Comparing a “King Lear”, “Richard II” and “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream” Essay Questions

Question 1

a) The ills of the Kingdom are addressed in the scene and help to reveal the status of the king in the land. The gardeners’ opinions and John of Gaunt’s speech on the way the country is run are relevant. The country is bound to enter into turmoil.

(b) The plenty of images in King Lear are used to explore ideas, themes, and meanings in Shakespeare’s text. The author views God as the point of focus of human beings in the universe. Lear, Gloucester, and Edmund use their positions to gain social power and refer to themselves as demigods.

(c) The death of Richard II was the bravest when compared to Marlowe’s King Edward. King Edward is abdicated and humiliated through devilry death. Richard II dies when fighting as opposed to torment that Edward goes through in his last days.

(d) Lear exposed himself to wind, rain, and thunder, and Fool begs him to ask for forgiveness from his daughters. Edmund feigns stricken conscience in Act 3 Scene 5 to move away from conspiracy allegations.

(e) A wife should be simple and kneel for peace instead of war. Wives are bound to serve, love and obey their husbands (Act 5 Scene 2:7).

(g) Shakespeare used ignorance to create humor by using non-intelligent artisans. He uses inferred humor through the character of Puck. Puck is an epitome of pun that the authors use to set pranks.

(f) Edgar protects his father from killers and hides his identity from him. Edgar uses Gloucester’s blindness to change the suicidal attitude. He also feigns and tries to jump off the cliff.

Question 2

Edmund, Gloucester, Lear, and Folia are the Machiavellian figures in the play. Edmund has actions and methods that portrayed him as the self-serving servant. He would curse inside for serving is his father without knowledge.

Question 3

(a) Shakespeare uses grotesque comic elements when Edgar disguises himself as Poor Tom. The use of extremes such as jumping off cliff shows that the work was done with reference to the Renaissance period (Act 3 Scene 6).

(b) The supernatural figures help human beings overcome pain and humiliation. The fairies also solve problems that arise from human folly. Puck’s attitude towards mortals is negative because he becomes used for vengeance and aggressive pleasure (Nostbakken 97).

(c) Kent retains his loyalty to the king even when he is mistreated. Kent secures a co-ruling job in the kingdom. Lear bears the bad weather in the countryside but gets help from disguised Kent. Cordelia loves his father despite making efforts to disown her. She is an embodiment of virtues that is proved by Lear’s love test. Cordelia has an authentic love for King Lear. Edmund admits for taking impersonation and taking part in the murder of an old man. He also admits to having ordered the killing of Cordelia. Edgar changes the suicidal attitude of his father and saves him from jumping off a cliff (Act 4 Scene 6).

(d) The movie Ran by Kurosawa develops the amusing character of Fool from King Lear. The main character has three sons instead of three daughters. The Storm by William Dyce show people who engage in conflicts.

Question 4

Husbands have influence over their wives in the play. For example, King Lear did not like to be challenged by his subjects or wives. On the other hand, wives are married because of their virtues. Remarkably, Cordelia conducts attract a suitor from France.

Work Cited
Nostbakken, Faith. Understanding A Midsummer Nights Dream. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2003. Print.
Shakespeare, William, Anthony B Dawson, and Paul Edward Yachnin. Richard II. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.
Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Lanham: Start Publishing LLC, 2013. Print.