***Read Act I- Act III and answer the following questions. : https://www.sparknotes.com/nofear/shakespeare/lear… and also
https://shakespeare.folger.edu/shakespeares-works/…
In Act I, Kent advises Lear, "See better, Lear." Consider the role of vision or "seeing" throughout the play. What does it mean to be blind, or to see?
Order versus chaos. Not exactly a minor theme, is it? The play begins in order, with Lear quite literally ordering the disposition of his kingdom among his daughters,
and then …Bam! Chaos. Personally, politically, even environmentally. (You didn't think the storm was just a random weather event, did you?) Discuss order and chaos
in Lear.
King Lear is simultaneously about both family and politics, about individuals and nations. Considering that the play was first performed in 1606, after Queen
Elizabeth's death and the ascension of James I to the throne, what might Shakespeare be suggesting about family, politics, and the nature of political authority?
There are two distinct stories in Lear, the main story and the Edgar/Edmund subplot. Both contrast grateful with ungrateful children, filial love and loyalty with
betrayal and selfishness. What is the purpose of these parallel stories, and what is its effect? That is, how does it problematize or clarify our understanding of the
play's theme?
Sample Solution