King Lear - Act 3 themes and plots PDF

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King Lear Act 3 plots and themes. Scenes and lines....

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Plotline

Summary (include scene and lines)

Lear vs. Cordelia

Cordelia set up French spies up throughout the kingdom. Kent sends a gentleman to Dover to inform Cordelia of Lear’s fragile state. Even though Cordelia is physically not there, she is still trying to be informed about everything regarding her father. Act 3 Scene 1 line 10.

Lear vs. Goneril& Regan

Lear has completely lost his sanity and hope for living. The Fool urges him to go back to his daughter’s fake love instead of staying out in the terrible storm, but Lear is hurt by their betrayal protests that he would rather stay out in the rough storm. Act 3 Scene 2 lines 2-5.

Lear vs. Kent

Lear is left out in the cold wandering around during a rough storm, he doesn’t want to go back to his betraying daughters and nothing The Fool says can get him to take shelter, except when Kent comes in and talks to him. Act 3 Scene 2 lines 11-13

Edmund vs. Edgar & Gloucester

While Gloucester goes to search for Lear out in the storm, he entrusts Edmund not to say anything, of course he betrays his trust, but while in the storm Gloucester finds Lear but also Tom and Lear refuses to take shelter without bringing his new friend. So Edgar and Gloucester are again united unknowingly. Act 3 Scene 3 lines 45-55.

Edmund & Goneril vs. Edmund & Regan

Cornwall, Regan, Edmund, and Goneril devise punishments for Gloucester disobeying their orders. Regan plucked Gloucester’s beard and later on Gloucester is blinded, it is the treachery of Edmund and goodness of Edgar, which is revealed to Gloucester upon his blinding. Act 3 Scene 7 lines 20-30 and 60-70.

Four Central Themes

Summary (include scene and lines)

Desire for Power

Kent reports that Cordelia has put French spies throughout the kingdom, which explained how she appears so quickly later in the play and seems to know so much. To put spies throughout the kingdom just so Cordelia knows what’s going on is a true desire for power. Act 3 Scene 1 lines 8-12.

Corruption of Authority

Regan orders for Gloucester’s other eye to be taken out too, but a servent steps forward and fights Cornwall.

Regan kills the servant but Cornwall ends up being injured. Cornwall then blinds Gloucester’s other eye, and then they throw him out for him to wander in the elements. This shows a corruption of authority and Gloucester’s remaining servants become alarmed and disgusted by Cornwall and Regan’s actions/behavior, especially to their host in his own home. Act 3 Scene 7 Justice

Lear and Edgar hold a strange mock trial of his daughters for using him. Lear then rails against his daughters, truly driving home the injustice they have shown him and how ungrateful they are. Gloucester returns and tells them that he has heard there is a plot to murder Lear. He wants to sneak him to Dover and they guide Lear out toward Dover. Act 3 Scene 6 lines 30-40.

Aging/Legacy/Mortality

Lear is out in the storm and he has lost his sanity. The Fool encourages Lear to return to his daughters’ false love rather staying in the cold storm, but Lear said that he prefers the cold storm instead. Lear then talks about his old age and his growing instability. Lear points out his old age and says “gainst a head So old and white as this! 0! 0! ‘tis fool!” which shows his aging. Act 3 Scene 2 line 4....