King Lear: Language and Writing by Jean E. Howard;

Author:Jean E. Howard; [Howard, Jean E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408182291
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK
Published: 2021-12-03T00:00:00+00:00

Poor Tom and the language of disguise

As always in drama, it is not only verbal language that is important but also how the play uses other languages of performance. We have been talking about how metaphoric and symbolic language multiplies meaning, opening up possibilities for multifaceted comparisons between one thing and another: a man and a bear, a storm and all the things the storm might symbolize. In the middle sections of the play, other ways of doubling and multiplying the significance of the action are utilized. To begin to explore these strategies, I want to focus first on Poor Tom/Edgar. As we begin to explore this riveting figure, and the many functions he performs in the play, write down details about his actions and appearance in Act 3. Be as concrete as you can because you are creating an archive of textual details that you can eventually use to brainstorm ideas about Poor Tom’s significance in the play and his connection to other figures and themes in it. How, for example, is Tom dressed? How does he talk? How do others interact with or treat him? Remember, of course, that Poor Tom is ‘really’ Edgar, the legitimate son of Gloucester. In Act 2, we watched him assume the disguise of Poor Tom to escape from the men who were hunting him. If you go back to the speech in which he describes his transformation, you may find clues as to how he will look and act as the Bedlam beggar, a creature ‘brought near to beast’ (2.2.180). There Edgar says:

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.