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Summary analysis of act one, scene one of King Lear
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An analysis of act one, scene one of Shakespeare's King Lear with annotated quotations and character profiles.
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Act one, scene oneEdmund
Edmund’s silence is significant as it introduces the audience to a bastard son with ‘no voice’,
rights or position in society (too high of position to belong to the lower class, but too low of
position to belong to upper class society. This therefore allows Shakespeare to introduce
Edmund as somebody who is misunderstood whilst nevertheless concealing the character's
true nature. This lack of voice however encourages the audience to sympathise with the
character due to the way he is portrayed by his father who although loves him as much as
his legitimate son, Edgar, still nevertheless abandoned him abroad for 9 years and refers to
him as being a “whoreson.” However, upon Edmund’s solique where the audience is
introduced to his anger and longing for revenge against his father and brother, Shakespeare
introduces ideas of appearance vs reality which equally is visible in the plays ‘main plot.
Edmund's polite yet timid vulnerability conceals his actual role as the plays tragic villain, and
leaves the audience wondering which side of him represents who he actually is as a person.
Although Gloucester claims to love both of his sons equally, to him, Edmund’s identity to him
is still nevertheless the ‘bastard son’ - evident in his labellation as the “whore son” as well as
due to remarks about Edmund’s mother.
Lear
Shakespeare’s introduction of Lear embodies the characters power, however upon further
analysis and the play’s continuation, the audience comes to understand just how abusive of
his role he is as a result of his vanity. Although there is an emphasis on his role as king, the
audience is never permitted by Shakespeare to see him carry out his regal position, and
instead only witness his fragile domestic life. Upon his love test, Shakespeare paints Lear as
a man who prioritises nothing but his own pride as he is willing to divide his kingdom (an act
of political insanity) on the basis to see how his three daughters will compliment him. The
idea of Lear dividing his kingdom is interesting, as James I (the king of the play’s publication)
was celebrated for his unification of Scotland and England (due to how before his
appointment of King of England, he was already King James VI of Scotland.) This therefore
is used by Shakespeare to demonstrate that King Lear is not a good king, as he is
weakening the country, not building it. In act 1, scene 1, the audience is introduced to the
play’s motif of vision, as although out of his daughters, Cordelia is the one who visibly cares
and loves her father the most, Lear exiles her due to his inability to see the truth and Goneril
and Regan’s farcades of affection. Similarly, he also fails to see the respect of his loyal friend
Kent who advises him to see more clearly, something which Lear interprets as questioning
his authority.
In the entirety of act 1, Lear acts like a tyrant as he is willing to abandon and divide his
Kingdom. Arguably, his downfall occurs upon his introduction as a result of his neglect and
vanity, however as the play progresses, both Lear and the audience come aware of the
King’s actual identity as a man blinded by pride. Under this filter, he is capable of recognising
his faults as well as his neglect as monarch to the people whose lives he could have
improved, however failed to address. Arguably, the insanity caused as a result of scene 1, is
what enables Lear to grow as a character in the remainder of the play as he becomes more
self aware and wise, however, his fate and downfall is nevertheless ensured.
An audience unfamiliar with the play's plot, would consider this scene as being unfair
towards Goneril and Regan, as well as painting Lear and Gloucester as entitled unlikeable
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