The Relationship Between
the Parents and Children of
King Lear!
By: April Ford, Kasey Fuller,
Arieal Smith, Mikayla Carter,
and Mackenzie Taylor
The Dramatic Parallel
The Royal Family
The Noble Family
King Lear
Gloucester
Cordelia
Edgar
Goneril and Regan
Edmund
…And the Good Child Complex
I love your majesty
According to my bond; no more nor less.
(Cordelia, Act I. i, 94-95)
The barbarous Scynthian,
Or he that makes his generation messes
To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom
Be as well neighbored, pitied, and relieved,
As thou my sometime daughter.
(Lear, Act I. i, 118-122)
“O villain, villain! His very opinion in the
letter. Abhorred villain, unnatural, detested,
brutish villain; worse than brutish! Go, sirrah, seek
him. I’ll apprehend him. Abominable villain!
Where is he?
(Gloucester, Act I. ii, 80-84)
Although the good children of each story, Cordelia and
Edgar, serve as the voices of reason in their families,
they are ultimately cast off by their fathers. Cordelia is
cast off because she does not join in her sisters’ faux
flattery, and Edgar is cast off due to his brother’s
deception.
…And the Good Evil Children
Lear. I gave you all.
Regan.
And in good time you gave it.
(Act II. iv, 249)
Regan.
Sick, O, sick!
Goneril. [Aside] If not, I’ll ne’er trust medicine.
(Act V. Scene iii, 96-97)
Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed,
And my invention thrive, Edmund the base
Shall top th’ legitimate. I grow, I prosper.
Now, gods, stand up for bastards.
(Edmund, Act I. ii, 19-22)
With the downfall of the good children (Cordelia and Edgar), the parents turn their attentions to their other
children, who possess a greater evil than they let on. Regan expresses her lack of gratefulness toward her
father, Goneril poisons her sister to be with Edmund, and Edmund plots against his own brother out of
jealousy.
…And the Good Child to the Rescue
O my dear father, restoration hang
Thy medicine on my lips, and let this kiss
Repair those violent harms that my two sisters
Have in thy reverence made.
(Cordelia, IV. vii, 26-29)
In Gloucester’s and Lear’s darkest
hour, their sincere children swoop in
to help them carry on among the
madness. Each child cares for their
sick parents. They also join in the
effort to overthrow Goneril and Regan
in order to ensure their fathers’
safety. They do all of this for their
fathers, despite the ways in which
their fathers mistreated them.
Here, father, take the shadow of this tree
For your good host; pray that the right may thrive.
If ever I return to you again,
I’ll bring you comfort.
(Edgar, Act V. ii, 1-4)
“I’m not the hero
that he deserves, but
the one he needs
right now.”
…And the Theme?
No matter how one family member treats
another, the underlying feelings that are
revealed will not override the bond of a true
family.
Although Goneril, Regan, and
Edmund no doubt portray the
negative model of the family
dynamic, Edgar and Cordelia
demonstrate the steadfast bond
of a true family through their
loyalty against all odds.
…And they all lived
sadly ever after.
Resources:
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Knight: http://funny-pictures.picphotos.net/the-black-knight-rises-monty-python-with-adark-knight-twist-news/s3-live.tapcdn.com*images*tap*f*1*3*1*9*3be*4da*480x480*theblack-knight-rises-monty-python-with-a-dark-knight-twist-news-geektyrant.jpg/
Crown Emoji: http://emojipedia.org/crown/
Money Bag Emoji: http://emojipedia.org/money-bag/
Batman: http://atlantablackstar.com/2012/07/23/analyst-dark-knight-rises-ticket-salesbelow-projections-duh/batman_the-dark-knight-rises_by_polishtank48/
King Lear Scene: http://www.pathguy.com/kinglear.htm
Saturday Night Live Devil: http://giphy.com/gifs/evil-laugh-7tKEfRjktJ2MM
Doodled Shakespeare: https://www.pinterest.com/onetimeataday/memes-x-all-the-y/
Love Story Shakespeare: http://successimg.com/funny-shakespearememes/t.qkme.me*3qcjt2.jpgshakesphere20meme20232x310/www.quickmeme.com*Hipst
erShakespeare*/
Happily Ever After Shakespeare:
http://www.deviantart.com/morelikethis/artists/381210562?view_mode=2#skins
Game of Thrones Shakespeare:
https://www.pinterest.com/cindylee581/greekmythologyother-book-coversliterary-things/