In act1, scene 4 of King Lear, Lear goes on a furious rampage after his eldest daughter, Goneril, refuses to follow the aging king's orders in her own home. Lear insults Goneril, telling Albany to think twice before impregnating a strong-willed woman like Goneril.
Albany, meanwhile, plays the role of a diplomat. He speaks to the mad king, assuring Lear that it not his own choice but Goneril's to defy him:
My lord, I am guiltless, as I am ignorant,
Of what hath moved you
Albany continues to attempt to calm the king while paying respects to him. He also refuses to take the king's side too confidently at the risk of upsetting his wife. When he attempts to address Goneril, hoping to take the king's side, he is meek and unconfident, and he is quickly shushed by his wife:
I cannot be so partial, Goneril,
To the great love I bear you—
Goneril then silences her husband and quickly criticizes his diplomacy:
Though I condemn not, yet under pardon
You are much more attasked for want of wisdom
Than praised for harmful mildness.
Here, Goneril is saying that Albany's indecisiveness, as well as his lack of political strategy, is far more obvious and noticeable than his tenderness and love for the king. While Albany attempts to make suggestions as to how Goneril should deal with the king, he is immediately shot down by her.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
How does the Duke of Albany feel about his wife’s action against the king and what is Goneril’s response to the duke in scene 4 of King Lear?
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