1. King Lear By William Shakespeare

2. King Lear

3. Tragic Elements Chronicle Play (16 th century chronicle material) Chronicle Play (16 th century chronicle material) Morality plays Morality plays Classic tragedy Classic tragedy Senecan tragedy (Seneca modeled Euripides) Senecan tragedy (Seneca modeled Euripides) Chorus, ghost, catastrophe, off stage violence, five acts, hyperbole, stichomythia, bombast Chorus, ghost, catastrophe, off stage violence, five acts, hyperbole, stichomythia, bombast

4. Classical Tragedy According to Aristotle who first defined it using the Greek plays that were available to him, tragedy is “the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself.” Tragedy typically includes “incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish the catharsis of such emotions.” The elements of a classical tragedy include According to Aristotle who first defined it using the Greek plays that were available to him, tragedy is “the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself.” Tragedy typically includes “incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish the catharsis of such emotions.” The elements of a classical tragedy include L The tragic hero who, though not perfect, is certainly in some way morally superior to most of the audience (and who is nearly always upper class), but also exhibits L The tragic hero who, though not perfect, is certainly in some way morally superior to most of the audience (and who is nearly always upper class), but also exhibits L “Hamartia,” the tragic flaw (literally, it translates as “error of judgement”) which is often L “Hamartia,” the tragic flaw (literally, it translates as “error of judgement”) which is often L hubris, loosely translated as arrogance, that causes the hero to believe he can outwit fate or violate a moral law, which leads in turn to L hubris, loosely translated as arrogance, that causes the hero to believe he can outwit fate or violate a moral law, which leads in turn to L some kind of catastrophe, which results in L some kind of catastrophe, which results in L peripeteia or a complete reversal of fortune from happiness to disaster L peripeteia or a complete reversal of fortune from happiness to disaster

5. First Act

6. Geoffrey of Monmouth Historia Regum Britanniae Historia Regum Britanniae 1137 1137 Lyr or Ler and daughters from British myth Lyr or Ler and daughters from British myth

7. Shakespeare’s sourc Raphael Holinshed (? d.1580) retold Monmouth’s story of Lear in his Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (1577). So did Edmund Spenser (c.1552- 99) in the second volume of his poem The Faerie Queene (pub. in two 3-volume sets, in 1590 & 1596). According to Monmouth, Lear ruled for 60 years. Another version of the Lear story appears in Higgins’ Mirror for Magistrates (1574). According to Holinshed’s Chronicles, Lear ruled Britain for 40 years around 800BC. Raphael Holinshed (? d.1580) retold Monmouth’s story of Lear in his Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (1577). So did Edmund Spenser (c.1552- 99) in the second volume of his poem The Faerie Queene (pub. in two 3-volume sets, in 1590 & 1596). According to Monmouth, Lear ruled for 60 years. Another version of the Lear story appears in Higgins’ Mirror for Magistrates (1574). According to Holinshed’s Chronicles, Lear ruled Britain for 40 years around 800BC.

8. The Great Chain of Being

9. .Nathum Tate’s Improvement

10. A Thousand Acres

11. Inspiration for Fool Baron Muncaster’s jester – Tom Fool Baron Muncaster’s jester – Tom Fool Tomfoolery Tomfoolery