Edgar Flashcards
When is Edgar seen as himself and not Poor Tom?
When he is with Edmond
Why does Edmond exploit Edgar?
For being “noble” and having “foolish honesty”
How is Edgar similar to Gloucester?
They are both credulous and suffer as a result
What is Poor Tom representative of?
Chaos brought on by lear and his kingdom
This is symbolised by the storm that Poor Tom approaches Lear in
What quotation potentially is a cue for the entrance of Poor Tom?
“Poor naked wretches that bide the pelting of this pitiless storm”
What essay was written by Gillian Woods?
‘King Lear: Madness, The Fool and Poor Tom’
What was Gillian Woods view of the impact Poor Tom has on Lear?
Lear feels his own frailty from Poor Tom’s fractured identity of a human, animal and demon. This is shown when Lear refuses to shelter until Poor Tom goes with him
Gillian Woods states that “the play insists…”
“…On common humanity”
Why does Edgar delay revealing his identity to Gloucester, even though he knows the truth about Edmond?
Kenneth Muir 1966 suggested Edgar wished to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of the world and punish Edmond before revealing his identity
What quotation best supports Kenneth Muir’s suggestion?
“Never- O fault! - Reveal’d myself unto him until some half-hour passed, when I was armed”
How is Edgar shown to be a moral character?
In his aside he states: “Why I do trifle thus with his despair is done to cure it”
Edgar saves Gloucester so that he is worthy of reuniting the kingdom
What is meant by despair in the Edwardian era?
Suicide is the ‘sin of despair’. People who commit suicide were said to have lost hope in gods mercy and can no longer repent, being destined for hell
What do Edgar’s final words in the play tell us?
He understands the need for justice and compassion that Lear was too late to realise
