"Cliff Notes - King Lear" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cliff Notes)

KING LEAR: KING LEAR

The title character of this play is unquestionably its dominant
figure. Although the name "Lear" comes from some ruler who may
never have actually lived, Shakespeare has created a
flesh-and-blood monarch whose actions and reactions determine
the main course of events in the play.

You must remember that Lear is first of all a king. He is now
in his 80s and is accustomed to all the power, the authority,
the responsibilities, and the privileges of an absolute monarch.
In our age, when such total rule is rare, we might not really
comprehend what that means. But if you think back to every
story of every king you've ever heard about, even fairy-tale
monarchs, you'll have some idea of how the Elizabethans felt
about a king.

As a man, Lear is the ruler of a family. To the Elizabethans,
the family unit was just a miniature version of the government.
So the power and authority of the father was given the same
respect.

In a world where the life expectancy was much lower than our
own, 80 was an exceptional age to attain. When King Lear was
first performed, Queen Elizabeth I had only recently died at age
70. So as a "geriatric," not much would have been expected of
Lear. Still, retirement was unknown. The tradition of the day
was that you worked as long as you were able.

From the moment Lear announces his retirement, we have to keep
an eye on him to detect any sign of weakness or infirmity, to
see if the action is justified. The physical strength it took
to survive the fierce storm would appear to contradict such a
view. Even his final act of carrying in the body of Cordelia is
quite an achievement for an 80-year-old.

But what about his mind--the moodiness, the rash judgments, the
rage? Are these the telltale signs of old age or senility? You
have to decide for yourself when Lear is in his right mind, when
he is being manipulative, and when he is actually mad.

Lear is never entirely alone on the stage; he is attended by
someone even in his most contemplative moments. But Shakespeare
has given him such an aura that the spotlight is always on him
and he is always in focus. We can examine his every word and
every move microscopically.

Observe the skill with which he tries to manipulate his
daughters. Notice how he rouses our sympathy with references to
himself as "tired," "poor," and "old." You'll notice that Lear