King Lear

"King Lear" is a tragedy play written by William Shakespeare. It revolves around the aging King Lear, who decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters based on their flattery towards him. The play explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, madness, and the harsh consequences of pride and foolishness.

### Key Elements of "King Lear"

- **Plot Overview**: King Lear, seeking to relieve himself of the responsibilities of monarchy, decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters: Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. Goneril and Regan, the elder daughters, deceitfully profess their love for him, while the youngest daughter, Cordelia, speaks honestly and is disowned. The two older daughters betray Lear, leading to his descent into madness. Concurrently, the subplot involves the Duke of Gloucester and his sons, Edgar and Edmund. Edmund's treachery mirrors the betrayal of Lear's daughters.

- **Major Characters**:

  - **King Lear**: The tragic hero of the play, Lear is an elderly king who makes the grave mistake of valuing flattery over honesty.

  - **Cordelia**: Lear’s youngest and most honest daughter, disowned by Lear for not flattering him, but remains loyal to him.

  - **Goneril and Regan**: Lear’s elder daughters who betray their father after securing their portions of the kingdom.

  - **Edmund**: The illegitimate son of Gloucester who schemes to usurp his father’s title and possessions.

  - **Edgar**: The legitimate son of Gloucester who is forced to flee and disguise himself as "Poor Tom" to survive.

  - **Gloucester**: A nobleman loyal to King Lear who suffers betrayal by his illegitimate son Edmund.

  - **Kent**: A loyal nobleman to King Lear, who disguises himself as Caius to continue serving Lear after being banished.

  - **The Fool**: Lear’s loyal jester, who provides wisdom and insight throughout the play.

- **Key Themes**:

  - **Madness**: Lear’s descent into madness symbolizes the chaos that ensues from poor judgment and betrayal.

  - **Blindness and Insight**: Both literal and metaphorical blindness play crucial roles, especially in the subplot involving Gloucester.

  - **Nature and the Natural Order**: The play often references the natural world and the disruption of the social and natural order.

  - **Loyalty and Betrayal**: Explores the consequences of betrayal and the virtues of loyalty.

### Frequently Mentioned Clues

1. **Flattery and Betrayal by Daughters**: 

   - "A character in this play tells her father that she cannot 'heave her heart into her mouth,' which makes it seem like she loves her father less than her older sisters do."

   - "This play opens with Regan and Goneril flattering the title character in order to gain shares of his land."

   - "In this play, the flattering of the title character by his daughters Regan and Goneril."

2. **Madness and the Storm**:

   - "This title character rips off his clothes in a storm and enters 'fantastically dressed with wild flowers' after going insane."

   - "He cries 'Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!' in a storm he weathers with Kent and the Fool."

   - "This character calls himself 'more sinn’d against than sinning' during a storm that Kent rescues him from."

3. **Disguise and Deception**:

   - "A man in this play who pretends to be a beggar named Poor Tom kills Oswald."

   - "A character disguised as Tom O’Bedlam pretends to lead the blinded Gloucester off a cliff in this play."

   - "A character in this play disguises himself as Caius and is known as Kent."

### Related Quizbowl Facts That Appeared In More Than One Toss-up

1. The "history of King Lear" was notably altered by Nahum Tate who gave it a happy ending. 

2. King Lear's legitimate son Edgar disguises himself as Poor Tom or Tom O'Bedlam to escape his brother Edmund's schemes.

3. "Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!" is a famous line shouted by Lear during the storm, symbolizing his madness and despair.

4. Lear's tragic realization about his daughters' treachery comes too late, leading to his downfall and madness.

**Fill in the Blanks for Quizbowl Practice**

1. The "history of King Lear" was notably altered by Nahum ___1___ who gave it a happy ending.

2. Gloucester's legitimate son ___2___ disguises himself as Poor Tom or Tom O'Bedlam to escape his brother Edmund's schemes.

3. "Blow, winds, and crack your ___3___!" is a famous line shouted by Lear during the storm, symbolizing his madness and despair.

4. Lear's tragic realization about his daughters' ___4___ comes too late, leading to his downfall and madness.

Answers:

1. Tate

2. Edgar

3. cheeks

4. treachery

1. **King Lear's "Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!"**: This line is part of Lear's furious monologue during a storm, symbolizing his mental and emotional turmoil as he grapples with the betrayal of his daughters.

2. **King Lear dividing his kingdom among his daughters (Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia)**: This crucial plot event sets the story in motion, as Lear decides to divide his kingdom based on the flattery of his daughters, leading to tragic consequences.

3. **Cordelia's response "Nothing, my Lord"**: Cordelia's honest and blunt response to Lear's demand for declarations of love leads to her disinheritance and sets up the conflict between her sincerity and her sisters' deceit.

4. **King Lear's lament "Howl, howl, howl, howl!" while holding Cordelia's body**: In one of the play's most poignant scenes, Lear mourns the death of his loyal daughter Cordelia, highlighting the depth of his despair and regret.

5. **Tom O'Bedlam (Edgar's disguise)**: Edgar disguises himself as a mad beggar named Tom O'Bedlam to escape his brother Edmund's treachery and his father's mistaken belief that he is a traitor.

6. **King Lear's phrase "more sinned against than sinning"**: This line reflects Lear's realization that he has been wronged more by others than he has wronged them, capturing his growing awareness of his own vulnerability and mistakes.

7. **Cordelia's refusal to flatter Lear and her subsequent disinheritance**: Cordelia's integrity leads to her being disowned by Lear, a pivotal moment that underscores the play's exploration of honesty versus hypocrisy.

8. **Edmund's manipulation and betrayal of Gloucester and Edgar**: Edmund's deceit and ambition lead to the betrayal of his father Gloucester and brother Edgar, driving much of the subplot's drama and tragedy.

9. **Gloucester being blinded**: This brutal act of violence symbolizes the theme of blindness and insight, as Gloucester suffers for his inability to see through Edmund's lies and ultimately gains a deeper understanding of loyalty and truth.

10. **King Lear's final scene of mourning Cordelia and exclaiming "Never, never, never, never, never!"**: Lear's heart-wrenching grief in the play's final scene emphasizes the devastating consequences of his earlier actions and the tragic nature of the story.

1. **King Lear's "Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!"** - 12 times

2. **King Lear dividing his kingdom among his daughters (Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia)** - 11 times

3. **Cordelia's response "Nothing, my Lord"** - 8 times

4. **King Lear's lament "Howl, howl, howl, howl!" while holding Cordelia's body** - 8 times

5. **Tom O'Bedlam (Edgar's disguise)** - 8 times

6. **King Lear's phrase "more sinned against than sinning"** - 7 times

7. **Cordelia's refusal to flatter Lear and her subsequent disinheritance** - 7 times

8. **Edmund's manipulation and betrayal of Gloucester and Edgar** - 6 times

9. **Gloucester being blinded** - 6 times

10. **King Lear's final scene of mourning Cordelia and exclaiming "Never, never, never, never, never!"** - 5 times