, Research Paper
Unseen text-King Lear
(The passage is taken from Act 5,scene 3 and only Lear speaks throughout)
The thing I find most interesting about the language used in this passage, is the dream like image it creates. I think the amount of contradictive language, used in the passage is also of some note as it creates ambiguity.
The first language point that grabbed my attention about this passage is that it seems to contain lots of soft sounding words like ?ebb?, ?flow? and ?pray?, which in tandem with the fact that the passage contains lots of single syllable words, allows it to flow easily when reading aloud thus adding to the dreamy tone it creates.
Another language device I think Shakespeare uses to add to the dreamy tone of the passage is his use of repetition and in particularly Lear?s continuous repetition of the word ?And?. Lear is telling his daughter Cordelia and who ever else will listen about his plans for him and her, and by continuously repeating the word ?and? his plans seem less realistic and more dreamier.
The ambiguity in the passage is created by the amount of contradictive language used. The very first line alone emphasises this. It begins with Lear screaming ?No,no,no,no!? but then his very next word is an imperative ver
In relation to the rest of the play this passage is the beginning of the end. In this part of the play it seems like we see a complete change in Lear from earlier on in the play. Firstly he seems to have retreated into himself and is a lot less concerned with fairness and justice as he is earlier in the play. He is more relaxed and it his calmness that leads to his unrealistic optimism. This optimism is squashed later on as both Cordelia and Lear die, Shakespeare like in a lot of his other tragedies (Romeo and Juliet), has created a sense of hope for the characters only for it to all end in tears.