Topic Two (1.2): Introduction to King Lear and Reading the Play – Act I
Introduction
In the previous topic, you learnt some background information about Jacobean society and attitudes. These historical and social contexts will enrich your understanding of the play as you read it, but it is also helpful to acquire an overview of the plot, key themes and characters in King Lear before you begin reading and studying Act I in detail. The play is divided into five acts, and you are going to read each one in a separate topic in order to make the reading more manageable and to make it easier to plan your reading schedule. In this topic, you will read and annotate Act I.
N.B. Shakespeare’s language can be challenging, so do allow plenty of time to cover the following five topics. It is important to read carefully and slowly, making sure you have a full understanding of the play. Don’t rush this part of the course!
Tasks
Introduction to the Play
The following resources provide a helpful overview of the plot before you begin reading:
EXPLORE – Quick Plot Overview of King Lear (RSC) Links to an external site.
WATCH – Video on Plot and Synopsis for King Lear (RSC) Links to an external site.
EXPLORE – Plot Overview (Sparknotes) Links to an external site.
- This online study guide from the Utah Shakespeare Festival also contains some introductory material which you may find useful:
EXPLORE – King Lear Study Guide (Utah Shakespeare Festival) Links to an external site.
- You don’t need to read all of this now, as we will be returning to the critical articles regularly throughout Modules One and Two, but you can print out the full PDF here if you wish:
PRINT OUT – King Lear Study Guide (Utah Shakespeare Festival) Download PRINT OUT – King Lear Study Guide (Utah Shakespeare Festival)
Introduction to Shakespeare’s Language (Recap of AS Material)
- You used the following document when studying Shakespeare at AS. It gives you an overview of Shakespeare’s language and ways in which he uses it to create specific effects in his work, including some helpful suggestions about literary terminology you can bring into your essays.
- Re-read the guide carefully now and be prepared to refer back to it as you complete your reading of the play. If you did not study AS with Wolsey Hall, it is especially important that you familiarise yourself with this guide now.
PRINT OUT & READ – A Guide to Shakespeare’s Language Download PRINT OUT & READ – A Guide to Shakespeare’s Language
Top Tip
- You should watch at least one performance of the play (either live or on film) before the exams, and ideally more than one, so that you can compare different interpretations.
- Some students like to watch a film version before they begin reading, so as to establish the characters and settings in their mind, whereas others prefer to wait until they have completed the reading. Some recommendations are below if you do wish to do this now:
READ – Film Versions of King Lear Download READ – Film Versions of King Lear
- The following is a free audio production of King Lear. You may like to listen to this now, or do so later on as part of your revision:
Review
- In the AS course, you learnt took notes from Mastering English Literature about the key elements of drama from Part Two: Drama – Chapters Seven to Twelve on pages 71 to 142.
- You should briefly review these notes now, paying particular attention to the sections on Shakespearean drama and to the language and terminology associated with drama.
- If you did not study AS with Wolsey Hall, we recommend you read through these chapters now.
Read and Make Notes
- Start by reading the following sections in your copy of the text to familiarise yourself with how to use the Arden edition for studying the play:
- General Editors’ Preface and Introduction (pages xii to xv)
- List of Roles (page 154 to 156)
- Now begin reading Act I on pages 157 to 216, and make notes using the resources and guidance below.
Tasks
- Deal with one scene at a time.
- For every scene, you should:
- Highlight important quotations as you go along;
- Read the accompanying notes in the text at the same time;
- Use the Sparknotes summary and analysis to consolidate your understanding once you have finished reading.
EXPLORE – Scene by Scene Summary and Analysis (Sparknotes) Links to an external site.
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- Make a very brief summary of the scene, listing key events using simple bullet points. This will be an important ‘map’ of the events of the play to which you can refer later on.
- As you start reading, you may also like to use the following website to help you understand who the characters are:
EXPLORE – Character List (Sparknotes) Links to an external site.
Support
Please note that the Sparknotes website also has a translation of the play in modern English: No Fear Shakespeare. This is a great resource if you are struggling to understand particular speeches, but you should only use it alongside the original text. Do not learn or quote from this resource as these are not Shakespeare’s words!
EXPLORE – No Fear Shakespeare: King Lear (Sparknotes) Links to an external site. WARNING: DO NOT QUOTE FROM THIS RESOURCE!
Consolidate
- Now you have read Act I of King Lear, you will find it helpful to consolidate what you have learnt by watching the following videos from MASSOLIT, which examine specific scenes in detail.
REVIEW - Login Details for the MASSOLIT Website
- Remember: the views of Professor John McRae count as those of a critic, so if you wish to jot down what he says and use it in your essays, you can. Have your Critical Viewpoints Grid to hand as you watch the lectures.
WATCH – Introduction – King Lear (MASSOLIT) Links to an external site.
WATCH – Act 1, Scene 1: Cordelia is Banished – King Lear (MASSOLIT) Links to an external site.
WATCH – Act 1, Scene 2: Edmund’s Plot – King Lear (MASSOLIT) Links to an external site.
WATCH – Act 1, Scene 3: Goneril and Oswald – King Lear (MASSOLIT) Links to an external site.
WATCH – Act 1, Scene 4: Kent and the Fool – King Lear (MASSOLIT) Links to an external site.
- This next video is from a different MASSOLIT lecture series and gives an overview of the opening scene specifically. Again, the views of Professor Grace Ioppolo count as those of a critic, so you may wish to jot down some of what she says on your Critical Viewpoints Grid and use it in your essays.
WATCH – The Opening Scene: Shakespeare – King Lear (MASSOLIT) Links to an external site.
Terminology
Make sure you understand any new literary terminology covered in this topic. You may like to make flashcards of key terms now, to help you with revision later on.