QUESTIONS

1. Compare and contrast Lear and Gloucester.

2. Compare and contrast Cordelia, Goneril, and Regan.

3. Compare and contrast Edmund and Edgar.

4. Compare and contrast Albany, Cornwall, and Kent.

5. How is Lear's descent into madness also what leads him to redemption?

6. Describe the role and function of the Fool in "King Lear." Why does he disappear long before the end of the play?

7. Why is the play a tragedy?

8. Explain the hope that exists at the end of the play. 9. Describe how the symbolic plot of good vs. evil is developed in the play.

10. Discuss the theme of filial ingratitude in the play and Lear's contribution to it.

11. How is the storm used to intensify Lear's agony?

12. Discuss Cordelia's attachment to the King. Why is she so forgiving of Lear's misjudgment of her? Is her forgiveness believable?

13. Why does Edgar not reveal himself to his father after Gloucester has admitted how he has wronged his son?

14. How do the subplot and the main plot work together in the play?

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