April-Michelle+<3

wELCOME TO...

=**THE COOL PAGEE...HAHAHA :) [SIKE] **= 

E **xquisite :) **

 * <3 **



MY CURRENT PLAYLIST =D
King Lear Criticism Article Summary:

http://www.uji.es/bin/publ/edicions/jfi5/female.pdf

The article I found explores and analyzes the portrayal of the female characters in King Lear. Anyone who reads the play will undoubtedly notice that they are not portrayed in a particularly flattering light, so I find this article to be extremely interesting and relevant.My article examines the contrast between Goneril and Regan, who prove themselves to be evil and heartless, and Cordelia, who is quite literally an angel throughout the whole play. It goes on to determine whether or not these fixed personalities serve as stereotypes of women that were typical of that time period, especially in Shakespeare's works, and whether or not these stereotypes can be considered sexist or not .Later, the article goes on to debate whether there is really any difference between the female stereotypes in the play at all, given the fact that they all meet a similar fate: death. It finally concludes that the women in the play serve to represent good and bad at the same time, because sometimes they represent rebelliousness, while at other times they represent the traditional order of a patriarchal society.

Overall, I tend to agree with the author's viewpoint. The women do represent two sides of the same coin, so to speak. On one hand, they represent evil, when all of the horrible actions of Goneril and Regan are taken into account, like when they left Lear stranded in a storm and made him get rid of all of his knights. However, on the other hand, Cordelia does do women justice through her undying loyalty from the beginning of the play when she was the only daughter who was honest about her affections for Lear, and in the end when she defended him and eventually forgave him for disowning her.This "Good Vs. Evil" combat between Goneril and Regan and their younger sister Cordelia supports the authors claim completley

The authors claim that BOTH sides of the spectrum represent the traditional order of a patriarchal society in the Middle Ages can also be justified. From the opening of the play, everyone in the play does what Lear wants them to. Goneril and Regain, despite the fact that they lied, DID tell Lear exactly what he wanted to hear when he made them confess their affections for him. Although Cordelia did not do it in the same manner, she still remained obedient to her father and left when she was asked to, and did not plot against him for his coldness like most other children would have. In this manner, both sides of Good Vs. Evil did succumb to the will of their father. Although it does not readily appear so, Cordelia succumbs to Lear even more than her sisters because she lovingly returns to him even after his harsh treatment of her in the beginning of the play.

I can agree that the women in Lear are not portrayed as solely good or evil "but something in between". If they were portrayed as only good, they all would have told the truth from the beginning of the play. If they represented only evil, all of them would have developed secret plots to strip their father of his power. Therefore, they must represent both because they equally represent rebellion and submission to tradition whether they like it or not.

Abril-Michelle** 10/10/10

April, this critical analysis is much better....So, now I need you to think about one thing. The play does portray both "sides of the coin" very well - the good vs evil among the three sisters. However, how does the "traditional representation of order in a partriarchal society" in the play work? I might say it really doesn't show this traditional order. Yes, the sisters demonstrate this at first (Goneril and Regan) but, they don't in the end...this does not remain consistent. Cordelia does not represent this either in the beginning, and later in the play does....so, can we safely argue that this theme resonates throughout the play? If so, what are the implications of having two sisters disobey and meet death in the end...while the other obeys but in the end but still dies?