King Lear - Act 2 themes and plots PDF

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Summary

King Lear Act 2 plots and themes. Scenes and lines....

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Plotline

Summary (include scene and lines)

Lear vs. Cordelia

Kent reads a letter from Cordelia which promises that she will somehow intervene on her father’s behalf. “Nothing almost sees miracles But misery:---I know ‘tis from Cordelia,” Act 2 Scene 2 lines 79-80.

Lear vs. Goneril& Regan

Lear watches as his daughters betray him and he can’t believe what Regan and Goneril would do, which drives him insane. “Reg. I pray you, father, being weak, seem so. If, till the expiration of your month, You will return and sojourn with my sister, Dismissing half your train, come then to me:” Act 2 Scene 4 lines 75-83.

Lear vs. Kent

Lear finds kent bound in the stocks for defending him and finds out his daughter and son in law ordered it. Scene 4

Edmund vs. Edgar & Gloucester

Edmund cuts his arm to make it seem that Edgar attacked him. Edmund tells Gloucester that Edgar threatened Edmund and demanded they conspire together to kill Gloucester, then attacked him when he refused. Scene 1

Edmund & Goneril vs. Edmund & Regan

Edmund becomes heir to Goneril after setting up the scene to make Edgar seem terrible. Scene 1

Four Central Themes

Summary (include scene and lines)

Desire for Power

With Regan and Goneril working together against Lear it also shows their desire for power because at the end of the day Lear is still their father. So the fact that they are willing to work together to take over just shows their desire for power. Act 2 Scene 4 lines 45-94.

Corruption of Authority

Lear is going from daughter to daughter on having his 100 knights, he even drops down on his knees. Regan was unfazed by Lear’s act and instead she tells him that he has abused Goneril, and she tells him to return to her sister. Lear then starts to panic because he is realizing that his daughters are working together against him. Regan then tells Lear to go with Goneril because she will at least allow 50 of his knights because if Lear goes with Regan she is only allowing him 25. There is then no semblance of kingship anymore and Lear is brought

down to basically nothing which shows corruption of authority because he’s the King but is now with nothing due to his daughters. Act 2 Scene 4 lines 49-57 and 78-94. Justice

Lear is going from daughter to daughter about having his hundred knights but Regan says she’ll only allow him to bring 25 if he goes with her. Act 2 Scene 4 lines 81-88.

Aging/Legacy/Mortality

In Scene 4 Lear is talking to his daughter Regan and you can see how he is aging because he grabs his chest. Regan even says “O, sir, you are old;” and Lear himself even says “Dear daughter, I confess that I am old;”. So we can tell that by every scene that passes King Lear is aging. Act 2 Scene 4 lines 49-56....