Filial ingratitude in King Lear!

Filial ingratitude is a dominant theme in King Lear. It is a universal theme in the sense that it is common to find many sons and daughters who show much ingratitude and cruelty towards their parents. In the play, there are two fathers (Lear and Gloucester) who suffer because of favoring certain kids to others. Their tragedy is caused by those whom they have already favored and preferred. The play gives us incidents which connect one father (King Lear) with his two ungrateful daughters (Goneril and Regan) on one hand, and another father (the Earl of Gloucester) with his son (Edmund). Those two lines of relationships display the issue of ingratitude on a very deep and comprehensive level.

What made this play a tragedy was the evil children's "filial ingratitude," for the "blindness" of Lear and the Earl was so great that only through suffering from the "monster ingratitude" of Goneril, Regan, and Edmund did they learn to distinguish the good children from the evil ones. It was "filial ingratitude" which opened Lear's eyes to the "painful truth": he had disinherited his good daughter and had given power to his evil daughters.

Lear expresses his great shock addressing ingratitude as an enemy that has occupied the heart of his daughter. He says:

"Ingratitude, though marble-hearted fiend,

More hidcous when thou showe'st thee in a child

Than the sea-monster!"



The traditional values that make the parent-child relationship natural and wholesome are distorted and destroyed in this play. The order and harmony that usually characterize a stable family are disrupted by the evil designs of the greedy Edmund, Goneril, and Regan. Lear and Gloucester are both trusting fathers. They foolishly believe the words of their evil children and banish the offspring that truly love them. As a result of their lack of judgement, both fathers are made poor by their unthankful children. The filial greed and ingratitude shown by Edmund, Regan, and Goneril bring immense suffering to all.
The play begins by an unusual incident. King Lear wants to divide his kingdom among his three daughters because he has become too old to rule. Therefore, he asks each one to express her love to him. The first two daughters (Goneril and Regan) choose very passionate and poetic terms to flatter their father which reflect how hypocritic they are. Goneril says:

"Sir. I love you more than words can wield the matter;

Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty;

Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;

No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour."
The most horrible moment occurs when it is Cordelia's turn to speak. Lear is shocked when Cordelia has not said what he expects from her as his most beloved and dearest child. She says that she loves him as any dutiful daughter should love her father:

"…I love your majesty

According to my bond; nor more nor less…

You have begot me, bred me; I

Return those duties back as are right fit

Obey you, love you, and most honor you."
She is very realistic in her expression which indirectly expose the exaggeration and hypocrisy displayed by her sisters. But her father is too emotional and rash to get her point; he misunderstands her considering her ungrateful and cruel, and consequenly, punishes her.
The first sign of ingratitude is displayed immediately after the two sisters receive their share in the same session. Goneril and Regan have a private conversation in which they reveal their real identities. They begin to conspire against their father whom they regard as very rash and emotional. They plan to treat him in the way that they think he deserves. Goneril comments on her father state saying:

"You see how full of changes his age is;

The observation we have made of it hath not been little:

He always loved our sister most;

And with what poor judgment he hath now cast her off."
The development of the action in the play shows that the two daughters prove to be ungrateful and Villain. The reality of Goneril is revealed to Lear when he visits her. She does not want him to behave as a king anymore because she thinks that if he still has his title (as a king) and the royal accompaniment (represented in the one hundred knights), he will remain the real king the eyes of the public. In this way, she with her husband will do their dirty work without much recognition. She wants to dismiss 50 knights and give orders to her steward to ignore her father and treat him badly:

"Put on what weary negligence you please,

You and your fellows. I'd have it come to question.

If he dislike it, let him to our sister,

Whose mind and mine, I know, in that are one,

Not to be overruled. Idle old man,

That still would manage those authorities

That he hath given away!"
These words reflect how bad and ungrateful this daughter is. She insults her father calling him an 'idle old man' who still wants to enjoy his lost glory. It seems that she accuses him of being fool when he willingly gives up his power. In addition, they indicate the two sisters' conspiracy against their father; Goneril is sure that when her father goes to Regan, she will treat him badly.

Lear is hurt by his evil daughters' ingratitude, which is made obvious by their great disrespect and intolerance toward him. Goneril's meanness towards him prompts him to say, "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is/To have a thankless child!" Leaving Goneril's home in anger, Lear exclaimed, "Monster ingratitude!"

Therefore, he heads to Regan expecting her to take his side and criticize her sister. Unfortunately, the sign of ingratitude shown by the second daughter is worse than that shown by the first one; Lear is badly received by his daughter, Regan, who apologizes for not meeting him, claiming that she has been tired. He becomes angry and says:

"Deny to speak with me? They are sick?...Mere fetches.

Fetch me a better answer."

Lear becomes furious as a result of this strange attitude of his daughter. He cannot believe what happens to him, and therefore, he asks the elements of nature to avenge his humiliation:

"We are not ourselves when nature, being oppress'd, commands the mind.

To suffer with the body. I'll forbear."

He will "forbear" because he can no longer restore what he has lost as a result of his rashness and injustice.



Regan is crueler than her sister. In addition to sharing her sister in treating her father badly, she dismisses him from the palace making him face the outside storm alone. Devoid of love for him, the two sisters show that they are ungrateful, insulting, and threatening to the father who gave them both land and power. It is not proper on all scales of morality to dismiss a father in such bad whether. Therefore, Lear speaks to Kent expressing the internal storm which goes inside him. He states that Goneril's and Regan's villain actions leads him to madness:

" The body's delicate: the tempest in my mind

Doth from my senses take all feeling else

Save what beats there. Filial ingratitude!

Is it not as this mouth should tear this hand

For lifting food to't? But I will punish home:

No, I will weep no more. In such a night

To shut me out! Pour on; I will endure."

In such a night as this! O Regan, Goneril!

Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave all,--

O, that way madness lies; let me shun that;

No more of that.



Following the other line of ingratitude (Edmund's ingratitude towards his father), we find that Gloucester does not choose to abdicate his role, as Lear has already done. Therefore, his ruthless son Edmund schemes and plots against him to replace Edger (Gloucester's legitimate son) as heir, and then seek an opportunity to depose his father. Edmund plans to make his father read a letter that contains a conspiracy against him by Edger. When he speaks to himself, we realize that he is, not only ungrateful son, but also a real devil. He displays his hatred of both his father and brother saying:

"I do serve you in this business.

A credulous father, and a brother noble,

Whose nature is so far from doing harms,

That he suspects none; on his foolish honesty

My practices ride easily! I see the business.

Let me, if not by birth, have hands by wit:

All with me's meet that I can fashion fit."



His vicious scheme succeeds and Gloucester rejects his son, Edger. Then, Edmund humiliates his father by revealing his sympathy with Lear to his daughters and a secret letter which his father has received regarding the landing of French forces. These incidents lead Gloucester to blind himself saying:

"O you mighty gods!

This world I do renounce, and in your sights

Shake patiently my great affliction of."



Gloucester's life is saved by his son, Edgar, whom he has already deserted. This action is completely contrary to the villain actions and vicious schemes made by Edmund who is regarded as the "fiend".



In a moment of enlightenment, Gloucester, after becoming blind, that Edmund has deceived him and that his ingratitude has been so intense. He discovers that his son has sacrificed him in return of some worldly benefits. It is quite clear that Edmund ingratitude is motivated by achieving his personal interests and his wicked nature.



In the same way, Lear reaches the same stage of enlightenment when he is provided with care and concern by Cordelia, the daughter whom he has already deserted. She comes to him to mend and cure him. She wants to be a relief that my wipe her sisters' ingratitude. When she sees him in his miserable state, she says:

"O my dear father! Restoration hang

Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss

Repair those violent harms that my two sisters

Have in thy reverence made!"



Now he is able to realize the sharp contrast between Cordelia, as a dutiful daughter, and her two ingrateful sisters. At the end he says some very passionate words to Cordelia indicating that she is the only one with whom he feels happy and satisfied even in prison. He asks her to forgive him for his injustice towards her:

"…Come, let's away to prison

We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage.

When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down,

And ask of thee forgiveness. So, we'll live,

And pray, and sing, and tell old tales and laugh."

"Goodness" in King Lear: A Lesson in Loyalty


Shakespear's good characters, in the play King Lear, are considered good because they are loyal even when they are disguised from or unrecognizable by those to whom they owe loyalty. In addition, their loyalty does not waver even when they are banished or mistreated by those to whom they are loyal. Cordelia, Edgar and Kent are all characters that exemplify this goodness and unwavering loyalty.
Let us first consider King Lear and his relationship with his daughter Cordelia. When King Lear asks Cordelia to profess her love for him she merely answers that she loves him according to her bond, no more. Enraged, the king banishes her without an inheritance or dowry. Cordelia tries to explain that she will not speak of her love for him in order to get fortunes since this would be deceitful. However, Lear refuses to understand and Cordelia leaves imploring her sisters to care for him.
What makes Cordelia a good character here is not only that she refuses to flatter her father in order to deceive him out of his wealth, but also because she accepts her father's punishment and leaves willingly even though she knows it is not a just punishment. Additionally, she expresses no animosity toward Lear, instead she asks her sisters to care for him. This unwavering loyalty is also exhibited later in the play when Cordelia finds Lear and she realizes he is mad. She cares for him and gives him medicinal herbs until he is well again. Even when Lear begs for her forgiveness she insists that she has no cause to be offended.
Perhaps the most pure form of loyalty is when it is displayed even when the beneficiary is unaware. When loyalty is expressed in this discrete manner the bestower cannot expect to be repaid for his allegiance. Cordelia displays such discrete loyalty when left alone with her sisters after she is disowned and she expresses the hope that they will love Lear. Even though Cordelia knows Lear does not hear her good wishes for Lear, she nonetheless expresses them. This fact is proof that she displays this pure form of discrete loyalty.
Edgar is the next character who displays loyalty to his father even

"Goodness" in King Lear: A Lesson in Loyalty


Shakespear's good characters, in the play King Lear, are considered good because they are loyal even when they are disguised from or unrecognizable by those to whom they owe loyalty. In addition, their loyalty does not waver even when they are banished or mistreated by those to whom they are loyal. Cordelia, Edgar and Kent are all characters that exemplify this goodness and unwavering loyalty.
Let us first consider King Lear and his relationship with his daughter Cordelia. When King Lear asks Cordelia to profess her love for him she merely answers that she loves him according to her bond, no more. Enraged, the king banishes her without an inheritance or dowry. Cordelia tries to explain that she will not speak of her love for him in order to get fortunes since this would be deceitful. However, Lear refuses to understand and Cordelia leaves imploring her sisters to care for him.
What makes Cordelia a good character here is not only that she refuses to flatter her father in order to deceive him out of his wealth, but also because she accepts her father's punishment and leaves willingly even though she knows it is not a just punishment. Additionally, she expresses no animosity toward Lear, instead she asks her sisters to care for him. This unwavering loyalty is also exhibited later in the play when Cordelia finds Lear and she realizes he is mad. She cares for him and gives him medicinal herbs until he is well again. Even when Lear begs for her forgiveness she insists that she has no cause to be offended.
Perhaps the most pure form of loyalty is when it is displayed even when the beneficiary is unaware. When loyalty is expressed in this discrete manner the bestower cannot expect to be repaid for his allegiance. Cordelia displays such discrete loyalty when left alone with her sisters after she is disowned and she expresses the hope that they will love Lear. Even though Cordelia knows Lear does not hear her good wishes for Lear, she nonetheless expresses them. This fact is proof that she displays this pure form of discrete loyalty.
Edgar is the next character who displays loyalty to his father even

In Shakespeare's classic tragedy, King Lear, the issue of sight and its relevance to clear vision is a recurring theme. Shakespeare's principal means of portraying this theme is through the characters of Lear and Gloucester. Although Lear can physically see, he is blind in the sense that he lacks insight, understanding, and direction. In contrast, Gloucester becomes physically blind but gains the type of vision that Lear lacks. It is evident from these two characters that clear vision is not derived solely from physical sight. Lear's failure to understand this is the principal cause of his demise, while Gloucester learns to achieve clear vision, and consequently avoids a fate similar to Lear's. Throughout most of King Lear, Lear's vision is clouded by his lack of insight. Since he cannot see into other people's characters, he can never identify them for who they truly are. When Lear is angered by Cordelia, Kent tries to reason with Lear, who is too stubborn to remain open-minded. Lear responds to Kent's opposition with, Out of my sight!, to which Kent responds, See better, Lear, and let me still remain (I.i.160). Here, Lear is saying he never wants to see Kent again, but he could never truly see him for who he was. Kent was only trying to do what was best for Lear, but Lear could not see that. Kent's vision is not clouded, as is Lear's, and he knows that he can remain near Lear as long as he is in disguise. Later, Lear's vision is so superficial that he is easily duped by the physical garments and simple disguise that Kent wears. Lear cannot see who Kent really. He only learns of Kent's noble and honest character just prior to his death, when his vision is cleared. By this time, however, it is too late for an honest relationship to be salvaged. Lear's vision is also marred by his lack of direction in life, and his poor foresight, his inability to predict the consequences of his actions. He cannot look far enough into the future to see the consequences of his actions. This, in addition to his lack of insight into other people, condemns his relationship with his most beloved daughter, Cordelia. When Lear asks his daughters who loves him most, he already thinks that Cordelia has the most love for him. However, when Cordelia says, I love your Majesty/According to my bond, no more nor less (I.i.94-95), Lear cannot see what these words really mean. Goneril and Regan are only putting on an act. They do not truly love Lear as much as they should. When Cordelia says these words, she has seen her sisters' facade, and she does not want to associate her true love with their false love. Lear, however, is fooled by Goneril and Regan into thinking that they love him, while Cordelia does not. Kent, who has sufficient insight, is able to see through the dialogue and knows that Cordelia is the only daughter who actually loves Lear. He tries to convince Lear of this, saying, Answer my life my judgment,/Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least (I.i.153-154). Lear, however, lacks the insight that Kent has. He only sees what is on the surface, and cannot understand the deeper intentions of the daughters' speeches. As his anger grows from the argument, his foresight diminishes as he becomes increasingly rash and narrow minded . When Lear disowns Cordelia, he says, we/Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see/That face of hers again (I.i.264-266). He cannot see far enough into the future to understand the consequences of this action. Ironically, he later discovers that Cordelia is the only daughter he wants to see, asking her to forget and forgive (IV.vii.85). By this time, he has finally started to gain some direction, and his vision is cleared, but it is too late for his life to be saved. Throughout this play, Shakespeare is saying that the world cannot truly be seen with the eye, but with the heart. The physical world that the eye can detect can accordingly hide its evils with physical attributes, and thus clear vision cannot result from the eye alone. Lear's downfall was a result of his failure to understand that appearance does not always represent reality.

loneliness

Sometimes we feel are alone though we stand among a lot of people. We need to be alone sometimes but not always. We think better when we are alone ,make no troubles ,commit no sins . But the problem is that we can not live alone ,we need friends to talks to,people to deal with and so on. If you feel you are alone , try to indulge with people .Do not let this feeling control you .

Nails in the fence....

Hi again dear colleagues,

Another meaningful short story....

There was a boy who was always losing his temper. His father gave him a bag full of nails and said to him, “My son, I want you to hammer a nail into our garden fence everytime you need to direct your anger against something and you lose your temper.”

So the son started to follow his father’s advice. On the first day he hammered in 37 nails, but getting the nails into the fence was not easy, so he started trying to control himself and try not to lose his temper. As the days went by, he was hammering in less nails, and within weeks he was able to control himself and was able to refrain from getting and from hammering nails.

He came to his father and told him what he had achieved. His father was happy with his efforts and said to him:

“But now, my son, you have to take out a nail for every day that you do not get angry.” The son started to take out the nails for each day that he did not get angry, until there were no nails left in the fence.

He came to his father and told him what he had achieved. His father took him to the fence and said, “My son, you have done well, but look at these holes in the fence. This fence will never be the same again.”

Then he added: “When you say things in a state of anger, they leave marks like these holes on the hearts of others. You can stab a person and withdraw the knife but it doesn’t matter how many times you say ‘I’m sorry,’ because the wound will remain.

"coppied &arranged 4 u"

It carries a great messege I think...
Hope u like it...

Bst wishes
Mona

A man and his son....

Hi dear colleagues..

How r u all? I hope everything is going well.
This is a story that touched my heart...

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year-old son waiting for him at the door...

Son: "Daddy, may I ask you a question"

Daddy: "Yeah sure, what it is?"

Son: "Dad, how much do you make an hour"

Daddy: "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?"

Son: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?

"Daddy: "I make Rs. 500 an hour"

"Oh", the little boy replied, with his head down.Looking up, he said, "Dad, may I please borrow Rs. 300?"

The father was furious,"if the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or other nonsense, then march yourself to your room and go to bed.Think why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior"

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think:"May be there was something he really needed to buy with that Rs. 300 and he really didn't ask for money very often!

"The man went to the door of little boy's room and opened the door.

"Are you asleep, son?" He asked.

"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.

"I've been thinking, may be I was too hard on you earlier", said the man,"It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the Rs.300 you asked for"

The little boy sat straight up, smiling "oh thank you dad!" He yelled.

Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled some crippled up notes.

The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father.

"Why do you want money if you already had some?" the father grumbled.

"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied."Daddy I have Rs. 500 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you"

"Coppied &arranged 4 u"

This is very painful...
How harsh could man be to his closest persons while he think that he is doing the best for them all the time...

I hope u like it...

Bst wishes
Mona

Question on Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw: "How did George Bernard Show depict the struggle between morals and economics in Major Barbara?"

Dear colleagues,
   A question was sent by your colleague, Manar Ahmad. Of course, I'm going to do my best to help her by searching for material that might help her to answer it. But before doing that, I'd like first to receive your answers as far as you understand this interesting socio-political comedy. All of us will help Manar to find an answer. The question is: "How did George Bernard Show depict the struggle between morals and economics in Major Barbara?" I'll be waiting for your comments and posts before giving my personal answer.
Best wishes
Mahmoud 

Benefits and uses of Blogs in language learning as posted by groups.

1. From Nour and Manar:
Hello members


How can Blogs be used for language learning purposes?

We can use Blog in order to shars the idea about the english language with the others,

For examble if I have asummary for King Lear in Drama I can Bublesh it through Bloge so as to shar my classmates with me.Then the can help me to correct my faults or to add another ideas that benfit us.We can also add an interesting subjects in life or at any fields.

We know it has many charactistics like:

It makes the connection easy between the people.It mkes the students more active as it encourge them to discuss and suggests alot of subjects

1- It also shows the different talent of the students.

2- it allows the chance to any one to share and have avoice in the conversation.

3- Its also give the students self confidence spechially the shy one.

4- We can use it to get more information from the coversation as we share it with people in other countries.

We can echange the opinin with the native speakers of English around English subjects like grammer writing listning and so on.

with my best weshes

Nour and Manar
 
2. From Mona and her group:
Hi dear members,
We think it is really a very interesting lesson. Blogs has a great importance for us as undergraduation students. It's a great means that can be used in:
1- Open discussions regarding our study of English as a second language, or general discussions on puplic topics from our real life.

2- Share our ideas, attitudes, and opinions about many issues.
3- Help shy students -like us - to express their thoughts freely without embarrassment.
4- Show our talents and improve our abilities and hoppies by composing our own blogs in any field.
Finally.. We'll send more details from home as the connection here is so slow.
Best wishes

Mona Abdallah

Zeinab Alaa

Ayat Mohammed

Asmaa Shawqy
 
From Reham and her group:
About Blogs:
How can blogs be used in English teaching and learning:

- In our opinion, blogs are useful at learning because through them anyone can write a question and the others can help him in the answer like what we did in the novel the first simster.

-Promote critical and thinking;

-Promote analogical thinking;

-Be a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information;

-Combine the best of solitary reflection and social interaction (or giving space for both individual reflections and collaborative, social work online with others).

- It could be a place to publish the course curriculum, class rules, homework assignments, and handouts, and it costs nothing.

- They are democratic tools that support different learning styles allowing each one an equal opportunity to have a voice in the ongoing conversation. Also, they give chance to shy students to express themselves and participate without feeling embarrassed.
Regards,

(Reham, Sahar and Israa.)

Please write any wise sayings in King Lear!

Hi again! Thanks Reham for your nice post! Could anyone write any other nice/wise sayings like the one posted by Reham???
Thanks
Mahmoud

King Lear

The Fool in King Lear gives counsel in the form of banter with Lear throughout the whole play. Although he is a mere jester to Lear, the Fool is able to mock Lear’s actions without any repercussion.The main instruction the fool gives to the king is to beware of doing things that are unnatural, such as giving his inheritance, (splitting his kingdom among his daughters) to his daughters before his death. By doing this unnaturally, Lear must face many adverse consequences, such as losing his identity, self-worth, and respect from his daughters. .
So I like to share with some significant words said by the fool.

FOOL:
Mark, it nuncle.
Have more than thou showest,
Speak less than thou knowest,
Lend less than thou owest,
Ride more than thou goest,
Learn more than thou trowest,
Set less than thou throwest;
Leave thy than drink and thy whore,
And keep in-a-door,
And thou shalt have more
Than two tens to a score.

I hope that it can be useful.
Many Thanks.

Wise sayings and wisdom in King Lear!

Hello everyone! Now that you're studying King Lear this semester, I'd like you to compile from the play nice and wise sayings like the one posted by Mona. You will find so many, especially those said by the Fool. This will help you with studying the play, and will help me to remember the wise sayings (which are always prominent in those soliloquies which distinguish Shakespearen tragedies). I'm sure that you will find nice things on different common topics like: parenthood, brotherhood, (in)gratitude, life and death, destiny,and nature...Who will be the first one to start the wheel???


Best wishes

Mahmoud

Poor... and rich!!

Hi respectable colleagues,

Here is one of the stories that I love very much..

Poor... and rich!!

One day a wealthy father took his child to spend the night with a very poor family with the purpose to show him the reality of other people who did not have a lot of money to spend. On their return home, the father asked his son what he thought about the experience and he replied:

It has been a very good experience daddy, I have learned that we have one dog and they have four, we have a very nice swimming pool but they have the river, we have a sun roof and they have the sky with the stars and the moon, we have a beatiful porch with a big garden and they have the forest.

While the child was speaking the father was speechless by hearing the things his son was telling him. Then the child added: Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are!

For you my friend:

When we measure what we have, the result is our perception of life. If we have love, friends, health, sense of humor and positive thinking, we haveeverything in life. If we are poor of spirit then... we have a problem...

Agreat problem I think.... Hope to like it...

Best wishes...
Mona

Always remember to..... forget!!

Hi respectable colleagues,

Nice words.. short but have a great meanings... Hope to like it...

Always remember to..... forget!!

Always remember to forget

The things that made you sad

But never forget to remember

The things that made you glad.

Always remember to forget

The friends that proved untrue.

But don't forget to remember

Those that have stuck by you.

Always remember to forget

The troubles that have passed away.

But never forget to remember

The blessings that come each day.

(Copied 4 U)

Best wishes....

Mona