| What does Lear ask his daughters before he makes the decision about the kingdom final? | He asks them to tell him how much they love him |
| What is Cordelia’s answer to the question when Lear asks how much she loves him? | Cordelia says she has nothing to say to her father and she only loves him according to her bond |
| What is Kent’s reaction to the banishment of Cordelia | Kent feels that Cordelia’s statement was of true loyalty and tells Lear that he should see better to understand Cordelia is being truly honest with him |
| How does Shakespear establish the parallels of the two stories | the stories are linked by the inability of both Lear and Gloucester to see the true intentions of their children |
| Explain Cordelia’s message as she leaves her sisters | “the jewels of out fathers with wash’d eyes”Cordelia’s eyes have been washed and now she can see clearly and understand her sisters don’t mean what they have said to their father |
| What theme does Lear’s “love test” establish at the beginning of the play | the idea of a sibling rivalry |
| What emotional reasons are suggested for Goneril and Reagans later treatment of their father? | because he loves Cordelia the best and the other two sisters are king of mad about that |
| How has Lear upset the natural order | by abdicating his throne he is also giving up his place in the universe |
| what is contained in the letter Edmund pretends to be hiding from his father? | the letter expresses his theory that when parents are old they should give up their things to their children, but he says that Edgar wrote it |
| What does Edmund suggest his father do to prove the letter is true? | to let his father secretly overhead a conversation between Edgar and Edmund |
| What do Glousters and Edmunds comments about the constellations prove? | the stars are responsible for the mischief happening in the world, Edgars’ wrongdoings can be associated with the late eclipses of the sun and of the moon. People look to the stars for answers instead of looking within themselves |
| How does Kent’s disguise support the theme of sight and insight | Kent uses a disguise to service Lear who has banished him, it supports the sight theme because Lear must learn not to judge people by how they look on the outside |
| Why does Kent trip Oswald | Kent is trying to teach Oswald a lesson for treating Lear badly |
| What wisdom does the fool express by talking about nothing | The food says that it was dumb of Lear to give up his kingdom and that Lear falsely relied on the goodness of his daughters |
| Why is Lear angry at Goneril | because she criticizes the behavior of his followers |
| What is Lear’s curse on Goneril | he calls on the Gods to make her sterile and if she must have a child, let that child be as ungrateful as she is |
| What does Goneril’s action reveal about her character? | She disregards Lear’s curse showing her removed and and unfeeling character |
| Where does Goneril send Oswald | to send a letter to Regan to make sure they’re on the same page about the treatment of their father |
| Where does Lear send Kent | to Gloucester to explain the treatment he’s received from his Goneril |
| What does the Fool criticize Lear for | for giving up his power prematurely and acting rashly, he also comments that old age and wisdom don’t always go hand in hand |
| What is significant about Lear’s prayer? | first, this foreshadows Lear’s later madness and it also will go against the natural order and rightness of him being a king |
| Why does Edmund injure himself | because he’s falsely trying to convict Edgar so he makes it look like they fought |
| How does Gloucester react to the news | he vows to chase Edgar, and he also denounces Edgar as his natural son and says Edmund will be his heir |
| What does Kent say about Oswald character when he says “a tailor made thee” | he says that he’s dimwitted and does not have character saying Oswald is like Goneril’s puppet |
| What revenge does Lear swear on both of his daughters | He vows revenge on his daughters and cannot come up with a plan so he vows terrible things on both of them |
| What makes the sisters’ actions at the end seem particularly cruel | a violent storm is coming, yet the too claim the house is too small for Lear so they lock the gate |
| What two events signal the end of Lear’s reign as a father and a king | the storm represents Lear’s own mind and the fact that natural order has been disrupted |
| What news about Albany, Cornwall and the King of France does Kent reveal | he explains that the division of Albany and Cornwall has gotten bigger and the king of France wants to divide the country and has already landed with troops in Dover |
| What mission does Kent ask the knights to do | to go inform Cordelia of all that has happened and give her a ring so she knows the message is from Kent |
| What comment about women does Lear make | Lear believes that all women are engulfed in their own physical appearance |
| What is Kent’s opinion of the storms fierceness | Kent considers the storm to be the worst he’s ever exprienced, |
| Why does Lear tear off the clothes of poor Tom | so the two can bond over what they both have, “nothing” |
king lear study guide
July 16, 2019