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A4 Scene 5 - Coggle Diagram
A4 Scene 5
key quotes
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Regan - "My lord is dead. Edmund and I have talked, and more convenient is he for my hand than for your lady's."
Oswald - "Would I could meet him, madam, I should show What party I do follow"
Regan - "If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor, Preferment falls on him that cuts him off"
″It was great ignorance, Gloucester’s eyes being out, to let him live. Where he arrives, he moves all hearts against us.”
A01
Presumably, Regan desires Edmund both as a sex-object and as a protector of her political power, now that she is a widow. Her persistent selfishness, which led her to abuse her father, will now erode her bond with her sister, with whom she has been united up to this point.
Regan's command to kill Gloucester reveals her real brutality. Oswald shows the blind willingness to obey in order to ingratiate himself with powerful people, exactly the trait for which Kent mocked him in 2.1.
By the end of this scene, the audience knows that Goneril and Regan are no longer working partners; instead, they have become rivals, engaging in hidden truths and plots.
The sisters' competition for Edmund indicates that he is no longer simply the bastard son of Gloucester. Two royal princesses are vying for Edmund's attention, thus legitimizing his new position
Ironically, Regan expresses concern that Gloucester be relieved of his misery, especially since she is directly responsible for that misery. Her "pity of his misery" (IV.5.12) indicates that she is cognizant of public opinion and interested in her subjects' support of her actions.
Albany's reluctance to support his wife's cause is clear as he reluctantly leads his army in defense of the kingdom. Oswald responds to Albany's hesitation by asserting that Goneril is the better soldier, which subordinates Albany's masculinity to his wife's powerful will. Oswald, however, is not accustomed to thinking about the morality of issues. As Goneril's servant, he accepts her orders without question.
key themes
Family, fathers, children, siblings
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disintigration, chaos, nothingness
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characters
Regan
Regan questions Oswald about Goneril and Edmund, states her intention to marry Edmund, and asks Oswald to dissuade Goneril from pursuing Edmund.
She orders oswald to kill Gloster after she had already sent Edmund - She clearly does not want to take a chance that Gloucester might survive to reveal what happened to him - implies that she is methodical and perhaps overly paranoid
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summary
In Gloucester's castle, Oswald informs Regan of Albany's deployment, but she's more interested in the letter from Goneril to Edmund. Regan requests the letter, as she's aware of Goneril's amorous glances towards Edmund. Regan instructs Oswald to kill Gloucester if he finds him.
Regan questions Oswald about Goneril and Edmund, states her intention to marry Edmund, and asks Oswald to dissuade Goneril from pursuing Edmund.
A02
Shakespeare contrasts groups of characters in the play. Regan’s preoccupation with her own selfish lust in Scene 5 contrasts sharply with Cordelia’s generosity in the previous scene. Throughout Act IV, Lear’s daughters are juxtaposed. We watch the progress of both good and evil. The language Regan uses to describe her liaison with Edmund is entirely in keeping with the materialistic desires of the evil characters; Edmund is ‘more convenient’ (line 31) for her than for Goneril. It seems that Goneril and Regan are now divided by their rivalry for Edmund’s love. In some modern productions Regan even strokes or kisses Oswald at the words ‘I’ll love thee much’ (line 21), though as a princess speaking to a servant she is more likely to be offering him a financial reward. Albany’s reluctance to assist the conniving
sisters may be hinted at in the comment that he has only brought his army to fight the French ‘with much ado’ (line 2). Meanwhile, the good characters share common aims and appear to be gathering strength. The fact that people are appalled by Gloucester’s blinding also suggests that we might be justified in hoping that evil will be vanquished.
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