)
-“Edgar I am nothing!”
-shows the fragility of identities in the play
-now appears to be mad as poor tom but in reality is entirely innocent, subject to Edmunds corruption
“they durst not do’t…”
-“they could not, would not do’t; worse than murder to do upon respect such violent outrage”
-verbs associated with Lear’s violent outburst
-his reaction to finding Kent in the stocks
-his self absorbed attitude is shown as he cannot believe that his daughters would do this to him despite his poor treatment of them
-fooled by the appearance of R+G in act 1 scene 1 love professions
-says that disrespecting him is worse than murder
