King Lear Act 3 Questions
King Lear Act III Study Questions
Scene I 1. Kent reveals to the Gentlemen that tension between Regan’s husband (Albany) and Goneril’s husband (Cornwall) could quite possible result in a civil war. However, aside from the war, the two may be united in plotting against the murder of King Lear. The King of France is preparing to make a move against these two divided house. He may have already sent spies to their households disguised as servants. 2. The mission that Kent asks the Gentlemen to complete is to go to Dover, the place where Cordelia lives, and inform her of how insultingly he was treated by Goneril and Regan. Also, in order to make sure that Cordelia knows the message sent is from him, he instructs to the Gentlemen to also deliver his ring to her.
Scene II 3. Shakespeare portrays the great emotional upheaval going on within Lear’s mind by showing us an iconic image of Lear as a white-haired man standing in the middle of a thunderstorm and literally yelling at the sky, “Blow winds and crack your cheeks! Rage, blow!” When we see this, we are able to see the extent of his troubled mind since it seems like only a deeply impacted individual would commit to such task or wish to appear as he does. The actual storm that is occurring on the outside is representative of the “storm” going on inside Lear’s mind. We see this when he talks about how upset he is with his daughters and that ungrateful children should cease to be born. 4. The comment about women that Lear makes in his speech is that “thou perjured, and thou similar of virtue, that are incestuous… that under covert and convenient seeming has practiced on man’s life” (3.2. 57-60). 5. Kent’s opinion of the storm’s ferocity is that “such bursts of horrid thunder, such groans of roaring wind and rain I never remember to have heard,” showing the intensity of the storm. 6. When King Lear remarks that “I am a man more sinn’d against than sinning,” it reflects his development as a human
Scene I 1. Kent reveals to the Gentlemen that tension between Regan’s husband (Albany) and Goneril’s husband (Cornwall) could quite possible result in a civil war. However, aside from the war, the two may be united in plotting against the murder of King Lear. The King of France is preparing to make a move against these two divided house. He may have already sent spies to their households disguised as servants. 2. The mission that Kent asks the Gentlemen to complete is to go to Dover, the place where Cordelia lives, and inform her of how insultingly he was treated by Goneril and Regan. Also, in order to make sure that Cordelia knows the message sent is from him, he instructs to the Gentlemen to also deliver his ring to her.
Scene II 3. Shakespeare portrays the great emotional upheaval going on within Lear’s mind by showing us an iconic image of Lear as a white-haired man standing in the middle of a thunderstorm and literally yelling at the sky, “Blow winds and crack your cheeks! Rage, blow!” When we see this, we are able to see the extent of his troubled mind since it seems like only a deeply impacted individual would commit to such task or wish to appear as he does. The actual storm that is occurring on the outside is representative of the “storm” going on inside Lear’s mind. We see this when he talks about how upset he is with his daughters and that ungrateful children should cease to be born. 4. The comment about women that Lear makes in his speech is that “thou perjured, and thou similar of virtue, that are incestuous… that under covert and convenient seeming has practiced on man’s life” (3.2. 57-60). 5. Kent’s opinion of the storm’s ferocity is that “such bursts of horrid thunder, such groans of roaring wind and rain I never remember to have heard,” showing the intensity of the storm. 6. When King Lear remarks that “I am a man more sinn’d against than sinning,” it reflects his development as a human