Written by William Shakespeare
Nobility Rules
Traditional Elizabethan Family
- Primogeniture: The first born son will receive the inheritance, if there are no sons then the eldest daughter will
- Only legitimate children could inherit titles and money
- The child taking the title receive the power, the spouse does not automatically receive power
Children
Children were expected to obey and respect their parents. Children coming from little money were to work around the house. Children from wealthy families were taught manners. All children would be punished for disobedience.
Women
Elizabethan women’s lives were usually dominated by men. They were of low status and if they did disobey their husbands it was considered a crime. The women would marry to increase the wealth and status of the family and produce children. Women were not given the opportunity to have jobs or attend school, therefore most were illiterate. However, home life depended on the women and they were responsible for the children, cooking, and cleaning. They were also responsible for mixing herbs to create medicine for the family. Although the women had a low status they did hold an important part in society.
Men
Men where the head of every family. They were expected to make the decisions and provide for the family. If they did not make enough money in one job they were expected to get a second. They were also expected to raise the rank of the family through their influence.
Differences
- Lear's poor parenting can be due to insanity, while Gloucester's is due to trickery
- Lear speaks and reconciles with Cordelia while Gloucester is left in the dark of Poor Tom's true identity until the end of the novel
- King Lear is relying on his children to take care of him, while Gloucester is still caring for his sons
Family Images in
Family Differences
Similarities
- No mother figure
- Nobility
- Amount of children
Father Figure
- The "bad" children betray their fathers and lie
- Loath their fathers
- Have no respect
- Selfish
- Non sympathetic
- Take over being head of the family
- "Good" children look out for parents, even after being betrayed
- Defend their Fathers
- Are the Favorites
Differences
"Bad" Children
- Edmund doesn't only hate his father but hates society's view of bastards
- Edmund lays out a plan to exile his brother, Goneril and Regan only lie
- Edmund is an illegitimate child, while Lear's children are legitimate
- Goneril and Regan are disrespect Lear to his face, while Edmund acts like the perfect son
Children
Differences
King Lear and Gloucester's Similarities
"Good" Children
- Cordelia uses he new power to defend her father, Edgar defends and looks out for his father himself
- Edgar does not originally tell his father who he is
- Edgar does not leave his land, Cordelia goes to France
- Both have "good" and "bad" children
- Both are easily manipulated by their children
- Both banish their "good" children
- Both are regretful and guilty for banishing their "good" children