Thursday, January 20, 2011

KING LEAR Act One NEW QUESTIONS


Akira Kurosawa's RAN, opening scene
(Victor thanks for retrieving the DVD)
Why is King Lear dividing his kingdom?
How will what he has done affect those close to him?
Write paragraph answers to these questions, using citations from the play
1. Why do Glouster, Kent, and Edmund start the play, and what information is exchanged between Glouster and Kent before King Lear's entrance?
2. How does King Lear address (talk to) each of those gathered before, during, and after he divides his kingdom? (Please notice his use of the imperial pronouns "we," "our," and "us.") Use citations from the play.
3. Why are Cordelia's asides before she addresses her father so important? Why does Shakespeare these asides so early in his play?
4. Why do you think Cordelia, who knows and loves her father, refuses to deliver the speech he expects from her?
5. How and why does Kent address King Lear? What do you think of what he says? What do you think of how King Lear responds to what he says to him?
6. Why do neither Regan nor Goneril speak up for their sister Cordelia? How do they feel about what their father has done to both their sister and to Kent?
7. Why do you think the Duke of Burgandy and the King of France are not present at the beginning of this scene? When Gloucester brings them into the room he introduces them by saying, "Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord." Why do you think King Lear address them in reverse order? He speaks to Burgundy first. 
8.  How do the Duke of Burgandy and the King Of France respond to King Lear both  disowning Cordelia and withdrawing Cordelia's dowry?
9. What similarities exist in Kent's and the King of France's words regarding Cordelia?
10. What contrasting views of Cordelia are expressed by the two monarchs on stage (King Lear and the King of France), and how is this so sadly ironic?
11. Why do or don't you think Cordelia won the man she wanted? How can you detect this? Explain do or don't you think King Lear is aware of Cordelia's victory or failure.
12. Although this is drama is set in pre-Christian times (for Britain), what words of  importance to Christian dogma are spoken with reference to Cordelia?
13. By disinheriting and disowning his youngest daughter and by forcing Kent into permanent exile,  in effect, what has King Lear done to himself?
14. Why do you think the word "nothing" in repeatedly used in the first scene? Of what importance or ironic significance does this word have?f
15. How does Shakespeare characterize King Lear in this scene, as a king, as a father, and as a man? 
NOW READ THE NEXT SCENE AND THEN COMMENT ABOUT IT ON OUR BLOG. 

Remember 10% of your final grade is derived from the comments you place on our class blog.  Please do not use this blog to post me questions, it is  a class discussion forum. If you have questions for me, email them to me at  abalgley@gmail.com
   

23 comments:

  1. well still reading those scenes but with this diagrams seem that this play is actually more complex than what i initially think of.

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  2. I agree with Victor.. It looks like a lot is going to happen. A lot of people are going to die I see...

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  3. Looks like the main character of this play is King Lear.

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  4. So is Cordelia in love with her father? its kinda confusing -_-

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  5. I dont really get the play at all. The questions are confusing too.

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  6. I agree with Ivy, it seems like many people are going to die by just looking at the diagram.. We will have to read the play inorder to understand it better

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  8. Wow this diagram is very interesting and helpful! King Lear as many enemies. Including in his royal family, which are Regal and Goneril. I also agree with Melida and Ivy. Many people are going to die. I also, noticed this is different from Hamlet because they are rarely any loves going on, In Hamlet we had a strong love with Hamlet,Laertes,and Ophelia. Also, Gertude and King Cladius.

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  9. Guys, you saw the beginning of Akira Kurosawa's RAN in class, so the beginning of this play, if you carefully read the text and assiduously refer to the notes accompanying the text, perhaps more than once, just to get the ball rolling, shouldn't be so overwhelming. JUST DO IT! Ignore the diagram; I am going to remove it from this post. Just read the words.

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  10. It took me a very long time to understand the story but I finally get it enough to try my best to answer these questions. Everyone is right, a lot of people will die. The story just started and already there is a serious problem.

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  11. I love how the subplot in Scene 2 mirrors the problems presented in Scene 1. At first I thought this would probably confuse me more, but having the two story lines kind of seems as though it'll be very helpful in understanding the overall story.

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  12. I want to read act one over one more time, And yeah agree with alexis many people will die. Its in a way obvious since it is shakespear.

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  13. They are past due since many of them were covered in class discussion yesterday (I know you were not in attendance then - so talk to someone who was), but if you are asking when you need to hand them in, that is the first day of the new semester. I really enjoyed reading both your literature log as well as Katherine's literature log on PORTRAIT OF A LADY. Please finish reading and writing about the book during intersession.

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  14. I suggest you carefully read Susan's comment on this posting.

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  15. I actually was enjoying the Film we we're watching based on King Lear..

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  16. I think the picture of King Lear looks really funny.

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  18. Tiffany, please send personal questions to me by email at abalgley@gmail.com. Reserve this blog for discussion of the plays and novels we are reading. Okay?

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  19. Hey mr. Balgley, could you possibly go over some of the last couple of question specifically that you posted here, because I read act 1 twice and I am having trouble answering those questions.

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  20. Brittany please use this blog to post your reactions to what you have read and to discourse with your classmates, but NOT to communicate with me. If you do need to do that however, just email me at abalgley@gmail.com OKAY?
    You can of course address your questions to your classmates on this blog. I would prefer that.

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