The Tragedy of King Lear Act One – ‘How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!’

The Tragedy of King Lear Act One – ‘How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!’

1605 seemed to start as a good year for James I. He had succeeded in again building the relations between England, Scotland and Wales and in October 1604, extended his title from King of Scotland and King of England to the the title of ‘King of Great Britain’. He had also forged an end to the Anglo-Spanish in August 1604, started to extend the powers of parliament and pushed forward with some Freedom of Worship policies (but these laws would not be enough for some Catholics). Little did James know that even as early as May 1604, Guy Fawkes and a group of Catholic conspirators had started to plan for November 1605 for what would become the Gunpowder Plot. But for the moment, all seemed quiet at the palace.

On the writing front Shakespeare had seemed fairly quiet in late 1604 and early 1605 but he had good reason. He was trying to ensure that he could create financial security for himself in Stratford-Upon-Avon so that he could write full time in London and eventually retire back to Stratford and even do some more writing in retirement. In 1601, he had bought 107 acres of arable land with twenty acres of pasturage for 20 pounds and this seemed to now be bringing in, in rent, almost that much every year. But that was nothing, for, in April of 1605, he purchased even more land and hoped that the income from these land purchases could eventually rake in more than 50 pounds a year. This along with the 10-20 pounds a year he made through what many would label 'grain hoarding', would bring him a substantial income that would lift him into an affluent class.

It is alleged that Shakespeare spent his 41^st birthday in Stratford, probably dealing with his investments. But in late April as he took the 140 mile, three or four day horse and cart or carriage journey back to London, his mind must have turned to what his next play could be. When he stopped at Chipping Norton or at an inn near Woodstock (if he was lucky with the road and the rain), he probably took out the books he had carried but not read that day due to the ruts and bumps in the path. Perhaps it was the sense of England reconnecting to its Scottish and Welsh heritage with James I, that prompted Shakespeare to take out his beloved Holinshed’s ‘The Chronicles of England, Scotlande and Ireland’. He probably thought of writing another History play on the second day and perhaps even made notes as he travelled to Oxford and stayed overnight there. He may have even lashed out and got a seat on a carriage to travel to Burnham Beaches and he may have even got some reading done on the journey had he done so. As he travelled into London, he probably thought he would stick to some familiar poetry reading as he took out and reread Spenser’s ‘The Faerie Queene’ concentrating on a character in it named Cordelia. By the time he reached London proper, he thinking of writing another tragedy using a historical figure and his mind kept coming back to the Celtic figure of King Leir of Britain.

As he unpacked his stuff, the story started to form for King Lear. Shakespeare was probably visited by the chief actor of his company Richard Burbage, who, having recently turned 38 was keen for Shakespeare to write him an older tragic character for him to be tested by. Shakespeare may have shown him a speech or two he had written, none of which was probably new or intended for his new project and he may have even pitched some of the plot to Richard to keep him happy. Burbage probably had told Shakespeare that he had heard rumours that Robert Armin, the comic of their company, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, was thinking of returning to the Chandos Company. On top of this Burbage had probably just hired another couple of young male actors and probably suggested to Shakespeare that a few more female characters in his next play would be a good idea. Shakespeare knew that he had quite a task ahead of him as he ushered Richard Burbage out of the door. But by the end of the week he had started to finally bring together all the elements for the play he initially titled ‘The True Chronicle of the History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters’. The play probably proved very popular in that season along with revivals of  'Measure for Measure' and 'Troilus and Cressida' but Shakespeare would have kept adding some bits as he went along and perhaps Gloucester's reference to "...these late eclipses of the sun and moon..." and the whole opening of Edmund and Edgar's in Act One Scene Two was added by Shakespeare after the October 12th 1605 solar eclipse to make the play topical enough for its provincial touring and/or private performances in manor houses or at the law colleges in London. Perhaps he was also thinking of making it topical enough to get invited for a performance for Christmas for King James I at the palace. And why not. James I was very interested in astronomy, witchcraft and other 'magic' arts and almost everyone else seemed to be invited to the palace since James I seemed very open in his policies. All that was to change when on November 5th, 1605, Guy Fawkes walked out of a gunpowder filled and decorated cellars of Parliament and into the arms of Sir Thomas Knyvet and the history books. It was obvious after that King James I would not be welcoming all and sundry to Christmas this year. Shakespeare would have to wait to flatter and impress the new king.

Shakespeare starts ‘King Lear’ with Gloucester and Kent talking about how King Lear is going to divide up his kingdom. Gloucester then introduces one of his two sons, his bastard son Edmund to Kent, but points out that he still loves his son dearly. Then King Lear, ruler of Britain, enters and announces that he will divide up his kingdom among his three daughters but will base the division on which of them loves him the most.

The oldest daughters, Goneril and Regan, flatter their father but the youngest daughter Cordelia, Lear’s favorite daughter, says that she cannot soeak like her sisters and loves her father as much as a daughter should. Lear looses is temper, disowns Cordelia and divides his kingdom between Goneril and Regan. Kent intercedes and tells Lear Cordelia loves him more than her sisters. Lear turns on Kent, and banishes him. France is the only lord who will take Cordelia and Cordelia and France are sent away. Then Goneril and Regan start to work together and agree that they must will undermine their father’s authority.

We now move onto the first of the subplots. Shakespeare had always loved subplots. The bastard son of Gloucester, Edmund enters and delivers a soliloquy which bemoans how little people seem to think of bastards. He so resents his half brother, Edgar (the legitimate one) and decides to undermine and get his brother out of the way so that he can inherit all of the estate from his ageing father. He starts by making it seem that his brother Edgar is planning to kill his father and he forges a letter to act as proof. When his father Gloucester enters, Edmund pretends to hide the letter but eventually his father demands to read the letter. Edmund makes it seem that Edgar is wanting to kill his father to get his and all the lands and assets more quickly. Gloucester exits and when Edgar enters, Edmund infers that Edgar should not go near their father since he is angry with him and tells Edgar to carry a sword with him at all times. 

Meanwhile, back in the main plot arena, Lear begins retirement by moving him and his very merry men to Goneril’s castle. Goneril is not happy with the continuous merrymaking of Lear and his men and she orders her servants and everyone in the house to treat Lear and his men with rudeness and distain. But Lear has a secret ally on his side when Kent, the trusted gentleman he had banished when he spoke up for Cordelia, disguised as a peasant called Caius, stands up for Lear and is accepted into his service as repayment. Lear wants to find out why Goneril’s servants and knights don't seem to be taking his orders and when Goneril's Oswald is rude to him and won't actually bring Goneril to talk to him, Lear goes to strike him and Kent trips Oswald. Lear’s Fool (played originally by Robert Armin who was impressed enough to stay with the Chamberlain's Men) enters and through a series of projectile puns tells Lear that he will suffer for the foolish decision of handing over all his power to Goneril and Regan.

Finally, Goneril enters and she lets loose on Lear about the rowdiness of him and his followers and she demands that he lets some of his entourage go. Lear is shocked by being talked to in this way and Goneril’s demand of him letting go fifty of his one hundred knights is too much. Lear flies into a rage and claims that he should never have given Goneril so much power. He curses his Goneril by calling on Nature to make her childless. Lear then announces that he will go and stay with Regan, who he calls now his only true daughter. After Lear leaves, Goneril argues with her husband, Albany, who in her eyes doesn't seem to be up to much. So Goneril takes action and says that she has already written a letter to her sister Regan, who seems on her side and will not welcome Lear as openly as he thinks and certainly will not look after Lear's one hundred knights.

Kent is already put to good service for Lear is sent to deliver a message to Gloucester who lives near Regan. The Fool tease Lear comparing Regan to a crab and suggesting that Regan is not to be trusted and that Lear is old, a fool and may be loosing his wisdom. Lear seems to for the first time to distrust his own judgement and call to heaven: 
"O, let me not be mad, not mad sweet heaven..."