Scene 4

• Why must we consider Goneril's perspective regarding Lear's visit?


  Because Lear is very demanding and will be a difficult guest.
• Who is Kent in disguise as when he seeks employment from Lear?


  Kaius
• What does Kent emphasize about his character when he seeks employment?


  He emphasizes that he is an honest man who seeks the truth.
• What condition does Lear set for Kent's employment?


  He agrees to take him on if he still likes him after dinner.
• What does Lear notice about Goneril's servants?


  They have started to treat him unkindly.
• What does Lear ask for after noticing the unkind treatment from Goneril's servants?


  He asks for his Fool.
• How has the Fool been feeling since Cordelia went to France?


  He has been very down.
• How does Lear react when Cordelia is mentioned?


  He snaps and cannot bear to hear her name mentioned.
• What does Lear do when he confronts Oswald?


  He rages at him, cursing and striking at him.
• What does Lear feel when he is referred to as his daughters' father?


  He feels it is degrading of his power.
• How does Goneril benefit from Lear's rage?


  She wanted him to blow up, as it serves her purpose.
• What action does Kent take that earns Lear's praise?


  Kent trips up Oswald.
• What does the Fool suggest about Lear's situation without property?


  He suggests that Lear is helpless and has reversed the natural order.
• How does the Fool express resentment towards Lear's treatment of Cordelia?


  Through savage attacks, songs, rhymes, and sarcasm.
• What does the Fool imply by saying Lear has 'banished two daughters'?


  He suggests that Lear has driven Goneril and Regan away too by giving them all his power.
• What threat does Lear make towards the Fool?


  He threatens the Fool with whipping.
• What does the Fool's rhyme convey about sensible behavior?


  It advises not to show all wealth, not to believe everything heard, and to save money.
• What motif does the Fool reintroduce, and how does Lear respond?


  The motif of 'nothing'; Lear repeats 'nothing can be made out of nothing'.
• What fable does the Fool refer to when speaking about the egg and the crown?


  One of Ǽsop’s fables.
• How is the relationship between Lear and the Fool compared to historical figures?


  It is reminiscent of the relationship between Henry the 8th and his Fool.
• What does Goneril's reaction to the Fool's criticism reveal about her character?


  It shows that she resents criticism and lacks a sense of humor, indicating her growing egotism.
• What accusation does Goneril make against Lear regarding his knights?


  She accuses him of encouraging quarrelsome behavior and doing nothing about it.
• What does Goneril suggest must be done about Lear's knights?


  She suggests a remedy must be found to impose order on them.
• What type of criticisms does Goneril's speech to Lear reflect?


  Criticisms that puritans hurled at actors.
• What does Lear curse Goneril with?


  He curses her and says he still has another daughter to go to.
• What does Lear's question 'who is it who can tell me who I am' signify?


  It signifies his loss of power and identity as king.
• How does the Fool respond to Lear's identity crisis?


  He answers with 'Lear’s shadow', indicating Lear's insubstantiality and fading power.
• What threat does Goneril make towards Lear regarding his knights?


  She threatens that if he won't get rid of some of his knights, she will take them from him.
• What literary device does Goneril use to emphasize her dislike for Lear's knights?


  She uses the 'rule of three' to describe them as 'disorderly'.
• What inconsistency is noted regarding Lear's followers?

  There is a reference to 100 knights later, despite Lear finding 50 dismissed.
• What does Lear's diminishing number of followers symbolize?


  It symbolizes his might, importance, and fighting power.
• How does Lear's mental state begin to change in this scene?


  His mental faculties and verse structure begin to fragment, and he starts crying.
• What dramatic irony is present in Lear's insistence that Regan will help him?


  It is ironic because the audience knows Regan feels the same as Goneril.
• How does Goneril justify her treatment of Lear's knights?


  She argues that Lear cannot be trusted with them as he might turn on her.
• What does Goneril call her husband, Albany?


  She calls him a coward, soft, gentle, weak, and a wimp.
• When do we see Albany again after this scene?


  We do not see him again until Act 4, Scene 2.
• How does Lear's to-ing and fro-ing contribute to his powerlessness?


  It highlights his lack of control and the Fool's continued verbal swipes at him.
• What change occurs in Lear's use of pronouns as his power diminishes?


  He begins to use 'I' instead of the royal 'we'.
• How do Lear's servants react to him as his power wanes?


  Even servants begin to disobey him now.
• What does the reduction in Lear's followers indicate about his status?


  It indicates that he won't be able to assert himself effectively.