Lecture on King Lear

Introduction

• Talking about King Lear in two hours is considered an impossible task.
• Focus will be on areas of interest due to the complex nature of the text.
• Discussing Shakespeare's problematic text versions.

Textual Background

• Shakespeare's plays exist in Quartos and the First Folio.
• No handwritten manuscripts by Shakespeare except a few signatures; no foul papers.
• Plays may have additions from stage adaptations and collaborative contributions.
• Shakespearean production was collaborative, similar to modern Hollywood scripts.
• Texts have been edited and modified over time: the 1623 First Folio, addition of editorial commentary, stolen editions, etc.

Multiple Versions of the Text

• King Lear has two main versions: Quarto and Folio.
  • Substantial differences: scenes, lines, speeches, etc.
  • Historically, editors blended both versions, making the text inauthentic.
• Close examination of editorial practices reveals interpretations and uncertainties.

Historical Adaptations and Performing Versions

• Nahum Tate's 1681 adaptation added a happy ending: Cordelia lives and marries Edgar.
• This version was performed until the mid-19th century.
• Modern editions offer different versions: Quarto, Folio, and blended ones, providing textual notes for variations.
• Productions often conflate texts; no strict adherence to one pure version.

Themes, Keywords, and Character Analysis

• Shakespeare's King Lear involves complex thematic language.
• Key themes and words: patience, old, fool, sight and blindness, nature, nothing, madness, bond, fortune, heart, family hierarchy.
• Characters use these words to reshape our understanding of their roles and interactions.

Analysis of Key Scenes

• Opening Scene: Symbolic division of love and land; Cordelia's refusal and dissension from the usual professed love.
• Edmund’s soliloquy: Questions legitimacy, roles, and nature vs. societal expectations.
• Lear’s character arc: From kingly power to understanding and patience.
• Gloucester’s trajectory: Parallels Lear’s journey with physical blindness symbolizing the revelation.
• Key scenes to study: Lear and Cordelia’s reunion, storm scenes, blinding of Gloucester.
• Final scenes: Discussion of the multiple endings and Cordelia's death.

Performative Nature of Anger and Patience

• Anger and its representation: Lear’s rage vs his meaningful encounters in madness.
• Meaning of madness and its linear depiction from a ruling error to ultimate understanding.
• Question of genuine familial love vs formal declarations of love, roles of daughters.

Critics’ Perspectives

• Political vs. personal readings of the play: Historical context vs. family dynamics.
• Dramatic representation of King James and social hierarchies of the times.

Conclusion

• King Lear as a blend of numerous textual interpretations and performances.
• Importance of understanding thematic and textual complexities in both original and modern contexts.
• Calling into attention the balance of textual fidelity and theatrical interpretation.

Study Recommendations

• Compare the different versions available in editions like Norton.
• Focus on thematic keywords and their repeated use throughout the play.
• Analyze key speeches by Lear, Fool, and Edmund.
• Revisit scenes: Opening scene, the storm, blinding of Gloucester, reunion with Cordelia.
• Observe the transformation of characters across different plot lines: Lear, Gloucester, Edmund.