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** At least one critic has wondered if a few particular lines in the play indicate that Lear has sexually abused his two oldest daughters. He refers to Goneril's 'dishonoured body' and the specific wording the two use to lay on the flattery in the love test is rather sketchy.
*** This idea formed the basis for the adaptation ''A Thousand Acres''.
*** This idea formed the basis for the adaptation ''A Thousand Acres''.
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** At least one critic has wondered if a few particular lines in the play indicate that Lear has sexually abused his two oldest daughters. He refers to Goneril's 'dishonoured body' and the specific wording the two use to lay on the flattery in the love test is rather sketchy.
***sketchy. This idea formed the basis for the adaptation ''A Thousand Acres''.
***
** Lear's decision to divide up the kingdom in the first place. While ill-thought out, perhaps he genuinely thought it was the right solution. After all, he has three daughters, none of whom have any heirs to ensure the line. Dividing the assets among them and assigning them each a share of land to rule over may have seemed reasonable to him. Of course the love test to decide who gets the bigger share...
** Albany is significantly more moral than the rest of the cast but despite his uneasiness at what his wife is doing, he never actively moves to stop her until he discovers his own life is in danger. So is Albany fine to turn a blind eye to the horrors going on around him until he learns that he personally may be affected? Perhaps learning that Goneril was going to kill him anyway persuaded him that he had nothing to lose by challenging her. Another possibility is that Albany never stopped Goneril because [[AllLoveIsUnrequited he actually loved her and was blind to her faults]] to an extent. Note that it's discovering she plans to kill him so she can marry Edmund that persuades him to take action.
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Fool steals the show, more so than usual in this type of play.
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: EnsembleDarkhorse:
** The Fool steals the show, more so than usual in this type ofplay.play.
** Cornwall does not appear in the play that much - featuring only in Acts 2 & 3 (besides a non-speaking part in the first scene) - yet the memorable eye-gouging scene ensures he makes his mark.
** The Fool steals the show, more so than usual in this type of
** Cornwall does not appear in the play that much - featuring only in Acts 2 & 3 (besides a non-speaking part in the first scene) - yet the memorable eye-gouging scene ensures he makes his mark.
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* ValuesDissonance: Edmund (like Richard III) appears to be inherently evil as a result of his illegitimacy.
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* ValuesDissonance: ValuesDissonance:
** Edmund (like Richard III) appears to be inherently evil as a result of his illegitimacy.
** Edmund (like Richard III) appears to be inherently evil as a result of his illegitimacy.
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* TheWoobie: Gloucester, Edgar, Cordelia. Although Cordelia counts the most since she never actually did anything wrong.
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** The scene where Kent is put in the stocks would be far more shocking to Shakespeare's audience. To put it in perspective - Kent is an Earl, and the king's right hand man. The stocks was a punishment reserved for common criminals and peasants. While it seems like a {{Jerkass}} moment to modern audiences, it was a huge KickTheDog when it was written. It tells the audience that Regan and Cornwall are starting to go mad with power, and would be seen almost as shocking as the torture.
*TheWoobie: Gloucester, Edgar, Cordelia. Although TheWoobie:
** Cordelia counts themost most, since she never actually did anything wrong.wrong. She tells her father the truth the whole time, proving that she does love him. She ends up disinherited and humiliated because of this. Even so, when she hears of what her sisters have done, her first thought is to help her father and with no bitterness towards what he's done to her. Kent is even moved to tears at her kindness.
** Edgar is an innocent boy who gets tricked by his half-brother. He easily believes his father hates him, and then has to find the same father lost in the wilderness with his eyes gouged out. Although it happens offscreen, it's said that Edgar stays with him until he dies.
** Gloucester may not start out as this, but the horrors the man has to go through in Act 3 earn him a spot on the list anyway. The torture he suffers is so severe, he tries to commit suicide.
** Albany too when you think about it. Goneril has him under her thumb and he has to sit by while the kingdom falls apart around him. As noted in AlternateCharacterInterpretation, maybe he did have some love for his wife - and then he discovers she views him as an annoyance to be gotten rid of like yesterday's trash. Even if he does the right thing, the poor guy is put through the TraumaCongaLine by the end.
*
** Cordelia counts the
** Edgar is an innocent boy who gets tricked by his half-brother. He easily believes his father hates him, and then has to find the same father lost in the wilderness with his eyes gouged out. Although it happens offscreen, it's said that Edgar stays with him until he dies.
** Gloucester may not start out as this, but the horrors the man has to go through in Act 3 earn him a spot on the list anyway. The torture he suffers is so severe, he tries to commit suicide.
** Albany too when you think about it. Goneril has him under her thumb and he has to sit by while the kingdom falls apart around him. As noted in AlternateCharacterInterpretation, maybe he did have some love for his wife - and then he discovers she views him as an annoyance to be gotten rid of like yesterday's trash. Even if he does the right thing, the poor guy is put through the TraumaCongaLine by the end.
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*** This idea formed the basis for the adaptation ''A Thousand Acres''.
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Corrected "Oh Gods" to "Now Gods".
Changed line(s) 15 (click to see context) from:
* MagnificentBastard: Edmund is up there with Iago and Richard III. "Oh Gods, stand up for bastards!" Particularly of the magnificent variety.
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* MagnificentBastard: Edmund is up there with Iago and Richard III. "Oh "Now Gods, stand up for bastards!" Particularly of the magnificent variety.
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* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:
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* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
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Changed line(s) 1 (click to see context) from:
* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: At least one critic has wondered if a few particular lines in the play indicate that Lear has sexually abused his two oldest daughters. He refers to Goneril's 'dishonoured body' and the specific wording the two use to lay on the flattery in the love test is rather sketchy.
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* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: AlternateCharacterInterpretation:
** At least one critic has wondered if a few particular lines in the play indicate that Lear has sexually abused his two oldest daughters. He refers to Goneril's 'dishonoured body' and the specific wording the two use to lay on the flattery in the love test is rather sketchy.
** At least one critic has wondered if a few particular lines in the play indicate that Lear has sexually abused his two oldest daughters. He refers to Goneril's 'dishonoured body' and the specific wording the two use to lay on the flattery in the love test is rather sketchy.
** It's notable that Regan appears to be the more bloodthirsty of the sisters. She's the one that turns Lear out into the storm and takes part in Gloucester getting his eyes gouged out. How much of the sisters' scheming is the result of Goneril simply going along with her sociopathic younger sister - possibly realising it's better to have Regan as an ally than an enemy? Goneril's eventual [[spoiler: suicide after poisoning Regan]] suggests that she feels more remorse for what's happened than she lets on. Another of Regan's key characteristics is that she is able to bring out the evilness in others - further supporting the theory that Goneril is heavily under her influence.
** Edmund is often interpreted as a TragicMonster but it's not hard to see him as an EntitledBastard instead (quite literally). He appears to at least have a comfortable status in Gloucester's household - and has a somewhat cordial relationship with his half-brother. He betrays his father simply out of a desire to have even more. Although Gloucester looks down on him, he's not exactly on the streets fending for himself. Edmund basically ruins a bunch of lives because he's greedy. Gloucester can't necessarily recognise him as heir because he's bound by the laws of the state. And being the younger child, he'd still be in second place to Edgar even if he were legitimate.
** Cordelia is Lear's favourite but she doesn't resort to flattering or ego stroking like the other two. Nor does she seem to think anything bad will come of being honest to her father. Is it possible that earlier in his life - before his senility started setting in - Lear actually preferred being told the truth and that his love for Cordelia is precisely because of her BrutalHonesty?
** There is a massive amount of debate over Lear's line "my poor fool is hanged". Some assume it means that [[spoiler: The Fool who disappeared after Act III has been executed too. Others point to the lower case f - and that an upper case one would have been used if Lear had been referring to The Fool. 'Fool' was also another word for child, and he could be referring to Cordelia in this case]].
** Edmund is often interpreted as a TragicMonster but it's not hard to see him as an EntitledBastard instead (quite literally). He appears to at least have a comfortable status in Gloucester's household - and has a somewhat cordial relationship with his half-brother. He betrays his father simply out of a desire to have even more. Although Gloucester looks down on him, he's not exactly on the streets fending for himself. Edmund basically ruins a bunch of lives because he's greedy. Gloucester can't necessarily recognise him as heir because he's bound by the laws of the state. And being the younger child, he'd still be in second place to Edgar even if he were legitimate.
** Cordelia is Lear's favourite but she doesn't resort to flattering or ego stroking like the other two. Nor does she seem to think anything bad will come of being honest to her father. Is it possible that earlier in his life - before his senility started setting in - Lear actually preferred being told the truth and that his love for Cordelia is precisely because of her BrutalHonesty?
** There is a massive amount of debate over Lear's line "my poor fool is hanged". Some assume it means that [[spoiler: The Fool who disappeared after Act III has been executed too. Others point to the lower case f - and that an upper case one would have been used if Lear had been referring to The Fool. 'Fool' was also another word for child, and he could be referring to Cordelia in this case]].
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** The servant who fatally wounds Cornwall has caught the attention of a lot of readers.
* HilariousInHindsight: "What, art thou mad, old fellow?" [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/u-mad Sound familiar?]]
%%* JerkassWoobie: Lear
* HilariousInHindsight: "What, art thou mad, old fellow?" [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/u-mad Sound familiar?]]
%%* JerkassWoobie: Lear
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*
** "What, art thou mad, old fellow?" [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/u-mad Sound familiar?]]
* JerkassWoobie:
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%%* MoralEventHorizon: Cornwall crosses the line with what he does to Gloucester.
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** Cornwall crosses the line
** Edmund crosses it when he sets his own father up to
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* UnintentionallySympathetic: Edmund these days is viewed far more sympathetically than he was in Shakespeare's day. Given that he's snubbed for being an illegitimate child, his villainy comes across as more of a ThenLetMeBeEvil situation. He was expected to be nothing but trouble since he's illegitimate - so he's just doing what's expected of him.
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Fool steals the show, moreso than usual in this type of play.
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Fool steals the show, moreso more so than usual in this type of play.
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Changed line(s) 7,9 (click to see context) from:
* MagnificentBastard: Edmund is up there with Iago and Richard III.
** "Oh Gods, stand up for bastards!" Particularly of the magnificent variety.
* MoralEventHorizon: Cornwall crosses the line with what he does to Gloucester.
** "Oh Gods, stand up for bastards!" Particularly of the magnificent variety.
* MoralEventHorizon: Cornwall crosses the line with what he does to Gloucester.
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%%* JerkassWoobie: Lear
* MagnificentBastard: Edmund is up there with Iago and RichardIII.
**III. "Oh Gods, stand up for bastards!" Particularly of the magnificent variety.
* %%* MoralEventHorizon: Cornwall crosses the line with what he does to Gloucester.
* MagnificentBastard: Edmund is up there with Iago and Richard
**
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** JerkassWoobie: Lear
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* DesignatedHero: Lear for the first half of the play before Goneril and Regan drive him out during the storm. Lear throughout the beginning is an unlikable asshole who's introduced exiling his daughter and adviser, and treats the other two daughters like servants.
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* DesignatedHero: Lear for the first half of the play before Goneril and Regan drive him out during the storm. Lear throughout the beginning is an unlikable asshole who's introduced exiling his daughter and adviser, and treats the other two daughters like servants.
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* SpiritualLicensee: The MangaShakespeare adaptation of King Lear is the best graphic novel adaptation of TheLeatherstockingTales you will ever see.
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* SpiritualLicensee: The MangaShakespeare Manga Shakespeare adaptation of King Lear is the best graphic novel adaptation of TheLeatherstockingTales you will ever see.
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* SpiritualLicensee: The MangaShakespeare adaptation of King Lear is the best graphic novel adaptation of TheLeatherstockingTales you will ever see.
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* DesignatedHero: Lear for the first half of the play before Goneril and Regan drive him out during the storm. Lear throughout the beginning is an unlikable asshole who's introduced exiling his daughter and adviser, and treats the other two daughters like servants.
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** "Oh God, stand up for bastards!" Particularly of the magnificent variety.
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** "Oh God, Gods, stand up for bastards!" Particularly of the magnificent variety.
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sugar wiki
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* CrowningMomentOfFunny: [[DarkerAndEdgier Surprisingly enough]]. No matter how you play Kent insulting Oswald, the sheer, ridiculous ''volume'' of names he calls him ensures that it CrossesTheLineTwice.
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: The scene where Lear reunites with Cordelia, especially when Cordelia reveals that she is ''not'' bitter as Lear had expected her to be.
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: The scene where Lear reunites with Cordelia, especially when Cordelia reveals that she is ''not'' bitter as Lear had expected her to be.
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* HilariousInHindsight: "What, art thou mad, old fellow?" [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/u-mad Sound familiar?]]
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* ValuesDissonance: Edmund appears to be inherently evil as a result of his illegitimacy.
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* ValuesDissonance: Edmund (like Richard III) appears to be inherently evil as a result of his illegitimacy.
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* CompleteMonster: Not what you think. Goneril and Regan certainly are; even taking into account their bitterness over Lear's favoritism and [[{{TheLoad}} Load]]-ism, its practically impossible to sympathize with either their awful treatment of him or their approval of Cornwall [[spoiler:gouging out Gloucester's eyes]]. Edmund, however, is debatable. Since he is TheChessmaster and catalysed a lot of the pain in the play, we could label him this, however, he is saved the title thanks to his HeelFaceTurn, which did allow for the King to be saved.
** It really depends on the actors' choices how monstrous anyone in the play really is. Are Goneril and Regan horrible monsters, or are they trying to protect a nation from the rule of their senile father? Do they feud over Edmund out of ambition, or do they actually love him? All three could have quite a strong FreudianExcuse as their fathers make it pretty clear that they have favorites among their children.
** Cornwall, however, is utterly irredeemable.
** It really depends on the actors' choices how monstrous anyone in the play really is. Are Goneril and Regan horrible monsters, or are they trying to protect a nation from the rule of their senile father? Do they feud over Edmund out of ambition, or do they actually love him? All three could have quite a strong FreudianExcuse as their fathers make it pretty clear that they have favorites among their children.
** Cornwall, however, is utterly irredeemable.
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** Cornwall, however, is utterly irredeemable.
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This isn\'t YMMV. Moving.
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* ThrowTheDogABone: Poor Cordelia, disowned by her father and rejected by her shallow suitor from Burgandy. Then the [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming King of France falls for her and values her more than any material dowry.]]
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Changed line(s) 2 (click to see context) from:
* How much of Goneril's and Regan's plotting is fueled by ambition and jealousy, and how much is concern for keeping the kingdom from collapsing under their senile father? Remember also that the "good guy" army is a foreign invasion from France.
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* How much of Goneril's and Regan's plotting is fueled by ambition and jealousy, and how much is concern for keeping the kingdom from collapsing under their senile father? Remember also that the "good guy" army is a foreign invasion from France.
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Moving YMMV item from main page.
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* OneSceneWonder: The First Servant, who suddenly [[TookALevelInBadass takes a level in badass]] and defies Cornwall.
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* ThrowADogABone: Poor Cordelia, disowned by her father and rejected by her shallow suitor from Burgandy. Then the [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming King of France falls for her and values her more than any material dowry.]]
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* ThrowADogABone: ThrowTheDogABone: Poor Cordelia, disowned by her father and rejected by her shallow suitor from Burgandy. Then the [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming King of France falls for her and values her more than any material dowry.]]
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* ThrowADogABone: Poor Cordelia, disowned by her father and rejected by her shallow suitor from Burgandy. Then the [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming King of France falls for her and values her more than any material dowry.]]
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* TheWoobie: Lear, Gloucester, Cordelia. Although Cordelia counts the most since she never actually did anything wrong.
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* TheWoobie: Lear, Gloucester, Edgar, Cordelia. Although Cordelia counts the most since she never actually did anything wrong.wrong.
** JerkassWoobie: Lear
** JerkassWoobie: Lear
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** "Oh God, stand up for bastards!" Particularly of the magnificent variety.
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* MagnificentBastard: Edmund is up there with Iago and Richard III.
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** The servant who fatally wounds Cornwall has caught the attention of a lot of readers.
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* TheWoobie: Lear, Gloucester, Cordelia. Although Cordelia counts the most since she never actually did anything wrong.
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** It really depends on the actors' choices how monstrous anyone in the play really is. Are Goneril and Regan horrible monsters, or are they trying to protect a nation from the rule of their senile father? Do they feud over Edmund out of ambition, or do they actually love him? All three could have quite a strong FreudianExcuse as their fathers make it pretty clear that they have favorite among their children.
to:
** It really depends on the actors' choices how monstrous anyone in the play really is. Are Goneril and Regan horrible monsters, or are they trying to protect a nation from the rule of their senile father? Do they feud over Edmund out of ambition, or do they actually love him? All three could have quite a strong FreudianExcuse as their fathers make it pretty clear that they have favorite favorites among their children.
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Changed line(s) 10 (click to see context) from:
--> "''Some good I mean to do, despite mine own nature.''"
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--> "''Some good I mean to do, despite mine own nature.''"''"
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