Video SparkNotes: Shakespeare's King Lear summary

[Justins0eung]

90 people crammed for their test

[KISSnum1]

"the bad daughters are mean to lear" thats a bit of an understatement, innit

[3Sciencenut]

With so many people complaining about analyzing literature (which i have to agree with, btw) i think the following bears mentioning: Apparently, according to neo-modern analysis, it's acceptable to ignore the authors intent, or even actions. Anything is okay as an interpretation so long as it seems to make sense.

[TheSavageScream]

Shakespeare, why did you even write these things? now we need to study about it in school. :3

[dojokonojo]

@TheSavageScream He knew we liked a good blood bath, so he wrote that every dies :k

[JaketheSnakeESP]

@ 6:22 - Cornwall doesn't kill the servant, Regan does >>

[ibotibo]

I swear to you the 4 dislikes are teachers.

[shotsy5]

damn you Sparknotes!

[winditup78]

Why are all of Shakespeare's plays so confusing?

[c0rtin3x]

"Edgar tells Gloucester he's at the top of a cliff - though he's actually not!" The pause killed it :D

[probuild39]

edmand is a bastard

[exxcalibur1973]

The murmuring surge, that on the unnumbered idle pebble chafes, cannot be heard so high.

[pineappliciousmo]

so confuseddddd.

[d1v4dPwnz]

Cornwall didn't kill his servant. Regan stabbed him from behind in the back, as they were fighting each other.

[NG4MER]

this is so hectic!

[ljays69]

so much love for Shakespeare, one of my favourite plays and summed up very well.

shame the importance and role of the fool isn't mentioned.

[sync380]

Oh god this plot. What. The. Fuck.

[Oglaflow]

cool story bro, is there a sequel?

[SYJROCKER75]

If I had a penny for every second I enjoyed reading King Lear, I would be poor Tom.

[SYJROCKER75]

shakespeare is a sick bastard who obviously has too much time on his hands .

[vjb1994]

It finally makes sense

[jbirdrules]

At the start Gloucester is not ashamed to have had an affair or to have had a bastard son. He does love Edmund and Edgar equally, but Elizabeathan society sees Edmund as the inferior son.

[FCCmediaarts]

Hey Willy, what this needs is A FOOL to - you know - lighten it up a bit :D

[themr123harry]

yeh everyone dies in hamlet as well. ;)

god this play is so confusing.

[joshfeb06]

soooo much characters with names that sound like places!

[TheDGFproductions]

@joshfeb06 so many*

[DEIMOSLOL]

I <3 Sparknotes

[neonoir77]

"For people too lazy to even read the damn sparknote."

[zimmawoman]

@neonoir77 haha true!

[paydafee]

SO EVERYONE DIES EXCEPT edgar, albany, and kent trolololo

what happened to the foolÉ

[Briluvr]

@paydafee He mysteriously disappears after Act 3

[flailingwings]

@Briluvr "And I shall go to sleep at noon."

It's another double meaning that the fool is constantly spouting throughout the play. Basically it means he died. Most likely of a broken heart like most every other character in the play.

[SpecterInTheMists]

@paydafee he gets hung lolol

[SpecterInTheMists]

@paydafee he gets hung lolol

[rutiger81]

Gloucester isn't embarrassed of Edmund. He says he's unashamed to acknowledge Edmund and that he loves Edgar no dearer.

He also says that banging Edmund's mom was awesome! I knew after reading that line Gloucester would be my favorite character in this play.

[oliveyou1123]

good summary. horrible play.

[likeallimarie]

@oliveyou1123 ON OPPOSITE DAY!

[snailphoto]

It's Gloucester not Glouster, and he's not embarrassed at all by his affair.

[MateuszWawelski]

@snailphoto its pronounced Glouster though. in this case it's a soft c

[snailphoto]

@MateuszWawelski I think I'm not ready for that to happen... I'll avoid King Lear from now on.

[Audioventura]

I think this summary is really unprecise, particularly if you have digged through critical reception of King Lear - yet I find it might make the actual of the reading play more easy

[AdamIntellectual7]

and i thought my family was fucked up? damn.

[bretrosexual]

Love this simplified version...Thank you Sparknotes!

[c2320609]

I don't understand why the fool is never mentioned.

[CornDoctor]

@c2320609 he was mentioned. his role is too complicated to put in a 10 minute summary thats why you need to read the play or watch it

[wagnis2013]

@c2320609 I know! He was my favourite character.

[luckynumber58]

@c2320609 4:54

[eivano]

@c2320609 There is this "theory" that in reality, Shakespear intended that Cordelia and the Fool were the same person. So after King Lear disowns Cordelia she disguises herself as the fool.

[3Sciencenut]

@eivano I heard the same thing. It's possible, but here's what I heard: Shakespeare originally intended it to be that way, but changed his mind at the last minute, and took out the part where it's revealed that the fool is Cordelia.

[lylavati]

Nice

[TAY28H666]

such a dark play

[666hades666]

Ok, tomorrow I have a test on this, and I'm hoping this video will be enough to get an A. God help me.

[Athenademi360]

to sum up all of shakespeare's trageties:

in the end, everyone dies.

[SomeoneCommenting]

@Athenademi360 Well, there's a reason why they are called 'tragedies', right? The happy endings are reserved for the comedies.

[the3rdquark]

Actually Regan kills the servant, not Cornwall. And at the end, Albany decides that Edgar will be the ruler. This was a really good review of the story, though -- thanks!

[Nukepositive]

@the3rdquark Actually you are confusing the Quarto and Folio texts. There are actually different versions of the play.

[SheepyMilk]

@the3rdquark No man, Cornwall kills the servant. I just finished reading this.

[JonBrownGilbert]

I like how Albany looks uncomfortable in the first drawing and Cornwall looks smugly satisfied with what's happening. Foreshadowing..?

[lolatyoulol]

This is really wrong. Especially the part at 1:04. That is a misinterpretation. He isn't embarrassed...

[obiwanobiwan13]

@lolatyoulol It's SparkNotes...of course its misinterpreted and wrong...

Folks need to actually READ the plays and books...hell, for that matter, folks just need to read PERIOD, we have such an illiterate culture...

[ssparrow331]

Complicated...but not too bad b/c everyone dies anyway :(

[evewarrior]

Wat a bunch of jealous and inane people, sheesh. This is why Kings and Queens don't rule kingdoms and nations anymore, they make decisions based on their personal motives rather than the will of their citizens!

[shoplifting1is1fun]

@evewarrior

It's always been like that. Kinda still is.

[QUICKMICROSCOPE]

@evewarrior What your saying is true but kings and queens still do rule kingdoms like arab countries

but its all diffrent now

[brrriiiiittttttttttt]

lol because he is a bastard.... Way for these people to make something out of nothing..These people must be REALLY bored

[brrriiiiittttttttttt]

lol because he is a bastard....

[FrostedPingu]

Much appreciated, thanks!

[thinough]

THISWASBLOODYUSEFULTHANKYOU

[theresahunter1992]

intense