King Lear I. 1, 3-35.

GLOUCESTER:It did always seem so to us: but now, in thedivision of the kingdom, it appears not which ofthe dukes he values most; for equalities are soweighed, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety.
KENT: Is not this your son, my lord?
GLOUCESTER: His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: I haveso often blushed to acknowledge him, that now I ambrazed to it.
KENT: I cannot conceive you.
GLOUCESTER: Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereuponshe grew round-wombed, and had, indeed, sir, a sonfor her cradle ere she had a husband for her bed.Do you smell a fault?
KENT : I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of itbeing so proper.
GLOUCESTER: But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some yearelder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account:though this knave came something saucily into theworld before he was sent for, yet was his motherfair; there was good sport at his making, and thewhoreson must be acknowledged. Do you know thisnoble gentleman, Edmund?
EDMUND: No, my lord.
GLOUCESTER: My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as myhonourable friend.
EDMUND: My services to your lordship.
KENT: I must love you, and sue to know you better.
EDMUND: Sir, I shall study deserving.
GLOUCESTER: He hath been out nine years, and away he shallagain. The king is coming.

Sound a Sennet. Enter KING LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants

KING LEAR: Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester.
GLOUCESTER: I shall, my liege.

Themes presented in lecture:
Power Hierarchy, Parallels, Quantification and Equation: In the first 33 lines of King Lear, Shakespeare uses informal prose to demonstrate that Gloucester and Kent are peers who are of relatively equal rank in the play. As mentioned by Professor Cunningham in lecture, the informality of the prose, as well as the bawdy and personal subject matter, implies that Gloucester is attempting to bond with Kent by slighting his bastard son Edmund. This exposes Edmund's lower social position and accentuates Gloucester's lack of control. To clarify, Gloucester's aggressive attempt to prove his dominance over his son (by acknowledging him in a halfhearted manner and calling him names like "the whoreson" (22)) suggests that Gloucester is not secure in his position. In contrast, the formal language used by Lear emphasizes his assumed and accepted position of authority. Verse is incorporated into the scene with Lear's first appearance, highlighting that Lear is of a higher position than the men he is conversing with. This shift from the colloquial speech exchanged between Gloucester, Edmund and Kent to the more courtly verse used by Lear illuminates that Lear is held above the other men in the hierarchy of the play. However, the switch also makes Lear seem more put-on and unapproachable than the other three. This detachment of Lear from the men (and later women) of his court is one of the key problems in the play. Lear's highbrow and egotistical demeanor leads to many of the misunderstandings, betrayals and tragedies that ensue in the course of the play. Similarly, Gloucester's fear of usurpation by his son causes a string of unfortunate events. Neither men are able to assert their authority in a balanced manner. This is a reoccurring motif that is also present in Measure for Measure. The idea of balance in the first scene of King Lear is aligned with the language of equation and quantification. When Gloucester speaks of "weighed" (5) equalities he is presenting the motif of quantification which pops up all over the play. The notion that favoritism can be scientifically measured or quantified is a problematic ideology that permeates the text. For instance, Cordalia's inability to verbally equate her love for her father to any other thing makes it apparent that love is not easily quantified. Yet, Lear insistently tries to force this quantification, puts more stock in words than motives and wrongly asserts his authority by disowning Cordalia. Likewise, Gloucester attempts to equate his two sons and states that Edgar "is no dearer in [his] account" (19) than Edmund. Gloucester's blind acceptance of Edmund's proclamation of Edgar's betrayal leads to Gloucester's demise. Hence, it is apparent that in these first few lines Shakespeare is highlighting personality traits in Gloucester which later helps align him with the King. Nonetheless, it is apparent that Lear is the alpha male in the play, as demonstrated with his dismissal of Gloucester and in his use of sophisticated language.

Rebecca Coleman
Waldo/ 142B 1D