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| 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.
Wow, you have a lot of really interesting statements. I like that you used people as a definition. The last claim is probably my favorite because it takes the question of religious references and adds it to the journey of Lear himself.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your comparison claim, I read a lot of interesting scholarship that talked about how the absence of a mother figure ultimately makes the play unfeministic and predominantly patriarchal. I can't remember who wrote the article but i'm sure you could find it on JSTOR; but I know that she argued that the patriarchy is exemplified in the father-daughter relationships because the daughters are expected to pay certain dues to their father. That reading could offer an interesting and rich perspective if you're comparing that relationship to a father son relationship.
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