King Lear – Goneril and Regan Quotes

A1.S1: Goneril describes the extent of her love for Lear ‘dearer than eyesight, space and liberty’
A1.S1: Regan challenges Goneril’s profession about Lear, foreshadowing the rivalry between them over Edmund ‘Only she comes too short, that I profess myself an enemy to all other joys’
A1.S1: Regan comments on the age and frailty of Lear ”Tis the infirmity of his age’
A1.S1: Goneril alludes to the plans of the sisters to overthrow Lear, as a necessity to preserve the kingdom ‘We must do something and i’ th’ heat’
A1.S3: Goneril complains about Lear to Oswald ‘By day and night he wrongs me’
A1.S3: Goneril comments on Lear’s childish foolishness; linking to Lear’s desire to be mothered ‘Old fools are babes again’
A2.S4: Regan patronises/chides Lear as if he were a child; ironic as Lear seems to want to be mothered and looked after ‘O sir, you are old’
A2.S4: Goneril and Regan work together to reduce Lear to nothing by systematically removing his retinue G ‘What need you five and twenty, ten, or five?R ‘What need one?’
A3.S7: Regan’s cruelty towards Gloucester challenges the contemporary role of women – the disrespect shown not only to a man but also to a man of high social stature would have been seriously frowned upon ‘Hard, hard. O filthy traitor’ [Regan plucks Gloucester’s beard]
A3.S7: Regan and Cornwall share lines which speeds up the pace of the action whilst torturing Gloucester. Highlights the eagerness and cruelty in Regan as she seems to enjoy doing it C ‘ Cunning’R ‘And false’
A4.S2: Goneril lusts after Edmund ‘To thee, a woman’s services are due’
A4.S2: Goneril attacks Albany due to his lack of masculinity ‘Milk-liver’d man’
A5.S3: Regan mocks Goneril for her attempts to steal Edmund from her; however there are undertones that link to the Fool’s role in the play and his wisdom ‘Jesters do oft prove profits’
July 10, 2019