“I am made of that self mettle as my sister/ And prize me at
her worth. In my true heart/ I find she names my very deed of love;/ Only she
comes too short, that I profess/ Myself an enemy to all other joys/ Which the
most precious square of sense…/ And find I am alone felicitate/ In your dear
Highness’ love” (1.1.77-84).
I love this quote because the language is so flowery that if
it were a tangible thing, it’d be incredibly, well, gaudy. Regan’s flatteries to me
comes across as ugly despite how prettily she says them which makes me appreciate
how Shakespeare can portray a character’s true heart no matter what they’re
saying.
I completely agree with what you said Jenny. Regan's flattery is made to sounds so aesthetic but at the same time Shakespeare used words like "profess", "felicitate" in a way that twist your view of Regan into a cunning but devilish woman. The words sound like they are being forced. They have no meaning they are just empty words that Regan used to gain Lear's favor.
ReplyDeleteI too agree that Shakespeare found a way to make Regan seem to be a beautiful person despite her evil plans behind Lear. Shakespeare made the language very flowery to make her seem like a "good person" but then threw in words to still show her evil.
ReplyDeleteSarah T.
I just really like how the word "enemy" is used here to portray Regan's loyalty to Lear, as she says that she is the enemy of all others, and how significantly the meaning of that word changes throughout the text. With regards to the current situation at hand, I think that Shakespeare does a wonderful job of establishing who is truly good inside, as the feigned flattery of Regan and Goneril immediately makes them distasteful characters in the eyes of Shakespeare's audience, which is contrasted to the refreshing and brutal honesty of Cordelia.
ReplyDeleteI do think that the word "enemy" really sticks out because of how Regan uses it so unexpectedly, but I don't really see how the word "enemy" changes throughout the text. "Followed his enemy king and did him service Improper for a slave" (V.iii.219). The way I see it used here Edgar is still expelling a tone of distaste when talking about the king which gives the audience the sense that he considers him to truly be an enemy. The word enemy is used 4 times throughout the text and in each case it portrays the meaning we generally assume: a person who is against another.
ReplyDelete-Alexandra W