Motivations and Personalities of Characters in Act One of William Shakespeare's King Lear

Motivations and Personalities of Characters in Act One of William Shakespeare's King Lear

The opening scenes to the play establish the main characters well for

the duration of the play. There are two main plots, which involve most

of the main characters. The main plot consists of King Lear dividing

his kingdom up between his three daughters, Gonerill Regan and

Cordelia. However one, Cordelia, does not receive any land. The plot

then entails the aftermath and the problems that follow such a mix up.

The sub plot, containing Gloucester, Edmund and Edgar mirrors the main

Lear plot. This story is about Edmund being the bastard son and the

way he deviously tries to con his father into giving him his wealth.

The first two scenes show us how similar the two plots are. We are

beginning to see that Lear's family harmony is in jeopardy, as is

Gloucester's after Edmund's cunning plan to split up the devoted

father and son. There is another similarity where Gloucester's swift

rejection of Edgar reflects the way that Lear rejects and banishes

Cordelia.

Gloucester is an influential character and opens the play talking to

Kent and his bastard son, Edmund. He is very cruel and abrasive to his

bastard son, Edmund. He apparently "blushes to see him" because he is

so disgraced of the "whoreson". Although "there was good sport at his

making" Gloucester still sends him away to study. He seems extremely

rude to mock him openly in public, while he is present. This attitude

was not uncommon in the Elizabethan period. However it would have

shocked the lower classes that a man with such class and stature would

treat his son that way.

He shares many ...

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...her sisters.

Her strength and integrity are shown again when she scorns Burgundy

and parts frostily from her sisters.

Some may argue that Cordelia is awkward and stubborn. She could have

easily made up comments to gain land and keep the peace within the

family.

Overall act one scene, one and two, provide us with an excellent

opening to introduce us to the characters and show us their

personalities. We also discover what motivates the characters and what

are their main qualities.

Shakespeare does this purposely so we get to know the characters, and

see how they develop throughout the play. He uses different tactics

and strategies to make us feel like we know the characters. He also

uses the main plot of the play to create a sub plot within it. This

makes us feel that something could happen at any moment.