essay questions about king lear

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Study Help Essay Questions

1. Examine the specific ways that Lear contributes to his fall.

2. A tragic hero moves the reader to pity, since his misfortune is greater than he deserves, and he also creates fear, since his tragedy might easily befall one of us. To what extent does Lear fit the definition of a tragic hero?

3. Discuss either Lear or Gloucester's movement toward a greater knowledge of himself and his world.

4. The play raises important questions about divine justice. All those who are evil are dead, but so are several of the characters who represent good. Does God see to it that good people are rewarded and evildoers are punished? Write an essay that responds to the question of whether or not divine justice is served in this play.

5. Focus on the repetition of several words, such as nothing, bond, nature, and natural. Choose two of these words and discuss the ideas that their use suggests.

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100+ King Lear Essay Topics

Table of Contents

What is a King Lear Essay?

A King Lear essay is an academic paper focusing on William Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear”. The play is rich with themes of power, love, betrayal, and madness. Because of its depth and numerous subplots, it offers a wealth of topics for deep analysis and exploration. Whether you’re discussing character development, the play’s historical context, or its many symbols, a King Lear essay allows for a broad spectrum of discussion and analysis.

Choosing the Perfect King Lear Essay Topic: A Quick Guide

Selecting a topic for your King Lear essay requires a deep understanding of the play’s themes and characters. Here’s a brief guide to help you:

• Read the Play Thoroughly: Understand the story, its characters, and underlying themes.
• Identify Your Interest: Choose a theme or character that resonates with you.
• Research: Look for academic papers and discussions around that theme or character to get different perspectives.
• Be Specific: Narrow down your topic to ensure you can cover it in depth.
• Seek Feedback: Discuss your topic idea with peers or professors to refine it further.

King Lear Essay Topics Lists

Character analysis.

• The transformation of King Lear: From pride to madness.
• Cordelia’s role: Innocence and morality amidst deceit.
• The Machiavellian nature of Edmund.
• The tragic fall of Gloucester and its parallels with Lear.

Themes and Motifs

• The consequences of betrayal in King Lear.
• The role of nature and storm in representing Lear’s internal turmoil.
• Blindness vs. insight: A study of perception in King Lear.
• The juxtaposition of wisdom and foolishness throughout the play.
• The significance of the Fool and his role in the narrative.
• Clothes and their portrayal of identity and deception.

Historical and Cultural Context

• King Lear in the context of Elizabethan societal values.
• Comparing King Lear to other Shakespearean tragedies.

Literary Devices

• Use of irony in King Lear.
• The role of dramatic monologues in developing character depth.

Comparative Studies

• King Lear and Oedipus Rex: A comparative tragedy study.
• King Lear in modern adaptations: A study of film and theater renditions.

Character Exploration

• The multi-faceted nature of King Lear’s madness.
• The motives and morality of Edmund, the illegitimate son.
• Goneril and Regan’s descent into cruelty and deceit.
• Cordelia: The epitome of virtue in a world gone mad.
• Kent’s unwavering loyalty: A character study.
• The Fool: Wisdom in simplicity and jest.

Thematic Analyses

• Familial love versus political ambition.
• The frailty of human nature in the face of deceit.
• Madness as a reflection of societal disorder.
• Nature’s fury as a mirror to human emotion in King Lear.
• The consequences of blind trust.
• Age and youth: Conflicts and misunderstandings in King Lear.

Symbolism and Imagery

• The storm: Chaos within and without.
• Eyesight and insight: The tragedy of literal and metaphorical blindness.
• The role of animals in depicting human depravity.
• The significance of the crown and the loss of royal dignity.

Gender and Society

• Femininity and power: A look at the roles of Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia.
• Gender roles and expectations in Elizabethan society versus King Lear.
• The portrayal of women as villains and victims.
• The interplay between masculinity, power, and vulnerability.

Historical Context

• The political underpinnings of King Lear in Shakespeare’s time.
• The significance of the play’s setting between Paganism and Christianity.
• Comparing the two versions of King Lear: Quarto vs. Folio.
• The role of monarchy and succession debates in King Lear’s narrative.

Comparative Analyses

• King Lear and Macbeth: A study in tragic flaws.
• The tragic heroes: Oedipus vs. King Lear.
• Power dynamics: Comparing King Lear with Game of Thrones.
• Parent-child relationships in King Lear and Hamlet.

Literary Devices and Techniques

• Dramatic irony in the downfall of King Lear.
• Use of soliloquies in understanding characters’ psychologies.
• The role of subplots in enriching the main narrative.
• The interplay of prose and verse in King Lear.

Modern Interpretations and Adaptations

• Analyzing Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran” as an adaptation of King Lear.
• King Lear in the digital age: Modern retellings and interpretations.
• Setting King Lear in a corporate world: A thematic exploration.
• How contemporary theater stages King Lear.

Philosophy and Morality

• Existential themes in King Lear.
• The play’s exploration of justice and divine retribution.
• Nihilism and despair in King Lear’s darkest moments.
• Ethics of power and leadership as depicted in the play.

Staging and Performance

• The challenges and nuances of staging King Lear’s storm scene.
• Role of costumes and set design in bringing out the play’s themes.
• Evolution of King Lear’s character portrayal in theater over the centuries.
• The role of music and sound in enhancing King Lear’s tragic atmosphere.

Miscellaneous Topics

• The psychology of betrayal in King Lear.
• The cultural impact of King Lear in literature and art.
• Analyzing King Lear’s themes in the context of family therapy.
• The archetype of the tragic hero through King Lear.
• The exploration of mortality and legacy in King Lear.
• Nature, nurture, and the environment in the world of King Lear.

Role of Secondary Characters

• The significance of Edgar’s transformation into “Poor Tom”.
• Oswald’s loyalty: A contrasting perspective.
• Albany and Cornwall: A study in contrasting leadership styles.
• How secondary characters elevate the play’s primary themes.

Narrative Techniques

• The use of letters and written communication in forwarding the plot.
• King Lear as a play within a play: Performance and perception.
• The significance of off-stage events and their impact on the narrative.

Psychological Perspectives

• King Lear: A case study in cognitive decline and dementia.
• Sibling rivalry and Freudian interpretations in King Lear.
• The psychological toll of power and authority.

Religious Undertones

• Divine justice vs. earthly justice in King Lear.
• Pagan beliefs and Christian morality: A dichotomy in King Lear.
• The concept of redemption and sacrifice in the play.

Societal Critiques

• King Lear as a critique of feudalism.
• The role of class and hierarchy in the tragic events of the play.
• Shakespeare’s view on authority and governance through King Lear.

Artistic Interpretations

• The visual imagery of King Lear and its impact on audiences.
• The role of silence in King Lear: What’s left unsaid.
• Representations of King Lear in art, music, and other forms of media.

Struggling with your King Lear essay?

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96 King Lear Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best king lear topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 most interesting king lear topics to write about, 👍 good research topics about king lear, ❓ king lear essay questions.

• King Lear Themes, Characters, & Analysis Essay As explained by Al Zoubi and Al Khamaiseh, during the ceremony, Goneril and Regan, the oldest and the middle daughters, use flatter and insincere speech to prove their love to the father.
• Tragic Redemption in “King Lear” by Shakespeare King Lear and the other characters that were at fault in the beginning of the play are redeemed in the end by the tragic death of the most innocent character. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Major Themes in the Play “King Lear” by William Shakespeare The madness is connected to the trouble that befalls the King later in his helpless state as he faces all sorts of mistreatments from the two daughters whom he gives the mandate to run the […]
• Comparison of “Hamlet”, “King Lear” and “Othello” by Shakespeare Iago’s reports and the loss of the handkerchief appear to Othello reliable proofs of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness, and under the effect of anger the protagonist is both unable and unwilling to do further investigation.
• Villains in Shakespeare’s “King Lear” In his turn, Edmund, the illegitimate son of Gloucester, is a character who would never commit crimes and cruelty to admire the results of villainous actions.
• Regan and Goneril in “King Lear” by Shakespeare Regan and Goneril are portrayed with various defiant actions against the inequalities occurring in the contemporary society of the male-dominated world. The female archetype is described as an element of the oppression in the patriarchal […]
• Individual’s Sense of Entitlement and Destructive Behavior in “King Lear” A sense of entitlement can arise from the way a person is treated or from their temperament and as such, it is a dangerous attitude to acquire or encourage because it may lead to disparaging […]
• Shakespeare Tragedies: Macbeth and King Lear At the beginning of the play, he decides to abdicate his throne and divide his kingdom among his three daughters. This choice eventually undermines the ethical integrity of this character, and he murders murder to […]
• Shakespeare’s King Lear: A Bad Judgment Turns Tragic However, in this play, we can be witnesses to a fact that all of the pain that King Lear had undergone can be cathartic.
• Analysis of King Lear and Paradise Lost One son in particular, Edmund, allows the pain of being born a bastard and the rejection of his father to skew his view of the world and the intentions of his ambition.
• Literature Studies: King Lear by William Shakespeare Bad luck is clear in the story through the inconsistent relationship between King Lear and his daughters as well as from the role of dishonesty and power in the play.
• Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and Smiley’s “A Thousand Acres” In King Lear and A Thousand of Acres, the destinies of both King Lear and Larry Cook encounter unfair attitudes toward daughters and death, as a result. Lear and Larry are in despair because of […]
• “King Lear ” by William Shakespeare At the end of the day, the character learns the price of such a fatal mistake which is betrayal and loss of everything he loved in his life. The theme of the transformational power of […]
• King Lear as a Depiction of Shakespeare’s Era First of all, in order to depict the universality of the events, to show that this is not a particular case he describes but the characteristics of his epoque, Shakespeare doubled the plot, telling, in […]
• Deception in King Lear, The Odyssey and Gilgamesh The forms of deception in the book seem to come effortlessly to Odysseus, and the stories he tells throughout the book serve to protect him and his family.
• Quotes From Tragedy of King Lear by Shakespeare Chapter three in the book of Genesis tells about the temptation of a woman by the serpent and the violation of the prohibition on eating fruits from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.
• Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and “A Thousand Acres” Film The task of A Thousand Acres is to demonstrate the relevance and popularity of the primary source among the modern reader, simultaneously with criticism and rethinking of specific points.
• Shakespeare and His View on Kingship: Macbeth, King Lear and Othello At the same time, it is beyond doubt in the basement Macbeth’s character is clean and as a soldier, he is true to his job and his king.
• Personal Conflict of King Lear in Play by Shakespeare From the beginning of the story, he managed to set the readers against the king, which makes the majority of them support the daughters in the conflict between them and the king, the conflict that, […]
• King Lear’s Cataclysm: Analysis of Shakespeare’s Plays He does this by allocating his land and property to his three daughters to the degree to which they are able to convince him that they love him.
• “King Lear” by William Shakespeare: A Play Review by Jeremy Bryson Gloucester, in response to the attack on Edmond, promises to bring Edgar to justice, and also states that he is going to make Edmond his heir.
• Language of Henry V and King Lear by W. Shakespeare The most obvious similarities in the language of the two plays are that it takes a good actor to be able to deliver the lines at all, and a superb actor to be able to […]
• The Role of Trickery in Shakespear’s “King Lear” The trickster and the person being tricked, the switching that the trickster uses in order to play a trick on the person will also be put to light.
• Shakespeare’s “King Lear” Adaptation by Ian Pollock The panes are arranged in a way that helps to quickly and intuitively follow the major events and receive a clear picture of those before the actual reading of the utterances.
• Society Role in Literature: King Lear and Things Fall Apart The difference is that the leader of the plan is much tougher physically and emotionally, and it is evident that he would not give up his values and morals.
• Comparison of “Tuesdays With Morrie” by Mitch Albom and “King Lear” by William Shakespeare He is viewed as a man of wisdom, owing to the lessons he has learned from his sufferings since childhood, which he, in turn, teaches Albom.
• Similar Themes in the Movie “King Lear” and “About Schmidt” It is clear that both the film directors have used these themes in order to develop the plot of the respective movies and, at the same time, be in a position of expressing the ethical […]
• The Effective Usage of Subplots in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Gradual Diminishment of Control Within Lear’s Kingdom in Shakespeare’s Play “King Lear”
• The Idea of Imprisonment in the Plot of Shakespearean “King Lear”
• The Illustration of Consequences of One Man’s Decisions in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Use of Parallelism in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Importance and Role of Rejection in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Importance of Responsibilities in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• Relationship Themes Evident in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Importance of Sight and Blindness in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Important Contextual Influences on Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Madness of Edmund in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Many Effective Images Incorporated Into William Shakespeare’s Play “King Lear”
• The Metaphor of Being Blind in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Natural Response of a Person to Judgement in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Opposing Views to Lear’s Temperament in the Play “King Lear”
• Patience Standards Portrayed in “King Lear” Drama
• The Play “King Lear” and the Audience’s Minds During Watching a Play by William Shakespeare
• The Power of Religious Redemption in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Protagonist’s Attainment of Self Knowledge in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Use of Paradox as Related to the Theme of Truth in “King Lear”
• The Theme of Insight and Sight Between Gloucester and Lear in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Tangled Web of Secrets in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Representation of Women in “King Lear” and “The Vicar of Wakefield”
• The Road to Self-Knowledge in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Role of Femininity in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” “Othello,” and “King Lear”
• Cultural Heritage Portrayed in “King Lear” Play
• The Significance of Nature in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Similarities of Events That Lear and Gloucestor Experienced in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Story of Treachery and Deceit in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Themes of Sanity and Madness in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Temporal Allusions in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Theme of Consciousness in “King Lear” by Shakespeare
• The Themes of Deception and Shame in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex”
• The Test of Love in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Three Major Roles of the Fool in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Tragedy Ending in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Tragic Consequence of Blindness in “King Lear”
• The Themes of Gender and Sexuality in Sigmund Freud’s “Dora” and William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Tragic Heroes in “King Lear,” “Hamlet,” and “Oedipus Rex”
• The Recurring Theme of Sight Against Blindness in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• The Trait of Goodness in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare
• The Use of Motif on Filial Responsibility in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
• What Will Make “King Lear” Continue to Be Worthy of Critical Study?
• How Is Power Shown in “King Lear”?
• How Does Shakespeare Set up the Beginning Scene of “King Lear”?
• What Important Changes Happen to Lear in “King Lear”?
• What Are Two Key Scenes From “King Lear” by William Shakespeare?
• What Are the Three Mental Stages of King Lear in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare?
• How Does Shakespeare Use the Fool in “King Lear”?
• How Does Shakespeare Explore Nature in “King Lear”?
• What Is the Basic Story of “King Lear”?
• How Does Shakespeare’s “King Lear” Hold Its Appeal to a Modern Audience?
• What Are the Most Important Themes in “King Lear”?
• What Does “King Lear” Learn From His Sufferings?
• What Mental Illness Does “King Lear” Have?
• How Are Sibling Relationships Presented in “King Lear”?
• Is King Lear a Sympathetic Figure or a Victim of His Own Flaws?
• How Does Shakespeare Present Edmund in “King Lear”?
• Does “King Lear” Present an Implicit Theory of Leadership?
• What Is the Significance of the English Language in “King Lear”?
• Is There a Moral to the Play “King Lear”?
• What Does the Play “King Lear” Teach About Patience?
• To What Extent Does Fate Determine the Characters’ Actions and Outcomes in “King Lear”?
• What Is the Conclusion of “King Lear”?
• Was “King Lear” Mad or Suffering From Senility?
• How the Sub-Plot Mirrors the Main Plot in “King Lear” by William Shakespeare?
• How Clothing Imagery Defines the Characters Within “King Lear”?
• What Is “King Lear” Most Known For?
• Does “King Lear” Play the Tragic Hero or the Autocrat?
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Sample of Discussion & Essay Questions

• "Which of you shall we say doth love us most?"  That's the question King Lear asks his daughters so he can determine which one will get the biggest piece of land when he retires.  Discuss the consequences of King Lear's decision to stage this love test.  Does it turn out the way he hopes?  How does this decision impact the way events unfold in the play? 

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

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Discussion Questions

What does King Lear ’s use of literal and metaphorical blindness suggest about the play’s vision of the world? What’s the meaning of seeing in this play?

Why does Lear ask his daughters the fateful question at all? What does the first scene reveal about Lear’s character, and how does Lear’s question relate to the terrible events that follow?

Lear’s Fool disappears without a trace after the storm scenes. Why might this be? What does the Fool mean to the first half of the play, and why might he not fit into the second half?

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King lear study guide.

The story of King Lear and his three daughters existed in some form up to four centuries before Shakespeare recorded his vision. Lear was a British King who reigned before the birth of Christ, allowing Shakespeare to place his play in a Pagan setting. Predated by references in British mythology to Lyr or Ler, Geoffrey of Monmouth recorded a story of King Lear and his daughters in his Historia Regum Britanniae of 1137. Dozens of versions of the play were then written up, highlighting certain events, such as the love test, or expanding upon the story, such as creating a sequel where Cordelia committed suicide. Most of these versions had a happy ending, though untrue to the story, where peace was restored under the reign of Lear and Cordelia. Shakespeare however had no interest in writing a tragicomedy.

The main version that Shakespeare had likely read and from which he had definitely borrowed was The True Chronicle History of King Leir and his Three Daughters. He also borrowed from Raphael Holinshed's Chronicle of England, Scotland, and Ireland (who adopted the story from Monmouth), Edmund Spencer's The Faerie Queene , Sir Philip Sidney's The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia (from which Shakespeare drew his subplot), and John Higgins' A Mirror For Magistrates. He stole pieces and ideas from these versions to create the type of story he wanted to tell. For instance, The True Chronicle provides the basis of the story, though sentimentalizing it by ignoring the sequel. "Leir" is betrayed by two of his daughters but is reconciled to his youngest at the end. "Cordella" is accompanied by a Fool-type character who is loyal to her and Leir is reseated on the throne after beating Gonerill and Regan's armies. Moreover, Shakespeare left out main components of the earlier stories of Lear and created wholly new ones as well. Most considerable of the changes was the creation of a subplot and Lear's descent to madness.

In Shakespeare's time, numerous events, historical considerations, relationships, and cultural trends influenced his writing of King Lear. Scholars tend to believe that the play was written after Othello and before Macbeth, thus assigning it to 1604-1605. Further proof of this comes from the apparent influence the 1603 texts, A Declaration of Egregious Popishe Impostures, by Samuel Harsnett, and John Florio's translation of Montaigne's Essays, had on Shakespeare's conglomeration of the story. Critics have noted that more than one hundred words found in King Lear which Shakespeare had never before used can be found in Florio's translation. In addition, Montaigne's famous essay, "Apology for Raymond Sebonde," apparently refers to the same major themes which Shakespeare's King Lear presents. He also borrowed from a very convenient contemporary true story of a gentleman pensioner of Queen Elizabeth, Sir Brian Annesley, whose daughters tried to get him declared insane in late 1603 so that they could legally take control of his estate.The youngest daughter, named Cordell, intervened on his behalf.

As Shakespeare's players were the king's men, he knew they would have to perform for King James I and his court. Subsequently, Shakespeare imbued his plays with certain aspects that would appeal to James. For instance, the dangers of a divided kingdom was often the topic of James' speeches because of his wish to unite Scotland with England. Further topics from the time which Shakespeare took into account were the honor and wisdom endowed to the elderly as opposed to the rash ambition of the young as well as the ritualistic reverence showed to royalty. Shakespeare himself had moved into his period of writing tragedies as he felt they were more respected by critics although audiences generally preferred comedies. After his publication of Julius Caesar , he was looked at as the greatest tragedian since Sophocles and was at the zenith of his literary capacity. The play was first performed for the King in December of 1605. It was first published in a quarto in 1608 and titled M William Shak-speare His Historie, of King Lear. A completely revised version was reprinted by Shakespeare in a 1623 First Folio edition, now referred to as The Tragedy of King Lear. The two versions were conflated in the eighteenth century until editors realized how significantly different the two were and now each edition and the conflated text can be found.

King Lear Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for King Lear is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

"Themes of King Lear are skilfully presented through imagery and symbolism"

King Lear is rife with animal imagery, as the play is known for interrogating whether mankind is anything "more" than animal after all. Most often, animal imagery appears in the form of savage or carnivorous beasts, usually associated with Goneril...

A tragic hero moves the reader to pity,since his misfortune is greater than he deserves,and also creates fear,since his tragedy might easily befall one of us.To what extent does Lear fit the definition of a tragic hero?

Check this out:

http://bailieborocslibrary.weebly.com/blog/lear-develops-more-as-a-tragic-hero-than-gloucester-discuss

Edmund's "Up With Bastards" soliloquy in King Lear

The repetition makes Edmund sound harsh and angry.

Study Guide for King Lear

King Lear study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About King Lear
• King Lear Summary
• King Lear Video
• Character List

Essays for King Lear

King Lear literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of King Lear.

• The Heroines of Crime and Punishment, King Lear, and To the Lighthouse
• Folly of the Fool
• Sight and Consciousness: An Interpretive Study in King Lear
• An Examination of the Inverse Tropes of Sight and Blindness in King Lear
• Gender, Power, and Economics in King Lear

Lesson Plan for King Lear

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to King Lear
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• King Lear Bibliography

E-Text of King Lear

King Lear E-Text contains the full text of King Lear

• Persons Represented

Wikipedia Entries for King Lear

• Introduction
• Date and text

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• Eavan Boland (LC 2012)
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King Lear questions

First of all let’s look at the broad categories questions usually fall into:

CHARACTER THEME OPEN STYLE

You may be asked to discuss the following when it comes to characters:

• a tragic hero? (does he recognise his flaws and gain self-knowledge?)
• his nobility (is he a good man? / strengths & weaknesses / virtues & flaws)
• his relationship with his daughters & treatment of / by them
• the extent to which he is responsible for the tragedy which occurs
• our level of sympathy for him

Gloucester:

• his nobility / is he a good man? / strengths and weaknesses / virtues and flaws
• his relationship with his sons & treatment of / by them
• his dramatic function in the play

Lear & Gloucester:

• how and why their stories mirror each other
• the extent to which they bring about their own downfall
• our level of sympathy for them
• too good to be true or a believable character?
• virtues and flaws / our level of sympathy for her
• dramatic function in the play?

Goneril and Regan:

• treatment of their father
• extent to which they present a very negative view of women
• an admirable villain? or a sociopath?

Edmund and Edgar:

• contrast in their characters and personalities

Kent and The Fool

• dramatic function and believability

All characters:

• contrast the extremes of good and evil presented in the characters in the play
• the play is very pessimistic about human nature
• the play is very pessimistic about human relationships / family / parent – child dynamics

The major themes in the play are:

• Loyalty & Betrayal

Appearance vs Reality (Deception/Manipulation)

Good and Evil

Forgiveness

For each theme – no matter what the wording – ask yourself

WHO does this theme apply to? HOW / WHY does this character have to deal with this issue? Do they CHANGE over the course of the play? Are there any SCENES which highlight this theme specifically? What are our FINAL IMPRESSIONS of this issue?

OPEN QUESTIONS:

• Relevance to a modern audience
• Pessimistic play?

STYLE QUESTIONS:

• Language & Imagery
• Dramatic Irony
• Compelling Drama – scene or scenes

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

In each case you are given a statement which you can fully agree with, partially agree with or completely disagree with. In the most recent Chief Examiner’s Report, students were advised to avoid taking an overly simplistic approach (“I agree 100% that…”). It’s understandable that this would be your first instinct under exam conditions, but remember that a single sentence rarely sums up accurately the complexity and nuance of an entire play. Yes, you’ll look for evidence that supports the statement, but you’ll also need to display an awareness that different phases in the play contain different truths. Your attitude to a character, theme, relationship in the play will change and morph as the play unfolds and the plot develops…

“ King Lear is a man more sinned against than sinning ” – Discuss

“ Lear is a ‘foolish fond old man’ who deserves everything he gets ” – Discuss

“ Lear embarks on a harrowing journey through suffering to self-knowledge. At the end of the play he is a better and wiser man “

“ The play King Lear is a realistic tragedy that depicts the tragic consequences of one man’s folly “

“ King Lear is not a tragic hero, but rather a victim of circumstances “

“Gloucester is a weak and gullible man, but at heart, a decent one”

“Gloucester serves an important dramatic function in making Lear’s circumstances more credible”

“Discuss the dramatic significance of the Gloucester story in the play King Lear”

Lear and Gloucester

“Neither Lear nor Gloucester are deserving of the love and service they receive from their followers”

“Cordelia shares with her father the faults of pride and obstinacy”

“Cordelia’s dramatic function in the play is twofold: her wisdom highlights her father’s foolishness; her goodness  highlights her sisters’ malevolence” 

Goneril and Regan

“Lear’s evil daughters allow Shakespeare to present a very negative view of women in the play”

“Edmund is a sociopath: a charming liar, incapable of remorse, who views men and women merely as obstacles or aids to his ambition”

“Edmund is an admirable villain. At the beginning of the play he has nothing; by the end he is almost King”

Edmund and Edgar

“Gloucester’s sons represent the very best and the very worst in human nature”

Minor characters: Kent & The Fool

“The Fool serves as Lear’s conscience in the play. When he disappears, it is because Lear no longer needs him”

“The fool is an unnecessary distraction in the play King Lear”

“Kent is too loyal to be believable as a real human being”

General character questions

“The play King Lear offers characters who represent the very best and the very worst in human nature”

“Shakespeare’s King Lear presents a dark and pessimistic view of humanity”

“Cosmic justice is denied, yet human justice prevails in the play King Lear”

“The relationship between parents and children is unrealistically portrayed in the play King Lear”

Loyalty (&/or Betrayal)

“It is only the loyalty of loved ones that enables Lear and Gloucester to endure their sufferings”

“The theme of blindness – both physical and emotional – is dramatically presented in the play King Lear”

“In King Lear, whilst characters are initially fooled by appearances, they gradually come to see the truth”

“In King Lear, ‘sane’ characters frequently behave in a crazy manner, whilst ‘mad’ characters at times seem perfectly sane”

“Love as a redemptive force is a major theme in the play King Lear”

“ The play King Lear memorably explores the meaning of love “

“King Lear examines the nature of good and evil but neither force emerges triumphant”

“Learning through suffering is central to the play”

“ The importance of self-knowledge and forgiveness is strikingly evident in the play King Lear”

“The play King Lear explores what it means to be a good King”

OPEN QUESTIONS

“The play King Lear offers us one central experience: pessimism”

“Shakespeare’s vision of the world is not entirely pessimistic in the play King Lear”

“King Lear is one of the greatest tragedies ever written”

“Scenes of great suffering and of great tenderness help to make King Lear a very memorable play”

“The two plots of King Lear are closely paralleled in theme, character and action, to great dramatic effect”

“What, if any, relevance, does the play King Lear hold for today’s readers?”

LANGUAGE / STYLE

“King Lear is a play filled with striking images and symbols which heighten our experience of the play”

“Dramatic irony is used to tragic, and occasionally comic effect, in Shakespeare’s King Lear”

“The way characters speak accurately reflects their personality in Shakespeare’s King Lear”

“ King Lear contains many scenes of compelling drama, but the extremity of the cruelty and violence presented prevents the audience from achieving catharsis. Rather than a release, we feel haunted by what we have witnessed “

8 responses to “ King Lear questions ”

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Specifications that use this resource:

• AS and A-level English Literature B 7716; 7717

Aspects of tragedy: sample question commentary

This resource explains how a question taken from the sample assessment material addresses the assessment objectives, with some suggestions of how the task might be approached. This explanation is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every point that could be made but the explanation will provide a workable way into the question and the intention is to offer some support for teachers preparing students for the exam.

Paper 1A, Section A

This type of question from Section A of Paper 1: Aspects of tragedy invites students to write about the significance of an extract from Othello or King Lear. One hour is recommended for this question. This is a Closed Book paper and so students will need to know their texts well and be able to refer to them in the examination.

Sample Question

Read the extract below and then answer the question.

Explore the significance of this extract in relation to the tragedy of the play as a whole.

Remember to include in your answer relevant analysis of Shakespeare's dramatic methods.

How the question meets the Assessment Objectives

In this question, as throughout the paper, the assessment objectives are all assessed. The key words and phrases in the question are: explore, significance, tragedy of the play as a whole, analysis and dramatic methods, and these are clearly connected to the assessment objectives. The key word here is 'significance' as it is an invitation to students to target AO2 , 3 , 4 and AO5 , to show what is signified in terms of contexts and interpretations and how those meanings are shaped. AO2 is also set up in the reminder to students to include relevant analysis of Shakespeare's dramatic methods to show how the methods open up meanings about tragedy. AO3 will be addressed through the ways the students show their understanding of both the dramatic and tragic contexts of King Lear, and in the way they will elicit from the extract contextual ideas about when the text was written and how it has been and is received. AO4 will be hit as students will be connecting with the concepts of the tragic genre (and therefore other texts) through the 'aspects' which they are exploring. AO5 will be addressed when students grapple with meanings that arise about tragedy in the extract and in relation to the whole play.   AO1 will be tested though the ways the students organise their writing and express their ideas as they are exploring significance and analysing dramatic methods.

Possible content

It may be helpful for students to begin by briefly establishing an overview of the passage and identifying where it occurs within the play. For example: 'At this stage of the play, Lear has journeyed to Regan and Cornwall's castle, after his acrimonious argument with Goneril. Regan has received news of this from Oswald, and has decided not to be at home when Lear arrives. Kent has been stocked by Regan and Cornwall partly as a snub to Lear. The fool has tried to warn Lear that Regan will be as like Goneril 'as a crab's like an apple'.

The possible content of the mark scheme provides some ideas that students might write about. However, there are clearly many others and if students are reading their texts through the lens of tragedy they will be able to identify many ideas themselves.

Students might explore the following aspects of tragedy:

• Lear's tragic stature
• his loss of control and restraint
• the representations of goodness on stage
• Lear's pride and outrage
• Lear's realisation that Regan and Cornwall have disrespected him in stocking his messenger
• the gloomy castle setting
• the visual sight of Kent in the stocks to show Lear's entrapment
• Lear's anger – his fatal flaw perhaps
• the Fool's cryptic commentary on Lear's decline
• the description of the behaviour of Regan, Cornwall and Goneril which places them as tragic villains
• the references to cruelty and unkindness
• the mention of Lear's future madness
• the Fool's jokes and song which heighten the tragic atmosphere.

Any of these ideas can be linked with other parts of the play, for example Lear's anger here might be connected with his anger in the banishing and disinheriting of Cordelia or of his grotesque curse of Goneril; the Fool's warning shots (a sign of his love for Lear) might be linked with his later attempts to save Lear from madness and his decision to tarry with him on the heath despite the violence of the storm

Significance

Students might develop any of the points mentioned above and suggest what meanings arise from the ideas they select. Comment might be on

• the tragic decline of Lear
• Lear's uncontrollable anger and how this can be interpreted
• the loyalty of Kent and the Fool and views about this
• the 17th-century contextual significance of the Fool to the court
• Lear's inadequacy
• how Lear elicits audience sympathy – or otherwise
• the significance of the location to the tragedy
• the significance of being a host in the 17th-century in relation to the tragedy
• the significance of the family relationships to the tragedy
• 'unkindness' – and the implications of this concept in the 17th-century and to the tragedy
• the treatment of old people from both a 17th-century and a 21st-century perspective
• notions of punishment in the 17th-century and how the stocking of Kent could be viewed now
• Kent as a tragic figure in his own right, his representing honesty (having more man than wit about him), his endorsing the play's pessimism etc

Dramatic methods

Any comment on dramatic method needs to be connected to the task about tragedy.

Students might explore the following dramatic methods:

• setting of the dark location outside the castle
• visual effect of Kent in the stocks and Lear and the Fool's reaction perhaps signifying Lear's entrapment
• irony of first words from Lear, given that the audience know how deliberate Regan's departure has been
• Kent's elevated salutation 'Hail to thee noble master' shows his respect and loyalty to Lear
• the Fool's comic insult reflecting the foolishness of Kent's earlier behaviour when he got himself stocked
• the use of stichomythia showing Kent's determination to tell the truth in comparison to Lear's denial
• the use of emotive language in Kent's long speech reflects his outrage at the treatment of Lear by Regan and Cornwall ('reeking post', Stew'd in his haste', 'poisoned', 'coward cries')
• the matter-of-factness of Kent's listing of the events that led to his being stocked reflects his plainness to which his honour is bound
• the Fool's cryptic lines which foreshadow later events
• the Fool's jokes and songs which heighten the tragic atmosphere, etc.

Students will also have to understand how to use their knowledge to relate to other parts of the play given that this is a Closed Book exam. Although it should be possible to refer to specific parts of the wider tragedy of King Lear and to quote, some comments might be more generalised.

This resource is part of the Aspects of tragedy resource package .

Document URL https://www.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/as-and-a-level/english-literature-b/teach/sample-question-commentary-paper-1a-section-a-king-lear

Last updated 16 Dec 2022