Of Kings and Servants: Responsibility and Trust Across Shakespeare's Plays

King Henry V in disguise, discussing responsibility with his soldiers.

Over the summer I studied a novel about the Vietnam War and wrote a lot about responsibility and trust. These ideas seemed to be changed by the novel, and I found the ideas fascinating. Who is responsible in a war? Is it the soldier? The leader? Or some combination of people?

Shakespeare deals with lots of different relationships, all of which involve trust and responsibilities. I would like to refer back to Shakespeare's discussion of responsibility in war in Henry V. It gets interesting when comparing what we can read there with the same issues in something lighthearted, like the comedy Twelfth Night. I haven't fully studied all of the ideas through yet, but my basic ideas are that responsibility and trust are changeable, and actually very different depending on the situation, according to Shakespeare's plays.

With some basic research, I have come across a video discussing Henry's conversation about responsibility with his soldiers. I also found an article titled Henry V's Politics of Non-Responsibility, which I think I will find very useful for my essay. Overall, this issue might not be discussed to broadly across other plays, which is why I think the comparison will be so useful, since trust and responsibility are both things we use and recognize everyday, even if we don't notice it all the time. Viewing the connections between the leaders and servants in Shakespeare has the potential to lead to some applicable conclusions.

After reading through other's posts on slack and posting my own, there is one other person who may be doing something similar, which is good because we can help each other research. It's also good that it's just one person, so that my topic can be pretty unique.

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A Midsummer Nightmare: Prewriting

An example of the elevated diction used to describe love in ShakeSpeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

 I finally took the opportunity to read Shakespeare's, A MidSummer Night's Dream. For a long time I have heard about this play in casual conversation, it would spring up in a passing comment or flit by in a piece of a movie scene. Well, while it wasn't exactly what I expected (Strangely the sublime, intangible concept it is always hovering just beyond complete understanding and realization) however, it certainly had some choice lines and interesting points.

I would enjoy taking a closer look at the stereotypical portrayal of love(See picture above). At some point, Europeans at least, (I am less familiar with the literary traditions of other groups of people)  decided that love required more eloquence. It became common practice to write love poetry or to sing Odes about your beloved, and the subject (love generally, or yours specifically) demanded a sort of elevated diction (or your best attempt, as was clearly often reality). This concept is present in the writings of Shakespeare, Samuel Coleridge, Elizabeth Browning, and many others. I believe this is because love, like that unintelligible, half-baked, preconceived notion, is associated with the sublime and thus in an effort to seek the extraordinary people turned to language to pursue what was ordinarily out of their reach. I think it would be interesting to examine this psychological phenomenon by comparing Shakespeare's descriptions of love and lovers with those of some of the other well known writers.

Another aspect of the play that drew my attention was topic of gender roles. I have often heard that there are lots of arguments for feminism in many of Shakespeare's works. While that is true, these are sometimes brought to light through characters who argue against feminism. The quote pictured above was an example of one of these. This metaphor of a rose as a symbolic objectification of a woman has several disturbing implications. For example, "But earthlier happy is the rose distilled / than that which, withering on the virgin thorn" suggests a divided future for a woman. If she wishes to be happy she must yield her agency and choice to a man. notice the impersonal verb "distilled". However, if she chooses to maintain her ability to choose she does so by sacrificing happiness and companionship. I could spend several pages unpacking this metaphor and denoting the implications its message would have on the lives of women.

Finally, as I am in a dance class this semester I was interested by the element of dance that frequently pops up in reference to the fairies and their ability to control the seasons and maintain order. Often times dance used to be use as a social mechanism. Dances were performed in a specific way and used to celebrate a sense of community. Underlying their celebratory nature is also an affirmation of society's structure and thus, it's rules and regulations. I am considering writing a paper analyzing this play through that lens.

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Mallory's Prewriting

I'm trying to be more consistent with my claim. I've struggled with following up in the past, so I'm working on focusing on the same thing throughout the play. I'm hoping that focusing on language the whole time will provide a more consistent and cohesive analysis.

I chose this screenshot because Shakespeare's use of the word "legitimate" really stuck out to me. This quote is what got me to start thinking about the use of language in King Lear in the first place.

I've really enjoyed reading other's slack analyses this go round because different aspects of the language have stuck out to everyone. Isaac's mention of the use of plosives in alliteration really caught my attention and got me to start thinking not only about the meaning of language but the sound of it as well and how that is used in King Lear.

[policy claim] The effect of language in Shakespeare's King Lear should not be overlooked.

[definition claim] Shakespeare's language is not just a way to tell the story, but also a way that he created tension and set the tone for the scene.

[comparison claim] Shakespeare's use of literary devices such as alliteration is unlike the use of his nonverbal devices.

[evaluation claim] Shakespeare's language is a good way to look at the play in a new way, focusing on the sounds and the meaning of individual words rather than each speeches meaning.

[causal claim] Much of the powerful in the characters' speeches was caused by Shakespeare's use of language as a a way to convey sounds as well as ideas.

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Sam's "King Lear" Prewriting

King Lear's final speech is absolutely heartbreaking.
He's trying so hard to keep his grasp on Cordelia's life
that he doesn't realize that his own is slipping out of his reach. 

The feedback that I received from Professor Burton advised me to develop a stronger claim in my analysis and to do more close analyses on the form of the play. I've been attempting to analyze not only the form of this play but the major themes that reoccur throughout the play, especially the themes of nature and nihilism. Most of that which I have annotated and highlighted on my Ebook has to do with these two themes, especially in regards to Edmund and King Lear. 

The comments on Slack by my peers have really enabled me to develop my ideas about "King Lear". One comment that especially stands out was shared by Micah Cozzens about Edmund's death, and how it was "but a trifle" and this has a lot to do with the nature theme throughout the play. I've loved the different images that people have shared, especially the charts that people have shared that map the story of the play- these have helped me stay focused while reading the play and keep up with the plot. 

For a few of these claims, the idea that helped me was thinking about listening to this play without seeing it acted or having a text to read- basically, how this play could be formatted to radio. 

[policy claim] It should be recognized that while each character in "King Lear" expresses individualism through their diction, their individuality is also seen in the form in which they speak and development of character throughout the play becomes apparent as form changes, as well. 

[definition claim] "King Lear' is not a play that celebrates or decries the use of natural elements in determining fate, rather, nature is simply acknowledged and heeded to in the development and demise of characters. 

[comparison claim] The study of madness and foolery in "King Lear" is consistent with this theme in "Hamlet", but these similar tragedies should not be studied comparatively but contrastingly because the far-reaching effects of madness vary subtly between the two productions. 

[evaluation claim] While some scholars claim that the theme of nihilism is one of existentialism, it is better to see this theme as one of substance rather than nothingness, because the nihilism that Lear attempts to claim is actually anything but nothing. 

[causal claim] The madness that King Lear experiences is unmistakable as a result of the form in which he speaks, compared to the form that Edgar's speech takes as he attempts to fake madness as a disguise. 

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Abby's Prewriting

  Edgar asserts that we ought to choose honesty over propriety and implies that one should respect his or her elders in addition to fulfilling the responsibilities put on you by circumstance.

In my own analyzing and annotating, I have been trying to focus more on recognizing rhetorical elements and the specific themes discussed in class. The themes that I have found most interesting within the text have been foolishness, honesty, loyalty, and nihilism. I have tried to notice specifically how the rhetoric has conveyed these themes.

The conversation on Slack has helped me to approach the text in a way unique from my individual reading. I have used both media sources and informal, online sources to develop my own claims and respond to others. One specific example was when the discussion focused on sound (specifically alliteration and plosives throughout the storm). I found a media source in response, and actually hearing the words and the storm together helped me to get a better feel for the emotional distress of the scene.

The question that helped me focus my working claims was:

How does "King Lear" serve as a critique of patrilineal monarchy?

[Policy Claim] "King Lear" shows that patrilineal monarchy should not be the English standard.

[Definition Claim] "King Lear" shows that patrilineal monarchy is not a viable solution for the inheritance of power.

[Comparison Claim] Although Cordelia and Edgar prove faithful by the end of the play, the loyalty of servants and friends stands in contrast to the lack of filial and familial loyalty shown primarily by Regan, Goneril, and Edgar.

[Evaluation Claim] While familial loyalty is typically valued over loyalty to friends and servants, the loyalty involved in service and friendship is actually stronger than familial ties because it is inherently optional.

[Causal Claim] Making Edmund both the bastard and the villain of "King Lear" does not discredit Shakespeare's questioning of patrilineal authority, but rather strengthens it by making his motives arguably justifiable.

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Garrett's Prewriting Post

One of my favorite quotes may be leading to
some interesting ideas about endurance.

2. It has been interesting to see my literary analysis change. I believe that I have begun to look deeper into things than I did before, asking the "why" questions more often. Instead of just noticing something interesting, I'm trying to understand why it is interesting and what I can learn. It has been very helpful to see my classmates analyze well and make use of more connections and different types of analysis.

3. Like I started to mention, Slack has been very helpful in getting more ideas about the play, ideas of how to view the play, and different resources people have found. I have enjoyed the reminders to talk with others about Shakespeare, and love hearing the stories from my classmates, as more opinions about Shakespeare or the play always seems to open up ideas to greater understanding. I do seem to read at different times than other people, so commenting appropriately has seemed harder than I had hoped it would be.

4. Policy: Though many see Cordelia as Christ-like figure in King Lear, Gloucester should be the character that best exemplifies Christ the most due to his sacrifice.

Definition: Even though many have made references to Christianity through King Lear, the play is a representation of ideas of astrological thought and nihilism based on the characters own beliefs.

Comparison: Though Gloucester can be seen as Christ-like in his sacrifice and as one of the only characters who shows kindness, he actually isn't a good model of Christian living because of his adherence to astrology and superstition and his inability to endure.

Evaluation: Despite Edgar's positive intentions, it was actually bad that he let Gloucester think he'd been saved off the cliffs, simply because it wasn't a beneficial lie.

Casual: Although Edgar's falling out of the family seemed to come due to Edmund, it actually resulted from a greater problem of communication error between Gloucester and Edgar long before the events of King Lear.

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Riley's Prewriting on King Lear

       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Note on screenshots:     [These two texts highlight the comparable elements of christianity and paganism. Taken from Act V, Scene III; the speech on the left evokes the use of a singular god in a scene that is both hopeful and optimistic while the following speech from Lear evokes the use of pagan gods who are cruel and indifferent. ]

Prewriting for a Literary Analysis on "King Leer"

While reviewing my ebook annotations I've noticed I tend to rely heavily on character analysis and themes in regards to literary analysis. Therefore, I should focus more on rhetorical devices and how they help in the overall progression of the themes - thus my annotations are lacking and I should go back and review the text. Nevertheless, I also noticed that my book is littered with questions about the text which has since inspired a great deal of research and has helped me develop my various theme statements.

Furthermore, I have been inspired by various conversations on Slack - i've been particularly motivated by the discussion of the various depictions of paganism and christianity in the play and how paganism has been associated with themes of nihilism. While reading Act V I came across a usage of "god" that puzzled me; in scene 3 (when Lear is talking with Cordelia about the happy life they'd have together in prison) he says "as if we were God's spies." To me this appears to be a mention to a singular god as opposed to multiple - is this the understanding of others? If so, then the only nod to a christain god is during the only truly optimistic and hopeful scene in the play - the reconciliation of Lear and Cordelia.

[Causal Claim]: Within Shakespeare's thematicacally christain play, "King Lear", the overt use of paganism illuminates the text's theme of nihilism and juxtaposes with the play's salient relationship between christianity and hope.

[Comparison Claim (although it contains a causal claim as well, the thesis will compare Shakespeare's doubling to gothic doubling)]: Shakepeare's use of the literary double exaggerates the text's dramatic irony by subverting the gothic tradition of good and evil and revealing the complex humanistic nature of each character evident in their metaphorical blindness.

[Evaluation Claim]:  By subverting a common and accessable tradition of grecian tragedy, Shakespeare's christian themes become more recognizable to a nation on the cusp of religious division.

[Definition Claim]: To be read as a microcosm of international development, "King Lear" is a heuristic text that transforms it's characters into representations of the core and the periphery - illuminating the complex power dynamics through the various divisions of kingdom, class, and religion. 
(note: I'm an international development minor and I think it interesting to find relationships between the literature I study and the development theories I study). 

[Policy Claim]: Contrary to popular publication, Shakespeare's "King Lear" should be read as a feminist text that illustrates the power and capabilities of women as opposed to harping on the patriarchal elements as a bases of an unfeminist reading - the power bestowed on women by Shakespeare exemplify an agency and selfhood that was beyond the given time period. 


P.s. I appreciated (albeit, not at first) the task of developing a unique theme statement for each claim type; it revealed to me, as a writer, that I tend to rely on one form of analysis by only writing papers with causal claims. It forced me to reevaluate, not only how I write thesis statements, but also how I engage with a given text. 

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The Pre-Write: Reflections and Future Plans

Throughout the play I observed how Edmund and Edgar interacted. I found it interesting that in the beginning Edgar barely got in a few words while Edmund spoke well-versed lines. By the end of the play, Edmund listens more and Edgar speaks out quite often.

My Analyzing and Annotating
Initially, my analysis of Shakespeare focused on theme and character development; I placed more emphasis on content than on form. Yet as time passes I find myself observing how the two influence and almost play with each other. By understanding content I can discuss Shakespeare, but by understanding form I can discuss Shakespeare as literature.

Peer and Source Influences
One major help in my journey through this Shakespeare class has been the Slack conversations among students. Videos, graphics, and images give me more clarity concerning the plot, while debates concerning duty, sanity, and love stimulate ethical conversations. Numerous themes and interpretations fill King Lear; thus, a very social group study helps bring out all those different themes and ideas.

My Working Claims
[policy claim] Because Edmund attempts to save Lear and Cordelia, he should not be read as a flat, heartless character.
[definition claim] Though she remains absent most of the play, Cordelia acts as a guide and omnipresent character in King Lear due to her relationship to the king and her connections with the fool.
[comparison claim] While their courses of action and eventual fates are completely different, Edgar and Cordelia fulfill the ideal gender roles of a son and daughter, respectively, from the Elizabethan Era.
[evaluation claim] Despite a massive critical backlash against it, Cordelia's murder actually improves the quality of the play due to its unpredictability and faithfulness to cold reality.
[causal claim] The amount of characters using disguise in King Lear causes an uneasy environment containing both the creation and resolution of conflict, despite each character's individual intentions.

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Paper Pre-writing A Little Bit of Shakespeare is All I Need

Lear's fall from the comfort of nobility leads
him to question the true worth of man when
stripped of his external adornments and garb.
He is completely subject to nature.

I chose to include this screenshot, as the highlighted section reveals Lear's paradigm shift. Throughout the beginning of the play Lear's pride blinds him to the true nature of people and himself, yet after he is cast into the tempestuous storm by his daughters he begins to recognize the core of human nature. Though many scholarly articles remark on Lear's progressive descent into madness, this highlighted passage demonstrates his confrontation with his previous paradigm after his tragic filial disillusionment, which actually enables him to form a humbler and more distinct identity.

After receiving some valuable feedback from Prof. Burton, I realized that I was completely lacking a central argument in my sonnet analysis. I wanted to boldly assert an argument which called in to question Shakespeare's flawless genius (gasp), but I wavered and fell back on the ubiquitous belief that Shakespeare is a genius and all that he does testifies of his genius. Though I do not attempt to question the brilliancy of King Lear, I have been able to gain a great deal of insight into Shakespeare's works as I continually question why Shakespeare composed passages in the the manner that he did. This has been invaluable in helping me to transition from analyzing theme, to analyzing the figurative language, metaphoric devices, and rhythm of King Lear.

I loved the easy accessibility of various types of sources through our #team-lear discussion. These various sources really helped our discussion to evolve into more complex ideas and questions as members of the group provided sources they found to supplement different reoccurring themes that the members tended to gravitate to. I thought it was interesting that the group tended to gravitate to different themes such as blindness and the role of the fool, but these main discussions allowed me to branch off into related themes that I had not considered before. I particularly enjoyed the social sources that members of the group shared, which helped me to realize the significance and relevance of King Lear to contemporary readers. Imagine that, Shakespeare's themes are still relevant today.

Working through various types of claims . . . 

[policy] Though the play's tragic ending is often understood as neither exalting evil or goodness, the reader should recognize Shakespeare's portrayal of Cordelia as a Christ figure, which helps to reveal the triumph of goodness as she provides redemption to Lear, saving him from the evil which sought to corrupt his sanity.

[definition] Lear's descent into madness is metaphorically symbolized by the raging storm he is cast into, yet nature's serves a dual role throughout the play, as it both embodies his madness and serves to heal his severe disillusionment and madness, for it strikes his soul and causes him to see the true nature of reality.

[comparison] Edgar's fall from the prestige of nobility is similar to that of King Lear; this similarity serves to offer both Edgar and Lear an opportunity of introspection, allowing both Edgar and Lear to gain humility and strip themselves of the pride which is so easily corrupted.

[evaluation] Sight serves as a powerful metaphor throughout the play, yet is through the physical of Gloucester's blindness that it becomes apparent that it is better to remain physically blind than to be mentally blinded and lose all sense of reality.

[causal] Edmund's contempt for his illegitimate or bastardly status ultimately resulted in the severing of the legitimacy of his relationship with Gloucester, causing the macabre scene of death in the end of the play.

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Prewrite: A Shot in the Dark

Marking a book while reading is one of the most effective ways of truly engaging with a text.

Previous to the first discussion of or notes I was entirely blind to the theme of sight glaring from each page. After Shelby pointed it out, the frequency of this theme almost made it an eyesore. Thematic literary analysis has allowed me to look at the play more carefully and see more deeply into what is before me.

I have benefitted from the discussion on Slack about the fool and his relationship with King Lear. It has been really helpful to read classmate's posts about the decline of Lear's mental state and the symbolism of this decay actually resulting in his being more able to see what is actually going on. I appreciated that conversation especially because it was one I struggled with on my own.

[causal claim] Despite being the reason for Gloucester's blindness, Edmund is ultimately the reason Gloucester gains the knowledge and insight that he does, forced from his position in society, he has to depend on Beggar Tom and from him gains knowledge.

[policy claim] King Lear should be listened to in some audio format to fully appreciate the powerful rhetoric with which Shakespeare, through Lear, addresses the storm, accepting its abuse and maltreatment which he compares to the treatment he has received from his daughters.

[comparison claim] Comparing the two great patriarchs, King Lear and Gloucester reveals a plague of blindness infects them both, suggesting a criticism of a patriarchal society.

[defining claim] Lear is a tragic hero, he has to overcome his pride to truly see things as they are, to do this he must strip off the cultural labels and expectations but also the personal labels and roles he has assumed.

[evaluative claim] Shakespeare's use of settings to describe the internal moods of his characters allows him to connect with his audience and convey emotions in a way that is more accessible that any of his competitors.

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Brett's Pre-Paper Analysis

In the last scene of the play, Shakespeare continues allusions to Christian ideas and themes.

Although my screen shot doesn’t quite show it, I did my best to look for more than plot themes in this play. I am in a rhetorical devices class right now, so I attempted to identify at least two different devices in each scene. In doing this, I focused a lot more on the language Shakespeare used and why he might have used it, rather than simply enjoying a good story.

I am an avid Pinner, and when Pinterest was mentioned on Slack (just today) as means of finding info on King Lear, I jumped at the thought. I found numerous infographics, plot charts, photos, pictures, and videos. I also appreciated the interaction that accompanies looking at articles and found that I got more responses if I said something like, “focus on page 27 of this article” or “watch 1:21-2:45 for this video.” I think everyone can appreciate cutting to the chase and focusing on the most important part of good sources.

[Policy claim] Although the themes of Christianity in the play have been debated by many scholars, King Lear should be considered a Christian play because of the many allusions to the necessity of a savior figure.

[Definition claim] Even though several characters can be construed as “good” or as “bad,” it is not sufficient to view them as such because people are complex beings with multiple motivations.

[Comparison claim] Though there are no mother figures in the play, Shakespeare’s use of familial roles emphasizes the similarities and differences in father-daughter relationships as compared to father-son relationships.

[Evaluation claim] While Edgar is clearly the more naïve son of Gloucester, he is no less intelligent than Edmund, which can be seen in his disguise as Poor Tom and his character while disguised.

[Causal claim] Within King Lear, Shakespeare incorporates a multitude of veiled references to scripture as well as paganism, which has resulted its diverse classification. However, these themes are part of Lear’s inability to find himself in an immoral world.

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Basic Edmund: Research Prewriting

Edmund's soliloquy on bastardy which
also introduces his ambivalence
towards sexuality

The goal of this analysis is to focus more on language and form as rhetorical tools which augment Shakespeare's characters and themes.  I was lacking in this in my sonnet analysis, and in response I want to look more at diction, imagery and poetic structure in order to explore the sexuality of Edmund Gloucester.  I'm hoping that looking at these formal elements will give me more material to connect Edmund's asexuality to other texts both Elizabethan and more current.

The variety of sources used in the Slack conversation of our class has made me think more about using other sources that are not necessarily academic, such as film adaptations or playlists or Internet image boards.  This abundance of source material makes me want to explore the visual representations of Edmund and how film or artistic adaptations have commented on his sexuality.  It would be especially interesting to try discussing this topic with both people who have read "King Lear" and people who are not familiar with the play to see what they think.

That all being said, here are some possible thesis statements:
[policy claim]  The character of Edmund in King Lear should be read as an asexual character in order to understand his ambivalence towards his bastardy and link the play to general Elizabethan commentary on illegitimacy.
[definition claim]  Edmund of Gloucester is an asexual character in that he shares similarities to other asexual, power hungry characters in other Shakespeare plays.
[comparison claim]  The conniving bastard Edmund in King Lear is similar to Lady Macbeth from Macbeth in his complete repression of his sexual drives in order to efficiently pursue power at the expense of other, less inhibited characters.
[evaluation claim]  Edmund is a more complex character than the sisters in that he does not seem to be weakened by strong sex drives and he redeems himself before his death.
[causal claim]  Because of his lack of apparent heteronormative sexuality, Edmund has been depicted in modern adaptations as more effeminate or even homosexual, thereby giving an interesting LGBTQ dimension to the Shakespeare play.

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