Shridhar Parthasarathy

#laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@gill_aplit I think it'll be Edmund. I don't think people will die for a while, but every other character seems too vital to what's going on. Maybe Oswald dies earlier but he's too irrelevant to die #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@littymahi It's not just that we can, it's that we have to. Shakespeare gave him so many soliloquies and so much insight into the immediate motives for his plans, and we're forced to relate to these motives and ideas. #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@chenc75447558 @HannaKi81468159 I think the root is the relationship between power and responsibility. As you said, in old age he likes power but not responsibility, and power without responsibility simply cannot exist. And thus those who took his responsibility (R&G) now take his power, too #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@gracelit1 Agreed. Their resentment of his love for Cordelia is a huge motivation for them humiliating him and removing his power. If he had loved Goneril the most, I'm sure she wouldn't be as upset over the 100 knights being rowdy #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@smay66719207 idk... it's a tragedy so having the good sister coming back with a lot of power doesn't exactly fit the mold. Nonetheless I think we all want her to come back and basically save the day, but you gotta admit it's unlikely #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@littymahi I'm not sure if she will come back. In my mind I'm thinking of a Fortinbras type situation where she pulls up at the end and sees how Lear has basically destroyed the entire kingdom with his mental instability #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@LitMeghan @gracelit1 I would agree, but only if that "side" is his past. He's incompetent now (not to mention possibly incontinent too?) and he's not in a position to be "stuck by" for any real reason other than obligation since he's king. Something in his past must make them loyal #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@chenc75447558 @brookeaplit Yes, but the point is they never succeeded in wresting power from him themselves. He gave them half his kingdom before they started humiliating him. Unless... they are behind his division of the kingdom?? Some extreme conspiracy theory #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@lindsey_lit Maybe Kent = a fool?? The Fool seems to say as much when he tells Kent to take his coxcomb (the mark of a fool) because he's following Lear. Yet both Kent and the Fool aren't there just to serve, but also to make Lear realize his errors and fix things with Cordelia #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@rajaslit The modern Lear was much worse in actual content than the others, because it's inaccurate. The quality of the filming is a lot better in the modern version, so we can get more from it, but that can't compensate for the misplacement or omission of so many lines #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@brookeaplit I agree based on what we've seen so far, but I think we should still be cautious about jumping to conclusions about Cordelia being honorable and such, since she's been absent for so long. One speech and the knowledge that the King loves her more aren't enough #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@littymahi Because Shakespeare is making us more sympathetic to the King than to Regan. And we have seen Kent go out of his way to be loyal to the King, but mostly what we've seen of Oswald is his rudeness to the King. All of this makes us side with Kent and the King #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@littymahi Albany. Maybe it's just that I'm still sympathetic to the King, and Albany alone has some qualms about Goneril and Regan's mistreatment of Lear. Cornball is a jerk to Kent and to the King. But I definitely wish Albany was as assertive as Cornball has been #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@littymahi He's already starting to. Even in Act I he says "I did her wrong," referring to his treatment of Cordelia. But given his current mental state I think he will more likely resign himself to this regrettable fate rather than try to mend things #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@HannaKi81468159 I have to disagree. You MIGHT be right that the loyalty is blind, but I cannot believe that bc Kent has clearly been around for a while. He's been serving the king for a long time, so something must have motivated him to have this sense of loyalty and duty. #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@brookeaplit I think Shakespeare makes us like Edmund. Edmund has gotten many small soliloquies so far, so we really get to see what he's thinking and why, to a greater degree than other villains we've read so far. So we can sympathize better with him and his aims #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@chenc75447558 @rajaslit @carmenlooilit Definitely. Remember, the King exiled Kent for trying to make him go back on his word regarding Cordelia. Now, by flouting the King's order, Kent forces the King to go back on his word by not killing Kent after the 10th day. If he finds out, he will lash out for sure #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@nikhildlit @smay66719207 I agree. He simply refuses to accept that he's declining because he's led most of his life, and his reign, as the highest member of society. It's partially ego and partially just that he can't comprehend not being fit to rule, since he's been fit to rule for so long #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@amandaschimmel1 idk if he'll die in the middle of the play though - he is the title character, and his mental state is pretty important to all of the events thus far. But I do expect him to die towards the end, along with almost every other major character #laylit19

[Shridhar Parthasarathy @shridaddyislit]

@srutiyanamandra We've still got a lot of play left. I would expect Edgar to get caught by the end, but not in the near future, since this plot should probably last till close to the end. And if Hamlet and R&J are anything to go by, Edgar and probably everyone else will die by the end #laylit19