Monday, April 25, 2011

In-class post for April 25

Hello All,

For this blog, post the introduction to your critique!

43 comments:

2walstib said...

The character of Kent is rather simple in motivation. He appears only to want what is best for his King and Kingdom, and this devotion to King Lear, and the kingdom Lear divides, is self-blinding. In Act I.1 Kent is presented having a casual conversation with the Earl of Gloucester about the status of Gloucester’s sons. Kent appears concerned for the sons’ well-being and treatment by Gloucester, as well as for Gloucester himself. The exchange leaves the impression that Kent is the adviser or conscience of the play. The next lines spoken by Kent, while necessary to point out to Lear the mistake Lear is making, are his undoing. He cannot keep quiet, even after Lear warns him to do so. This very clearly illustrates Kent’s devotion to Lear made him blind to his own safety. Kent is banished from the kingdom, a punishment he accepts only insofar as he feels he can do more by its acceptance than by his denial (which would result in his death.) The opening of Act I.4:
“If but as well I other accents borrow
That can my speech defuse, my good intent
May carry through itself to that full issue
For which I razed my likeness. Now, banished Kent,
If thou canst serve where thou dost stand condemned,
So may it come thy master, whom thou lov’st,
Shall find thee full of labors.” (Shakespeare, p. 160-161.)
Kent’s loyalty brings him to disguise himself, risking detection (again willing to risk himself to the self-blinding devotion to King Lear), and immediately places himself in the position of adviser or conscience to King Lear. “…Thomas Aquinas, the thirteenth-century scholastic, held that we make mistakes because, when we were banished from paradise, we were cut off forever from direct access to divine truth. To Aquinas and many of his fellow theologians, our errors arise from the gap between our own limited and blemished minds and God’s unlimited and perfect omniscience.” (Schulz, p. 21-22.)
Each appearance Kent makes in this play illustrates some kind of self-sacrificing blindness to his own safety.

Anonymous said...

Is it really that hard for a daughter to tell her father what he wants to hear? In the book King Lear, Lear says to Cordella, “Nothing will come of nothing; speak again” (144). Instead of telling her father what he wanted to hear Cordella just held her tongue. Cordella has a daughter has the responsibility to be loving and loyal to her father and to love him unconditionally. Even though Cordella is a loyal daughter, her poor decision caused the kingdoms downfall.

-Gladys Mayra Delgado

Christina Cecil said...

Schulz states that “Our errors can alter our beliefs, our relationships, ourselves” (294). In the play King Lear Regan is a sister and one of the three daughters of King Lear. She is loyal to her sister Goneril but not to her sister Cordelia. Regan betrayed her father in order to get what she wanted. As daughters Regan was manipulative and greedy. As a sister she worked with Goneril to kick their father out of their houses. As an incomprehensive daughter and sister, Regan, destroys herself.

Erika Perez said...

Parents always tell their children to be honest at all times, but when honesty comes to play why should the child be scolded? Honesty is something that King Lear and Cordelia shared before Lear banished her, but when one statement seemed to offensive Lear is the enemy and Cordelia is the victim. Cordelia being the daughter of royalty, it is seen wrong if the kings beliefs are contradicted, but since she is the open daughter the kingdom will see her as wrong. Being the daughter she has to in complete agreement with her father. Cordelia is the honest daughter, but her honesty was the downfall of others; therefore, she makes the mistake of being too truthful.

Anonymous said...

King Lear is deceived by fatherly loved, that influences in his decision into giving Gonereil and Regan the lands to his Kingdome. Lear puts his daughters love to the test but Cordelia does not agree with the tactics that her father is using and refuses to play his game. In his rage King Lear banishes her and is left with only two daughters how are greedy and evil. Kent is a witness to this and he is determined to unmask Gonereil and Regan in order to make Lear realize that Cordelia is honest and best fitted for his lands.

Anonymous said...

Betrayal is the act when humans pretend to agree and support another human in order for an individual to obtain what he or she desires. In the play "King Lear," by William Shakespeare Goneril is the power hungry daughter who basically does everything at hand to obtain what she wishes. As an incomprehensive daughter and sister, Goneril, destroyed herself.

-Elizabeth Vega

Anonymous said...

What route must a child take to prove the depth of their love for their parents? Cordelia is one of the three daughters King Lear wants to divide his kingdom to. King Lear asks his daughters to express in words how much they love him. Cordelia's sisters each took their turn expressing how they feel, but Cordelia doesn't have words to describe her love for her father. King Lear is outraged, and decides to exile Cordelia from his kingdom. Cordelia's ultimate decision to refrain from competing with her sisters for their father's love was a great decision because it showed King Lear who his true loyal, loving daughter was.

- Brian Garcia

Anonymous said...

“Those are not the actions of a man who has contemplated the possibility that his own mode could be in error- or that, this time, and his beliefs could be the dangerous ones.” (Being Wrong pg. 110) King Lear position as a controlled, selfish, king was not the best. King Lear was not the best father to his three daughters, and sons. King Lear retired as a king but King Lear still wanted to take control of everyone and make decisions as if he was still a king. King Lear as a king was not that effective because, with his family there were lies and deceit coming from King Lear’s daughters and sons. King Lear was not the best as he could have been. “Better thou hadst not been born than not to have pleased me better” (King Lear pg. 12)

G.Solano

Anonymous said...

King Lear is deceived by fatherly loved, that influences in his decision into giving Gonereil and Regan the lands to his Kingdome. Lear puts his daughters love to the test but Cordelia does not agree with the tactics that her father is using and refuses to play his game. In his rage King Lear banishes her and is left with only two daughters how are greedy and evil. Kent is a witness to this and he is determined to unmask Gonereil and Regan in order to make Lear realize that Cordelia is honest and best fitted for his lands.

- Fernando Barrios

N. Iniguez said...

According to Kathryn Schulz, "We are transform through error by accepting it"(pg. 293). King Lear was a king that almost lost his kingdom. He was going to divide it into three parts to his three daughters. But in order for him to divide it into three he asked a question to his daughters who loves him more. King Lear is a poor father for asking who loves him more and that lead to loose Cordelia as a daughter.

Anonymous said...

The play, King Lear by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy where the majority of the characters’ dismay is a consequent of a bastard’s greed. Edmund, the bastard, disguises himself as an innocent bystander within all the destruction he causes to those around him. He is extremely motivated to receive the respect and inheritance, he feels he rightfully deserves. The greed of Edmund, as brother and son, led to his eventual death through his determination to success his father; and consequently betray his brother.

-Stephanie Santos

Anonymous said...

“The fact remains that getting people right is not what living is all about anyway (Shultz 247”. King Lear is portrayed as wise and knowledgeable ruler throughout the play but he made a mistake as a father when he divided his power to his daughters. King Lear was an effective leader in the play but his poor decision to divide his kingdom to his daughters the way he did due to his gullible ness was his downfall.
-Roberto Picos

Anonymous said...

Introduction
Should a father accept a lie or the truth that comes from his children, when talking about the love to a father? Lear was a king and about to leave the thrown and leave all his inherits to his sons and daughters. But the poor management of distributing the inherits to his children cause great chaos to his family and sadly it brought death to his family members. Additionally the love that he didn’t accept from the sons and daughters brought great tragedy. The poor judgment that Lear had as a feather lead him toward his death.

Emanuel Garcia

Anonymous said...

Greed is excessive want, not need. Edmund grew up as a bastard and would be left with no land and no money. Edmund then decided to deceive his way into his father’s land and money. He had to turn his father against his brother Edgar, and then Edmund eventually turns against his father as well in order to get what he wants. Edmund does get what he wants, but it is short-lived and is killed by his brother Edgar. Even though Edmund fails as a brother and father, he succeeds in gaining power and his greed seed eventually causes his death.

-Dominica Martinez

Anonymous said...

The meaning of family is a group of people that care about each other and lookout for one another. In the book King Lear, Edmund who is known as the bastard son breaks the bond of a family by turning his brother to become a fugitive, which happened by having to make up a lie to his father. According to Kathryn Schultz “People who possess the truth are perceptive, insightful, observant, illuminated, enlightened, and visionary; by contrast, the ignorant are in the dark” (53). Edmund knows what is going to happen when he is done with his plan and that is to become a ruler, but what he did not know was that his brother Edgar is still alive and is out for revenge. Although Edmund did not like to be known as the bastard son, he made a poor decision on going after his brother first, which led to mistakes on his road to becoming a ruler.


- Brian Escalante

Anonymous said...

“My life I never held but as a pawn to wage against thy enemies, not fear to lose it, thy safety being the motive,” (Act 1.1 lines 144-146) Kent tells King Lear to show how loyal he is to Lear. Kent plays a role as Lear’s friend, servant, and noblemen; until the death of Lear. Kent did his Job as a Nobleman to the best of his ability, even though he wasn’t appreciated by his master-Lear.

-ANGEL VELASQUEZ

Anonymous said...

What characteristics should a king possess? A king should possess/be knowledgable, loyalty, and a strong moral sense. King Lear is an old, dwindling king, who is ready to retire and divide his kingdom up among his three daughters. King Lear’s insane and immoral decisions as a king and father lead to his kingdom’s destruction.

-M. McKenney

Anonymous said...

Cordelia was a great daughter to Lear because why would a daughter not tell the truth to a father of her love to him. According to Kathryn Schulz, “We don’t get we want or need, we are ignored or corrected, we irritate or enrage a parent or sibling or caretaker. In the end, we are left feeling publicly humiliated or privately ashamed—or simply, deeply alone.” Cordelia was honest and honesty makes a person valuable and people can trust one by just knowing that you are a reliable person and also shows a great personality. Cordelia’s mistake of telling the simple truth to her father brought tensions between the family and her sisters greed to come out and at the end her own death.

-jessica gonzalez

Anonymous said...

Whether it’s because they feel its right or wrong, a child will go either way, but most suffer the same consequence. “There may be no better demonstration of this conflict between felling our wrongness and feeling our rightness than…..response to the Great Disappointment.” (218, Shulz) in King Lear, Cordelia is scolded and exiled from her royal line because of what is seen as treacherous and disrespectful to her father. Cordelia is a noble and loving kind hearted daughter of King Lear who is correct for apposing lying and deceiving her fathers mind for the kingdom not love.


Brian D Martinez

Anonymous said...

Even the closest people in one’s life end up evaporating overtime. That’s part of life though, best friends and relatives become ghosts and sometimes the closest become enemies. “In cases like these, we actually do know the limits of our knowledge; we just can’t stop ourselves from barreling right past them.” (Being Wrong, pg. 85) Edmund, like in the book Being Wrong makes many bad decisions in life and it results to him being a terrible son and brother. Edmund is a disloyal family member because of the betrayal and treachery he displays towards his loving family.

--Evan Vizcarra

Anonymous said...

Vengeance and greed are both ideas that require taking from someone or something for personal benefit. Edmund, the son of Gloucester and brother of Edgar, is a vengeful and greedy individual. However, he feels that the greedy and vengeful side is simply a side wanting redemption. As the illegitimate son of Gloucester, Edmund feels that he deserves much more than he is getting; he feels that he should inherit all of Gloucester's wealth. Edmund is a horrible son; he betrays his father for his own prosperity. As a son, Edmund almost seemed as if he was desperate for his father's love and attention, because he was jealous of his brother. He sought this attention through lies and vengeance. Gloucester was betrayed and lost his eyes because of Edmund. Regardless of how wrong your father is, he is still your father-- and that alone entitles him to your loyalty. Edmund does not give him that loyalty and is ultimately responsible for his death.

-Leticia Orozco

Anonymous said...

Are the qualities of a King the same that a father should have? Lear says, “Ay, every inch a king: When I do stare, see how the subject quakes,” he recognizes the power he wields as a king. Lear was a successful king, but he was a terrible father for not seeing his offspring as more than just subordinates. Lear's kingdom appears to have been run very well by him for many years. After he retires, his daughters fight, bicker, and even go to war over land and honor with each other. This is due to him treating them as subjects rather than his children. Lear did not realize that the traits of a good father are not necessarily the traits of a good king.

-Eduardo Figueroa

Anonymous said...

Love is a strong feeling for that certain somebody or something, it can be a strong emotion also a weak one, because it can bring a person up to cloud nine yet it can bring a person down to ground zero. It is exactly what Gloucester desires from his children, but it did not turn out the way he wanted to. In Being Wrong Shultz states that, “What is remarkable about this idea of love is how deeply entrenched it is-in our hearts as well as our culture-even as it utterly fails to correspond to reality” (262). Love has failed within’ Gloucester’s family by having fingers pointed at one another and unsuccessful family bond. His misjudging towards his sons has made him suffer horribly: He believed Edmund without investigating about the letter, he accused Edgar of being dishonesty and disrespectful, and Edmund ended up betraying him.

-Howard Lin

Anonymous said...

Would you exile your loyal friend who looks for your best interest and well-being? This happened to King Lear's loyal adviser, Kent, who was looking out for him. Kent was trying to help King Lear over his decision to exile Cordelia from the country. This actually got himself exiled from the country because of he intervened with the King's decision. Kent's honesty and loyalty to King Lear is very strong but can be his downfall since he got himself exiled and return in disguise to the kingdom.

-Michael Gomez

Anonymous said...

Is it better to keep it real or be phony? Goneril and Regan are the prime examples of being phony. When there father ,King Lear, asked them how much they loved him, they went too far when they started lying just to get the inheritance. They should have been honest and maybe they still would have gotten a piece of what their father was handing down.If someone lies, they are most likely going to get caught up.

-Y. Clay

Anonymous said...

A good father doesn’t just provide for his family, he loves them, and he would do anything to keep them together. Being a good father is a choice, a commitment, and a priority. King Lear is a busy and important man, with duties including being a King, a father, and a leader to his people. Although Lear may have been an effective King and leader, he failed to show that he was a good father.

Curtis Fago

Anonymous said...

What is betrayal? Betrayal is when a close friend or relative stabs a person in the back. Throughout King Lear the play, William Shakespeare demonstrates how Edmund betrays his father and brother in order to inherit all of his father’s lands and fortune; with this in mind, Edmund deceives Edgar as well in order to receive 100% of all the treasure in mind instead of 50%. With the circumlocution skills that Edmund used in order for him to trick his own blood, he wounded himself by being selfish for trying to inherit the whole piece of cake.

--David Maciel Gonzalez

Anonymous said...

The quote, “If you truly want honesty, don't ask questions you don't really want the answer to” is what the character King Lear in Shakespeare’s play should have considered. Honesty is a valuable human characteristic, which many people do not have. When King Lear asked his three daughters of admit how much they loved him, he did not respect the honest response from Cordelia. Since his other two daughters have exaggerated with their answer, Lear expected that his third daughter would do the same. King Lear makes a mistake by asking his daughters such a question because he has to be acceptable and respectful of all the responses his daughters provide.

-Khulood Hussin

Anonymous said...

Introduction:

Understanding how to utilize the art of deception is a trait that many people use to gain positions of power. In the play King Lear, Edmund is a character who understands the art of deception and applies this knowledge into a plan to corrupt his family. Edmund devises this plan to fabricate his father into believing that his brother (Edgar) wrote a letter, stating that Edgar wanted to murder his father and gain his position of power. By having knowledge in using the art of deception, Edmund is successful with his plan and it begins to corrupt his family. Edmund plays a critical role in King Lear, and commits a huge mistake by deceiving his family. People who understand how to utilize the art of deception may gain positions of power, but having this understanding may destroy a person’s family while trying to gain power.

- G. McDaniel

Anonymous said...

Why would a father not give his son or daughter something of value if he or she don't tell him how much they love him? In the play of King Lear, Lear dicides not to give Cordelia a part of his kingdom because she refused to answer how much she loved him as a father. This brought consequences to her inheritance and was sent to france. King lear might of been a good leader but as a father he made many mistakes that brought his family many problems.

-u garcia

Anonymous said...

What is the responsibility of a king and father? Lear as a king and father of three daughters, has multiple responsibilities and principles for his daughter. His weakness was not to trust in the honesty Cordelia was offering to his father. Having other dishonest people around, such as the other two daughters, he almost lost his kingdom. The only mistake Cordelia made was to be truly honest which change the direction of her father Lear. A father and king doesn't necessarily mean there shouldn't be failure, a father and king makes mistakes and errors just as king Lear did.

Anonymous said...

Loyalty can be defined as a feeling of complete devotion to someone; it usually involves two parties, that informally agree to be loyal to each other. In King Lear, the concept of loyalty whether it is present or absent, is what defines most the characters; Regan and Goneril benefited from their father's trust and loyalty, when he gave them the totality of his kingdom and wealth. In return, what they did was mistreating him and getting rid of him and his servants which proved how disloyal they truly were as the King's daughters. The lack of love and consideration towards their father proves them to be very disloyal daughters.

Ivan Matip

Anonymous said...

Why is Cordelia so persistent and stubborn about being honest and why can’t her sisters learn to love the truly important people in their lives? Instead of really appreciating Lear for everything that he has done for them and be thankful to him for what he is about to give them, they all only worry about themselves and don’t care at all about their father’s feelings. Due to their inability to show and give love to their father they cause the awful tragedies that occur in the play. His daughters' betrayals truly devastate Lear and his family, and cause his whole perspective of the world to change. “Most of us are at peace with the fact that some elements of our identities aren’t constant, that things like our skills and priorities inevitably change over time. But no so when it comes to other aspects of the self.” (285).

-Ramon Duran

Anonymous said...

How much is the image of being loved worth? Is it worth more than actually being loved? Lear abandons Cordelia’s true love for the simple fact that she would not play along with her sisters and blatantly lie to her father. Her lack of a public display of emotion to her father shows her and her father’s true values and morals. Cordelia is honest and respectful, while her father is conceited and materialistic. Lear makes an ineffective ruler as he is set in his ways, and makes some very poor decisions. Although he was rather unfavorable at the beginning, by the end of the play he makes changes to his values and may have become a better man because of it.

J. Wolfenstein

Anonymous said...

Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich being poor, Most choice forsaken, and most loved despised, Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon. Be it lawful I take up what’s cast away. Gods, gods! ‘Tis strange that from their cold’st neglect My love should kindle to inflamed respect (pg 151). In the Play King Lear asks his three daughters who loves him the most but his youngest daughter Cordelia gives him an honest answer and he exiles her from the kingdom and asks the ones that love her if she is still “pretty” to them and France says that phrase which means that honesty is better than anything else. For that choice to exile his daughter and split the rest of the land to his other daughters made Lear a foolish man and it made the downfall of his life. The Play King Lear is a play about a King who gives his kingdom to his daughters and then they are not deserved of the kingdom. Unlike his youngest daughter who did deserve the kingdom but he exiled her for the daughter not saying how much she loved her own father the king. King Lear is a great king very loved by many but is blind to see what really goes on in his kingdom and who really cares for him. King Lear is the King of Britain and France and is a very strong person that he is in control of the entire kingdom. Lear exiles his most loving daughter and that makes the downfall of his life, royal family, and of his kingdom. Lear does not do a great job doing his king duties. He is too blind to see many things that go on behind his back since he is king he should know exactly what does on in the kingdom. Lear’s mistake of exiling his most trusty daughter and gives the kingdom to the other two lead to the ruination of his life family and of the kingdom he was entrusted with, Lear’s mistake is what caused the destruction of the royal family and of the kingdom.

Raul Mendoza

Anonymous said...

Why did Edmund want to stay with his father kingdom when he was the bastard’s son? Edmund being the bastard’s son wanted the land because he wanted to have full power and his ambition caused him to do mistakes. One mistake is writing the letter to his father with Edgar hand writing and signature so King Lear could give him full power. Edmund was an ambitious person like how it says in the book Being Wrong in (page 218), “For we were certainly disappointed,” because of the errors he made, he later confessed his acts and his family was disappointed.

--G.BECERRA

Anonymous said...

How can a father give love to his children? Would the father do anything what his children demands? In Shakespeare’s play, King Lear, the character itself played as a role of both father and a king. He made a test for his daughters whether how much they love him and in return they would receive a part of his land. All throughout the story, there was greed and deception over power from King Lear. Overall, King Lear role of a father and king wasn’t good enough because he wasn’t a loving and caring father as he should have been

- C. Buccat

Anonymous said...

“ Well my legitimate, [to Edgar] if this letter speed, and my invention thrive, Edmund the base shall top the legitimate. I grow; I prosper . Now, gods, stand up for bastards!” (1.2.1–22). This quote uttered by Edmund before he tricks his father with a forged letter tells us a lot about Edmund’s character. “I grow; I prosper,” he says and this is what Edmund is; greed and vengeance. Edmund is determined to gain the power and respect he feels he deserves and that he has been deprived from because he is the bastard son of Gloucester. Edmund’s greed and thirst for vengeance is what defines all of his actions and all of his deceptions throughout the play King Lear.
--maria bravo

Anonymous said...

What is a family that is disloyal? Love, honestly, and faith is the key to being happy, succeeding in whatever you want, and the bond between one another. King Lear loved his daughter and wanted them to prove their love to him. Regan was one of the daughters who betray their father. She wanted power and was determined to overtake it. Kathryn Schulz said "rightness is not ours to enjoy all the time." Because Regan was so dishonest and manipulative, she is unworthy of being a daughter of a king.

--v nard

Anonymous said...

Is it hard to be a ruler and a respected father at the same time? In many cases, it is hard to be a ruler and a father at the same time due to many different duties that both these roles play. As a ruler, one has the power to establish laws, banish a person from their kingdom, have everything in order, and pretty much have everyone obey him whether they like it or not. But as a father, the duties are very different. Being a father consist of being a loving, caring, and supportive person, determined to do anything to keep their children happy. Not only does a father strive to keep their children happy, but he also has to be able to lead them to their right road as to say direct them to what kind of path they should take to fulfill their objectives. According to the King Lear’s play, Lear does not fulfill any of the obligations that a father should have done or should do; instead he just worries if the property and power is going to be in the right hands. By not fulfilling his duties as a father, Lear makes a mistake by kicking out his daughter Cordelia in which later on the play Lear realizes that he has made a terrible mistake asking her for his forgiveness. Mistakes are made to happen and are made to be learned from allowing us to grow as a person.

--Beatriz Dominguez

Unknown said...

Throughout literature and history there are examples of what it means to be a daughter and what it means to be royalty. But what does it really mean to be a daughter of royalty? To answer that we need to understand that a daughter is someone that is loyal, loving, caring, respectful, honest and supportive, and that being royalty means a life of privilege, scheming and power. In Shakespeare’s The Tradegy of King Lear, we encounter a character that plays the role as the eldest daughter of King Lear, she is Goneril. Readers learn that she is married to the Duke of Albany. Through the play, it becomes apparent that Goneril does not portray the standard ideals of what it means to be a daughter. Goneril’s scheming and power struggles clash with what is thought of as when someone thinks of another as being someone’s daughter. Goneril fails in her roles that are necessary for one to be considered a daughter. Her mistakes of selfishness and power mongering lead Goneril to her inevitable down fall and ultimately her less that noble death.

Fred Soza

Anonymous said...

- Irene Hernandez

King Lear plays an effective role in the play as the king of the Throne. He represents his character as king by being loyal, serious, responsible, determined, and a leader. The most important quality of King Lear is to be fearless. A king needs to be fearless in order to be brave and take charge in difficult situations. He needs to be fearless to have peoples respect and attention. Knowledge and wisdom are two other qualities that a king should have.

Anonymous said...

What are the main characteristics a ruler should embody? A ruler should be in control, decisive, intelligent and wise. It is obvious that ruling a Kingdom is hard enough, but being a father on top of that makes things much more difficult. A King has many responsibilities, so it is challenging trying to be both a ruler and a father at the same time. A King not only has to take care of the whole kingdom but the people living in the kingdom as well. This could have caused Lear to not have been a good father because he had to think first of his people before his own family. Lear’s home is not in the best state because he does not have a wife, so his daughters do not have a woman figure to look up to. The definition of a family is a group of people who love, support and care for one another. It appears that Lear and his daughter’s don’t get along but only need each other when they are in need of something. Lear’s poor approach of retiring from ruling a Kingdom and the way he left it to his daughters displayed that he is not a good King.

-Sandy Ornelas