Unit2KingLear-section1-2PartTwo:TeachingResourcesSection1:DiscoursestudiesTypeofwritingandashortenedversionofKingLear(part1)Aplay:KingLear(Part1)AshortenedversionofKingLear(part1)LEAR:Ihavedecidedtoretireandhandovertheheavyloadofresponsibilitytoyouthree.GONERIL:Iloveyoumorethanlifeitself.LEAR:NowRegan,itisyourturn.Whathaveyougottosaytome?REGAN:Mygreatesthappinessisinlovingyou.LEAR:Whathaveyoutosaytodelightanoldmanandearnthebestpartofhiskingdom?CORDELIA:Nothing,myfather.LEAR:Nothing?CIRDEKUA:Nothing.LEAR:You’llgetnothingfornothing.Iprayyou,speak.CORDELIA:Iloveyouasitisrightandproperforadaughtertoloveherfather,neitherlessnormore.LEAR:Tryharder,Cordelia,oryoumayloseyourshareofthekingdom.CORDELIA:Yousee,whenImarry,itwillbemydutytogivehalfmylovetomyhusband.LEAR:Youtrulymeanwhatyousay?CORDELIA:Yes,YourMajesty.LEAR:Soyoungandsohard-hearted.CORDELIA:Soyoungandsotruthful,myLord.LEAR:Youarenolongermydaughterbutastrangertomyheart.KENT:Butsir…LEAR:AndasIhavenothird-borndaughter,Iwillspendmydayswithyoutwo----amonthwithoneandthenamonthwiththeother.KENT:Butsir,Ibegyou…LEAR:Donotcontradictme.Itisdone.KENT:Ibelieveyouarebeinginfluencedbyfalseflattery.LEAR:Kent,ifyouvalueyourlife,saynomore.KENT:Youdowrongtocausefrictionbetweenyourselfandyourdaughter.LEAR:Getoutofmysight.Section2:BackgroundinformationforUnit2KingLear1.KingLeartheplaybyWilliamShakespeare●SummaryoftheplotorstoryThestoryofKingLear,anagingmonarchwhoisheadstrongoldmanwhoisblindtohisweaknesses,decidestodividehiskingdomamongsthisthreedaughters,accordingtowhichonerecitesthebestdeclarationoflove.GonerilandReganwhoaretheselfishdaughtersofLearwhopretendtolovehimbutlatertreathimcruelly.CordeliawhoistheloyalandunselfishdaughterofLear.Hedisownsherafterconfusingherhonestywithinsolence.EdgarisGloucester'sloyalsonandheirandEdmundisGloucester'sevilbastardson.At用心爱心专心116号编辑firstthefamilyappeartobelovingandcaringbutthiscouldnotbefurtherfromthetruth.Asthecharactersunfoldwefindgreed,betrayal,lustforpower,andcruelty.Inotherwords,theyareanythingbutnormalandcaring.Theendoftheplayendsindeatheverywhere.RegandiesafterbeingpoisonedbyGoneril.Gonerilstabsherselftodeath.Edgarrevealshistrueidentitytohisfather,buttheoldmandies.Mortallywounded,EdmundbecomesremorsefulandcountermandshisordertohangCordelia.Butitistoolate,andCordeliadies.Lear,nowabrokenman,fallsuponCordeliaandalsodies.●InformationprovidedabouttheplayWilliamShakespeareneverpublishedanyofhisplaysandthereforenoneoftheoriginalmanuscriptshavesurvived.Eighteenunauthorisedversionsofhisplayswere,however,publishedduringhislifetimeinquartoeditionsbyunscrupulouspublishers(therewerenocopyrightlawsprotectingShakespeareandhisworksduringtheElizabethanera).Acollectionofhisworksdidnotappearuntil1623(afullsevenyearsafterShakespeare'sdeathonApril23,1616)whentwoofhisfellowactors,JohnHemmingesandHenryCondell,posthumouslyrecordedhisworkandpublished36ofWilliam’splaysintheFirstFolio.Somedatesarethereforeapproximateotherdatesaresubstantiatedbyhistoricalevents,recordsofperformancesandthedatesplaysappearedinprint.●DatefirstperformedFirstrecordedperformanceofKingLearwason1606December26.IntheElizabethaneratherewasahugedemandfornewentertainmentandKingLearwouldhavebeenproducedimmediatelyfollowingthecompletionoftheplay.●DatefirstprintedItisbelievedthatKingLearwasfirstprintedin1608.AsWilliamShakespeareclearly...
