1. The two nobles in the opening scene are the Earl of Gloucester and the Earl of Kent. They are talking about the fact that King Lear was about to divide his kingdom. This topic did not last long as Kent asked Gloucester about Edmund, if he was his son. Gloucester replies that he had to do with his conception but he is a bastard as his mother was not his wife and she had a husband. Thus Edmund was raised away, but was still loved regardless of the circumstances surrounding his conception.

2. I think Edmund must be feeling hurt and resentment at the way his father is practically mocking him. He probably feels at this moment that society has dealt him ill as he was considered a bastard and thus was seen as a ‘nobody’ in the sight of the world. Also, I think he must be jealous of Edgar as Gloucester refers to him as his son by order of law. Gloucester can acknowledge Edgar as his son at any point in time but it is not so in Edmund’s case.

3. Old King Lear was planning to divide his kingdom into thirds among his three daughters. The test he proposes to his daughters is for them to profess how much they loved him and be dealt their share of inheritance accordingly.

4. The first two daughters answers the old man with flattery, professing a false love. Goneril firstly stated, “A love that makes . . . speech unable . . . Beyond all manner of so much I love you” and Regan follows her sister’s lead by saying, “I am made of that self metal of my sister. . . Only she comes too short...”

5. Cordelia’s answer to the test proposed was “nothing”. She also says that she loves him according to her bond, as a daughter should love a father, returning the duties given her. She answers in this way because she is not insincere like her sisters. She was the only daughter who really loved their father and she did not want to answer in the ways her sisters did, flattering her father, so as to increase her inheritance which she knew she would have possibly gotten in greater abounds as she was the favourite of her father. Also she did not know how to flatter her father as her love was sincere. Her reference to “nothing” suggests her authentic love and Lear’s blindness to it, which triggers the tragic events that unfold in the rest of the play.

6. I don’t think Cordelia is being cruel in refusing to play her father’s game. I think that by playing her father’s game, she would have made herself no better than her sisters. Most likely she did not intend to hurt her father, as I believe she thought that he was aware of her true love for him and did not foresee the reaction she was going to be given by him. All this brought about by his insecurities in his old age and his desire to be flattered or praised.

7. Lear reacts to Cordelia’s response by asking the question, “So young and so untender?” He then disowns her as his daughter and revokes her inheritance, sharing up what would have been hers between her sisters. He also gives her up to be married without his blessings or love, demanding that she leaves and never comes back as he never wanted to see her face again. Lord Kent reacted to Lear’s response by telling him to be careful of what he was doing, as he was in an angry state. He told Lear not to let flattery get in the way. He tried to persuade him that Cordelia loved him most and that the other daughters were empty-hearted and hallow.

8. The references to sight and blindness may become important for the rest of the play as Lear, Albany and Gloucester were both blinded in the play. Lear and Gloucester were at first, figuratively blind. As a result of this figurative blindness, Gloucester is later physically blinded. This blindness on a whole contributes a great deal to the tragedy of the play and more significantly, the tragedy of King Lear. Hence, once of the main themes utilised by Shakespeare, blindness to the truth.

9. Burgandy was the first to ask for Cordelia’s hand in marriage. When he hears that Cordelia’s dower has been removed, he pleaded with the king to have it returned to her and that Cordelia would be Duchess of Burgandy but King Lear refused. As a result, Burgandy no longer wanted to marry Cordelia. This shows that Burgandy is a very shallow man and was only marrying Cordelia for the position, fame and wealth that would have come from the marriage. He didn’t really want Cordelia. France on the other hand, still asked for Cordelia’s hand in marriage, even after Burgandy refused her and it was made definite by her father that she would not be receiving any dower. He admired her honesty and sincerity and stated that she was herself a dowry. He made her his queen. This shows that France is an honest man with a level of integrity. He was not after possession or whatever else came with marrying Cordelia. She in herself was what he truly sought after.

10. When Cordelia says to her sisters, “I know you what you are,” she means that she knows they are insincere and they were scheming to get more power and more control of the kingdom. Near the end of the scene, the sisters say that their father is foolish for banishing the only daughter who truly loved him. They basically said that he was as if he was going senile and he let pride get the better of him and they guessed it came with his old age.

11. The two views of nature contrasted in the action and dialogue of this scene is the social hierarchy which leads to the plague of custom and unconstrained existence. As he is illegitimate, he is seen as unimportant in society via the manmade social systems but he plans to go against that in rebellion, stating that he is as smart as any legitimate child and considers himself as living in an unconstrained existence and he plans to get some status if not the legitimate way, then the trickery way.

12. The parallel seen between this scene and the first one is the second scene is a subplot to the plot of the first. This is so as in both scenes we see two fathers who blinded to the truth. Lear and Gloucester both have children who truly love and care about them and children who don’t really love them who are deceiving them to their get the power and possessions. They are both blind to this fact and in turn makes some mistakes which they will have to pay for further on the play.

13. A couple of months have passed and Goneril is upset at the fact that her father hit one of her servants for scolding his fool. She feels like he is constantly offending her as he is always coming up with some new offense. She also says that he’s wielding around power that he already gave away. As a result, she instructs her servant, Oswald, to move lethargically around him and to instruct the other servants to do the same. She also ordered that they mistreat his guards. Her intention was to strike up confrontations so she could tell him a piece of her mind and send him to be with her sister whom she knew felt the same way she felt about him and would stand her ground and thus resulting with them getting the rid of their father.

14. Kent wants to work for Lear as he loves his master despite the fact he was banished and wished to carry out his plan with disguise. He discerns in Lear’s countenance that Lear does not recognise him. This is ironic as this man has worked for him for years but he is so mentally blind he does not even recognise his faithful worker.

15. Kent reacts to Oswald’s actions to Lear by tripping him then later telling him to leave and that he would teach him respect and he also said that if he wanted to be tripped again to stick around.

16. What the Knight says about the Fool’s pining away “since my young lady’s going into France” is important because it reflects the feelings of the King himself as even the fool could see that it was not a smart action.

17. The function of the fool is to provide statements of a comedic nature. Three examples of such are:

1. If I gave them all my living, I’d keep my coxcombs myself.

There’s mine. Beg another of thy daughters.

2. Truth’s a dog that must to kennel. He must be whipped out,

when Lady Brach may stand by th' fire and stink.

3. Mark it, nuncle.

Have more than thou showest,

Speak less than thou knowest,

Lend less than thou owest,

Ride more than thou goest,

Learn more than thou trowest,

Set less than thou throwest,

Leave thy drink and thy whore

And keep in-a-door,

And thou shalt have more

Than two tens to a score.

18. Edmund tricks his brother into leaving by convincing him that someone told his father lies about him and that his father was very upset and that he should flee to safeguard himself.

19. Kent’s actions with Oswald characterize him as a “plain dealer” as he has all the behaviours of a commoner thus strengthening his disguise. As someone with his original stature would not engage in the common behaviour he had displayed, threatening and tripping Oswald.

20. Kent’s line, “nothing almost seems miracles/ but misery” may serve as a motto for the play as every blind action has a consequence in this play. It may seem all good at the moment but it later results in disaster, hence the misery.

21. Edgar’s disguising himself as a bedlam beggar is an example of social criticism in the play as it can be seen that beggars are of no significance in that social hierarchy, as he, a man of status, disguises himself as a beggar and is not even recognised for such long a period in time. Edgar’s statement, “Edgar I nothing am” is important to the meaning of the play as it shows how with one false judgement how lives can be changed drastically. Within moments one could move from a powerful to a powerless being without so much as a thought. Status can be snatched away.

22. Lear is angry that his servant Kent has been put in the stocks by Regan and Cornwall because to him, to disrespect a king’s messenger is as bad a sin as murder.

23. Regan’s first response when Lear complains of his treatment at the hands of her sister is telling him to calm down. She told him she hopes there is a misunderstanding and it was more likely that he didn’t know how to appreciate her than she failing to do her duties.